Dalmarnock Road

The Umbrella. Cactus. The Drayman’s Arms.

March 26, 2017 by John Gorevan Leave a Comment

3 Dalmarnock Road, 13 Bridgeton Cross, Glasgow. G40. Closed.

Exterior view of The Umbrella Bar, Bridgeton Cross, 1991 — The Umbrella Bar, 1991.

Umbrella Bar. 1991.

This old Bridgeton landmark has been here since 1875. The owner William Hillcoat owned some of the best established pub in the city of Glasgow including premises on the Broomielaw, Anderston Quay, Trongate, Stockwell Street, Port Dundas Road and Pollokshaws Road.

One of the largest advertising mirrors in Glasgow hung on one of the walls in Hillcoat’s Bar, the cellars held 50 hogsheads of Younger’s and McEwan’s beers.

When William Hillcoat died his brother Archibald took over the running of the business, Archibald died shortly afterwards after a game of golf. The pubs were taken over by his nephew Robert Hutchison who during the First World War spent time in the army fighting in Egypt, as a result of him in the forces George Burden took over the establishments.

Interior view of the main bar in the Cactus Bar Bridgeton Cross 1962. — Main Bar in the Cactus, 1962.

In the 1930s the Graham family took over the pub at Bridgeton Cross then the Reilly’s before Teacher’s took over in 1951.

In 1962 Tennent Caledonian Breweries refurbished the premises and changed the name to The Cactus and Colorado, with a South American Aztec theme.

Interior view of the Cactus main Bar Bridgeton Cross 1962 — Cactus Main Bar, 1962.

Interior view of the Colorado lounge, Bridgeton Cross, 1962 — Colorado lounge, 1962.

Interior view of the Colorado lounge 1962 — Colorado lounge, 1962.

Over the years the licence fell into the hands of many publicans. The pub got a bad name as being a stab inn, as many fights and drug dealing went on within the walls of this old establishment, the Hillcoat family would be turning in their graves as to what happened to their Bridgeton pub. The pub over the years has been known as Hillcoat’s, Teacher’s, the Brig, The Cactus and Colorado, the Umbrella and Drayman’s Arms which closed down a few years ago and is still closed today.

Exterior view of the Drayman's Arms, Bridgeton Cross, 2005. — The Drayman’s Arms, August 2005.

Image of Mr M Armstrong, United Caledonian Breweries 1962 — Mr M Armstrong, 1962.

Mr Armstrong was the development Director of United Caledonian Breweries.

Image of Mr G R Milne interior design consultant for UCB 1962 — Mr G R Milne, 1962.

Mr Milne was the interior design consultant for United Caledonian Breweries.

Do you remember this old pub? If so please leave a comment.

END.

Springfield Bar

March 22, 2017 by John Gorevan 1 Comment

559-63 Dalmarnock Road, Glasgow.

This old pub sat at the corner of 2 Springfield Road.

Springfield Bar, Dalmarnock Road at Springfield Road Glasgow

Springfield Bar at the corner of Dalmarnock Road and Springfield Road. 1953.

Mr Eric McRitchie 1972

Mr. Eric McRitchie, manager of the Springfield Bar, presenting toys and food to Mrs. Margaret Forrest, hon. secretary of the Rotary Centre for Spastics, 7 Queen’s Crescent, St. George’s Cross. 1972.

Springfield Bar Dalmarnock Road Glasgow

Springfield Bar on a sunny afternoon 1953.

There has been a public house on this site since 1873 occupied by Lochhead & Butler. The firm also had licensed premises at 27-29 Saltmarket Street since 1871.

Wine and Spirit Merchants Thomas Lochhead one of the partners resided at Greenhead Street while Dougald Butler resided at Newhall Terrace. He was involved in the Bridgeton Victualling Society. The firm sold the Dalmarnock Road premises in 1892 to David Clydesdale.

In 1910 Elizabeth M M Clydesdale took over the licence, this move is more than likely have been that David had passed away and his wife took over the running of the business.

After Elizabeth her daughter took over the pub from the 1930s to the 50s. In 1960 many will still remember John McKenna, he ran the pub for a brewers and also had the Top Spot Bar on Hope Street to look after.

One of the last licensees was Ian G Cleland who took over in 1972. Ian also had The Albany Bar at 513-15 Dalmarnock Road.

