Alexandra Bar

468 Duke Street, Dennistoun, Glasgow. G31Tel: 014155 44757.

Alexandra Bar in 1991.

First licensed in 1870. Landlord Walker Laird occupied the premises until 1884. Well known Glasgow publican Andrew Jardine then took over the business, he also had a licensed grocers shop at 400 Duke Street. The rent for the premises in 1899 was £90 per annum. Mr Jardine resided at 110 Ingelby Drive, Dennistoun.

Interior view, 2005.

Thanks to Brian Charlton for the following email…

“I used to work in the Alexandra Bar in Duke Street in the late 1960s. The manager was an Irishman called Pat (don’t know his 2nd name). He was a very mean man and had a special deal with a whisky supplier who supplied him with whisky in bulk. No matter what standard whisky you bought in there, you always got the same cheap whisky. I am surprised none of the punters caught on, as the bottles were used over and over and the labels were all very grubby looking. He also collected all of the “Slops” from the beer drip trays in a bucket and disappeared down into the cellar with them (even though there was a sink in the bar), we think he poured it into one of the darker beer tanks suck as “light” beer. Another penny pinching exercise was to pour the spilled spirits from the drip trays into Black Rum as this would hide it well.

Whilst I worked there, the under manager left to run a pub of his own in the Gallowgate. He was looking for barmaids, so my girl friend (now my wife) got a job with him. I think it was called the Shandon Bells, it was on the south side of the Gallowgate quite near the Bellgrove Hotel (model).

Exterior view of the Alexandra Bar, 2005.

The Staff of the Alexandra Bar, 2005.

Facts…

Do you know anything about this pub or any of the pubs in Duke Street please contact us.

Duke Street.
Is the longest street in the UK. Oxford Street in London was given the title first but Duke Street was considerably longer. Duke Street was opened in 1794 and named after the Duke of Montrose.

In 1902 Duke Street had 26 Public Houses there are only 14 left today, however only 9 are opened to the public as the others are now closed.