Bowhouse Hotel
Bowhouse Road, Grangemouth.
The Bowhouse Hotel, Bowhouse Road, Grangemouth. November 1970.
The Bowhouse Hotel was opened in November 1970 by Thomas Usher & Son Ltd.
At the official opening guests arrived at the ceremony found the place until and unheated. This of course, was not according to the plans prepared by Usher’s, which were disrupted by a mechanical digger that had ploughed through the electric power cable to the hotel.
By early evening, however, the damage was repaired and the lights came on to muted cheers of the company, who soon forgot all about the earlier discomfort in the warmth of the hospitality lavished on them by their hosts.
The ceremony was presided over by Mr Hamish M Inglis, managing director of Usher’s, who invited Provost George Hearn formally to declare the hotel open. It stands in an area of new houses, and the Provost expressed confidence that the saloon and lounge bars would be well patronised.
Mr Inglis was accompanied by Mr Douglas MacKay, sales manager, and Mr John Wood, head of managed houses.
The invitation list included, apart from the Provost and Mrs Helen, Bailie and Mrs W McBroom; Hon. Treasurer and Mrs P McCafferty; Mr and Mrs J Riley (Dean of Guild); Councillor and Mrs W Sutherland; Councillor W Ure; Councillor and Mrs T Wilson; Mr & Mrs A McCreath (sanitary inspector).
Trade guests included Mr L Allan (Peter Thomson & Co); Mr W Bonnyman (A & A Crawford); Mr & Mrs D O’Brien (Arthur Guinness); Mr Anderson (Carlsberg); Mr A M Conacher (The Horseshoe); Mr & Mrs F Sinclair (Red Lion); Mr J Farquharson (Tartan Arms, Bannockburn); Mr & Mrs D Cochrane (President, Brockville Development Fund); and Mr & Mrs Ian Bruce, 64 Tweed Street Dunfermline.
The manager of the new Bowhouse Hotel was Mr Denis McGlennon, whose staff included sweethearts in Mr Bernd Kohl (22), from Germany and Miss Sheila Gordon (21), from Dundee; they met on holiday on the Channel Islands of Sark.
Mr Dennis McGlennon and wife, manager of the Bowhouse Hotel. 1970.
Two members of Staff. Miss Sheila Gordon and Mr Bernd Kohl. 1970.
Gourock Pubs
In 1893 Mr Malcolm of the Bungalow, Gourock, was steward of the St. John’s Masonic Lodge “Firth of Clyde” no. 626.
William M Brown, Old Glasgow Tavern, Gourock.
Coins Cascade from a Bell’s gallon collecting bottle at the Ashton Hotel, Gourock, where customers donated a grand total of £113.
Help by Len Jeyes, Bell’s area representative, the bottle is smashed open by Hugh Lindsay, chairman of the Greenock Branch for Cancer Research.
One left showing his appreciation, is Mr. Ian Johnston, proprietor of the Ashton Hotel. 1979.
Brown, William M
The Old Glasgow Tavern, Gourock.
Mr William M Brown. 1889.
Gourock was very popular in the 1880s with excursions and picnic parties, the fine town housed some great public houses. Here stands Fort Matilda, from which a commanding view of the whole Firth is obtained, while further down on the beautiful Cloch Lighthouse, but Gourock has many other attractions. The bay was studded with small sailing boats, the Esplanade, the Gamble Institute, while the quay was packed with people.
Right in the heart of Gourock stood a famous landmark the Old Glasgow Tavern, the site over-looked the new railway and upon the bay, when the railway opened the tavern was very busy and made Mr Brown very wealthy.
William’s father also William was a wine and spirit merchant in Bridgeton and learned the trade at a very early age working in his father’s pub during the summer holidays. Mr Brown senior occupied three public houses in Bridgeton, one at 88 John Street later (Tullis Street) called the Green Rest, Tullis Street was named after John Tullis a family of Tanner’s and leather merchants who gifted the hammer beam roof of Greenhead and Barrowfield Parish Church in London Road in 1850. Mr Tullis also owned several properties in the area including the pub. Mr Brown had two pubs on Main Street one at 166 and 233 which was called the Red Lion. Young William inherited his father’s businesses when he died.