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© Martins Bank Archive Collections Advertisement
Re-mastered 2018 |
In Service: 25 March 1968 until 1973 Image
© Barclays Ref: 0030-0263 This,
believe it or not is a NEW Branch of Martins Bank! The North Eastern Banking
Company originally opens a branch at Birtley in 1904, ten years before
amalgamating with the Bank of Liverpool.
In Martins’ time, Birtley is a Sub Branch to Low Fell, but when
Martins and Barclays merge in 1969, Birtley is promoted to full branch status
at least until Barclays’ 1980s reorganisation of its branch structure. The parent Branch at Low Fell is open for a
total of one hundred and sixteen years, finally closing its doors to
customers of Barclays on 23 October 2015. |
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In 1973 Barclays opened an
altogether different and much less attractive Branch at No 58 Durham
Road Birtley, and this closed permanently on 16 October 2015. Martins 1968 new build at Birtley is typical
of the Bank’s 1960s approach – brighter lighter offices, out with old
fashioned oppressive dark wood panelling, and in with the latest designs,
from building materials to fabrics, and a number of very expensive artworks. Sadly, it is this attention to detail that
becomes too great an expense for the Bank, and contributes to the eventual
need for it to find a buyer…
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