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“THE POPULAR LONDON GRILL” at 10 Silver Street Kettering, is about to become significantly less popular. It’s the Summer of Love, and also the decade of new buildings being allowed to be “different”. As we have seen elsewhere in Martins’ Branch Portfolio, difference for the sake of it really is a very bad idea – see BEXLEY, HARTLEPOOL YORK ROAD and WELLING, for proof positive of this awful trend. However, what is built on the site of the London Grill in Kettering is by comparison, quite palatable. Martins Bank’s new and state of the art Branch is built not only close to the time of the Merger announcement, but also next door the Bank’s rivals – Barclays!

Once the transformation is complete, the new branch is opened by holding a cocktail party inside the building on the evening of Thursday 21 September, 1967. We were delighted when Mary Robinson, who worked on the Staff at Kettering, contacted us having unearthed a copy of the official invitation to the branch opening. Mary told us:

In Service: 21 September 1967 until 12 December 1969

Branch Images © Barclays Ref 30/1474

“I worked at Kettering Branch, until the merger with Barclays Bank – “merger” was literal in Kettering’s case, as the Barclays Branch was next door! A hole was knocked through on the ground floor to make more room. This could not be done on the other floors of the building, as they were not on the same level. Eventually the two buildings were redesigned and a larger Branch was made”. This may in fact be the only case of a physical merger between branches following the actual merger of the two Banks in 1969! Under Martins, Kettering is a self accounting sub Branch to Northampton, and we were therefore surprised to find that the official opening receives only a very short mention in Martins Bank Magazine – just the image below, and very few words:			Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections - Mary Robinson
At the opening of Kettering Branch: from the left: F Thomspon (Midland Assistant Premises Manager), R M Whitlock (Manager, Northampton), C M Parkinson (Midland Assistant District Manager), and R H Naylor (Clerk in Charge). Kettering is one of Martins Bank’s last major construction projects before the Merger with Barclays takes place. A number of photographs were taken of the new building, both inside and out, from which we can bring you this selection:
Branch Images © Barclays Ref 0030-1474

	BARCLAYS BANK LIMITED Market Place 11 Silver Street		LLOYDS BANK LIMITED 2 Market Street Silver Street		MARTINS BANK LIMITED 10 Silver Street
	MIDLAND BANK LIMITED  High Street Cattle Market		NATIONAL PROVINCIAL BANK 16 High Street		WESTMINSTER BANK LIMITED 8 Market Place

Mr R H Naylor Clerk in Charge 1967 to 1969	Mr Richard Castle On the Staff 1967 to 1969	Miss Mary Robinson On the Staff 1967 to 1969

Title: Type: Address: Index Number and District: Hours: Telephone: Services: Manager:

11-09-50 Kettering Self Accounting sub to Northampton 10 Silver Street Kettering Northamptonshire 574 Midland Mon to Fri 1000-1500 Saturday 0900-1130 Kettering 5897 Counter and Night Safe Mr R H Naylor Clerk in Charge

Keswick

21 September 1967 12 December 1969

Opened by Martins Bank Limited Merged into Barclays Silver Street (next door)

Kew Bridge House