John Gorevan

The Westburn

March 27, 2017 by John Gorevan Leave a Comment

110 Carntynehall Road, Glasgow. G32 6AS. Tel: 01417781490.

The Westburn. 1991.

The Westburn was opened in the summer of 1965 by West of Scotland Tavern’s Ltd. Comprising of a lounge bar, public bar and an off sales, the lounge could seat 60 customer, the interior was paneled in walnut. The adjacent public bar was paneled in golden elm and could accommodate 100 drinkers.

The manager of this new public bar was Mr Scott who was helped by his wife. In 1971 Hugh McIver took over as the new licensee the pub was then owned by Tennent Caledonian Breweries. Hugh also ran two other pubs in the south side of the city, one on Eglinton Street and Ballater Street.

In 1933 Illicit Pot Stills in Caravan Park, Westburn, South Carntyne.

A fine of £25 with the alternative of 60 days imprisonment was imposed in Glasgow Sheriff Court on Tuesday, on a man named William Jamieson, a caravan dweller, who was convicted on a threefold charge concerning the operation of two illicit stills. The first charge against Jamieson was that he was operating two stills for distilling spirits without being licensed, contrary to the Spirits Act, 1880, the second charge was that in a building without being licensed, made 53 gallons of wash and the third charge he was concerned in depositing and concealing goods namely 6¼ gallons of crude spirit being goods on which Excise Duty was liable to be paid with intent to defraud. William Jamieson 35 lived with his wife and five children in a caravan adjoining Westburn. Late on in the evening police officers and Excise officers visited the caravan and asked Jamieson if he was manufacturing illicit spirits, Jamieson replied, “There is nothing like that going on here.” Police found nothing in the caravan but in a small room in the adjoining building they found eleven bottles containing illicit spirit and a condenser, Jamieson said that the spirit didn’t belong to him but another man. Mr Jamieson was asked by the police officers about the stills, Jamieson took the officers to the still which contained eight gallons of wash, the police made a further search, one officer reached the base of a chimney stack by climbing through a hole in the floor. There they found another still and took possession of 53 gallons of wash. There was about £18 duty payable on the spirit and £16 payable on the wash.

Interior view of the new lounge. 1965.

This photograph was taken at the opening of the Westburn in 1965, left to right Mr Scott, Mrs Scott and Mr W Park, supervisor of West of Scotland Tavern’s Ltd.

Review 2000…

I found this pub OK, it was quite busy dispite it being a Tuesday. The food was very reasonable, I had steak pie which was great for a wee pub in Carntyne. The staff were very polite. I still have to go in at night time to see what it has to offer but I’m a little uneasy of the thought. In all the pub was good.

The Westburn Bar

March 27, 2017 by John Gorevan 1 Comment

205 Westburn Road, Westburn, Cambuslang, Glasgow.

The Westburn Bar. 1991.

The Welcome Bar

March 27, 2017 by John Gorevan 2 Comments

1 Tyndrum Street, Port Dundas, Glasgow.

The Welcome Bar sat at the corner of Tyndrum Street and Renton Street, Port Dundas.

Tyndrum Street was formerly Scott Street and Renton Street was called Bishop Street.

There was a public house here in the 1870s run by wine & spirit merchant Patrick Sherry. The Sherry family were well known in the trade having premises all over the city including Springburn, Castle Street, Parliamentary Road and Stockwell Street.

To read more on the Sherry family click Phoenix.

Bernard Boyle acquired the licence in the 30s and ran a successful business here until the 1950s.

Cecil Fletcher ran the pub before it was demolished in the 1960s. Cecil Fletcher was better known in the Braemar Bar, London Road.

The Wee Man’s

March 27, 2017 by John Gorevan 1 Comment

361 Gallowgate, Glasgow.

The Wee Man’s.1991.

Also see the new Weemans at number 425 Gallowgate originally Mac’s Bar.

There has been a pub on this site since the early 1800s.

In 1891 John McConnell completely overhauled the old pub making major alterations to the interior. The bar counter was close to 40 feet in length extending from one end of the bar to the other. The old family department was also modernized. Before Mr McConnell took over the pub he was manager of Flynn’s bar in the east end of the city, he was also an expert blender of whisky.

Mr McConnell was born in Ayrshire in a small town called Sorn, Catrine, at an early age he came to Glasgow and worked in some of the best bars in the city. Mr Connell only lasted a few years in this pub on the Gallowgate and sold it on to Patrick Cassidy in 1894. A few years later Mr Cassidy took over a small pub in Camden Street, Gorbals. He ran the Gallowgate pub until 1921, he gave up the licence to concentrate of his other premises on London Road.

