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By 1965, many of Martins Bank’s
branches across the North of England are beginning to show their age, and the
decision is taken either to redecorate, rebuild or relocate. This is a difficult financial tightrope for
the Bank to walk, as it completes its programme of opening new branches. |
In Service: 1964 until 1965 |
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This means that many of the
oldest and most run-down Branches in the Northern parts of England and Wales
will have to make do with nothing
more than a makeover. There are,
however, some notable exceptions. For example, both KENDAL and LANCASTER branches are
given internal transformation, moving from old fashioned dark wood panels and
little light, to modern materials, much more space, and a light and airy
feel. The logistics of closing such large branches temporarily, and finding
the space for up to a hundred or more staff to work, must have been quite an
onerous task for the Bank’s premises department to facilitate.
PRESTON branch is completely demolished, and it takes two
years to construct its lavish replacement, which becomes home to a new branch
of Martins Bank Trust Company, and a showcase for the aspirations of Martins
Bank in the mid to late sixties. A
similar project is undertaken at Hyde, with the branch at 38 MARKET STREET being replaced with something that is much more
“fit for purpose” as banking moves ever more quickly towards the computer age
and decimalisation. Hyde relocates to
a temporary branch at 25 Market Street, but at the moment we have no
pictorial record of these premises.
The staff gallery for this branch is on our main HYDE page.
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