565-565a Gallowgate, Glasgow. The Oak Bar was one of the Gallowgates old pubs dating back to 1854 when Archibald Shaw acquired it. The address of the pub was 531 Gallowgate, and Archie lived next door at 533 Gallowgate. In 1861 the address changes to 565 Gallowgate, and Archie lived next close at 567, the addresses […]
Temperance
The Temperance (Scotland) Act was introduced in 1913, this gave the public the ability to hold local votes on if their area would allow alcohol licenses or not. The first of the votes started in 1920. How did the vote work? When the local area voted in the Temperance, they were given three choices: No […]
Bona Fide Traveller
Up until the early 1900s, it was legal for publicans so serve a ‘bona fide traveller’ alcohol outside of the usual opening times that they had a license for. This sparked a lot of debate about what a bona fide traveller really was and who would qualify to wet their whistle. What is a bona […]
Paper Bottles, Better than Glass
During our research, we came across a brilliant article that described how they thought that glass bottles would be a thing of the past. Their vision was that paper bottles would take over and leave old glass bottles obsolete. The article Here are some excerpts from the article that is featured in the National Guardian […]
The New Publican
The year is 1906, Publicans are under stress from the Government, Churches and new Social Clubs opening throughout the country. A long lost book from J. George Luff, “The New Publican” gives us a personal view of a publican in these troubled times. “In placing my booklet, “The New Publican,” into the hands of the […]
College Bar Cowcaddens
87 Cowcaddens, corner of 188-290 Hope Street, Glasgow. The Top Spot, 188-290 Hope Street. 1950’s. Originally called the Camel Vaults, other names this pub has been known to have are Theatre Royal Vaults, The College Bar, and The Top Spot. There has been licensed premises here since 1870, owned by Glover and Francis wine and […]