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Yorkshire
Post and Leeds intelligencer 3 March 1927
Image
© Johnstone Press. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD
Image reproduced
with kind permission of The British Newspaper Archive
Bank of Liverpool
and Martins Limited - opening of new offices in Leeds
“It is a
very dignified and scholarly building, and compares more than favourably
with its neighbours. It is, indeed,
a great addition to the street architecture of Leeds”. So spoke Colonel A E Kirk, president of
the Leeds and West Yorkshire Architectural Society, recently in a reference
to the new district premises of the Bank of Liverpool & Martins Limited,
in Park Row, Leeds.
Park Row
may be truly regarded as the Lombard Street of this great industrial West
Riding centre, and the new premises which are henceforth to house the
activities of the Bank of Liverpool & Martins Limited, are certainly an
acquisition to the city’s banking facilities.
It will
be of interest to describe the link which is thus strengthened between the
West Riding, with its manifold commercial interests, and the maritime city
of Liverpool. The bank which forms
the subject of this article was established in the year 1831 as the Bank of
Liverpool. With head offices at 7 Water Street, Liverpool, its operations
for some little time did not extend beyond that city, although in 1883 the
old -established banking firm of Messrs. Arthur Heywood, Sons, and Co., of
Liverpool was taken over, and in 1889 the Liverpool Commercial Banking
Company, Limited.
It was
in the year 1893 that a policy of expansion was commenced. This began with the taking over of
Messrs. Wakefield, Crewdson, and company, whose chief office was at Kendal,
with many branches in the agricultural districts of the North of
England. In 1906 the Craven Bank,
and five years later the Carlisle and Cumberland Bank were absorbed.
In 1914,
just before the outbreak of war, the Bank extended its operations to the
north-east of England by taking over the North-Eastern Banking Company
Limited, whose head office was at Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
IMPORTANT AMALGAMATIONS
But
perhaps the most important amalgamation was in the year 1918, when Martin’s
Bank Limited., one of the oldest banks in the country, dating from 1563,
was amalgamated with the Bank of Liverpool, and the title changed to the
Bank of Liverpool and Martins Limited, the head office being retained at
Liverpool. The policy of development
was actively pursued, for in 1919 the Palatine Bank Limited, of Manchester,
and Messrs Cocks, Biddulph and Co., of London, established in 1750, were
absorbed, and of great interest to the West Riding was the taking over in
1920 of the Halifax Commercial Banking Company. The last-named absorption included, of
course, the Leeds Branch, which for some years has been housed In a suite
of offices in Park Row, immediately opposite the new building. Consequently for some years now, the Bank
of Liverpool & Martins has been closely identified with banking in the
Leeds district. Following the
absorptions already indicated, the Cattle Trade Bank was taken over in
1923.
The Bank
of Liverpool & martins now has 390 branches and sub-branches; is a
member of the London Clearing House, has a separate Foreign Branch, where all
descriptions of foreign business are transacted, and a Trustee Department
which undertakes all kinds of trustee business.
Expansion
in the Leeds district, with its consequent need for greater accommodation,
finds a similar state of affairs at Liverpool. As evidence of the growth of the Bank’s
business, the present head office has been found inadequate, and the bank
has purchased a magnificent island site opposite the present Head Office,
where a new building will be erected to meet the growing requirements of
the Bank. The capital of the bank is
Ł18,791,120, of which Ł2,348,890 is paid up, and the Reserve Fund and undivided
profits amount to Ł2,105,264. The
deposits on 31 December last were Ł59,819,326, and since 1919 dividends
have been paid at the rate of 16 per cent., per annum. The chairman in Mr R M Holland-Martins,
C.B., and the general manager Mr A F Shawyer.
THE NEW OFFICES
With
regard to the new branch offices in Leeds, these have been erected from
designs by Messrs. Kitson, Parish, and Ledgard, Lloyds Bank Chambers,
Leeds. They are situated at the
corner of Park Row and Greek Street, and the frontage to Park Row extends
to Bedford Street. The facades to
all three streets are paced with Portland Stone on a base of Aberdeen
Granite. The roofs are of
Westmorland slate and the walls of reinforced concrete.
On the
ground floor are the banking hall and branch manager’s offices. The walls of the former are lined with Subiaco
and Roman marble, and the bank fittings and doors are of the finest quality
San Domingo Mahogany. The floors of
the banking hall and the public offices are of rubber tile.
