Archibald McPherson ran this pub in 1887. In 1889 Robert A Burnside took over the property and turned it into a very popular bar.
Archibald Bruce
Inventor of the Beer and Spirit Raising Engine.
The Bruce Engine had played an important part in the Scottish Licensed Trade, overall the Bruce engine pumped millions of gallons of spirit and ales throughout the United Kingdom. In Glasgow they were used almost in universal use. Mr Bruce’s establishment at 67-73 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, it was in 1878 that the business was founded in the name of Phillips & Bruce, but since 1882 it had been carried on by Archibald Bruce. Mr Bruce had large contracts in the matter of gas fitting and plumbing and his proficiency in these departments was given much satisfaction as his patent engines and other inventions.
Mr Bruce employed twenty to thirty engineers from his large premises in Cathedral Street, there was a spacious sale shop and office to which was attached the workshop. The inventor of the Automatic Beer and Spirit Raising Machine Mr Bruce was well known amongst various members of the Scottish Licensed Trade. After fitting hundreds of engines in Glasgow pubs, neighboring towns including Broxburn, Coatbridge, Airdrie and Bathgate caught on to the idea and wanted a machine installed. Mr Bruce advertised that his Beer Engine took up little space, is connected with the main and therefore requires no cistern or air-receiver, and would pay for itself in a couple of months.
Mr Bruce also invented the “Waste Not,” and “Challenge. ” The Waste Not was a development of the Bruce with the difference that it had double action, doubly quick motion and does its work with perfect thoroughness without the loss of one drop of water. It was also fitted up with Bruce’s patent automatic regulator and with a pressure of fifty feet; the water, after working the engine, was forced to a height of about forty-five feet to a cistern. By a simple arrangement the “Waste Not” could be made to work an organ bellows. Its cost was only about one-sixth of the ordinary hydraulic engine.
The “Challenge,” was the latest design by him for situations where there is low or almost no pressure of water supply. It consisted of a dome-topped cylinder, enclosing a large float-ball rising and filling on a central rod. When the water is turned on this float-ball ascended and gradually raised an oscillating cradle containing a brass ball weight. On the desired height being reached by the float, the cradle was tilted, causing the ball to roll down, and suddenly strike a lever which at once closes, by a double-faced plug valve, the water inlet, and at the same time opened the waste-water outlet. The float-ball then sinks, and in doing so, reversed the cradle, the ball rolled back, striking the lever on the other side, the water outlet was closed and the inlet opened and the process was repeated.
Mr Bruce also had a measuring tap patented, the tap could measure half a glass, a glass or a run through, he stated that it measured even with greater exactitude than the half gill and gill stoups.
Archaos
31 Queen Street, Glasgow. G1 3DX. Closed.
Archaos Night Club. 2009.
A for sale sign hangs over Archaos.
Before it closed its doors for good in 2007, Archaos was the hottest place in town.
Archaos was one of the best night clubs to be seen in. Footballers and Celebs were often seen in here. In the NEWS 1997 notorious Charlie Sheen hit headlines after partying with Gazza at Archaos. This club was a one off, the average clubber would meet Celebrities and footballer, the door-men let anyone throw the doors.
If you have any pictures/stories of Archaos, please get in touch!
END.
Queen’s Cross Vaults
866 New City Road, corner of Garscube Road.
Queens’ Cross Vaults. 1960s.
This old Pub dates back to 1888, the first licensee was a spirit merchant Archibald McLeish, he was also a house factor and had property in the area, he also let the houses above the premises. The following year William Frederick Russell a wine and spirit merchant took over the pub.
Mr Russell also had premises at 251-53 Saracen Street at the corner of Balmore Road now the Balmore Bar. William Frederick Russell was born in Gonerbyhill, Grantham, Linconshire, he came to Glasgow for a holiday and fell in love with the city and made it his home. He was employed by John MacLachlan of G & J MacLachlan Ltd as a barman, he soon made it to general manager of the firm. He left to start business on his own at the Balmore Bar in 1880 and took over the Gushet House in New City Road in 1889, this pub became well known as the Queens Cross, situated at the gushet of Maryhill road and Garscube Road. During his stay he only had 2 managers George Barnet and after his death John Grant took his position. William Russell died in 1911 leaving an estate valued at £12,839, 10 shillings and 1 pence.
W F Russell, also known as the Gushet and the Queens’ Cross Vaults, then the Double J.
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In the NEWS 1977…
Revenge youth went wild in City Bar…
A teenager wrecked a pub and seriously assaulted a barman the night he went seeking revenge for a pal’s mother who had been banned by the publican.
Joseph Reilly (19) leaned over the bar and tried to pull barman James Hosey over the counter of the Queen’s Cross Vaults in Maryhill Road, Glasgow.
Then he vaulted the bar, scattered glasses and knocked Mr Hosey to the ground. “He proceeded to punch and kick him and then deliberately kicked pieces of broken glass into his body and arms,” said Barry Heywood, prosecuting at Glasgow Sheriff Court today.
BOTTLES
“At hospital 13 stitches were put in cuts in Mr Hosey’s arm, and another four in wounds in his back, all caused by the glass being kicked into him,” the fiscal added. The Reilly started throwing bottles at the gantry, smashing bottles of spirits and wine, causing damage of over £80.
Reilly, of 543 Maryhill Road, Glasgow, admitted threatening to kill Mr Hosey, of 26 Hayburn Street, Partick, Glasgow, in the pub on August 21 last year. He also admitted punching and kicking him on the body, arms and legs, and kicking pieces of glass into his arms and body to his severe injury, and a third charge of maliciously damaging the gantry.
