58 Virginia Street, Glasgow. G1 1TX. Tel: 0141 553 2553.
Polo Club. 2006.
The Polo Club is one of Glasgow’s best Gay Bars and night club. The Polo Club sits at the corner of Virginia Street and Wilson Street.
Polo Club. 2006.
Polo Club. 2009.
58 Virginia Street, Glasgow. G1 1TX. Tel: 0141 553 2553.
Polo Club. 2006.
The Polo Club is one of Glasgow’s best Gay Bars and night club. The Polo Club sits at the corner of Virginia Street and Wilson Street.
Polo Club. 2006.
Polo Club. 2009.
317-19 Dalmarnock Road, Glasgow.
Plaza Bar, Dalmarnock Road 1978.
This old East End pub was once called Matthew Burnside. Many generations of the Burnside family owned this pub and the history of the family can be traced back to around 1856, but not always a wine and spirit merchants.
In 1856 J & M Burnside was trading as Fleshers (butchers) at 165 Main Street, Bridgeton, living at 195 Main Street further along the thoroughfare. The following year the initials J disappeared and Matthew was the sole proprietor.
Matthew continued trading in Main Street for a few years before moving premises to 100 New Dalmarnock Road. In 1870 Matthew was trading at 77 New Dalmarnock Road, living at 71 Oswald Street in the East End.
Matthew changed his occupation as a Portioner and by 1875 was trading at 340 Nuneaton Street he also changed his home address and was now living at Margaret Villa, Uddingston.
In 1880 he was trading at 68 New Dalmarnock Road which was probably near the corner of Nuneaton Street, Matthew was now living at 4 Anderson Place just off New Dalmarnock Road.
In 1888 Matthew had two homes one at 315 Dalmarnock Road and the other at The Lindons, Helensburgh. Matthew continued as a Portioner until 1898.
The following year Matthew was trading as a Wine & Spirit Merchant at 117-19 Dalmarnock Road at the corner of Nuneaton Street also 174 Dalmarnock Street at the corner of Dale Street, 323 Baltic Street at the corner of Mordaunt Street, 463 London Road corner of Maulslie Street and 18 London Street at Glasgow Cross.
In 1901 Samuel Mitchell Burnside was now the new owner of the premises at the corner of Dalmarnock Road and Nuneaton, also trading as a wholesale whisky merchants at 320 Nuneaton Street, he continued to serve the locals until the 1940s. Matthew W. M. Burnside was the licensee in the 1950s.
Stanley Taylor Edwards became the licensee of the Plaza Bar from the late 1950s until the pub was finaly demolished in the late 1970s.
—————————————————-
In the middle of nowhere an oasis for the wine connoisseur…
Pie and Peas… and a Glass of Riesling Please…
Glasgow’s Dalmarnock Road would seem the last place that the wine connoisseur would include on his list of stopping-off places.
But that is just where he would be wrong, for amid the desolation stands an oasis for the wine lover.
The unlikely spot for this oasis is the corner of Nuneaton Street and Dalmarnock Road where stands the Plaza Bar. And there among the haufs and hauf pints is a staggering wine list, all the very best of wine at around 20p a glass.
GIMMICK
The selection of wines began when owner Stan Edwards had a restaurant as part of his premises and had a large business clientele. Said Stan (53) “After the lunch business fell away I kept the wine list as a gimmick. There is not a great deal of demand for Sauternes to go with the pie and beans, but if I crack a bottle and sell only a couple of glasses then I enjoy finishing it in my quieter moments.
Interior view of the Plaza Bar 1978. Andy Sinclair looks slightly apprehensive as he awaits a glass of wine to accompany his pie and peas.
But one thing worries the pub owner, who lives ever bothered to change the price list and it is years out of date. “So I’ll have to watch out in case I got a flood of customers from the wine bars of the West End.”
One customer who wasn’t too sure was 50-year-old Andy Sinclair, of Millerfield Place. “I don’t know if the dinner wine really goes with my pie. But it’s a nice change.”
