11-78-51 Blackpool Lytham Road

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According to the Martins Bank records held by Barclays, Martins Bank opened a Branch in Blackpool at 127 Lytham Road in 1928. Less than a year later, the former Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank Branch at Lytham Street, is closed. When Barclays and Martins merge at the end of 1969, Lytham Road loses its Full Branch Status, becoming a Sub to Barclays South Shore.

As we can see from the branch image, this is not quite a drive-in Branch, but it still is a very convenient place to stop and bank. Later on this page however, we learn that a branch car park can also be an enticement to rob the bank! Every building has its good side but it looks as though this Martins Bank Branch could do with some new stick on letters! Nowadays those lovely ground floor windows have been covered over, in keeping with the building’s twenty-first century use as a betting shop…

In Service: 1928 until 30 April 1971

Image © Barclays Ref 0030/0290

A sign of past glories…

2014 Lytham Road Coat of Arms still over shop - GMSV MBA It is not possible to see clearly from either of the remaining 1960s branch images, the elaborate Martins Bank Coat of Arms inlaid into plasterwork and supported by metal stays above the door. Whilst the irony of many former Bank buildings seems to be that they are now betting shops – and 127 Lytham Road is no exception – it is nice to know that the plasterwork Coat of Arms remains; a kind of defiant indicator of the past glories of this particular building!

Our short feature story from Martins Bank Magazine concerns an armed raid – this is in the days when security screens were not installed in most branches, making the fear of being shote even more of an occupational hazard…

The right “Place” at the right time……

Those of us who have worked in the cash-filled surroundings of branch banking always dreaded the thought of an armed raid. One of the thankfully small number of tales of bravery by staff and/or customers, printed in Martins Bank Magazine over the years, concerns the actions of Miss Mary Place, who is a member of staff at 127 Lytham Road Branch in 1966…

1966 Mary Place receives award after robbery attempt at branch MBM-Su66P38.jpg 1966 02.jpg When two armed men entered Lytham Road branch on 15 February and demanded money Miss Mary Place attempted to close her till but was threatened by one of them who fired a shot over her head. The men were arrested the following day and have since been sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court, but when they appeared before Blackpool Magistrates the Chairman warmly commended Miss Place. In March Miss Place came to Liverpool to be presented with an inscribed gold watch of her own choice by the Chairman of the Bank. Hearing the news on his car radio when driving home to Westmorland on the day of the robbery he had made a detour in order to pay an unexpected and much appreciated call on the staff at Lytham Road.



*Mr W L A Wilkinson* *Manager* *1936 to 1945*	Mr A Beardwell *Manager* *1945 to 1958*	Mr F Barton *Manager* *1958 to 1966*	Mr M P M Brown *On the Staff* *Summer 1958*	*Mr A M Ellis* *On the staff* *1963 to 1965*	Mr S Heaton *On the Staff* *1965 to 1968*



*Miss Mary Place* *On the staff* *1966*	Mr K E *Stansfield* *Manager* *1966 onwards*

	BARCLAYS BANK LIMITED 338 Lytham Road 511 Lytham Road		DISTRICT BANK LIMITED 497 Lytham Road

	MARTINS BANK LIMITED 127 Lytham Road		MIDLAND BANK LIMITED Lytham Road

	NATIONAL PROVINCIAL BANK 332 Lytham Road