Comments on: Friday Photo: Dee Lane Junction

By: Jonathan Snowden

Jonathan Snowden — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:47:56 +0000

Hi – the bank building shown is Martins Bank 22 Grange Road West Kirby, merged with Barclays on 15/12/1969. Prior to all of that, our records show it opening in 1897 as a branch of the Bank of Liverpool, which initially took over Martins, but in 1928 when other Banks were subsumed, the name was shortened from “Bank of Liverpool and Martins” to just Martins Bank Limited. Plenty of other history of Martins on our site, and a page for West Kirby WILL be posted as soon as we have more images from the 1960s. We currently have an example of a Martins Bank West Kirby Cheque, and an image of PH Mellor, Manager in 1966. We already have individual branch pages for your area covering some Liverpool branches, and Ellesmere Port, Heswall and Little Sutton. Hope this is slightly useful! Cheers, Jonathan

By: Trish

Trish — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:39:23 +0000

Hi
In Yesterday’s Wirral – the West Kirby and Hoylake one – it says that the original building was a cottage – known as Three Buckets Hall……the name of the cottage came from the chimney pot being made up of three zinc buckets, set one on top of the other….
so it seems the cottage was demolished to create the current building, which became the Bank of Liverpool, then Martins Bank and now Barclays

By: Peter Wilson

Peter Wilson — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:09:33 +0000

It used to be Martin’s Bank, based of course in Liverpool, before the bank was taken over by Barclay’s.

By: Ian Hazlehurst

Ian Hazlehurst — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 20:23:04 +0000

Just found out more info on the Institute building that housed the Bank of Liverpool until 1908 when the bank moved to the corner of Dee Lane, now Barclays Bank.

The Christian Institute opened on 26 May 1892, it contained: Reading Room, Lecture Hall with seating for 350, also a well equipped gymnasium.
It was regularly used and included a reading room & library for the Y.M.C.A open from 8:30am to 10:00pm.
It was demolished in the 1960′s, and the site is now occupied by the Abbey National B.S.

By: Ian Hazlehurst

Ian Hazlehurst — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 20:05:04 +0000

I have found information on the Barclays Bank building.
The site was reserved in 1905 for a bank to be built, in 1908 the Bank of Liverpool moved in, originally the Bank of Liverpool was located on the ground floor of the institute building and had been there since 1897. The Institute was demolished (not sure when) but was where the Abbey National is today.

Taken from: West Kirby to Hoylake. compiled by Jim O’Neil.