THE last customer at Barclays Bank in Ambleside before it closed was the wife of one of its former managers.

With two minutes to go before the end of an era, Eileen Stanning, 82, decided to mark the closure at mid-day Friday by popping along and making a withdrawal. Eileen's late husband John Stanning was the manager of the Market Place bank between 1978-1988 before he retired.

Mrs Stanning has fond memories of his time with Barclays and the centenary celebrations when former managers got together.

Eileen, now of Kendal, said: "I felt sorry after all these years of being in service to the community that it should close without ceremony."

Back when her husband was manager, the bank had sub-branches in Grasmere, Hawkshead and Coniston.

Eileen said: "I knew they were closing on December 5 and I thought I would go and see what was going on. I thought it was going to close at 4pm but my son David said it was 12pm so we ran to the bank and just got in before it closed the doors."

Mrs Stanning and her late husband, who had three children together, moved to Ambleside from Lancaster when he got the job as branch manager.

Mrs Stanning said of the closure: "It's sad. I think people living in the area will miss it because so many people from Grasmere, Hawkshead and Coniston all used to bank with Barclays."

During the Second World War, the flat above the bank was used by staff to have a holiday and recuperate.

Barclays is also closing its branch in Sedbergh on February 13 while NatWest shuts its doors at Bowness on January 5 and Milnthorpe on January 28.