|
 Martins Bank
first opens a Branch at Guildford in 1939, choosing
to locate the office at 150 High Street, and by 1961 it has moved to much larger
premises situated a little further along the High Street.
|
In Service: 1961 until 12 June
1970
|
|
 Our staff gallery below
covers those at the branch from 1961 onwards, whilst our page for 150 HIGH STREET shows the staff who
worked at the original office between 1939 and 1961. Sometimes branches are relocated in order
to provide a more convenient service to customers. Guildford has moved in order to expand the
business and be closer to the shoppers and other customers of the Bank. Someone who worked at both sites was Mrs C
J W Broughton. She retires in 1969 after thirty two years’ service with the
Bank including four years of War Service with the A T S. The following article from Martins Bank
Magazine recounts a letter written to the Bank by Mrs Broughton, praising her
wonderful “send-off”…
|
|
A
really marvellous two days…
  “My
last two days at the Bank were really marvellous”, wrote Mrs Broughton when
replying to our letter asking for a photograph. She went on to tell us that
she had lunched with Miss White (London District Lady Supervisor), a very old
friend from her Clearing Department days, then had tea with Mr Turnbull in
the afternoon, afterwards meeting a number of her old friends from the
pre-war era, all ‘still going strong’. The next day
she had lunch with Mr Little (Manager, Guildford) and a customer, whom she
had known since she joined the Guildford staff in 1947. ‘This customer and
another bought us champagne so that all the staff were able to drink my
health in the afternoon,’ she wrote. ‘Mr Little then presented me with a
Parker pen and ball point on behalf of the staff and made such a kind and
charming speech I was quite overcome.’ Her ‘really perfect day’ was rounded
off in the evening at the local hostelry with the branch staff. Mrs Broughton entered the Bank in 1937 at 68 Lombard
Street, from where she joined the A.T.S. in 1942. She re-entered in 1946 at London District
Office, moving to Guildford the following year.
172 High Street Guildford barely survives the merger with
Barclays, and closes in 1970, the local Barclays Branch being retained as
better placed to serve local private and business customers.
|