The licence was then taken over by Dominick J Muldoon, Dominick had experience in the licensed trade as he ran a pub in Gairbraid Street, Maryhill beforehand. He also owned pubs in Crookston Street, Stobcross Street and Gallowgate near to the corner of Fielden Street. The pub was known by the title of Muldoon’s. Dominick was refused the licence at Crookston Street for permitting a man to consume liquor on the premises after 9pm and fined 4 Guineas. Daniel Muldoon took over the licence after his fathers death in 1931. The pub was still in the Muldoon family in the early 1940s.

In 1947 the name of the pub was changed to the Wee Man’s, by the new landlord John Young. Mr Young served the locals in the Wee Man’s for 30 years.

D J Muldoon’s Special Old Liqueur, a whisky label found by an old friend of mine Wully Gallacher, in the Wee Man’s in the 1980s.

Mr Joseph Rock took over the Wee Man’s which was on a short lease as the Glasgow District Council had plans for the surrounding ground that the pub sat on which included the sit of the Rob Roy bar which was already closed down. The two pubs were finally demolished a few years ago, the land is still lying derelict. It was such a shame to see two of the Gallowgate’s best known pubs pulled down.

Mr Joe Rock changed the name of the Auld Hoose (Mac’s Bar,) to the Wee Man’s a pub which sits further along the Gallowgate near to the corner of Graham Square.

Members of the Licensed Trade Defence Association 1959. left to right C McCabe, Shakespeare Bar, Norman MacLeod, Townhead Cross Bar, Donald A MacLean, Coronation Bar, Edward Barrett, Halfway Bar, Rutherglen, Joseph McCabe, Kick Off Bar, J R Steedman, Burns Bar and John Young, Wee Man’s.

Left to Right D D Rennie, Booths Gin, John Young and John E Jackson. 1962.

Left to right at the Glasgow and District Licensed Trade Association, Thomas F Flynn, R W Nimmo, A Stewart, George Grier, R B Paxton, John Young, Donald MacLean. 1960.

To read more on the pubs on the Gallowgate read up & Doon the Gallowgate by John Gorevan. A copy can be bought for a few pounds at the Hielan Jessie on the Gallowgate or contact me at [email protected]

Licence Holders.

1999 Joseph Rock.

1991 Daniel Gray.

1973-1947 John Hunter Young.

1937-1921 Daniel J Muldoon.

1921 Dominick J Muldoon.

1914-1894 Patrick Cassidy.

1891 John McConnell.

1863 William McLaren.

1858 Archibald Weir.

1825 Alexander Blackie.

The Wee Hoose.

March 27, 2017 by John Gorevan 20 Comments

214 St. George’s Road, Glasgow. Closed Down.

The Wee Hoose. 1936.

This is the leaded window from 1930.

The hanging sign. 1903s.

To read the full history of this popular pub, check back soon for our second book!

END.

The Waverley

March 27, 2017 by John Gorevan Leave a Comment

26 Lancefield Quay, Glasgow.

The Waverley. 1991.

This old pub was opened briefly for the Glasgow Garden Festival and closed down again when the flower show finished.

In 1880 William Scott owned this old pub, then known as the Anchor Vaults, Mr Scott sold the pub in 1905 to publican Alexander Reid. Alex owned two other well known pubs, one in Hill Street, Anderston and one on Castle Street, this pub may be remembered by some as Kearney’s Bar.

The Reid family ran the Lancefield Quay premises for over 40 years, after the Second World War the pub was run by John Mitchell.

The Waverley was demolished to make way for luxurious flats on the Clyde Side along with Betty’s Bar.

Peter Keenan well known sports personality and British and Empire bantam weight champion boxer took over this pub after William McDevitt, the pub was then called after the owner, Peter Keenan’s Stable Bar.

Peter owned another pub in Glasgow the Sportsman.

Peter Keenan’s Stable Bar. 1978.

Young Peter Keenan hands over a festive dinner to John Paterson, winner of the dominoes competition at the Sportsman Bar, Keenan’s public house. 1956.

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In the NEWS 1976…

The Big Guys that try to “claim” wee Peter.

That’s the trouble with being a famous ex-boxer.

“The trouble with being a boxer,” said Peter keenan, “is that everybody thinks you’re a mug and your brains are scrambled.”

Peter Keenan doesn’t look like a mug. He doesn’t even look like a grandfather, although he has a grandson five years old. At the age of 48 he looks at least 10 years younger and as if he could go into the ring at any moment. And he is a successful dealer in property, with a flourishing pub on the side.

