|
|
|
The original building on the site of 25 Cheetham Hill Road, is a
branch of the Palatine Bank opened in 1889. The subsequent changes of hands that
lead to the ownership of this Branch by Martins, covers the next seventy-two
years, until the business has outgrown the building. So, in 1961, a transformation takes place
at 25 Cheetham Hill Road, as the old branch makes way for new and larger
premises. This is one of the Bank’s major rebuilds and refurbishments. |
In service: 1889 – 2001
Image © Barclays Ref 0033-0363 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
In 1964, Martins Bank Magazine takes a look at the transformation,
talking to the staff about the new branch, and – of equal if not greater
importance – the increased customer base…
If,
residentially, the district has gone downhill so that in the side streets
fine old Georgian houses have now become unpretentious business offices, one
has only to talk awhile to Mr J D Tomkys, our Manager, to realise how misleading
first impressions can be, even accepting the inescapable fact that “where
there’s muck there’s money”. And on the day we called at Cheetham, Manchester
was mucky but a good deal colder and wetter. Mr Tomkys succeeded Mr
Arthur Young as Manager at Cheetham branch nearly 15 years ago and, like his
predecessor, has a high opinion of the thoroughness, determination and
enterprise of the Jewish race.
As
the years passed the branch could no longer cope satisfactorily with the
amount of business and the number of staff required to deal with it, despite
overspill into an adjoining building, and three years ago Cheetham was
rebuilt “with business as usual”. How this was done can only be imagined, but
from some of the survivors we gather that the ordeal was worthwhile – rather
like taking an aching tooth to the dentist – for a point had been reached
when one was almost thankful if a colleague was away or just out at lunch, as
this meant more space in which to work.
Yet Cheetham
branch has long been known for its remarkable team spirit.; those who have
worked there have even called it a workhouse – but a happy one, and if the
office has lost the personality associated with the bad old overcrowded days,
the staff is still a happy one and copes with a remarkable quantity of work.
Although Cheetham is centralised on Brown Street, it has two sub branches,
209a Cheetham Hill Road and Crumpsall, the statements for the latter being
dealt with by the parent office. The
newly built office is roomy and attractive and was described to us as “not so
plush as to put some people off, but plush enough to attract them and make
them and make others feel they are coming into a real bank” – a typically
common-sense Mancunian assessment! Outside the branch on our section of the
pavement, three young trees have been planted as the instigation of Mr
Tomkys; they are the only trees in the neighbourhood and one of them was so
surprised to find itself in Cheetham, that it died and had to be replaced.
Yes, Cheetham is a truly remarkable branch – muck money and Paris in the
spring. Where else would you get ideas like that?
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
