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The Maid of the Mountains…
The
ability of many of the Staff of
Martins Bank to sing and dance and act is legendary – you need only visit our
SONG AND DANCE feature for proof positive. Sometimes someone stands head and shoulders
above the rest, both in their career value to the bank, and their own
personal effort in enjoying a hobby or interest to the full. one such
person is Miss I M Scotts of Blackburn’s Mill Hill sub-Branch, who takes
charge of the office during the Second World War, and then owns the stage in
a number of highly praised amateur musical productions. Along the way she wins some top awards,
proving that Martins’ recipe for being extremely helpful also makes for
extremely gifted staff!
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In Service:
1919 until 5 June 1992
Image © Barclays Ref 0033-0075
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  A photograph of Miss Scotts appeared in
the Autumn 1946 issue of the Magazine in connection with an article written in
appreciation of the services rendered by our girls during the war in running
the small branches. Miss Scotts was Clerk-in-Charge of Mill Hill branch,
Blackburn, from July 1st 1941 to April 30th 1946. Her name came to our notice again recently as the result
of press publicity in connection with her appearance as Teresa in the Blackburn
Amateur Light Operatic Society's production of “The Maid of the Mountains”,
December 3rd to 8th, 1956. Irene Scotts is very well known in the Blackburn district
for her beautiful soprano singing and for her acting ability in light opera.
She gained her L.R.A.M. in singing in 1938 and has won festival awards since
the war at Blackburn, Preston and Burnley. In 1947 she won the most coveted
award of all, the Blackpool Rose Bowl, and she trained some of Blackburn's
" Top Town " singers who, as is well known, reached the
semi-finals. In the Blackburn Amateur Light
Opera Society since the war she has played the leading role in “Waltz.
Without End”, “The Student Prince”, and now in “The Maid of the
Mountains”. For the Mill Hill Operatic
Society she has played the lead in “Iolanthe”, “The Gondoliers” and “The
Pirates of Penzance”. In March she is
due to play in “H.M.S. Pinafore”. A
very fine record! We are proud of her!
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