Talking of pubs, Peter suffers from the “fastest gun in the West” syndrome. “Every now and again,” he said, “a big chap will come up to me and poke me in the chest and say, Think you’re a fighter, eh? Like to prove it, eh? And ten to one he’s about double my weight.

“It takes a bit of getting out of when a chap like that “claims” you, but I notice that they never do that to the big guys among boxers. Of course, this doesn’t only happen in pubs. It happened to me in a posh Glasgow restaurant not long ago.”

Peter Keenan pulling a pint in his bar. 1976.

How Peter Keeps Fit

Mind you, I wouldn’t like to tangle with Peter myself. He looks fighting fit and keeps that way by hill-walking and horses, he has what he calls “a wee farm” at Aberfoyle and manages to spend three or four days a week there.

As for horse-riding, “I really wanted to be a jockey when I was wee, so it’s great to be able to go riding now. “I left school at the age of 14 and my mother drew a dividend of £14 from the Co-op, she was a great one for the Co-op, and bought me a horse and cart and I started as a trader.

“What kind of a trader? Oh, anything I could make money out of, firewood, scrap metal, whatever was in season. I’ve been self employed ever since then.

” I’ve always been interested in money, especially after I became a boxer, because so many boxers have finished with a tragic end. “If you want some advice to pass on to young boys who are keen on boxing, tell them to get their fathers to look at every contract and make sure they’re not being done.

“I had a manager, but I left him to manage myself. I got more money for a Scottish championship than I did for an Empire championship under a manager. You tell the boys to be careful or they’ll end up getting toffee and balloons.”

Mind you, money has caused trouble to Peter Keenan too. “What’s the hardest fight I’ve ever had? Against a chap called Jake Tuli at Cathkin Park in the open air. I’d just come back from Australia and discovered that this fight might be put off because of shortage of money.

So I guaranteed the whole thing myself, daft! “Tickets weren’t going well because the weather was bad, but two days before the fight the sun came out. I was worried stiff about losing a lot of money.

“Then on the day of the fight everybody wanted tickets. I was sitting in my dressing room when I got word that it was a sell-out. “When I got into the ring with Tuli, I wasn’t really concentrating on the fight. I was counting heads in the crowd and trying to work out what my take would be. Oh, the money bug had got hold of me all right.

“Well, Jake knocked me down twice in the first round. He put me flat on my back again in the fourth. I stopped thinking about money, but I had a lot of leeway to make up. I knocked Jake out in the 14th round, thank goodness.”

Fighting was just natural

Peter Keenan started boxing when he joined the Army Cadet Force at the age of 16, “It was great to get suits for nothing.” The cadets were taught boxing and an officer entered Cadet Keenan for the Scottish Army Cadet Championship.

“I’d never been in a boxing ring before, but I won the fly-weight contest. I suppose it was just something natural in me, though my father had done some fighting when he was in the Navy.”

Who is Keenan’s favourite boxer? He has no doubts whatever that it’s Sugar Ray Robinson. “A great man,” he says simply. He also admires Jim Watt, the British light-weight champion who comes from Glasgow and KO’d world champion John H. Stracey in less than a minute when they were amateurs.

“If Jim Watt was a Londoner he’d be the world champion,” says Peter. “Scottish boxers don’t always get a fair crack of the whip.”

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In the NEWS 1978…

Keenan Wins Fight For All-Day Pub Licence…

Cheers … Peter Keenan last night in Lancefield Quay. 1978.

Peter Keenan, the former boxing champion, won his fight yesterday for his public house to become the first in Glasgow to be granted an all-day licence.

Originally there had been more than 50 applications for similar licences, but some were withdrawn and Mr Keenan sat and watched as Glasgow Licensing Board sitting in Govan Town Hall refused all the others by a single vote.

Mr Keenan spoke on his own behalf and won an 8-3 vote to grant the licence for his pub, the Stable Bar, in Lancefield Quay, Glasgow. The Pub is now licensed to open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and Keenan said he will start on Thursday.

“All the others were offering fancy menus, but we cater for working men, like long-distance lorry drivers,” he said.

Facts…

There were three public houses within a few feet of each other in the 1890s, the pub next door at number 24 owned by Mrs Davidson went on fire, the fire was caused by a defective chimney, the damage caused by the fire amounted to £20.00.

Do you know anything about this pub or any other pub in the city?

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

Lancefield Quay in 1787…

46 Lancefield Quay. New Crane & Commercial Tavern, Miss E Taylor.

Other Lancefield Quay Pubs…

Betty’s Bar. 21

New Crane & Commercial Tavern. 46