John Gorevan

McCall, David

April 2, 2018 by John Gorevan Leave a Comment

President of the Tradeston Division, Glasgow Licensed Trade Defence Association.

Mr David McCall.

David McCall was born in Greenock and came to Glasgow at an early age where he received his education and his first start in his business career. At the outset Mr McCall was engaged in the flour milling industry and spent a matter of ten years with the firm of Harvie & McGavin. Subsequently he joined the staff of Messrs. Thomson Brothers & Cameron, flour and grain merchants where he remained for a decade, part of that time being devoted to travelling. Mr McCall then became associated with the provision trade, through Messrs. Robert Walker & Co., and with them he opened up their special south journey.

In 1886 David entered into the licensed trade an acquired the “Old Black Bull” at 9 Bedford Street, Gorbals. The Old Black Bull was one of the oldest established licensed houses and landmarks in the old Gorbals Parish, it was originally situated in Main Street but the licence was transferred by Mrs Boyle, McCall’s predecessor. The old swinging sign was also moved to the new premises and was one of the oldest signs in Glasgow. David made considerable improvements to the premises and greatly increased the trade. Six years later he purchased another public house at 56 Hospital Street, Gorbals.

Mr McCall had an interest in the trade defence work for many years and became vice president of the Tradeston Division in 1897, in the spring the following year he was elected president in succession to David Bowman. Mr McCall was also a member of the Scottish Wine and Spirit Merchants Benevolent Institution, an ardent Free Mason of Lodge St. Vincent No. 553 and a member of the Eastern Clydesdale and Southern Merchants Association. He further showed his cosmopolitan spirit by helping on as a member of the Third Lanark, the national game of football and indulged occasionally in a quite sprint in the country.

In 1899 Bedford Street had 6 public houses, while Hospital Street had 9.

Mr McCall’s rent for the premises in Bedford Street was £49.00 and Hospital Street was £45.00

Lundie, William G

April 2, 2018 by John Gorevan Leave a Comment

President of the Scottish Wine and Spirit Merchants’ Benevolent Institution.

Mr William G Lundie. 1971.

Mr William G Lundie, president of the Scottish Wine and Spirit Merchants Bevevolent Institution, was in the chair at their annual dinner in the Central Hotel, Glasgow, where there was a full house. 1971.

It was the first occasion on which the function had been held there (the regular meeting place, the Grosvenor, having to be ruled out because of the disastrous fire there in the spring of 1970,) but it was generally voted the usual great success.

A director of the Institution for eight years, Mr Lundie had always taken a warm interest in their charitable work, and he was greatly heartened by the response to the annual appeal for funds, which brought in more than £4,000.

As most voluntary workers for charity know, it can be a thankless task, the only personal reward being the satisfaction of knowing that one has been able to lend a hand where financial assistance is needed. Annually the Institution disburse more than £10,000 among their pensioners.

Not since 1929 has a whisky broker been president of the Institution, and Mr Lundie regarded his appointment as an honour not only for himself but for his firm, Lundie & Co. Ltd., in which he was managing director, and his colleagues on the board was his brother, Mr John R Lundie, and nephew, Mr Bruce Lundie.

The business was founded in 1932 by Mr R D Lundie, father of Willie and John, at 48 West Regent Street, Glasgow, and had operated from that address ever since.

Distinguished after-dinner speakers were not particularly numerous, but Mr Lundie as president was able to call on the services of Sir Andrew Gilchrist, chairman of the Highland and Islands Development Board, to propose the principal toast, “Our Institution.”

An innovation was a special toast, “Scotch Whisky.” Mr Theodore Dobbs, the American Consul, came through from Edinburgh to propose it, and Mr John MacPhail, C.A., managing director of Robertson & Baxter Ltd., Glasgow, who was recently given the O.B.E., replied.

Mr Lundie was married and a a son, aged 19 and a daughter of 16. Golf was his hobby, like many other members of the trade. He was a first-class player and a member of the Old Troon and the Royal and Ancient, St. Andrews and a past Captain of the Trade Golf Society.

Flynn, Thomas F

April 2, 2018 by John Gorevan Leave a Comment

President of the Scottish Licensed Trade.

Mr Thomas F Flynn 1977

Mr Tom Flynn.

A man of several unique distinctions in the Licensed Trade.

The Day Tom Flynn reported the King for not signing in…

The temperance Poll legislation in Scotland has now come to an unlamented end. One of those to whom credit is due for bringing about that happy result is Mr. Thomas F. Flynn, who since the post-war period has been one of the main personalities to campaign against the Temperance (Scotland) Act.