The
district general manager and his staff are accommodated on the mezzanine
floor, and the first, second and third floors are let off as offices. Both district and branch manager’s offices
are panelled in mahogany. On the
fourth floor are the Board Room and Luncheon Room, both of which are
panelled in Austrian Oak. There is a
passenger lift to all floors, and a special electric bullion lift has also
been provided for the bank.
The
manager of the Leeds branch is Mr F W Tidswell, who has held that
appointment since 1913, and it is of interest to note that since the Bank
of Liverpool & Martins took over the Halifax Commercial Banking Company
their progressive policy in the Leeds district has been marked by the
opening of sub-offices at 27, Otley Road, Headingley, and 104 Harrogate
Road, Chapel Allerton, while a third branch is on the eve of being opened
on the Oakwood Parade, Roundhay.
The
sub-offices are under the control of Mr Tidswell, and during the past
fortnight the staff at Park Row have been busily engaged in preparing for
the removal to their new premises. As a result, when the doors of the new
bank open at ten o’clock this morning, customers will find that the transference
has been complete, and that the staff are prepared to carry on their duties
without the least interruption. The
Leeds and District Local Board is as follows: - Mr T Henry Morris
(Chairman), Sir George H Fisher-Smith, Mr Walter Hargreaves, Mr John J
Ritchie, and Colonel James Walker.
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By 1968, Martins Staff has under its
belt, a well-established tradition of acting, singing, dancing and generally
performing, with a number of operatic and dramatic societies based in around
the country For some, the roar of the
greasepaint and the smell of the crowd are all too addictive. Thus the progression from stage to screen
would seem desirable. The small screen will also be soon taken care of
with a television commercial for Martins Unicorn. The whereabouts of either
the film or the TV commercial would be very welcome, and if you can help,
please do get in touch with us: martinsbankarchive@btinternet.com. As for
starring on the big screen, it falls to the staff of the Foreign and
Securities Department of Leeds City
Office, to show what they are made of, and in this article in Martins Bank
Magazine from Winter 1968, we learn that film making is possibly NOT all it
is cracked up to be. As we are firmly in a cinematic mood, our ‘main feature’
is followed by two ‘shorts’, in which we look at the retirement celebrations
of Mr McGregor in 1961 and Mr Butterley in 1967…
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The Scene: Leeds City Office Foreign and
Securities Department
The Time: A warm spring afternoon
The Cast: The Staff
J. S. CORKILL,
Pro Manager at Leeds City Office, describes the staff's experience when a
camera team
invaded the branch
to film a sequence for the Banking Information Service's new film 'Bankers
to the world'
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 promptly, at the appointed hour, a small army of technicians
entered the Bank. They bore what seemed to be sufficient electrical equipment
to stage a full-scale epic. Immediately they became busily engaged in the
erection of arc lights and the laying of cables in a variety of cunning
places. These cables were not the usual domestic type but of a dimension
which left the unwary in no doubt at all when they had tripped over one. To clarify some points over which we
were still in some doubt (a gross understatement) we approached a rather
loud-spoken, cigar-smoking gentleman who, by the number of orders he was
issuing to the arc-light brigade, seemed to be in charge. He was amazed that
we should consider him responsible for 'the scene', as he put it; no, we must
approach The Director. He didn't exactly bow from the waist as he uttered
these hallowed words but the message was clearly understood.
I’m ready
for my close up!
The cast on set: At
the front desk, Jack Foster and Connie Hooper; rear desk,
Martin Seeber and
Jack Corkill. At their typewriters are Maralyn Dalton (left)
and Pat Bell
 We therefore
approached a tall, well-dressed gentleman who in curt, crisp tones was
obtaining order out of chaos with the cable-laying beavers. He was equally
amazed that we should think that he was in overall authority and he bade us
wait the arrival of The Director, speaking in the same reverent tone as his
cigar-smoking colleague. A few minutes later a slightly-built man with
thinning hair entered the department and in a quiet unassuming voice informed
us that he was the director and had we any problems. So much for our judgment
of film unit personnel. There
followed an hour of intense activity on the part of the technicians during
which we smiled bravely at normally taciturn customers who suddenly blossomed
forth as comedians with witticisms such as 'Will you be on with Elsie Tanner
then?': 'You'll get a surprise if its Candid Camera': 'This raid looks better
organised than the Great Train Robbery'.
  Then we were
ready for 'lights' and on they came in quick succession. The immediate
impression was not of glare but of roasting heat, and the male cast soon became
envious of their lighter-clad girl colleagues. The director was apparently
immune to these conditions as he continued giving instructions to Maralyn
Dalton, our leading lady, while still wearing his overcoat. To obtain maximum
co-operation from the female cast the immediate use of Christian names seemed
desirable and the director used this form of address throughout the afternoon
without once making an error.
