John Gorevan

Abronhill Shopping Centre, Cumbernauld.

Provost Murray is seen pulling the first pint by Mr. Gavin Reed. 1972.

Imaginative venture in Cumbernauld

The Maltings public house in the new Abronhill shopping centre, Cumbernauld, was officially opened for business last week.

Mr. Gavin Reed, director of the Scottish and Newcastle Breweries, hotels and managed houses division welcomed guests to a reception in the Barley Loft lounge to mark the opening. The guests included members and officials of the Town Council and the Development Corporation of Cumbernauld, as well as local shopkeepers.

An interior view of the Barley Loft in the new pub, The Maltings, Cumbernauld.

The guests heard Mr. Reed praise the main contractors for the pub, Robert R Bryce of Wishaw for completing the building a head of schedule despite building strike earlier in the year.

Mr Bryce handed over to the new town’s provost Mr. Gordon Murray, who gave a short address before pulling the first pint to declare the bar open. Provost Murray described the layout of the Maltings as “imaginative”, and said he and his colleagues on the licensing planning committee had the most impressed by it during a recent inspection.

Its a building for real recreation and not just a drinking den, he said “It is a place where husbands will be able to take their wives and children to an enjoyable evening.”

Mrs. June Duffield, manageress. 1972.

Also at the opening ceremony, presentations were the manageress Mrs. June Duffield, to mark the move from the Kestrel in Cumbernauld town centre another Scottish and Newcastle house, and Provost Murray.

Mrs June Duffield’s appointment completes a double for the family , her husband Joe id the manager of the Kestrel.

The Maltings advert 1973.

The Maltings, Pine Road, Abronhill, Cumbernauld advert 1975.

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In the NEWS 1977…

Miss Evening Times Linda McShane presenting trophies to three winning Cumbernauld pubs who had entered the National Inter-Pubs competition.

The competition involved the raising of money for the Muscular Dystrophy Group of Great Britain.

The winning pub was the Maltings, Abronhill, which raised £602, the Red Comyn, Kildrum, was second, and the Castlecory Hotel was third.

Linda is in the centre of the picture. On her left are Bill Mochan and his wife Nancy of the Maltings. On Linda’s right is Jimmy Ormiston, chairman of Cumbernauld branch of the Muscular Dystrophy Group.

On the left of the picture is Kenneth McMillan of Castlecory Hotel and on the right George Blackwood at the Red Comyn.

Greenfaulds, Cumbernauld.

Agnes and the pile of pennies. 1977.

It could turn out to be a dangerous job working behind the bar of one public house with its leaning tower of pennies.

But manageress Agnes Russell has taken it all in her stride. Especially as it is all in a good cause. The money is to go towards a Christmas treat for locals old age pensioners.

“We’ve had a great response from the customers who have all been very generous. It will be a shame to knock it down,” she said. But her big problem is more likely to be it falling down. The pile of two pences has already hit the ceiling and is getting pretty wobbly.

For nine months regulars at the Mallard pub in Greenfaulds have been adding their change from a pint to the gigantic tower of pennies. The cash will eventually go as a bonus to the town’s senior citizens.

And before it all falls down the pub will be running a competition to guess the number of coins. But by the looks of things they had better hurry up before the bar disappears beneath a sea of coins.