Tom Flynn, for long associated with the trade in Glasgow, enthusiastically entered into the fight against veto and in 1966 became chairman of the Scottish Licensed Trade Veto Defence Fund, of which he is now an honorary president.

On taking office, he decided that they should go into the attack rather than playing veto on a “very low key” and that a vigorous campaign should be launched aimed at getting rid of the local veto Act altogether. Allowing to choose his own team, he selected Mr. Jack Gow and Mr. Jimmy Ross as senior and junior vice-chairmen respectively. He believes the vigorous campaign they waged helped in persuading the Government to look at the whole of the Scottish Licensing Laws.

“My father (the late Mr. James Flynn) was a founder member of the Veto Fund in Glasgow. I did my little bit. And my elder daughter, Mary, has been working at the Veto Defence Fund offices in Edinburgh with Gordon Whyte, the secretary.”

Tom Flynn has held office as president of the Scottish Licensed trade Association and the Glasgow and District Licensed Trade Defence Association (now the Strathclyde Association). He is, in fact, a man of several unique trade distinctions.

He is the only honorary president of both the Veto defence Fund and of the S.L.T.A. With the passing of veto, that distinction can no longer be shared by any other person.

A young Mr. Thomas F. Flynn.

He is the only person since the war to have been both chairman of the Veto Defence Fund and president of the S.L.T.A., and is the only member of the Glasgow Vintners’ to have had both these positions.

He is the only person to have been elected chairman of the Veto Defence Fund when not serving on its Executive Committee.

He is the only Scot to have been chairman of the National Conservative Council of the Retail Liquor Trade, which covers the whole of the United Kingdom.

He is the only Scot to have led a United Kingdom delegation of the licensed trade, this having been to the Roskill Committee in 1967 which checked up on brewery control in licensed premises.

In addition, he was chairman of the Veto Defence Fund on the occasion of its Golden Jubilee and president of the Glasgow Association in its centenary year.

His family have been associated with the trade in Glasgow for more than 100 years, their first premises were in Preston Street, now Dunn Street, Bridgeton, Tom and his brother John having followed their father, James, and grandfather, Francis. Tom now holds the licence for the Railway Inn, Howwood, while his brother has for long been installed at the Allison Arms, Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow.

If Tom Flynn has made his mark in the trade, he has also done so in amateur dramatic circles and as a writer of articles.

Amateur dramatics has long been a hobby and he has produced shows in Scotland and England, some of them at the Citizens’ Theatre, Glasgow. He also took part in a “Francie and Josie” show with Rikki Fulton and Jack Milroy… till someone found he hadn’t an equity card! He has also played with Rutherglen Repertory, and last year produced a play for them, “Here We Come Gathering.”

A few months ago he produced a St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Glasgow, a show in recognition of the canonization of St. Ogilvie, this being a pageant of which the main part involved a play called “The Road to Glasgow.”

In an eventful service career serving with the Royal Corps of Signals in the famous 51st (Highlanders Revision), he was mentioned in despatches for “gallant and distinguished service.” And he recalls with a smile the time when, as a lance-corporal, he put the King on a report to be duly charged.

Mr Thomas F. Flynn. 1970s.

He was serving with the R.C.S. at Brigade H.Q. in Surrey when King George VI arrived one day. The time of arrival was duly noted by Tom, who happened to be in charge of the signals office. As the King was in the uniform of a field-marshal, he was covered by military regulations, but he neither reported to the signals office nor signed the register.

“So I put on a report to be duly charged for neglect of military duty,” says Tom. Naturally, there was consternation, and corporal Tom was told by the brigade major: “You can’t put the King on a charge.” Replied Tom; “But if I hadn’t done so, I myself could have been put on a charge!”

The affair was eventually smoothed over.

But the story is a good one to add to the many military experiences that Tom may write in a book one day. “Perhaps when I retire, if ever I do,” he says.

Tom Flynn by coia.

Mrs C E Davidson

April 2, 2018 by John Gorevan Leave a Comment

The First Women Directors of the Edinburgh Licensed Trade Association.

Mrs C E Davidson. 1970.

The First Women Directors of the Edinburgh Licensed Trade Association.

The Edinburgh Licensed Trade Association had broken a long-standing tradition, for the first time lady members are eligible to be elected to the directorate.

Indeed the first two women directors have been appointed. They are Mrs C E Davidson, Bungalow Bar, Northumberland Street, and Mrs F A Marshall, Ormelie Bar, Joppa.

