Gap: 261 Hope Street, Glasgow. G1. 3PS.
The Gap. 1991.
The Gap was better known in the 1980s as the French Quarter.
Update…2000.
Opened in 2000, a nice gay friendly Bar.
Update…2007.
Now Called the Boogie Bar. 2007.
This was originally the Rialto during the 1970s.
Rialto pub advert. 1973.
Rialto advert 1972.
One of the “in” places in those days in Glasgow is the Rialto in Hope Street, and one of the reasons is the tremendous popularity of entertainer Jim Brannigan.
Jim, who plays eight instruments, organ, guitar, clarinet, saxophone, vibes, banjo, bass and steel guitar, has a completely individual style. He can best be described as a modern jazz soloist and plays a mixture of Burt Bacharach and Nat King Cole.
Jim is on stage at the Rialto on Wednesday and at their dinner-dance on Friday and Saturdays. At present Wednesday night is talent contest night at the Rialto. I was along this week and it was a lot of fun.
Incidentally owner Leonard Rossi gets on stage most nights and belts out a few numbers, and he sings well too. On the night I was in, he got a tremendous round of applause. I couldn’t make up my mind whether it was because they enjoyed it so much or whether they were afraid of being barred it they didn’t!
Do you remember this great entertainment place in Hope Street? If so please leave a comment and we will post your views.
END.