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 This photograph from Martins Bank Magazine’s
Autumn 1961 edition, does not do justice to the 1957 rebuild at Eastbourne -
a branch which is first opened in Terminus Road by Martins Bank in 1946.
There are no photographs of the Branch in Barclays’ collection of Martins
Bank photographs. The area around the
front door, including the use of a sculptured coat of arms above, is
copied almost identically, when Martin
opens a Branch at SCARBOROUGH SOUTH
CLIFF two
years later. Eastbourne was never actually due a visit from the Magazine, but
a chance visit to the town by the editor allowed for this very short article
in 1961…p
 Eastbourne was not on the list of branches to receive an official
visit on this occasion but as we were in the town for a different reason, we
managed to find time to pay a short visit to our old friend Mr. F. T. Silcock
who was in charge of our branch at Lilliput when we featured it in our pages
in 1952. It was our first visit to
Eastbourne and although we published pictures of the office after
reconstruction in 1958, this was the first time we had seen it for ourselves. Eastbourne is obviously a very prosperous town with many
magnificent hotels and numerous new blocks of expensive flats, and others in
course of construction.
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In Service: 1946 until 13
December 1969
Branch Images © Martins Bank Archive Collections
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In the midst of all this material
wealth it was a wise decision to build our branch so that it is in keeping
with the best contemporary building around it, and a very fine and dignified
job they have made of it. A feature of the banking hall is a most beautiful
floral display which is the work of Miss March who arranges it week by week
throughout the year. We were very
pleased to meet her and the other members of the staff during our brief visit
in the late afternoon of 19 July.
For our second Eastbourne feature, we look at the retirement gathering
in honour of Mr J Murray, Manager from 1946 to 1959…
  At the end of July Mr Murray Retired after forty-six years’
service and to mark the occasion he gave a cocktail party at the Cumberland
Hotel, Eastbourne, on July 31, which was attendedby ninety members of the
staff, customers, and friends. During
the course of the proceedings, Mr L G Tunnah, London District General
Manager, made a presentation on behalf of the subscribers of a clock, a
cheque and an album of signatures, and spoke appreciatively of Mr Murray’s
many years of service in the North Eastern and London Districts, and wished
him a long a happy retirement. Miss
Stella Marsh presented Mrs Murray with a bouquet and expressed the good
wishes of all present. Mr Murray commenced his service in 1913 at
Newcastle. During the First World War
in which he served from 1915 to 1917,
he was wounded during the Persian Gulf Campaign. He subsquently served at Dunston, Ellison
Street Jarrow, Newcastle Westgate, Darlington and on the Newcastle District
General Manager’s Staff before his first appointment as Manager at Newcastle
Northumberland Street in 1932. He
became Manager at Eastbourne in 1939
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