194 Parliamentary Road, Glasgow.
F Meichen.c 1920s.
To read the history of this popular bar Click here.
Address P
The Elcho Bar
688 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow. G41 2QB. Tel: 01414231387.
The Elcho Bar. 1991.
It’s a shame to see this old favourite south side pub with a different name above the door, it’s now called Kelly’s Bar.
To read the full history of this pub click here.
The Dry Dock
12 Plean Street, Glasgow. G14 0YH. Tel: 0141 237 2729.
The Dry Dock opened it’s door for the first time in the summer of 1963. This was the first of the new public houses to be opened in Scotland by New MacKay Taverns Ltd. A large number of trade personalities were present at the opening ceremony, Mr H J Martin, chairman of New MacKay Taverns and director of Watney Mann Scotland Ltd welcomed the fact that Scotland was opening new and improved public houses, thus making it possible for men to visit licensed premises along with there wives.
Interior view of the lounge, the canopy above has pictures of the Comet, Queen Elizabeth and the Hovercraft.
Email from Douglas Finlay…
“My father Douglas Finlay built the Dry Dock and had considrible battles obtaining a licence so much so that he sold the site to Watney Mann, Brewers, before he had completed the construction. He had owned or partly owned the Strathaven Castle, Strathaven, the Auld Hoose, Gallowgate and the Waterfront which he owned with my brother in law Davy Wilson ex-Ranger Player.”
Update 2019…
On passing Plean Street the other day I noticed that the Dry Dock was no more and a new refurbished pub called The Gulf of Corryvrechan was in it’s place.
The Gulf of Corryvreckan (from the Gaelic Coire Bhreacain meaning “cauldron of the speckled seas” or “cauldron of the plaid”), also called the Strait of Corryvreckan, is a narrow strait between the islands of Jura and Scarba, in Argyll and Bute, off the west coast of mainland Scotland.
Do you have anything to say about this 1960s bar? If so please leave a comment.
END.
The Doublet
74 Park Road, Glasgow. G4 9JF. Tel: 0141 334 1982.
A Doublet is a man’s short close-fitting padded jacket, commonly worn from the 14th to the 17th century.
The Doublet was opened in 1962, by partners Ossie Prosser and Mr Alexander Don. Mr Alistair Don son of Alexander now owners this very popular west end bar. Alistair is now a prominent figure in the Scottish Licensed Trade Association.
Alistair Don has been in the licensed trade for more than 40 years. He took over the Doublet from his father Alexander Don in 1974. Alexander who was for many years a representative of Dunn and Moore.
Alistair retired from the trade at the age of 69 and sold the pub in 2016.
This was one of the first bars in Glasgow to sell real ale.
In the News…December 2011…
The Doublet Bar in Glasgow celebrated its 50th anniversary at the end of November, and proprietor Alistair Don celebrated with a party. Susan Young reports.
The Doublet on Park Road was described in The List recently as “probably Glasgow’s finest pub,” and when licensee Alistair Don pointed out the quote to one of his regulars the response was you can take out the word ‘probably’. Says Alistair, “90% of my customers are regulars.”
That was probably why tickets to The Doublet’s 50th birthday party became the hottest ticket in town. Because quite simply it’s not that big a pub …and everybody wanted to go. So much so that Herald diarist Tom Shields was rumoured to have put his ticket on eBay which at the time of writing was sitting at a bid of £42!
I’ve known Alistair for 20 years… in fact since I’ve started writing about the trade. And for a decade I was a regular in The Lounge at The Doublet – because I lived just round the corner. Now as anyone who knows the Doublet will tell you – it has the public bar regulars and Lounge regulars and never the twain shall meet. Its The Doublet phenomena. But the Lounge wasn’t always there.
Alistair explains, “Before it was turned into a pub it was an upholsterers and there was a joiners yard at the back. My old man Alec and Ossie Prosser bought The Doublet from a Mr Cameron, and they initially wanted to buy the flat upstairs to expand it. Because in the 60s the pub was a real party venue. It was mobbed. Eventually they bought the joiner’s yard at the back in 1971 and that’s when The Lounge opened.” He continues, “By that time my old man and Ossie owned a few pubs – including the Picador in Renfield Street, The Doublet in Faifley and one in Drumchapel.
Prior to owning pubs Alec Don was MD of G&C Moore which eventually became Dunn and Moore, and his role there was sales director. But his move into the pub industry obviously had a huge impact on Alistair. He says, “I had been studying dentistry but failed the orals… and started working in the Picador. And when my old man died in 1974 I took over his partnership in the business, and in 1984, we split the partnership up and I took The Doublet with my sister, who I later bought out.”