Many dim faces could be
seen beyond the ring of lights which had turned the department, partitioned
off from the rest of the office, into a real stage set. After a further
half-hour of final adjustments the cigar-smoking gentleman—who proved to be the cameraman—announced from his
precarious position aloft that all was now in order. Maralyn, Pat Bell, and the supporting cast
received their final briefing from the director who had by this time become a
mere mortal by removing his overcoat. We were ready for action.
 The first take
was slightly delayed while our Mr Foster mopped his streaming brow. Then the
camera rolled. Pre-arranged telephone calls came through on time; even an
unexpected call fitted into the hard-at-work action of the department. Minor
alterations to furnishing were carried out by members of the now unemployed
army and further takes were made, but not before the now almost purple Jack
Foster had on each occasion mopped his brow at the request of the director.
In fairness to Mr Foster it must be stated that his carefully marked position
was in the centre of the scene and he was experiencing the full intensity of
every arc light. Suddenly the
lights were dimmed and it was all over. Amid the hubbub of congratulations
and leave-takings we learnt that the scene—which had taken two-and-a- quarter hours
to complete—would run for six seconds!
The cast were no longer in any doubt that film-making was a most expensive
business. They were also thankful that they were not living in a
cannibalistic country where bank clerks, cooked to a turn, are a delicacy.
 The Banking
Information Service describes Bankers
to the world as a film about overseas trade, its importance to the
economy and the essential service of the banks in helping to finance it. It is not designed to sell, nor is it to
induce manufacturers into the export field; it is informative and
educational, aimed at the grass roots of the community to promote better
appreciation of the raison d'etre for
overseas trade and of the banks' contribution. The film is not technical and
will bring out the work of ordinary bank branches as well as of overseas
departments. The intended audience includes senior schools, local clubs,
townswomen's guilds: pitched at sixth form level of intelligence the film is
presented in a lively, fast-moving way. Bankers to the world will be available early next year.
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Interior
Images © Barclays
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  There was a large gathering at Leeds
City Office on November 30th, at which Mr. J. A. McGregor, Assistant District
Manager, was present, to mark the retirement of Mr. C. Robinson, who had
spent the last fifteen years of his service at the branch as Accountant. Mr. A. B. Hindmarsh, the
Manager, in thanking Mr. Robinson for the unfailing reliability of his work,
spoke of the high regard in which he was held by all his colleagues, and referred
particularly to the help and encouragement he had always given to the younger
members of the staff. Mr. E. Hinchcliffe
(Manager, Brighouse), added a tribute on behalf of the many former colleagues
who were present, and Mr. J. A. Bromley (Chief Cashier, Leeds City Office),
who had had the longest association with Mr. Robinson, presented him on
behalf of the subscribers with a photographic slide projector, and a box of
chocolates for Mrs. Robinson. In reply, Mr.
Robinson thanked the many people who had subscribed to the gifts, and stated
how happy he had been both in his service, and in the enjoyment of so many
friends within the Bank. Mr. Robinson
entered the Bank in 1916 at Castleford. He was transferred to Pontefract in
1923 and to Leeds City Office in 1932. In 1943 he joined the Inspection Staff
and in 1945 he was appointed Accountant at Leeds City Office.
  on July 31 Mr Butterley, Deputy Manager of
Leeds City Office since 1952, retired after 45 years'
service. His career began in the North Eastern District where he served in a
number of branches before moving to Leeds City Office in 1936 where he
remained with the exception of a short spell at Harrogate at the end of the
war. At a
cocktail party in the Griffin Hotel, Leeds, Mr and Mrs Butterley entertained
over 60 members of the staff and former colleagues including Mr P. H.
Christie, now 85 years of age, who was manager of Leeds City Office when Mr
Butterley came from the North Eastern District. Mr Oldroyd (Manager, Leeds City Office) welcomed the
guests and paid tribute to Mr Butterley's loyal service and sterling support
to himself and his two predecessors. Mr Lister then presented Mr Butterley
with a cheque from past and present colleagues and expressed the good wishes
of himself and the general management for the future. Miss Hooper presented
Mrs Butterley with a bouquet.
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Looking not quite
as scary today as it did in the 1940s, 28-30 Park Row is still a
magnificant building. There are far
worse ways for it to be enjoyed than as a pub, and it is this particular
change of use that has given new life to so many former Bank buildings…
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Image (1960) Martins Bank Archive
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Image © 2013 Dave Baldwin
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