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In Service:
1 April 1936 until 12 December 1969
Eastbourne Gazette 26 Mar
1936 Image © Martins
Bank Archive Collections |
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Image © 1971 Columbia/United
Artists – Caution, see copyright
notice at foot of page. |
As we drove along the
high street, past Stead and Simpson’s, Timothy Whites, the butcher’s and the
greengrocer’s, we felt already at home, almost as if Walmington was OUR town
– which has to be the best advertisement for anywhere, we think! At the end
of the high street stands our Branch, a rather unassuming red-brick building
with a corner entrance, and the golden grasshopper of the South hangs at
right-angles to the longest wall. We
were greeted by Miss King, the only girl at the Branch, who divides her time
between the secretarial work of the Branch, and assisting at the counter as
required. |
Images © Martins Bank Archive
Collections
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Miss King is a
delightful local girl, who really brightens up the place. Frank Pike is the cashier, and we couldn’t
help but notice that he knew the name and the business of every customer that passed through the
doors whilst we were there.
Our Chief Clerk is the
Honourable Mr Arthur Wilson, known to all as a true gentleman, and we were
indeed impressed by the way in which communication between Chief Clerk and
our Manager, Mr George Mainwaring, kept the Branch running so
smoothly. We discovered the secret of
such harmony lay in the parts played by our staff in the last conflict. Mr Mainwaring established the local Home
Guard Platoon, in which he held the rank of Captain. He was ably assisted by Mr Wilson as his
Sergeant.
Many of the proprietors
of local businesses also numbered amongst the ranks. As he was too young to join up at the time,
Mr Pike, whom we are sure on several occasions we heard referred to by Mr
Mainwaring as “that useful boy” or some such, also joined the home
guard. This situation was of benefit
not only to the Country, but also to the Bank, as unlike so many of our
Branches, Walmington was able to stay open and in service throughout the war,
save for the inconvenience of a bomb which landed on the strongroom, but
thankfully did no lasting damage. |
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© 1971 Columbia/United
Artists Caution, see copyright
notice at foot of page. |
In 1941 Mr Wilson
actually attained the managership of his own Branch at Eastgate, but the
building unfortunately sustained such damage from bombing, that the Bank was
minded to close the Branch altogether, and return Mr Wilson to his old job –
all of which he simply took in his stride. We had the good fortune not only
to take an excellent lunch with Mr Mainwaring, but at his invitation, to also
be accommodated for the night, before the long drive back to Liverpool. This sounded much more agreeable to us than
the thought of a night at the Clifftop Hotel, and after an early evening
stroll taking in the air, and a visit to the Novelty Rock Emporium, we
enjoyed the Mainwarings’ delightful hospitality. Having spent such an agreeable time in the
company of Mr Mainwaring, and his charming wife Elizabeth, we feel sure it
won’t be long before we find the excuse to go “down south” again for the
Summer. |
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Down memory lane… Mr Mainwaring will probably consider himself lucky to have retired
from banking before computers and account numbers became all the rage, and he
will most likely find it good to see again one of the older and more
traditional Martins Bank cheques, from Walmington-on-Sea Branch. Those were
the days when a customer was known by his or her face, and by the way he or
she signed cheques and forms... |
Image © Martins Bank Archive
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Image © Martins Bank Archive
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It sticks out half a mile! At the end of 1947 Mr Mainwaring retired
and spent a short time travelling abroad.
He worked for a while inspecting cuckoo clocks in Switzerland, before
returning to the UK. Upon hearing of
the plight of the old pier at Frambourne-on-sea, Mr Mainwaring was
unexpectedly reunited with his former Chief Clerk Mr Wilson who by that time
was manager of Martins Bank at Frambourne.
Thanks to a loan from the Bank, Mr Mainwaring was able to persuade the
local council to sell him the pier, and work began in earnest to restore it
to its pre-war glory.
COPYRIGHT
NOTICE Please remember that whilst every other Branch of Martins Bank
is real, Martins’ Branch at Walmington-on-Sea definitely is NOT,
and is celebrated here out of the affection we have for the role played by
Martins Bank in the 1971 film version of “Dad’s Army”, and several early
episodes of the TV series where Martins Bank is mentioned by name. Martins Bank Archive is required to remind
all visitors to this site, that the images, character and place names used on
this page remain at all times the absolute property of the respective
copyright holders, and to point out that at no time has or will this property
be used by Martins Bank Archive for any form of financial gain. Film images courtesy of Norcon Productions,
Columbia/United Artists Copyright 1971.
The story of Mr Mainwaring’s purchase of Frambourne pier is taken from
the 1981 radio comedy pilot “It sticks out half a mile” written by Harold
Snoad and Michael Knowles, starring Arthur Lowe and John le Mesurier. Sadly,
Arthur Lowe was too ill to continue with this series, and it was remade with
the character of Mr Wilson taking the lead. |
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Nestling
on the South Coast, somewhere between Brighton and Eastbourne, is the lovely
old town of Walmington on Sea. Martins Bank’s Branch is opened there in
1936.