Plaza Bar, advert from Stan and Marjory wishing their customers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 1974.
15 Waterloo Street, Glasgow. G2 6AY.
Check back soon for the history of this pub.
9 Shawbridge Arcade, Shawlands, Glasgow. G43 1RT. Closed.
Pictured at the opening of the Pickwick in the south side of Glasgow by Scottish & Newcastle Breweries are four members of the West of Scotland area staff. Left to right June MacCall; Ena Singer; Margaret Smillie and Joyce McArthur. 1970.
Dickensian touch in South Side of Glasgow.
An era in which special provision would be made in bar lounges for children was envisaged by Bailie Thomas Henderson when he opened “The Pickwick” a new Scottish & Newcastle Breweries managed house in Shawbridge Arcade, Pollokshaws, Glasgow.
The Pickwick, a bar lounge and lounge-restaurant, had, he said, all the modern intimate, and comfortable dining and wining facilities for couples to enjoy a pleasant and leisurely outing.
He did not see even these high standards being the finish of the terrific developments there had been in recent years. It might well be in the future that side rooms would be provided so that parents could take along their youngsters. The children could be supervised, and mineral waters and light meals made available.
Mr G W Younger, a director of the Scottish Brewers, explained that it was the policy of Scottish & Newcastle Breweries to provide the image of their public houses.
After pulling the first pint, Bailie Henderson was presented with a set of crystal goblets by Mr Younger.
Four attractive young ladies from the West of Scotland area staff dressed in period costumes, added a touch of “live” Dickensian flavour.
The interior design was very effective. A number of murals by Fraser Designs of Edinburgh, depict characters and scenes from that famous novel, “The Pickwick Papers.” In the “Bob Sawyers” lounge Bar, which is on the ground level, are two of the larger murals. One, entitles “Mr Pickwick Addresses The Club,” was 18 foot long; the other, called “Conviviality at Bob Sawyers,” was 17 foot in length.
Male staff in this bar dressed in striped waistcoats, with long style bar aprons of the Pickwick era.
The “Sam Weller” lounge restaurant was on the first floor and had an unusual interior setting. Sections of intimate booth seating had been sited beneath a specially constructed canopy roof abutting from the wall and lined with slates. A 16 foot mural titled “The Breakdown” had been mounted behind the gantry, and showed a coaching upset involving Mr Pickwick.
Throughout the Pickwick was a series of individual mock oak carvings from the dickens novel- persons like Sergeant Buzfuz; Dr Slammer; Mrs Bardell and Mr Tracey Tupman.
Female staff in the lounge-restaurant wore white blouses and maxi skirts.
The manager was Mr William Wright, who had been with Scottish & Newcastle since 1968. He formerly managed the Albany and Fountain public house.
Before the Pickwick closed it was known as the Blue Merlin Lounge. Other names it has been known as is Characters, Cove Castle.
Do you remember this venue? If so please leave a comment.
END.
81 Renfield Street, Glasgow.
The Picador.
To read more information on the Picador keep an eye our for our second book here.
Another view of the Picador, the lounge entrance.
The News in 1970…
The Picador, in Renfield Street, Glasgow, is the only lounge in the city, as far as I know, to have live music in their lounge every weekday. A pie and beans and a pint and some music should help the afternoon pass a little more pleasantly.
————————————————-
Other names this popular city centre bar has been known as: Scrupples, Cafe Cini, McArthur Park, Targets Bar ect…
Stockwell Street, Glasgow.
This engraving depicts a view from c 1820 of buildings on Stockwell Street opposite Buchanan Court which was named after James Buchanan, one of the partners in the West Indies merchants Dennistoun, Buchanan & Co
The sign above the open door to the left of the image reads “Sinclar Evan.” The door in the centre has a sign advertising “Penny Ales” and is probably the entrance to a tavern. The sign above the door of the building on the right identifies the home or premises of Andrew Hill. Note the crow-stepped gables, the wall-mounted street lamp and the small-paned windows on the buildings. Thanks to the Mitchell Library.