Mrs F A Marshall. 1970.

A few weeks late Mrs Marshall passed away. click here to read more.

The revolutionary step for the Edinburgh association was put before a special meeting by the president, Ian Allan, who hoped the change would encourage non-member women licensees to join the association. The proposal, passed unanimously, means any women director will be eligible for the presidency.

The Bungalow Bar, which comprised a public bar and two lounges, was started around 1880 by Mrs Davidson’s grandfather, Mr William John Young. On his death the licence passed to his wife and in 1932 to their son, John Young, Mrs Davidson’s father. Mr John Young was assisted by his wife, who continued running the business when her husband died in 1958.

When Mrs Young died in 1963, Mrs Davidson stepped into her mother’s shoes.

1972…

Ladies’ night out

Photographed at the Glasgow and West of Scotland Women’s Auxiliary Group dinner dance in the Marlborough, Glasgow, were left to right Mr. and Mrs. James Millen (assistant secretary); the president, Mrs. and Mr. O. G. Prosser; Mrs. John Young (vice-president); Mrs. J. Macaulay (secretary) and Mr. Macaulay. 1972.

Also at the dinner dance was Left to right Mr. and Mrs. T. Docherty; Mrs. J. Lindsay (Dick’s Bar, Gallowgate); and Mrs. and Mr. A. Gillies (The Clachan.) 1972.

Jim Currie and James Hograth

April 2, 2018 by John Gorevan Leave a Comment

Berwickshire Licensed Trade Ball.

Jim Currie of Black and White and James Hograth of Drybrough’s with their wives. 1970.

In the News 1973…

Drybrough’s Holiday Bonus

A week’s holiday in Sardinia in May is the prize for four lucky couples who have achieved over-target sales of the firm’s beers in an incentive scheme promoted by Drybrough’s Brewery, and covering Scotland and the Tyne-Tees area.

The winners received their tickets and other travel documents from Mr. Ross Gibbons, chairman of Drybrough’s Scotland at a ceremony in the boardroom at Craigmiller Brewery, Edinburgh, where the picture was taken. It includes left to right: Mr. L. N. Fullerton (Drybrough’s,) Mr. and Mrs. J Dubicks (Nag’s Head, Musselburgh,) Mr. and Mrs. F. Ribinson (Camperdown Bar, Newcastle,) Mr. and Mrs. W. McGuire (Galleon Bar, Dundee,) Mr. P. Malloy (Cuillins Bar, Arden,) Mr. S. J. Denton (Watney Mann,) and Mr. Ross Gibbons. 1973.

Donald (Dan) Campbell

April 2, 2018 by John Gorevan Leave a Comment

Edinburgh Licensee.

Mr Donald (Dan) Campbell. 1970.

70 Years in the Trade.

Mr Donald “Dan” Campbell who had a total of 70 years’ experience in the licensed trade which must be a record, died in Edinburgh at the age of 95.

Mr Campbell, who was a popular and hard working personality, retired in 1959. He was a past president of the Leith Wine, Spirit and Beer Trade Association and a director of the Edinburgh, Leith and East of Scotland Benevolent Institution.

He was born in Abbeyhill, the son of a policeman in Edinburgh Constabulary. Apart from a brief spell in Canada, he worked most of his life in Leith, started as an apprentice in Portobello when he was 14.

His first job was with Rutherford’s of Drummond Street, where he received the princely salary of 7 shillings, a week, plus fifteen pence a week for his tea, which was consumed in the pub, a break of half-an-hour being allowed for this purpose.

Hours in those days were from 8am. to 11pm., with one half day. He was lucky if he got home by 1am. during the week and if he got home by 1pm. during his half day.

When he left Drummond Street, Mr Campbell went to St. Mary Street to work for Mr John Stenhouse, who weighed 20 stone and liked to dress in the kilt. It was he who first called Mr Campbell @Dan@ and it was as @Dan@ that he became affectionately known to his friends.

In October, 1914 he became a publican in his own right in Tolbooth Wynd, a public house tied to a brewery (G MacKay & Co.) wine merchants (Lawson and Smith) combination. The property was condemned in 1937 and a new site had to be found. This was made available the same years in Restalrig Road, where he remained the congenial host of the Lea Rig until he retired.

A close friend of his all these years was Mr William Whitson, who was with G MacKay & Co. from 1913 until he took over, in 1959, Whitson’s Bar in Henderson Street, Leith, which he was still running in 1970.