11-45-60 North Shields

Image © Martins Bank Archive Collections –

Don Swainson

One year before merging with the Bank of Liverpool, the North Eastern Banking Company opens a branch at North Shields, and 31 Bedford Street is still the main office in the town under Martins Bank in the 1960s. Another merger along, we find the Bank of Liverpool and Martins opening a sub branch to North Shields at Fish Quay in 1922.

In Service: 1914 until 13 September 1971

Branch Images © Barclays Ref: 0030-2107

Ten years and one final name change later, Martins Bank Limited opens a further sub-Branch at Tynemouth. The timings of the opening of these three North Shields branches thus straddle critical points in the evolution of Martins Bank from a number of separate local and regional banking companies into one national bank. The North East will eventually become the district with the most branches of Martins Bank.

Just look who’s moved in next door…

é Barclays é

é Martins é

é Barclays é

Branch Images © Barclays Ref: 0030-2107

It’s seems just a little sinister, really, Barclays purchases the property either side of Martins (and presumably some of that behind it), and builds a very large new office. Messrs F Rooney and Edinburgh Bakeries are suddenly no more, as Barclays neatly drops in between Martins Bank and Fairbairn & son, and also puts in an appearance on the other side of the building.

…and finally, here is a rare chance to see what was there before Barclays came along. As we know, it was Messrs F Rooney and Edinburgh Bakeries to the left, but we did not know the name of the tobacconist shop on the right until we were contacted in June 2018 by Jimmy Sutherst who emailed us at gutinfo@btinternet.com. Jimmy’s memories are crystal clear, and he told us about the shop, its owner, his own connection to it, and even about the black dog and the bicycle featured in the picture:

{“The tobacconists in Wellington St next to Martins Bank which was on the corner of Bedford St and Wellington St North Shields was run by Albert Chambers. He later moved to Rudyard St where he ran a bookies in about 1959/60. I know this because my parents ran a pub across the road from the shop in the picture. Albert Chambers later became Mayor of Tynemouth. I passed the buildings in the photo numerous times everyday, as I lived just yards away. The picture appears to have been taken in the late 50's, as by the early 60's Chambers had moved to a new shop in Rudyard St and was operating as a Bookmaker. I know this for sure as I often took the football pools coupons of my fathers pub customers there. I remember Albert Chambers’ black Labrador dog that is sitting in the doorway of his shop. Living just across the road from his shop I spent my pocket money in there, and looking further at the picture I noticed a butchers delivery bike against the wall, it could be mine as when I was a schoolboy, I had a delivery job for a local butcher just round the corner and I had a bike just like that one and would park it in the same place on visiting his shop. I am very interested in my towns history and I am trying to put together a book on the pubs, breweries, mineral water manufacturers from 1840's to 1960, I am a collector of bottles from such places. I noticed in your picture part of the Wellington Hotel on the corner of Wellington St / Church Way, which was run by Mr Charles Wendt and the pub known locally as “Charlie Wendts”. }

Images © Barclays Ref 0030-2107



*Mr G H Bennet* *Joined the Bank Here* *1914 to 1916*	*Mr Norman Brown* *On the Staff 1919-32* *and 1942 to 1953*	*Mr E H Jackson* *Joined the Bank Here* *1931 to 1932*	*Mr T A Douglas* *On the Staff* *1941 to 1943*	*Mr P L Prest* *Joined the Bank Here* *1950 to 1950*	*Mr R W Hopper* *Manager* *1955 to 1967*



*Mr A Galley* *Pro Manager 1958-60* *Manager 1967 onwards*	*Mr A Forsyth* *Pro Manager* *1961 to 1962*	*Mr C L Basey* *On the Staff* *1961 to 1962*	*Mr R G Lamb* *Pro Manager* *1962 to 1965*	*Mr R M Hall* *Pro Manager* *1965 to 1967*	*Mr B Grogan* *Pro Manager* *1967 onwards*