ISSUE 11 Spring/Summer 2021 www.martinsbank.co.uk Universities Challenged… The Covid 19 Pandemic has affected most of the people on the planet, and has brought about a hastening of “change” across many societies, ours included. In the UK it is believed that the full eighteen months of restrictions and lockdowns will bring forward the demise of cash by ten years or more, and the way we live our lives is expected to have changed forever when we take into account new methods of shopping, travel and communication, not to mention the effects on the physical AND mental health and well- being of so many people. As the High Street continues to struggle, the banks have found it necessary to close more and more of their branches, and in the early part of 2021, it is notable that many of these closures affect branches and sub-branches which have for decades served the students and staff at our universities. Having a bank available “on campus” was pioneered by Martins Bank in the late 1950s, and like many innovative products and services, it was the idea of a member of staff. Images © Martins Bank Archive Collections – Fiona Winter The concept of Student Banking is the brainchild of Mr William T Green, a member of the Bank’s Staff at Myrtle Street in Liverpool. He writes to Head Office with his original idea in October 1956. At that time, Martins’ commitments were focussed on opening new branches in the South and West of England, and in Wales, to bring about a more balanced and NATIONAL portfolio of branches. Therefore, whilst Mr Green’s idea is warmly welcomed, operational constraints mean that the Bank cannot progress with opening a university branch for a further two years or so. Early in 1958, the Bank contacts Mr Green to advise that premises have been secured at Brownlow Hill, which are to be used as a University sub-Branch. Martins takes a cautious approach, and the new branch will be a converted shop-front. The Bank spends as little money as it can, in case the idea of student banking branches does not catch on. Images © Martins Bank Archive Collections Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections – Restored 2019 The result is a functional branch bank, which opens on 1 May 1958, and its design is featured in the Architect and Building News of December 1959. Their article states that the bank was designed to have maximum appeal to university students, and that it is surprising just what can be fitted into the available space, which is described as being smaller than some managers’ rooms in the more august branches… Despite being thrown together quickly, these basic premises will house the branch until 1966. After a short period spent operating from a small wooden hut in Bedford Street, Liverpool University Branch moves to a new building of its own in 1968 and remains open until the end of January 2021. The first Manager of Liverpool University Branch is Ken Tarbuck, a popular figure in the Bank, who is also a renowned mountaineer. To this day his invention “the Tarbuck Knot” is used by Mountain Climbers the world over. By the 1990s, most banks are providing some kind of Student Banking service, with many having purpose-built branches at University sites, to try to capture the financial business of the “lawyers and doctors of tomorrow”. During the busy Freshers’ Weeks at the start of the October term, it was not unusual for even a small University sub-branch to open around ONE THOUSAND new accounts: William Green’s idea certainly proved to be a golden egg for the banks for several decades… As soon as Martins’ Head Office informed him that they were going to act on his idea, Mr Green wrote back with a number of suggestions as to how the new branch might work in practice. As a result of this he is rewarded, with promotion to a role equivalent to Assistant Manager at the new branch, and with a pay rise of £30p.a., which in today’s money is not exactly a fortune, but equates to a rise just short of £750p.a. It is not too long before the new Liverpool University Branch receives the unwanted attention of a thief, and in April 1959, a bizarre robbery attempt by a SIXTEEN-year-old boy makes headlines in the Liverpool Echo and Express… Boy of 16 stole revolvers to carry out raid on Bank, say police… Images © Martins Bank Archive Collections – Fiona Winter Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections – Fiona Winter {Four months after stealing revolvers and ammunition in order to carry out a bank robbery, a 16-year-old boy attempted to carry out his plan and carried a kit bag containing two loaded revolvers and other articles alleged Detective Sergeant A Clerk (prosecuting) at Liverpool Juvenile Court to- day. The Boy was remanded in custody, to April 10, accused of breaking into the shop of W Richards (Liverpool) Ltd., Moorfields, and stealing three revolvers and ammunition total value £36, on December 26 last. He was also accused of attempting to break into a Bank in Brownlow Hill with intent to steal yesterday. Sergeant Clerk said that at three o’clock yesterday morning it was discovered that an attempt had been made to enter Martins Bank in Brownlow Hill. Entry had been forced into adjoining premises and slates removed from the roof of the bank. Sergeant Clerk said that the person must have been disturbed when attempting to get into the bank, because a kitbag was found in an entry behind the bank. In the bag were two loaded revolvers, cords, blindfolds, pliers, a hatchet and a screwdriver. Following inquiries, the boy was seen at his home last night by Detective Sergeant F Jones and Detective J Dolan. At Prescot Street Police Station the boy said: “I planned to do the bank, but had to do the shop first so as I’d have the guns when doing the bank”. Later, said Sergeant clerk, the boy made a statement in which he admitted that he watched the arrival and departure of the bank staff and that he intended to hold them up with the revolvers and use the blindfolds.} We are extremely grateful to Fiona Winter, daughter of William T Green for sending us various items from his personal papers which show what can happen when an employee has a good idea, and persuades the Bank to run with it. Fiona recalls her father talking about the aftermath of the attempted raid, and how he and the Branch Manager, Ken Tarbuck, actually climbed onto the roof of the Bank to try and replace the disturbed slates – they were questioned by a passing policeman, who thought ANOTHER break-in was under way! Martins Bank’s Lancaster University Branch was also closed at the end of January 2021, after almost 53 years in service. When the new Campus at Bailrigg, Lancaster was being built in the early 1960s, Martins Bank set about securing one of two shop units that were to be built to house branch banks. Rumoured to have been one of the most expensive bids ever made by Martins, the Branch was finally given the go ahead and opened in 1968. A University Branch had existed since 1964 in the City Centre in premises being used by the University as admin and offices whilst the site at Bailrigg was being built and finished. The address of Martins Bank Lancaster University is Alexandra Square – the main shopping concourse of the University having been named after their first Chancellor, Princess Alexandra, seen here on a tour of the new University, in 1968. Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections Image © Barclays Ref 30-1541-4 Lancaster University Branch opens just before the merger plans of Martins and Barclays are formalised, and by this time Martins has dropped the use of the Liver Bird symbol of the Bank of Liverpool in favour of Thomas Gresham’s Grasshopper – How many students, a little worse for drink, came home late to their rooms to be greeted by the sight of the monster grasshopper on top of the Bank’s night safe facility? The Grasshopper features also on a series of special ceramic plates displayed above the counter area. Carry on Campus Martins Bank’s University Branches TOP: Liverpool, Lancaster & York MIDDLE: Durham & Bristol BOTTOM: Sheffield, Newcastle-upon-Tyne & Bradford MISSING: U E A (Norwich) – no photos Images © Barclays and Martins Bank Archive Collections At last: A museum “tour”… After more than thirty years as a collection – almost twelve of those online – Martins Bank Archive is about to embark on the display of many of its 1500+ artifacts. This will enable visitors to our web site to view the items we have, displayed by Branch, Department, or subject, by downloading PDF “mini-tour” documents containing photo views and short written descriptions of artifacts. The idea is to provide simple guides, that provide images and basic details to help researchers and others interested in Martins Bank Archive’s Collections. Items will be grouped/presented by type, with unique reference numbers, and other details. We will not however, publish the names or details of the people and organisations which have donated particular artifacts. With the assistance of the Grasshopper Pensioners’ Club and the company that hosts the Martins Bank Archive web site, we are looking at how best to provide these “mini-tour” information sheets, which we expect will become available towards the end of 2021, accessed through our web site, and through social media via our Facebook® page.