Prince of Wales

March 15, 2017 by John Gorevan Leave a Comment

222 Dalmarnock Road, Glasgow.

The Prince of Wales was built in the 1850s and owned by Wine Merchant and Portioner James Maxwell. When Mr Maxwell passed away his wife Mary became license holder and sold the pub in the late 1860s. William Auchterlonie took over the pub in 1871. Mr Auchterlonie was born in Kinghorn, Fife in 1820, he lived in Newhall Terrace with his wife Mary and six children before moving to better accommodation to Landerneau, Rutherglen. William’s son David and nephew David Simpson worked with him in the running of the pub. His nephew also stayed with him in the family home. Business prospered and William took over another pub at 205-07 Main Street, Gorbals ten years later.

Here the “Black Prince” and Andrha Osie used to reign supreme, the pub had the sign of the Prince of Wales feathers above the doorway.

His son David went on to become licensee of the Cot Bar at 182 London Road at the corner of Queen Mary Street, and a pub at 143 Broad Street

The pub stayed in the family until 1926, Jessie Auchterlonie was the last in the family to run the pub, she also held the certificate for 207-09 Main Street, Gorbals, on the south side of the city.

William J Donaghey took over the pub in 1927 until the 1930s, the last license holder was E Harper.

Plaza Bar

March 15, 2017 by John Gorevan Leave a Comment

317-19 Dalmarnock Road, Glasgow.

Plaza Bar Dalmarnock Road Glasgow

Plaza Bar, Dalmarnock Road 1978.

This old East End pub was once called Matthew Burnside. Many generations of the Burnside family owned this pub and the history of the family can be traced back to around 1856, but not always a wine and spirit merchants.

In 1856 J & M Burnside was trading as Fleshers (butchers) at 165 Main Street, Bridgeton, living at 195 Main Street further along the thoroughfare. The following year the initials J disappeared and Matthew was the sole proprietor.

Matthew continued trading in Main Street for a few years before moving premises to 100 New Dalmarnock Road. In 1870 Matthew was trading at 77 New Dalmarnock Road, living at 71 Oswald Street in the East End.

Matthew changed his occupation as a Portioner and by 1875 was trading at 340 Nuneaton Street he also changed his home address and was now living at Margaret Villa, Uddingston.

In 1880 he was trading at 68 New Dalmarnock Road which was probably near the corner of Nuneaton Street, Matthew was now living at 4 Anderson Place just off New Dalmarnock Road.

In 1888 Matthew had two homes one at 315 Dalmarnock Road and the other at The Lindons, Helensburgh. Matthew continued as a Portioner until 1898.

The following year Matthew was trading as a Wine & Spirit Merchant at 117-19 Dalmarnock Road at the corner of Nuneaton Street also 174 Dalmarnock Street at the corner of Dale Street, 323 Baltic Street at the corner of Mordaunt Street, 463 London Road corner of Maulslie Street and 18 London Street at Glasgow Cross.

In 1901 Samuel Mitchell Burnside was now the new owner of the premises at the corner of Dalmarnock Road and Nuneaton, also trading as a wholesale whisky merchants at 320 Nuneaton Street, he continued to serve the locals until the 1940s. Matthew W. M. Burnside was the licensee in the 1950s.

Stanley Taylor Edwards became the licensee of the Plaza Bar from the late 1950s until the pub was finaly demolished in the late 1970s.

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In the middle of nowhere an oasis for the wine connoisseur…

Pie and Peas… and a Glass of Riesling Please…

Glasgow’s Dalmarnock Road would seem the last place that the wine connoisseur would include on his list of stopping-off places.

But that is just where he would be wrong, for amid the desolation stands an oasis for the wine lover.

The unlikely spot for this oasis is the corner of Nuneaton Street and Dalmarnock Road where stands the Plaza Bar. And there among the haufs and hauf pints is a staggering wine list, all the very best of wine at around 20p a glass.

GIMMICK

The selection of wines began when owner Stan Edwards had a restaurant as part of his premises and had a large business clientele. Said Stan (53) “After the lunch business fell away I kept the wine list as a gimmick. There is not a great deal of demand for Sauternes to go with the pie and beans, but if I crack a bottle and sell only a couple of glasses then I enjoy finishing it in my quieter moments.

Plaza Bar interior Dalmarnock Road Glasgow

Interior view of the Plaza Bar 1978. Andy Sinclair looks slightly apprehensive as he awaits a glass of wine to accompany his pie and peas.

But one thing worries the pub owner, who lives ever bothered to change the price list and it is years out of date. “So I’ll have to watch out in case I got a flood of customers from the wine bars of the West End.”

One customer who wasn’t too sure was 50-year-old Andy Sinclair, of Millerfield Place. “I don’t know if the dinner wine really goes with my pie. But it’s a nice change.”

Plaza Bar advert 1974