11-52-70 Scarborough

This is Martins Bank’s very impressive Scarborough Branch, looking every inch as important as any of those swanky Central London offices! Opened in 1936 at 96 Westborough, the Branch is joined some twelve years later by a sub branch at South Cliff.

As we see below in these “before and after” photographs, the building itself looked VERY different prior to being acquired and altered by Martins in what looks like a probable demolish and rebuild. Gone is Arthur Pearson’s shop, in its place a bank that will last for more than thirty years in its new home…

In service: 3 March 1936 – 16 November 1979

Image © Barclays Ref 0030-2569

Before…

Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections

After…

Image © Barclays Ref 0030/2569

The only way we really know that this is the same location is the constant presence of the F A LUND shop to the left, and the ANDERSON shop to the right. At the time of the merger with Barclays, South Cliff is surplus to requirements and closes in 1970. Westborough does however survive a little longer – until the end of 1979. Scarborough is one of the last branches to enjoy a visit from Martins Bank Magaine, and this fairly long write-up appears in the Summer 1969 issue…

1969 02 MBM.jpg if it’s history you want Scarborough has it, for here lived Stone Age man, the Ancient Briton and the Roman. The Viking Thorgils Scarthi gave his name to the town over 1,000 years ago. The Normans built a castle which survived as a royal stronghold until Cromwell’s merry men added it to their list of ruins. For 700 years Scarborough has been a port and through its small harbour come and go cargoes of timber and fertilizer from Europe, and Yorkshire barley bound for the breweries of Amsterdam and Bremen. Here too are the fishing berths where each morning the inshore fleet lands its overnight catch. But Scarborough’s business is pleasure: as a holiday resort it lays claim to the title ‘Queen of the Yorkshire coast’.

Many of its street names have a regal air: Royal Albert Drive, Queen Margaret’s Road, Prince of Wales Terrace, Victoria Road—names reflecting nineteenth century grandeur. Scarborough can claim the distinction of being Britain’s first seaside resort. The discovery on the South Cliff of medicinal springs brought the health-seeking wealthy to the town and from ‘taking the waters’ the patrons were further persuaded into taking health-giving ‘sea bathing cures’. As Britain’s only seaside spa Scarborough began to grow in size and popularity. From the South Bay the town spread northwards and an impressive promenade was built below the castle to join the two bays, a task which took Victorian engineers eleven years to complete. Today Scarborough offers everything one could wish from a seaside holiday and it is an excellent tourist centre for the North York moors. We hadn’t expected the town to be so busy in spring but crossing over Westborough to our branch was quite an adventure.


Branch Images © Barclays Ref 0030-2569

Our man at No 96 is Mr Max Coates, a pipe-smoking Yorkshireman who takes life as it comes. A philosophic approach is necessary at a holiday resort for anything can happen during the season –and it usually does. ‘This place gets like a mad house, he remarked, but when the visitors have gone, life settles back to a more or less normal pace. Hailing from Batley, near Leeds, Mr Coates has spent his career in Yorkshire, coming to Scarborough from Wyke four years ago. Off duty he enjoys pottering in his garden up at Scalby Mills or tinkering with his Land Rover “without getting too involved”; occasionally he gets in a round of golf but the irregular routine and after-hours calls on customers do not allow him much leisure time. He is treasurer of the local YMCA, a lively group second m size to York’s. This year he is treasurer for a young group who are entertaining a youth soccer team from Scarborough, Ontario. The branch here had recently been transferred to the control of Barclays’ Local Head Office at York and we were interested to find out how the changeover was coming along.

“We’ve had no real problems and York have been very friendly and co-operative” Mr Coates said. “Of course, we were naturally prejudiced in favour of our tried and trusted methods, and we often have to think twice about procedures but the initial difficulties are being ironed out. We’ll soon get into the swing of things”. John Davenport, Pro Manager, agreed. He is particularly impressed by the extent to which social activities are being organised by Barclays. John is in his element at Scarborough, and naturally it is a paradise for his three children. They live at Peasholm just beyond the beautiful park and twenty-five minutes’ bracing walk from the office. Born in Bradford, John Davenport was in charge at Headingley before his move here two years ago. R.S.P.C.A. work is one of his main interests: he is treasurer of the Scarborough branch. No visit to Scarborough is complete without a view of the sea and in John’s car we did a quick tour of the sights: up to the terraces overlooking North Bay, overshadowed by the gaunt ruin of the Castle keep; down to Peasholm and along the spray-drenched promenade, narrowly avoiding retreating photographers as the waves broke along Marine Drive.

