11-80-60 Glenridding (Patterdale)

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Tucked away in the Lake District, Martins Bank’s Cumberland and Westmorland Branches and Sub Branches are many and varied. Here at Glenridding (also known as Patterdale) Branch, banking once a week on a Friday is obviously enough for anyone, as you’ll be enjoying your time here far too much to worry about cashing a cheque. Still, it is a banking service in one of the more remote parts of the Lake District, and this wonderful image really does evoke lazy days - taking in the mountain air, and paddling in crystal clear water...

1960 s Glenridding Exterior opening hours sign CU BGA Ref 38-228.jpg

Nowadays we tend to use our mobile phones to take endless pictures of anything and everything, but back in 1964 it required something quite unusual to warrant using up valuable holiday film to take a casual snap. Imagine a fortnight away, taking a lot of precious photographs on expensive film, and then waiting a further week for them to be developed!

In Service: 1919 until 29 September 1972

Image © Barclays Ref 0033-0228x

That’s exactly what one of the Bank’s customers does, when the Glenridding opening hours sign appears to be offering something more than just banking…

1964 01.jpg The well-known sign at our Glenridding sub branch near Ullswater, prompted a customer of our Cardiff branch to send this photograph to our manager commenting: “amazed to find the firm now in the hotel and catering business, but one’s eyes cannot deceive one, or can they?”

We have so far had no luck in tracing what has happened to to this former Branch, so if you know, and can perhaps even provide an up to date photo, we’d love to hear from you. Please do get in touch at the usual address martinsbankarchive@btinternet.com.

Penrith Branch has provided additional service at no less than SEVEN sub branches over the years, and as this involves careful co-ordination of the sub-Branch staff to be able to man each of them, perhaps it’s no wonder that the hours at Glenridding are so short. We are certain that the logistics of sending staff out to branches scattered across the Northern Lake District will have been quite challenging, but the views on a scenic drive to work may well have been good compensation for this!