11-34-50 Leek

At the eleventh hour, with the merger of Martins and Barclays Branches almost complete, Martins moves its Leek Branch from No 7 to No 16 Derby Street. The new office is only open for a further three years before being closed down. Despite Leek being in Staffordshire, the Branch is controlled by Manchester District Office, not Midland. This is because the original Branch was opened by the Mercantile Bank of Lancashire, (later subsumed by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank).

Martins Bank opens a second branch in the town, at Leek Cattle Market in 1960.

In Service: 1969 until 4 February 1972

Image © Barclays Ref 0030-1589

In two features taken from Martins Bank Magazine we find ourselves saying goodbye to TWO Managers, Mr Rowlands in 1960 and Mr Cumberlidge in 1967. It is interesting to note that Mr Rowlands’ leaving present is a “VHF” (now called “FM”) Radio. To use a VHF radio receiver is still regarded as being a fairly “geeky” thing to do in 1960. Experiments with so called “hi-fi” sound have lead to this technological breakthrough, the BBC only having begun transmitting on VHF five years earlier. The first regular stereophonic transmissions will not begin until 1966. Given the choice of delivery platforms we have for thousands of radio stations today, it is sobering to think that in 1960 there will be just three services available for Mr Rowlands to listen to on his VHF receiver!

1960 02 MBM.jpg 1938 to 1960 Mr R N Rowlands Manager MBM-Su60P52.jpg On February 29th, Mr. R. N. Rowlands, Manager of Leek branch for 12 years, retired from the service of the Bank after 43 years and is to take up residence in the south-west of England. The staff at Leek were entertained to dinner by Mr. and Mrs. Rowlands at the Southbank Hotel, Leek, to mark the occasion. During the course of the evening Mr. H. N. Davis, second-in-command, spoke of the kindliness, charm and unfailing courtesy of Mr. Rowlands and on behalf of past and present members of the Leek staff presented him with a portable V.H.F. radio receiver as a token of the esteem and affection in which he is held.

His remarks were endorsed by Mr. H. Cumberlidge, the new manager. A former member of the staff, Mr. G. C. Ryding, now Manager at Heywood, also spoke. Later, Mrs. Bradley and Miss E. Ward presented Mrs. Rowlands with a bouquet and Miss Norma Rowlands with a box of chocolates. The previous week Mr. Rowlands had been entertained to lunch by Mr. Tonge, Manchester District General Manager. The other bank managers in the town had also given Mr. Rowlands a china tea service, this being further evidence of the goodwill that has existed in this market town towards him. He entered the Lancashire & Yorkshire Bank in 1916 and served at various branches, including Oldham Street, Deansgate and Altrincham. He was appointed Pro Manager at Altrincham in 1938 and Manager at Leek ten years later.

Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections - Stephen Walker

This Leek Branch cheque from the collection of Stephen Walker was printed in June 1951.

It bears the NATIONAL NUMBER for Leek Branch, 11-431. By the early 1960s and the advent of READER/SORTER technology, British banks will adopt the six digit sorting sode numbers

linked to account numbers, that are still in use today.

1964 02 MBM.jpg 1960 to 1964 Mr H Cumberlidge Manager MBM-Su64P58.jpg on April 30TH Herbert Cumberlidge retired after almost 45 years' service with the Bank, ending his career as Manager of Leek branch. To celebrate the occasion he gave an informal cocktail party at the Mulberry Hotel for the many friends he had made during his service. Well over fifty people, from a colleague of his first day's work for the Bank to the present junior clerk at Leek, attended. Mr H. N. Davis, second man at Leek, in handing Mr Cumberlidge a cheque on behalf of subscribers, spoke of his renown as a raconteur and of his general popularity among staff and customers alike. Mr Cumberlidge then responded amusingly. Mr N. R. Manser (Manchester Superintendent of Branches) represented the District Management and Mrs Bradley, senior lady at Leek, presented Mrs Cumberlidge with a bouquet. The previous day Mr Cumberlidge had been entertained to lunch by his District General Manager at Spring Gardens. He entered the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank in 1919, serving at Macclesfield and Ardwick before entering H.M. Forces in 1942. After the war he served at several branches in the Manchester District and was appointed Manager at Chorlton-cum-Hardy branch in 1955. He became Manager at Leek in 1960.

Leek might have closed in 1970, but today it is still home to a bank. We are indebted to Anthony Prime for the contemporary shot of 16 Derby Street, wearing its new clothes as Halifax Bank. Anthony took the trouble to photograph the building from the same angle as the period photo, which really helps show how things have changed there over nearly five decades.