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WOMEN AT MARTINS BANK – BERYL EVANS

The appointment in 1963 of Miss Beryl E Evans to the role of Assistant Manager of Martins Bank’s Advertising Department, is an important milestone in many ways. Although two women, Margaret Perks in 1961 and Eileen Muckle in 1967 are promoted to lower management roles within Trust Company, this is the first Board appointment of a lady as an Assistant Manager in the history of the Bank, and puts Beryl very high on the ladder at Head Office. Her appointment is earned on merit, and not through any desire on the part of the Bank to fill quotas, and looking at Beryl’s career, along with her dedication to all aspects of the Social Life of Bank Staff, it is clear that she is perfect for the job in Advertising Department. In sport, she is an accomplished player of golf tennis and hockey, captaining the Bank’s Liverpool District Hockey Team, playing in both women’s and mixed teams. She sings, acts and dances in a number of productions staged by the Martins Bank society of the Arts Music Section (later renamed Martins Bank Operatic Society), as a keen horticulturist she wins prizes at the Bank’s Flower Shows, and she serves on the Bank’s Dinner Committee, helping to arrange the hugely popular and well attended Annual District Dinners in Liverpool. All this, AND her career, in which she is regularly commended for her commitment to the Bank sending her steadily up the ranks in Advertising Department. Beryl died in May 2021, and as a friend of the Archive for many years, kindly shared with us and donated to the Archive items and images from her personal collection, which demonstrate what an amazing “all-rounder” she was…

The appointment of Miss Beryl E. Evans as Assistant Manager, Advertising Department, Head Office, was made in accordance with the promise made by the Chief General Manager at the London District Dinner two years ago when commenting on the appointment of Miss Margaret Perks, that other female appointments would be made when suitable opportunities presented themselves. It was in the capacity of secretary that Miss Evans first went to Advertising Department, and in that she was lucky for it gave her the opportunity of mastering a specialised job. But luck only applies in the provision of opportunity and it is to the credit of Miss Evans that she went to the College of Commerce to learn more about advertising and set about the task of mastering the intricacies of the job in such a way that for the past few years she has been able to deputise for the Advertising Manager and take charge of the department during his frequent absences on Magazine business. The opportunity provided by these frequent absences was indeed fortuitous, but the manner in which it was grasped accounts for the A for initiative which appeared regularly on her staff reports.

So much for the career girl, but no appraisal of the worth of Beryl Evans would be complete without mention of the whole-hearted way in which she has always identified herself with the social and sporting life of the Bank. Hockey, tennis, golf, the Operatic Society, the Bank Choir, the Dinner Committee,—she identified herself with them all and she will be greatly missed on the staff of this Magazine, to which she devoted herself unsparingly. But now that Magazine and Advertising are parting company a choice had to be made and her mastery of the advertising side determined the issue. There are many precedents in the advertising business for such an appointment and some of her opposite numbers are ladies, highly respected in the profession. Her appointment will be warmly welcomed by those who know her, and those who don't will welcome it equally for different reasons—because the promise made by the Chief General Manager has been fulfilled, because it proves that given the chance a lady can fit herself for a responsible position and attain it and because of the encouragement it will give to girls everywhere to take their jobs seriously. Her friends in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and Newcastle upon Tyne will want to join with those in Liverpool in wishing her success and happiness in her new job—the first Board appointment of a lady as an Assistant Manager in the history of the Bank.

Song and Dance…

Beryl’s boundless energy and enthusiasm is ideal for the burgeoning Martins Bank Society of the Arts, whose various players and singers stage sophisticated productions of opera and drama every year…

LEFT – Beryl appears in the 1950 production of “Merrie England”, staged by Martins Bank Operatic Society at the Crane Theatre, Liverpool…

RIGHT – “Iolanthe” is staged by the Society in February 1959, also at the Crane Theatre, Beryl standing far right…

BELOW – More from “Iolanthe”, Beryl is second from the right…

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Dinner and Dance…

Top Brass – Beryl (second from right) and many of the Bank’s elite, form a Dinner Committee

to plan and execute official dinners and dinner dances for the Liverpool District

1947 – At New Brighton, the Tower Ballroom is packed with Martins Bank Staff, all of whom

are enjoying the success of the first Bank Dance to be held there

Winning Combination – Members of the Bank’s Mixed Hockey Team

looking ready for action in 1952…

…and in 1953 the team are victorious at the Castner Kellner Recreation Club’s Mixed Hockey Tournament.

Anyone for Tennis?

LEFT - The Men’s and Women’s teams from Liverpool District are a force to be reckoned with on the tennis court. Beryl and her colleagues regularly play inter-district tournaments.

ABOVE - no hard feelings, the Ladies of the Liverpool AND Manchester Teams pose together for this shot.

Out and About…

18 July 1947 - Ferry ‘cross the Mersey: - Martins Bank Staff survey their City

from the Water during an outing with members of the Institute of Bankers.

…and by the river in Llangollen, on another of the

many organised Staff trips out and about.

Green Fingers…

Beryl’s rose growing gets her noticed in the penultimate Martins Bank Horticultural Society Show held at Head Office in the Summer of 1968. By this time the news is out that Barclays are taking over, and for Beryl and her colleagues, nothing will ever be quite the same again…

Thanksgiving…

Beryl is amongst the many Head Office and Liverpool District Staff to attend the annual concert of Carols – this is staged by Martins Bank Society of the Arts, and held in the splendid cathedral-like surroundings of Head Office. These are times that we may never see again, and they provide an insight into the tremendous feeling of “family” which is still spoken of by Martins Bank Staff today

and finally… “Banking at the Shows and other events 1969” may not be the snappiest of titles, but it is one of last of the Martins Bank Leaftlets to have been designed and produced by Head Office Advertising Department before Barclays takes the helm. From 1967, the department is known as Publicity Department, to reflect the dual responsibilities of Advertising and the production of all the Bank’s leaflets. Beryl is particularly proud of Martins’ long association with shows and events, which began during the Bank’s first year under its modern name with the NORTH EAST COAST EXHIBITION OF 1929. In 1948 MOBILE BRANCHES begin to tour the country, and by 1969 more than 80 agricultural and other shows and events are attended each year by a fleet of six caravans. In the mid-1950s, Beryl’s future husband Ray Creer works on the Head Office Mobile Branches Team.

One of the triumphs of Advertising Department during Beryl’s time there, is the annually published book FINANCE FOR FARMERS AND GROWERS which is edited for many years by her husband Ray Creer, and which is also a huge hit with the agricultrual community. A testament to its value is that “Finance for Farmers and Growers” continues to be produced by Barclays for many years after the 1969 merger. We are extremely grateful to Beryl for giving us the chance to look through some of her most treasured possessions, reproducing many of them here in order to bring you a flavour of her extraordinary life.

M