11-80-70 Shrewsbury

Martins Bank 1928+

We are indebted to Martins Colleague and friend of the Archive, the late Iris Brooks, for this lovely photograph of Martins Bank’s Shrewsbury Branch from the early 1960s. Colour images from this time – such as this one, which was taken on to a photographic slide – are all too rare, so it was pleasing to find Iris’s snapshot still in such good condition. Although the Tudor exterior makes Shrewsbury Branch look like it has been there much longer, it was actually only opened in 1953. Martins Bank has very good reasons for purchasing buildings in the South of England that look particularly old – there is the race to become a fully National bank, and with it the need to instill confidence in potential customers through Branches that look like they are long established features of the local High Street. In 1964 Martins Bank Magazine visits the Branch, and it comes as no surprise that they go into overdrive to give us the historical facts, dates and figures of such a beuatiful old town as Shrewsbury…

In Service: 1953 until 31 July 1979

Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections - Iris Brooks

1954 02 MBM.jpg We paid our first visit to Shrewsbury on April 6th and of the many attractive places we have visited in the course of our travels this town comes very near the top of the list. It is a town of picturesque streets and ancient buildings, of quiet courtyards and secluded closes. The Severn almost encircles it in a great loop at the neck of which stands the ancient stronghold, fragments of which date back to 1067. Rebuilt and re-fortified under successive monarchs it has never become ruinous and to-day its ancient red sandstone walls bear witness to the long history of this mediaeval border town. Here you may enter the room in which Henry VII dined on the eve of Bosworth; there you may gaze at the house within which John Wesley preached his first message.

On a magnificent eminence overlooking both river and town stand the modern buildings of Shrewsbury School and within the town itself, now converted to other uses, that modest, older building in which the tradition of this famous public school was founded. A few minutes' drive in a car and you are on an eminence from which you can survey the lovely Shropshire countryside in all its glory, the lonely Wrekin and the distant hills of South Shropshire. This is a gracious countryside, a fitting setting for a town which has grown old graciously, yet old without any look or suggestion of decay.

Our premises, converted from a shop which was in turn converted from an old mansion (Owen's Mansion, built in 1592) are a tasteful and noteworthy addition to the architecture of a town famous for its beautiful timbered buildings. Along with our premises at Nantwich it is one of the finest branch buildings we have built, both from an exterior and an interior point of view, and has drawn forth public praise from the Mayor of the town.

Interior Images © Barclays Ref 0030/2642

As to the interior, the most pleasing fixture is the ceiling panel lighting, which sheds a sunshine glow, through wrought iron grilles of artistic design, evenly-throughout the office. The interior panelling, desks and fittings combine to make dignified and pleasant working conditions and the strongroom, of the latest watertight pattern from the Chatwood Works near the town, completes the picture of up to date business efficiency. Mr. K. Harris-Hughes, the successful manager of Rhyl and Wrexham branches, was entrusted with the task of opening the new branch. Wrexham branch has already been featured in the Magazine and it was very pleasant to renew old acquaintance by entertaining Mr. and Mrs. Harris-Hughes to lunch and by being afterwards entertained by them in their lovely new home high up above the town. We were also very pleased to meet Mr. J. B-Webster again. Now second-in-command at Shrewsbury he was at Ramsey when we visited the branch there in 1950.

Interior Images © Barclays Ref 0030-2642

In fact, in no sense of the word did we feel we were meeting strangers, for Miss Sheila M. Milner lived in the next road to us in Liverpool at one time and knew some of the people we know. She served at Smithdown and Toxteth branches until her family moved to Shrewsbury and rejoined the service when the new branch was opened. She is Secretary of one of the Young Farmers' Clubs and when her club recently took part in a public speaking competition with the other clubs in the country she was a competitor for her club and came out on top. The fourth member of the staff (third in seniority) is A. C. Harris, who forsook the public service for the brighter prospects of banking as a career and has recently settled down to carve out his career after a spell of National Service with the R.A.F. Our warmest good wishes to them all for the success of the task on which they have embarked and for their own personal success and happiness in performing it.



Mr K Harris Hughes Manager 1953 to 1955	Miss Sheila M Milner On the Staff 1954	Mr A C Harris On the Staff 1954	Mr J B Webster Branch Second 1954	Mr G H M Clayton Manager 1955 to 1959	Mr G H Norman Limited Authority 1961 to 1965



Miss G H Hill Cashier 1963	Mr S B Evans Manager 1963	Mr K S Potter Pro Manager 1967	Mr B W Evans Pro Manager 1969