John Gorevan

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 fide traveller?

A bona fide traveller was basically someone who was travelling for business or for work. You could pop into a public house on your way from Airdrie to Glasgow if you were on your way to sell your goods down at the Clyde or a marketplace.

Why didn’t people just say they were travelling?

Well, that’s the thing… They did! People would chance their arm all the time and attempt to get a cheeky pint outside of the usual hours by saying they were a bona fide traveller. This was of course against the law though. It was common to see people being charged with impersonating a traveller, but a lot of people got away with it too. It was quite hard to prove unless you caught them in the act.

We talk about bona fide travellers and some of the convictions on our YouTube Channel if you would like to learn some more about the subject. You can visit the channel here.

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 in 1889.

“One of the most interesting of the many uses in which paper has been put is the manufacture of paper bottles. We have long had paper boxes, barrels, and car wheels, and more recently paper pails, wash basins and other vessels; but now comes a further revolution of paper in the shape of paper bottles, which are already extensively used for containing such substances as ink, bluing, shoe dressing, glue, etc.”

“They are cheaper and lighter than glass, unbreakable and consequently very popular with consumers; while the fact that they require no packing material, and are clean, handy and economical, commends them to manufacturers. Unlike glass, they can be manufactured at all seasons.”

“There are bathtubs and pots made in the same manner, by compressing the paper made out of linen fibres, which is painted over with a composition which becomes part of the paper and is fireproof.”

How can you have paper bottles?

I can only imagine that the paper bottles would be like the containers that you get your drinks in, in fast food restaurants or like the pubs that you get some ice cream in. The paper was likely a laminated style paper rather than just standard paper.

Why didn’t paper bottles take off?

We can only speculate as to why the paper bottles never took off and made the glass obsolete like the article was suggesting. Perhaps the paper bottles were not fully tested long term with the alcohol. It could be that the chemicals in the alcohol were slowly breaking the bottles down. There is also the fact that transport might not have been quite as straightforward as they had suggested. When the bottles were being transported, there could have been some issues like the weather. Were the bottles waterproof on the outside as well as the inside? This is Scotland after all!

Paper Wheels?

This one is not what you might think! This doesn’t mean that there were cars driving around with paper tyres (although that would be interesting to see), it actually refers to how the wheels on trains were made. Laminated paper was used in the process of creating the wheels so that they made less noise and made it a much more pleasant journey for their passengers.

There was Bathtubs Made of Paper?

Apparently so! It would be great to see what one of these indestructible, fireproof paper bath tubs were like. Modern bath tubs have obviously replaced them for a reason, so they probably were technically functional, but probably not very comfortable to soak in after a long day!

We have a channel on YouTube that we are bringing you some easy to digest stories and facts about Glasgow’s pubs and licence trade history, so please do head over and tell us what you think! You can visit the YouTube channel here.

Paper Beer Casks

I have also found another article in the National Guardian on the 1st of January 1890 that shows how the world is trying to adopt paper beer casks.

The employment of paper as a material for the manufacture of casks is rapidly gaining ground, and a number of American brewers have taken the matter in hand and are submitting paper casks to thorough and severe tests to ascertain whether they are well adapted for their particular requirements. It is stated that a process has recently been devised and patented by a manufacturer in Newark, N. J., for the utilization of a luxuriant native wild grass to be used in the production of the necessary paper pulp; and that a machine has been constructed whereby 600 casks a day can be turned out by two workmen. The casks, after being moulded into the proper form under enormous pressure, are coated on their interior surfaces with an enamel possessing antiseptic properties, and with an appearance like porcelain. The object of this enamel is, of course, to facilitate cleansing and prevent mould and decay. The point has yet to be solved as to how casks made of paper will withstand the rough usage to which beer casks are subjected. The verdict of these brewers who now have them in use will be, therefore, looked for with much interest. Paper casks have for some considerable time been employed successfully for the manufacture of paper pulp, and the day may not be far away when beer shall be stored and shipped in casks made from this residual bye-product.

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 British public, I trust I’ve done something to bring about a much desired change”. Mr Luff had written this book in hope that the members of the license trade would rally together to help save their livelihoods.

The book’s vision would be a future for the Publicans of Britain in which they would be better trained and know how to manage their staff. “This new publican is a living reality in my brain and before 20 years have passed Great Britain will possess a class of highly trained men able to work, to fight and defend their legalised position”. These days there are a lot less staff running a pub as workers are trained to a much higher standard as well as the publicans being able to run more than one aspect of the business.

