 But the banks fought back by taking action to recruit less wealthy customers and by introducing small saving schemes.It would take until 1950 for real recovery where there was a huge increase in provincial branch offices and the emergence of the high street bank.Relaxation of some controls over mergers and acquisitions led to consolidation in the 1960s in which the "Big Five" became the "Big Four", along with the takeover of several regional banks (Martins, District Bank, National Bank, Glyn Mills and William Deacons).