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Many of Martins Bank’s larger city centre Branches are known to those
who work there as “City Office”.
They offer the services of a Branch, but also they are, with the
exception of Bristol City Office, housed in the same building as one of the
Bank’s District Offices.
Customers can therefore benefit from the local decision making powers
of the District Office, and do their everyday banking, all in the same
place. Birmingham City Office is
situated at 98 Colmore Row Bimingham, and like so many of Martins’ larger
Branch buildings it is striking and imposing, giving the air of somewhere
where business is done.
Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections
It is also a comparitive newcomer to Martins’ Branch Portfolio,
having been opened in 1935. An
advertisement like the one shown here, is printed in local newspapers for a
month or so before the opening of the Branch. Opening
the Branch on a Friday shows the nature of new large city centre office –
opening on the Friday and the Saturday Morning instead of for a whole first
week, gives staff AND customers room to acclimatise and get used to the new building.
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In Service:
1 March 1935 until 15 September 1986
Image © Barclays
This image
(above) from the Barclays Collection, has
been annotated to
show expansion into neighbouring shops to
provide a new
machine accounting room in 1968. (See also image below)
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The
Midlands is a strategic area for the southward expansion of the Bank, and to
begin with, Midland District was described as soaking up all the English
Branches that are “not wanted” by other districts”. There were a few interesting overlaps
between Midland and London District, which was Branches such as Oxford and
Banbury changing district before the decentralised layout of the Bank settled
down. Birmingham is one of only a few
City Office Branches to be visited by Martins Bank Magazine, and we join them
here in 1960, for a good look at what goes on behind those imposing doors and
windows…
 It is seldom that we visit a big office. The sense of
isolation is less where a number of people work together, and it is easier to feel that one
"belongs". As a rule, our visits are made to try
to lessen this feeling of isolation. However, we made an exception to our
practice on March 10th when we paid our first visit to Birmingham City
Office, which with Midland District Office situated on the floor above makes
a very sizeable focal point of our business in the Midlands. Because of town planning we shall have to vacate our
premises at 98, Colmore Row in the course of the next few years and it will
be quite a problem to find as good a spot as the one from which we at present
operate, which is scheduled for an open space. The plan also involves
disturbance of our Markets and Broad Street Branches, altogether quite an
upheaval. Out of evil may come good, however,
for the present premises are in some respects inadequate for our
growing business. Catering facilities at present provide a midday meal for
the staff not only at Colmore Row but also for the neighbouring Branches and
a nice rest room for the ladies has just been added. Mr. A. E. Teasdale has already figured in these pages as
Manager when we visited Northampton Branch some years ago. He has come a long
way since those far off days of his early service at Darlington, Newcastle
upon Tyne and Hanley.
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Images © Barclays Ref
0030-0210
Mr. J. L. S. Woosnam is
another old friend who spent his earlier years at Liverpool City Office,
Ellesmere Port, Charing Cross, South John Street and Inspection Department
before going to the Midlands in 1951. His appointment as Assistant Manager
dates from 1958. Mr. Woosnam married Miss Audrey Weston, who was formerly in
Chief Accountant's Department. Mr. C. Wilson, who signs Pro Manager, is
another Liverpool man who spent his early years at Old Swan, going to the
Midlands at Wednesbury in 1951. The first cashier, Mr. J. Higginbotham, is a Manchester
man who has reached his present position via Whalley Range, New Mills, Heaton
Chapel, Manchester City Office, Macclesfield, Cardiff, Bristol and Nottingham - quite a run around. We met Mr. G. E.
Hasler on one of the Domestic Training Courses and Mr. W. E. Clowes on an
Overseas Training Course, both at Head Office. Mr. M. J. Cadd has also been on an Overseas course but he is known to
us as a participant in the Festival of Cricket, so we already knew all the
male members of the staff apart from Mr. R. A. Franklin who entered the
service in 1955 and Mr. R. R. Stait, the junior, who started last year.
 The
ladies are well represented on the Birmingham staff. Mrs. P. Needham, who
formerly worked for another bank, finds it more convenient to work for us as
her husband is on the staff of District Office upstairs! Miss B. M. Smith is
Mr. Teasdale's typist and there are two girl cashiers—Mrs. B. J. West and Miss S. Aldridge, who do,
however, perform other duties. Then we have
Miss M. G. Merriman, Birmingham born and bred, Miss S. Bargh, who has
perforce exchanged Bournemouth for Birmingham, and Miss A. M. Ford. We did
not have the pleasure of meeting Miss P. M. Allen and Miss J. M. Stevens who
were away through illness on the day of our visit. The photograph was taken subsequent to our visit, and two
or three members of the staff who appear on it we did not have the pleasure
of meeting. Others whom we met were not available when the photograph was
taken. Although we were not visiting
District Office officially, we called to renew acquaintance with the staff
there, most of whom are very well known to us. It was a crowded visit, full of interest and pleasure in meeting so
many old friends.
We’re in the money…
  No other Branch, so far as we are aware, can claim
the distinction of being besieged at 9
a.m. on a Saturday morning by a crowd of people, numbering 67, 35 of whom wanted to open
accounts, and all of whom wanted a substantial amount of cash. Our photograph shows a recent Pools winner
to the tune of Ł55,000 at the counter of
Birmingham City Office. Accompanying him were the other 66 members of his syndicate, each
of whom wanted a cheque for some Ł800. He came by appointment to sign his
cheque, but the appearance of the members of his syndicate took the Bank by
surprise and most of the staff had to be set to the task of making out the
cheques. Then followed the cash transactions and finally the formalities
connected with the opening of the accounts. Although the party were obviously
in high spirits, bound for refreshment and then the football match, they were
most considerate of the other customers wanting service.
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 Ever keen with his finger on the photographic pulse is Martins
Bank Staff Member Keith Mason, whose modern shots of former Martins
Branches now feature extensively throughout our online Archive. Here we can compare the 98 Colmore Row of
2015, with its previous life as Martins Bank…
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Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections
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Image © Keith Mason June 2015
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