The Government was constantly passing legislation to force public houses in Britain to close. “The publicans have allowed themselves to be belittled by any loud-spoken temperance advocate. The New Publican will put his foot on him and the brewer and distiller will assist”. The only way to save public houses at this time would be to stand up to the government together with the brewers and distillers.

The New Publican touches on ways to improve the public houses of Britain by creating aesthetically pleasing establishments. “Handsome exteriors are only signs that we worship beauty, consciously and unconsciously in our everyday life”. This points out that customers are more inclined to visit an establishment if the exterior/interiors are more inviting.

J. George Luff, along with all Publicans in Britain were angered by the Government introducing Social Clubs that were in direct competition with public houses. “They brought shebeening to a fine art. They made a law that a Publican should pay £30.00 a year and allow any man to plant a club at his very door upon a miserable payment of five shillings, Viz., Registration fee”. You can imagine the frustration of publicans at this time. Why should Britain’s oldest businesses be punished for being opened to the public, whereas members only clubs available to Britain’s wealthiest were not being charged a lot of money to serve alcohol.

The New Publican is a fantastic insight into the public houses of Britain in the early 1900s. J. George Luff was a wise man that had great visions for the future of his trade, many that we use today. Public houses are once again experiencing stress, this time mainly from the recession. Publicans now have the biggest competitions they have ever had to face… Supermarkets and customers drinking in their homes.

Celtic Football Player.

Mr Patrick “Patsy” Gallacher. 1935.

The Scottish Football season kicked off on August 10th 1935 and to one licence holder the first day of the season had many memories-Patsy Gallacher, of the International Bar at Clydebank. I interviewed Patsy in the long airy bar, round which hung brightly painted footballs, historic souvenirs of historic football matches. The walls were covered with photographs of famous games and famous teams and the one and only Patsy featured in many of them.
A little older, with a touch of grey hair showing on top, Patsy is still the same man whose football thrilled thousands, whose swarves made strong men clutch each other with joy and the other strong men gnash their teeth in anger as he dodged defenders with twinkling footwork.

Patsy Gallacher played football for the Holy Redeemer School as centre-foreward, and it seemed a natural step for him after class days were over to join Clydebank Juniors, a strong going combination. But he did not stay there very long. He played at inside-right for the local eleven for five months, two months in his first season (the last of the season) and when the next year rolled, Patsy had on the Clydebank colours for three other months before Celtic spotted the talent of the young foreward and he joined their pay-roll.
That was in 1911 and he gained a cup medal with the Parkhead combination in his first year with them. For fifteen years he slipped on a white and green jersey and during those halcyon days he secured every honour that can come to a footballer.

With medals for every competition, Scottish Cup, Glasgow and Charity trophies, League and Association Cups, Patsy Gallacher’s record was so well-known that I need not give it in detail. Wherever football was spoken (or drunk) Gallacher’s name, his wizardry and ball control was and still is one of the main topics of the conversation. It took a drawer to hold his medals and caps, but a huge sideboard was required to hold the prizes gained in five-a-side prizes, for Gallacher was an expert at what has become known as the “abbreviated” game, and in view of the recent discussions on this type of football, it is of more than passing interest to note, that during Patsy’s association with Celtic, they scooped the pool of this form of prize for eight or nine years in succession.
When he served his connection with Celtic after fifteen years of more than faithful service, he went to Falkirk and in 1932, only three years ago, after more than twenty-two years in the game, he retired.

Since then he has come out of retirement several times to take part in charity games. His retirement is not a leisurely one, but a busy one, for in 1920 he entered the licensed trade with premises at Renfrew. He took over at Clydebank in 1925 and two years later decided to concentrate in the Clydebank burgh and disposed of his Renfrew pub. He has carried on at Clydebank since that time.
Compared with his former sphere, Patsy can only think of one comparison-like night is today. In one, he was out all the time, now he is in all the time, except on a Saturday, when it Celtic are at home, he goes to Parkhead. If they are playing away and nothing else attracts him, the juniors get his shilling and his criticism, for Patsy is still critical.
When his old friends come to visit him they talk over the days that used to be. And what does Patsy tell them? That the juniors are as good as ever they were, with an improvement showing last year.

The seniors, not so good. Patsy thinks that there is not the same positional play as of old. Players seem to be all out for themselves instead of playing as a team. To that Patsy describes the reason for the falling off in the standard of play.But football is in his blood, and while he can still move about you can be sure that Patsy Gallacher will be one of the sporting games most fervid supporters. He has spent a lifetime at the game and he knows what he is talking about. Patrick Gallcher is one of the greatest sporting personalities of the trade.

Do you know of any pub that the players owned?

If so please contact us and we will review your comments.