Sheriff John Peterson fined him a total of £300. Mr Heywood said Reilly was drinking in the pub with a friend who told him his mother had been barred the week before.
Without any provocation he grabbed Mr Hosey, the son of the owner, who was serving, proceeded to punch and kicked him and deliberately kicked broken glass into him.
“All the time this was going on in the crowed pub, Reilly was shouting and threatening to kill everybody in the bar and Mr Hosey in particular,” Mr Heywood said.
The fiscal added that Reilly ran out and then returned moments late, and began flinging bottles and glasses at the gantry.
George Kavanagh, defending, said Reilly claimed that Mr Hosey had called his mother a cow and he went to the bar to remonstrate with him.
The Arches.
253 Argyle Street, Glasgow. G2 8LY. Closed.
The Arches. 2008.
The Arches is reputed to be one of Scotland’s largest night clubs, with three floors, the top bar is called the Sky Bar.
The Arches officially opened for business as an arts venue in May 1991. The building had originally been converted as a temporary exhibition centre for European City of Culture celebrations in 1990 and some theatre was performed as part of the exhibition’s events.
The exhibition, Glasgow’s Glasgow, ended in November 1990 and the building was returned to a bare, empty space. In early 1991, theatre director, Andy Arnold, took on the lease in his own name and produced two theatre shows for Mayfest, the now defunct Glasgow arts festival. The shows were Noise and Smoky Breath – a devised piece based on a book of Glasgow poems and songs – and the Scottish premiere of Sexual Perversity in Chicago.
A few months later, Arches Theatre was formally established as a registered company and non profit making charity – Andy has been its Artistic Director ever since.
The building was very damp and cold in those days and there was practically no public funding available to contribute to running costs, let alone sort out any building repairs. The feeling was that the enterprise would last only a few months before a commercial developer, night club impresario, or even car parking company would move in to take on the lease. However, an incredible energy immediately enveloped this new arts venue and all who got involved with it.
A constant stream of events of all types were instigated. Arches Theatre Company produced a stream of work including absurd and irreverent theatre productions like Richard’s Cork Leg and Purple Dust and site specific work like The Crucible, Caligari, and Metropolis: The Theatre Cut, which was staged throughout the whole building with a cast of 100 actors and musicians. A new theatrical night club began, Café Loco with cabaret mayhem, Mischief La Bas, Gods of Glam, Stereo MCs, Scottish Sex Pistols, and the like every Saturday night, together with the forerunner of today’s Pressure – the now legendary Friday Night with Slam. Exhibitions and visitor attractions were set up to occupy the largely derelict top half of the building and included Dinosaurs Alive, The Iron Bru Pop Video Exhibition, and an event which quickly acquired cult status – Alien War.
During the first few years, four full time staff were employed, the bar was run by a local publican and any furniture was begged, stolen or permanently borrowed from the likes of Tramway and other public buildings, where old chairs and tables were unearthed from their basements. We felt like squatters in those days – artists and performers claiming an extraordinary home while always feeling that we were living on borrowed time – waiting for the bailiffs to arrive.
Up To Date News:
18/05/2015.
The Arches have had bad press for over a year now. After the death of a 17 year old Regane MacColl died as a result of taking Mortal Kombat ecstasy. Young people know the dangers of taking drugs in any form. It’s a shame that it takes a death for people to take head of the problem of drug taking in Glasgow’s Night Clubs.
For over 10 years I worked in most of the Night Clubs in the City of Glasgow. On an average night I would be in 6 different clubs. What I noticed very early in my job was that drugs were easily get in all the clubs in town.
The drug dealers in Glasgow had their clubs covered and if another dealer tried to force their way into a club there was war. On many occasions I witnessed many fights and stabbings in and outside clubs where the dealers were protecting their area.
For a drug dealer to have covered a night club meant many thousands of pounds could be made over one weekend.
Different night clubs in different areas in town were covered by different drug dealers. I met a few of them over the years I worked in Glasgow’s nite life. Most of them were very nice and pleasant but if you got on the wrong side of them, well lets say you would be better off not going into town.
Back to the Arches, the police and authorities want to close the night club down. To me I think the authorities want to make an example of the Arches and send a message out to other Clubs in town, if you allow drug dealers into your premises we will shut you down.
Well do you know what a drug dealer looks like, could you spot a dealer in a crowd of a few hundred party goers.” No I didn’t think so.”
When I worked in the clubs I could spot a drug dealer out and I got to know what to look for, but the ordinary clubber couldn’t unless you were an abuser yourself.
For the closure of the Arches will not change anything. The Arches is not just a night club, it is a world-renowned arts centre and vital part of Scotland’s cultural economy.
Sadly closed for good.
Do you have any memories about the Arches? If so please get in touch.
END.
Argyll Arms.
122 Glebe Street corner of 109 Kennedy Street, Townhead, Glasgow.
This old Glasgow pub was established in the 1860s owned by wine and Spirit Merchant John Hutcheson. the pub sat at the corner of Glebe Street and Kennedy Street. Members of the same family took over the business, in the 1890s William Hutcheson owned the premises, William lived in the poss Charing Cross Mansions. He also owned premises in nearby 100 Glebe Street.
Mr Hutcheson died in 1900, his son David then took over the business but only kept it until 1903. He sold the pub to manager Archibald McNiven. The McNiven family kept the pub until it was demolished in the 1960s. Donald McNiven was the last publican to own the pub. Another pubs that the family owned was “The Argyll Arms” 168 Kelvinhaugh Street, “The Argyll Arms” Paisley Road West.
Mr Archibald McNiven. 1936.
To read more on Archibald McNiven and his other pubs see Argyll Arms Paisley Road West.
END.