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 Yeovil is another piece in Martins’ South Western
District Jigsaw, and it is fair to say that from the mid-thirties onwards,
this part of the country has a great deal of time and money spent on it,
turning the South West from “pioneer” territory, into a network of local
branches, able to deliver the Bank’s services and eventually to have their
own District complete with District Office and local directorate. Although
Yeovil opens in 1953, in these photographs, it looks almost art deco, and
more like something out of the 1930s.
A few months after opening, the Manager and Staff are visited at work
by Martins Bank Magazine, keen to find out all about them, their new Branch,
and the local area…
 We
visited Yeovil on Friday, July 9th. It was our first visit to this pleasant
Somerset town, deep in the heart of farming country. As in the case of
Leamington Spa, however, a new look is gradually stealing over the place and
industry is disturbing the quiet of the pastoral scene. In this case industry
takes the form of a helicopter factory and the roar of aircraft engines is
never far away. Yeovil is also the centre
of one of the old cottage industries, glove making.
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In Service:
1953 until April 1971
Image © Barclays Ref 0030-3321
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 The
factories cut out the shapes and the stitching is done in cottages and houses
all over the district, the art being handed down from mother to daughter. Our branch is at present housed in temporary premises and
work is about to begin on the conversion of a building in an excellent
situation on the main street, right opposite our competitors! Both the manager and the second man are experienced in
the problems of a farming district. The manager, Mr. Gilbert Brown, commenced
his career at Alston in 1926, and has served at Penrith, Carlisle, Windermere and at Longtown, where he
was appointed manager in 1950. He opened Yeovil branch last year. During the
last war he served in the Middle East, first with the Royal Armoured Corps
and, after being commissioned, with the R.A.S.C. Mr. A. P. Reed's service has taken him to Ulverston,
Dalton-in-Furness, Grange-over-Sands, Kirkby Lonsdale and Kendal. He served
with the Forces from 1942 until 1947. We
were also pleased to meet Mr. P. B. Stephenson, on loan for the day from
Torquay branch on account of our visit.
He has recently completed his National Service with the R.A.F. We went out to see Mr. Brown's house, a small
part of an old house, and were truly enchanted with it. The house is reckoned
to be about 250 years old with more recent additions.
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The additions at the back have left the immensely thick outside
wall now in the centre of the house. The house abounds in attractive recesses
in unexpected places, and queer shaped rooms. The ceilings are low and some
of the lintels of the doors are just the right
height, with nothing to spare for anyone tall.
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There is one immense room which with the imagination Mr. and
Mrs. Brown are displaying could easily become one of those places one sees
featured in the pages of Country
Life. In the garden is a pool with an ornamental fountain whic h
spouts if: someone behind the scenes does the necessary pumping! So far as we know they are the only people in the Bank
who live in a house which has a genuine priest's refuge and a secret room.
The latter has still to be entered, though its position can be determined
with some accuracy by soundings on the wall of one room. Yes, and they have a
ghost too. It walks along the lane on moonlight nights, wearing a tall silk
hat, and leans on Mr. Brown's gate and
ruminates. They haven't seen it, nor
has anyone else, but the tradition persists,
though we could not find any more details as to who it was or the reason for
the smart headgear.
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Image © Barclays Ref 0030-3321
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Right opposite their house is one of the loveliest old country
churches imaginable and it need hardly be said that
for Mr. and Mrs. Brown's three children life now is just one glorious adventure. Back in
Yeovil we noticed with interest that the town manages to support a Repertory
Theatre, while a Trade Fair was in progress and
Bertram Mills Circus was due to arrive.
There is an annual Agricultural Show
and one sees signs of prosperity on every hand. Working up the business of a new branch in a town like
Yeovil should prove an exhilarating adventure,
with something worth showing for one's efforts at no distant date.
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