|
“Turn again
Wilkinson, Mayor of Sunderland”… The North Eastern Banking Company
opens a branch at Southwick in 1900. The
image above, displayed with the kind permission of our friends at the
Sunderland Echo, shows Southwick in
the 1950s before the branch has a makeover.
The results can be seen below, a new exterior and bright welcoming
interior. By the time of the 1969
merger with Barclays, there have been a total of NINE Sunderland Branches, at
Chester Road, Fawcett Street, Fulwell, Grangetown, Hendon, Millfield,
Monkwearmouth, Pallion, and Southwick. Southwick is amongst the branches that are
mothballed for part of the second world war, so that larger branches can be
adequately staffed. In 1964 Martins Bank Magazine meets
a rather special member of the Sunderland staff. By day he is the guard at Southwick and
Fulwell sub branches, but by night he is something of a Dick Whittington
character - well, almost. He’s had quite an eventful life; having
spent fifty years working for a colliery, he has met the Duke of Edinburgh
twice, and he is now leaving the world of being a bank guard behind, to
become the Mayor of Sunderland… Mr Robert Wilkinson retired on May 9th
after serving four-and-a-half years as bank guard at Southwick and Fulwell
sub branches. Eleven days later he
became Mayor of Sunderland. Always keenly
interested in local government Mr Wilkinson was elected a member of
Sunderland County Borough Council in 1945 and raised to the Aldermanic bench
in 1959. During the past year, as Deputy Mayor,
he has twice had the honour of meeting H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh. Before
joining the Bank Mr Wilkinson worked at Wearmouth Colliery for fifty years,
apart from service in Italy during the first world war. He has always been a
keen sportsman. In his younger days he was wicket-keeper for Wearmouth Colliery
C.C. and has been a life-long supporter of Sunderland Football Club. His Bank
service has been thoroughly enjoyable, he assures us, as it has enabled him
to widen his circle of friends. Although both staff and customers are sorry
to lose him, all wish him a very successful year as Mayor of Sunderland. |
In Service: 1900 until 12 December 1969 Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections - Sunderland Echo Images © Barclays Ref 3000-2746 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|