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 By
1963, Martins’ Branch at 38 Fishergate is structurally too old, too dark and
too old fashioned to be the home of the modern-day Martins Bank. So begins a two-year programme of rebuilding, that sees the original Head
Office of the Preston Union Bank at 38 Fishergate pulled down to allow an
altogether more modern structure to be erected in its place. For the duration of the building work –
nearly two years - the Branch is relocated to these temporary premises at 19
Lune Street, which are cramped to say the least…
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In Service: 1963 until
August 1965
Image Martins Bank Archive Collections © (Courtesy) Lancashire
Image Archive
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Martins Bank Magazine gives the
verdict of the Fishergate Staff in this short extract from an article about
the new Branch:
  Until
last August the staff had spent two cramped and uncomfortable years in
temporary premises at 19 Lune Street and it is not surprising that the
pleasure and relief of working at last in a modern office was still being
reflected three months later in sighs of joy whenever the visitor remarked on
some feature of the new Branch. An adjoining shop, deep but with a
narrow frontage, has provided a machine room parallel with the main office
and also an entrance hall, lift and staircase to the new Trustee Department
and the tenanted accommodation above…
The image above and the one
here on the right, which are reproduced by kind permission of Lancashire
County Council, show the temporary Branch (to the right of the small archway,
empty and boarded up) shortly after it is vacated by Martins in 1965. You can
see the new premises, including newly discovered colour images of the
interior and exterior, on our page for
38
FISHERGATE, where there is
also a full staff gallery for Preston.
We have included a smaller staff gallery below, to show some of those
staff likely to have worked at Lune Street during the rebuilding work, but we
also need your help - Your memories
of this two-year upheaval in the life of Preston Branch, either as staff or
customer, would be most welcome.
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