Round the corner by the harbour the painters were busy sprucing up the ‘Golden Mile’ and scaffolding enmeshed the Futurist Theatre, the summer home of the ‘Black and White Minstrels’. In a few short weeks the spa would echo to the music of Max Jaffa and Jack Byfield but just then there was only the sea, the wind and the gulls. Our branch opened here in 1936 and three years later Dorothy Robson joined its staff. She is now invaluable to the team as branch historian and memory-jogger. An exile from Liverpool is Barbara Moss who until crossing the Pennines was at Liverpool Trustee. Barbara, a keen rambler, spends much of her spare time on the moors where she is a National Park Warden’s Assistant. She is also Secretary of the Scarborough Folk Dancing Club. When it comes to machines Margaret Beavers is proficient at both the Burroughs and the Singer. A talented dressmaker, she was sporting one of her creations and very nice it looked, too. She has been at the branch for two and a half years and takes a relief till when things get hectic.

Someone, unfortunately, has to do the junior’s job and ‘mucking about generally’, as she put it, is Kath (Sunshine) Jennings. ‘Sunshine’ is the name bestowed on her by Mr Davenport and well describes her cheerful personality. All the more surprising is her interest in ‘blues’ music—a case of taking one’s pleasure seriously. When the tills were balanced, we were able to make contact with Scarborough’s front line. Joan Gilbert is a motoring enthusiast, nipping round the country in her Triumph Spitfire. There was bound to be a cricketer about and here we found Tony Tarsey whom we had met at the cricket festival in previous years. Coming from Hull two years ago where he played for his local team he hopes to play for the Seamer Club this season. Newly arrived from Dewsbury and settling in nicely is Stephen Waring. Appropriately for a cashier one of his hobbies is numismatics. Scarborough will provide plenty of scope for his other interest, geology, and no doubt the cliffs will soon be ringing to the sound of his hammer. We are fielding a first-class eleven at Scarborough and if you happen to be holidaying that way this summer spare them a thought as they slave away over their hot counter—and if you have to cash a cheque why not stand ‘em ice creams all round. They deserve it.

1959 04 MBM.jpg 1948 to 1959 Mr J Tyne Manager MBM-Wi59P50.jpg On September 30^th Mr. J. Tyne retired from the managership of Scarborough branch, a position he had held for nearly twelve years. To celebrate his retirement after 44 years’ service, Mr. and Mrs. Tyne invited the staff and their wives to a cocktail party at a local hotel. The proceedings were more in the nature of a family party, and during the evening Mr. E. J. Winnard, Inspector, in the unavoidable absence of Mr. J. Servant, the Leeds District General Manager, presented a camera on behalf of the subscribers. Miss Robson presented Mrs. Tyne with a bouquet of carnations. Mr. Winnard thanked Mr. Tyne on behalf of the Bank for his most loyal and faithful service, and underlying the speech was a warmth of personal regard shared by all his colleagues. In his reply Mr. Tyne was in a reminiscent mood, and it emerged that throughout his long service he had been absent on sick leave for no more than four and a half days. Mr. Tyne entered the Equitable Bank in 1915 at Wyke. He served with H.M. Forces from 1917-1919, afterwards returning to Wyke. In 1922 he was transferred to the District Management Staff of the Equitable Bank at Halifax, and in 1930, the amalgamation having taken place in the meantime, he was appointed Assistant Inspector at Leeds. In 1932 he became Manager at King Cross, Halifax, and in 1935 Manager at Castleford. He was appointed Manager at Scarborough in 1948.



*Mr J E Bateman* *Manager* *1936 to 1948*	*Mr L Atkins* *Pro Manager* *1946 to 1952*	*Mr J Tyne* *Manager* *1948 to 1959*	*Mr A K Sykes* *Pro Manager* *1952 to 1957*	*Mr G H Wilford* *Pro Manager* *1957 to 1967*	*Mr M Coates* *Manager* *1965 onwards*



*Mr J W Davenport* *Pro Manager* *1967*	*Barbara Moss* *On the Staff* *1969*	*Mr John Davenport* *Pro Manager* *1969*	*Dorothy Robson* *On the Staff* *1969*	*Joan Gilbert* *On the Staff* *1969*	*Mr Stephen Waring* *On the Staff* *1969*



*Kath Jennings* *On the Staff* *1969*	*Mr Tony Tarsey* *On the Staff* *1969*	*Margaret Beavers* *On the Staff* *1969*