11-83-01 Blackhill

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Not a slag heap in sight!

Martins Bank does have some wonderful looking buildings in its Branch portfolio, and Blackhill does not disappoint. It is opened by the north Eastern Bank in 1893 and lasts for eighty-one years, being closed by Barclays in 1974.

During its Martins life, Blackhill is a self remitting sub branch to Shotley Bridge and open six days across the full banking week, indicating a brisk trade. When Barclays and Martins merge at the end of 1969, Blackhill is downgraded to a sub-Branch.

In Service: 11 January 1893 to 22 November 1974

Image © Barclays Ref 0030-0281

For our feature we go back to 1954 to find that Martins Bank Magazine’s preconcieved ideas about this part of the North East are, thankfully, shot down in flames…

1954 04 MBM.jpg And just to think that for 34 years we have been under the impression that Blackhill was a hole in the ground, a forest of pithead machinery, slag heaps, etc., and that to visit it would be a mortification of the flesh, a penance for having made our branch visits hitherto to places like Torquay and Bournemouth. How wrong we were! To begin with, once clear of the Scotswood Road and across the Tyne, the journey along the valley of the Derwent is made through beautiful country and for sheer loveliness a blue November sky, flecked with white clouds above the browns and russets of late autumn colouring, would be hard to beat. Blackhill looks quite industrial by virtue of the presence of the Consett Iron Works, and it is a straggly place which seems to begin in Shotley Bridge on one side and end in Consett on the other, without any very noticeable division. The country around is extremely fine and on the day of our visit, November 9th, we saw it at its best. At Blackhill our Manager Mr. T. Hopper (who is manager both of Blackhill and Shotley Bridge Branches) is assisted by G. C. L Irwin who has only been in the Bank a short time. There is also a trainee, M. O. Binns of North Eastern District Office, at present at the branch. On the day of our visit, J. L. Boulding from District Office was in charge in order to free Mr. Hopper to be with us.



*Mr B Raine* *Joined the Bank Here* *1903 to 1904*	*Mr J H Ritson* *Manager* *1925 to 1932*	*Mr W B Young* *Pro Manager* *1928 to 1937*	*Mr W Goudie* *On the Staff* *1941 to 1942*	*Mr T Hopper* *Clerk in Charge* *1947 to 1960*	*Mr T Soulsby* *On the Staff* *1948 to 1949*



*Mr J A McNall* *On the Staff* *1949 to ?*	*Mr J M Hogarth* *On th estaff* *1952 to 1953*	*Mr G W Hunter* *On the Staff* *1953 to 1954*	*Mr G C Unwin* *On the Staff* *1954*	*Mr J L Boulding* *On the Staff* *1954*	*Mr M O Binns* *On the Staff* *1954*



*Mr P Hide* *On the Staff* *1954 to 1954*	*Mr B Kirtley* *Clerk in Charge* *1960 to 1963*	*Mr R Morton* *Clerk in Charge* *1966*