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Closing a noticable
gap…
 Bromborough sub-Branch has been converted from a
café, and opens for banking business in 1963. Unfortunately it can only
manage to go to extremes to be helpful until the merger with Barclays when
the business is transferred to an existing Branch, just a few doors away. The
merger bring casualties to BOTH sides, and a number of Barclays Branches are closed permanently
in favour of a Martins counterpart being newer, or perhaps larger, or
generally having a greater potential for the percieved future business of the
combined Bank.
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In Service: 1963 to 12 December 1969
Branch Images © Barclays
Ref 0030-0438
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As a self accounting sub-Branch to Ellesmere Port,
Bromborough is likely to have been a busy little branch, and it was opened for
the full six day banking week. Back in 1963, the doors have hardly been open
five minutes (well, five DAYS actually) before Martins Bank
Magazine pops in for a visit, and they are full of praise for the work done
by the Bank’s Architect Mr Silcock. It is his job to produce new and enticing
looking branches in the 1960s. The branch also reflects a well used device of
the Bank of Liverpool – the choice of a property with a corner aspect. This
rather cleverly gives your business a presence in two streets at once!
 Visiting
a new branch five days after its opening may constitute a record but this was
not in our minds when an optimistic weather man, encouraged no doubt by a
fitful sun, forecast a slow thaw. Although sceptical, we set forth for
Bromborough in conditions which did nothing to encourage local residents to
try their new bank. Only the buses ploughed relentlessly back and forth:
those cars which had to stop in the village sought to halt on level surfaces
or downhill gradients to ensure a reasonable take-off, and housewives were
plainly confining their activities strictly to unavoidable shopping sorties. Yet the welcome in
the branch would have warmed any caller and we were pleased to find Mr. R. W.
Nuttall, the Clerk-in-Charge, optimistic about the premises and the business
potential.
 The
new office, though temporary, is sited centrally at The Cross in a former
cafe and the conversion, for which the Bank's architect, Mr. D. D. J.
Silcock, deserves praise, has been very well done. Bromborough, though
largely a dormitory area to-day, still retains much of the village atmosphere
and towards the Mersey there is considerable industrial development. The new branch
closes a noticeable gap between those on the fringes of Birkenhead and
Ellesmere Port. Mr. Nuttall has valuable
experience on which to draw and those who use the new branch will get good
service. He began his career at Sale branch and apart from war service with
the Fleet Air Arm, worked in Manchester District branches until going to
Nantwich as second in command in 1953. He attended the Domestic Training Scheme
in 1957/8 and joined the visiting inspection staff in January 1959. In his
spare time he still enjoys flying, when he can, despite an unpleasant
experience five years ago when he landed a plane in the south of France on
one wheel but without any damage.
 Mr.
Brian Woods, who will take charge in Mr. Nuttall's absences, is a happy
choice for the new office, having a natural ability to get on with people. He entered the Bank in 1946 and all his experience has
been gained in the Liverpool District: before going to Bromborough he was on
securities and overseas work at East branch. Many will remember his father,
Mr. W. R. Woods, as Assistant Manager in Liverpool City Office and now in
retirement. The third member of the staff,
Mr. David L. Irving, joined us at Claughton Village branch in October after a
year at Oxford University. He attended a cashier's course and had machine
instruction immediately before going to Bromborough, all of which might have
induced a state of mental indigestion, but it was encouraging to find his
thoughts a long way ahead of the position he occupies at present. We were loath to leave this cheerful office for the
skating rink outside and we wish them well.
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