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A helpful
sign… Image © Martins Bank
Archive Collection |
In Service:
1897 until 22 May 1998 Image © Barclays Ref
0030/1370 |
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The Bank of Liverpool opens
a branch at Hoylake in 1897, and business is still
going strong there at the time of the merger of Martins with Barclays in
1969. At this time Hoylake is operating as a full branch, open six days across
the full banking week. In the
unusually angled image (above, left) from Martins Bank Magazine in 1964, the
Co-Operative Bank seems to have set up shop next door, and with its own
notions of friendly helpful service is the perfect complement to the Martins
branch! This “happy combination” as the Magazine puts it, is the result of
the rebuilding of the shops adjoining
Hoylake branch. The image is taken by a member of the
Liverpool District Relief staff at that time, Mr
David Powell. Hoylake Branch remains open until the late Spring of 1988, at
which point Barclays calls time on this future public house… We won
the Cup! We are grateful to Joan Leece, formerly Joan Thomas, who worked at Hoylake
branch from the late 1940s into the early 1950s. She recalls for us the time when former
England Manager and Arsenal player Joe Mercer was a customer at Hoylake Branch, and how one afternoon in 1950 he appeared
unexpectedly at the door. The rest of
the story is the stuff of legend, and is told here by Joan herself: - |
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[“I started my
career with Martins at Hoylake Branch in 1947 and was there until 1951 when
Harold Smith was the Manager, Wynne-Robertson was first teller, Ken Pearson
was second. Sadly Bruce Mitchell died young. There were only ever five on
the staff. Sometime while I was there, Joe Mercer,
Captain of Arsenal was a valued customer and when Arsenal won the FA Cup in 1950,
Joe was walking down Market Street with the Cup until his adoring fans were
probably a bit too much for him to cope with considering he was holding the
Cup. It was after 3 p.m. and we heard a loud banging on the door. It was Joe
asking if he could leave the Cup with us while he made his way down the
street, so for the rest of the afternoon our counter proudly displayed the FA
Cup for our enjoyment. Pity there were no instant cameras in those days to
record the occasion.”] |
Joe Mercer holding the F A Cup won by
Arsenal in 1950. |
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Image © www.arsenal.com
displayed strictly in accordance with their terms of use. |
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