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Today it has once more
been converted and the only visible link with the past is the school ledger
with its faded writing, now kept in the Manager's room. Our first reaction
on seeing the internal decor was to advise that enthusiastic exponent of
modern bank architecture, Mr. Edward Norman-Butler to lose no time in
visiting Selby to see what they can do in Yorkshire. In its own way it is every bit as fine as
some of the better publicised new branches in the London District. Skilful
use of contrasting colours for floors, bright green and pink, enhance the
furniture and woodwork, while even the steel cupboards have been painted a
special shade of metallic blue which gives them an attraction entirely in
harmony with the general colour scheme.
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Over the bank a very
attractive house has been made with its best rooms looking on to the
venerable Selby Abbey, from the bell tower of which every third hour a
carillon plays well-known hymn tunes. The Abbey has
other claims to fame than that of having been founded at the time of the
Norman Conquest. The ancestors of George Washington worshipped here and the
great American President was the great-great-grandson of the member of the
family who went to live in America. The family connections go back to the
early years of our own Grasshopper tradition. The Washington coat-of-arms
appears in one of the stained-glass windows and a patriotic American has
presented a flag which hangs below the window. The Abbey has another curious little surprise. The
capitals of some of the short decorative columns are hollow and in one of
them, revealed to the gaze by the use of an electric hand-lamp which is
kept on a bench for the purpose, is a bust of King Edward VII, beautifully carved.
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Image © Barclays Ref 30-2582
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 On
arrival in Selby we were met by Mr. J. Holdsworth, the Manager, who is very
well known to us as a result of his tour of duty with the Mobile Bank. We
motored to Monk Fryston Hall Hotel for lunch and there we met Mrs.
Holdsworth, better known to us all in the Liverpool District as Nora Owen.
Before her marriage she was one of the principals in the Argosy Players and
served for some years in Staff Department and later in Inspection
Department. The new branch has
started right from scratch and the success with which it will undoubtedly
meet will be due entirely to the efforts of Mr. and Mrs. Holdsworth who are
quite dedicated to the task of planting Martins Bank firmly in this corner
of the East Riding. Mr.
Holdsworth is a Leeds District man, having commenced his service at
Pontefract and, apart from war service, 1939-46, having been at
Scarborough, South Cliff and Sheffield before becoming Clerk-in-Charge of
the Mobile Branch in 1956. He spent part of 1957 at Heywoods to prepare for
the task of opening at Selby.
Acting as second man is
Mr. D. E. Greaves, on relief duties from Leeds. Miss A. D. Gowthorpe, who came
to Selby from York, was on holiday on the day of our visit, July 14th, and
in her place was Miss Betts, also from York. Circumstances
conspired to arrange our visit very soon after the opening of the branch,
and we regret that some of the other new branches which have been open
longer have not yet received a visit, but we will try to remedy this state
of affairs as soon as possible. The new
branch is one in which we can all take pride, and, architecturally at any
rate, it will be one of the showpieces of the Leeds District.
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