That was 27 years ago. And today his father would probably not see any significant changes. Alistair explains, “My customers don’t want me to change it. Obviously it’s been redecorated, but everything goes back in roughly the same place. The Doublet is quirky and popular so why change something that is not broken. Nothing really changes here including the staff that are great. I don’t believe in sticking them in uniforms, they all know the ethos here which is ‘the customer is right on most occasions.’ I believe in giving my customers the products they want and providing them with excellent service.”
I asked him what was his most memorable occasion in the licensed trade? He said, “I really enjoyed being President of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) and getting involved with fighting the smoking ban. It was a real eye-opener. “
It was John Waterson that got Alistair involved in the SLTA. Says Alistair, “I was working in the Picador and John had The Burns Howff and he came along and invited me to a local association meeting. There were only two of us there… me and him, at which point he made me a director!”
Through the SLTA Alistair made some good friends including the likes of Roy Grier, Raymond McCrudden, the late John McCann, Donald Clark, Michael McHugh, Paul Waterson or ‘PDW’ as Alistair calls him, Billy Gallagher and many more. He recalls, “These were the days when the SLTA conference was rowdy. There was always lots of debate, folk were passionate about their businesses and willing to stand up and fight for it. And at the annual dinner there were 300/400 folk. It’s changed days now!”
There have been a lot of changes in the trade over time, but one thing which Alistair does miss is the different reps that used to visit. He tells me, “We hardly see any reps now and I miss that. On a Friday we used to have a whole posse of them. Every whisky company had a rep, and we saw them all the time. Now the only person who visits weekly is our Belhaven rep David Adam.”
On the subject of Belhaven Alistair is effusive. “I’ve been dealing with Belhaven for 20 years now. They give a fantastic service and have a very courteous way of operating. My staff know their tele-sales staff by name and they have a great range of products.”
Although Alistair admits he is now semi-retired, in that he no longer serves behind the bar, but he still comes in every morning, and is happy to continue running the Pub Quiz, which he has been quizmaster at for 15 years. In fact the quiz is just as famous as the pub! Says Alistair, “I really enjoy it, it’s great fun.”
He also has been running a charity Breast Cancer 2000, which he set up with his late wife Doreen. The charity is well on its way to raising £1m which is a tremendous achievement. And earlier this year Alistair started dating the lovely Lynda who he met in The Doublet and with four of his own grandchildren and six belonging to Lynda, the Don has a very active life outside the pub too. He has also become an expert on where to eat with kids… his favourite place being Paperino’s. But he also enjoys dining a la deux at the Crabshakk and at the Italian Café.
I asked Alistair what the secret was behind The Doublet’s success and longevity and he said, “My customers and my staff… this pub is all about the people.”
Personally I think The Doublet’s success is down to Alistair and his unfailing good humour. His staff say he is fair and honest. He’s certainly got a great attitude, which is no doubt why he went as Sgt. Pepper to the 50th party… in skinny jeans! A sense of humour… definitely!
UPDATE…Nov 2015…
Alistair Don has sold the Doublet to Paul & Claire Butler. The duo currently run the Saramago Cafe Bar at the Centre for Contemporary Arts.
We at Old Glasgow Pubs wish Alistair all the best in the future.
Do you have any memories of this great West End Pub? If so please leave a comment.
END.
The District Bar
252 Paisley Road West, Glasgow. G51 1BS. Tel: 0141 427 5151.
This bar opened in 1959 with an Italian influence and was named The Three Coins in the Fountain.
A fountain was situated in the centre of the lounge, made from stone and mounted by three lions modelled on the original of the Trevi fountain in Rome. Concealed lighting beneath made the cascading water sparkle like a rainbow. The interior decor featured attractive woods, concealed floodlights and scenic wallpaper in which depicted the Doge’s Palace, the canal and the Cathedral of Venice.
Customers would throw coins into the fountain and make a wish, all proceedings went to various charities. This new enterprise was the makings of McKinlay and Lombardi Glasgow Ltd, Denis McKinlay was licensee. The opening night was performed by W B Gow president of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association.
The whole Rangers Football team must have been here, George McLean, Davie Provan and Ronnie McKinnon prepare to push the pile of coins into the waiting hands of Rev. D Drysdale. 1964.
In the NEWS 1964…
The “Fountain” of Charity…
A pile of pennies, almost three feet high amounting to over £50 was donated by the customers and staff of the “Three Coins in the Fountain,” Paisley Road West, Glasgow, to the patients of the Princess Louise Scottish Hospital for Limbless Sailors and Soldiers, Erskine.
The gift, which will be used on October 21 to take the patients to lunch to the Scottish V Finland World Cup match at Hampden Park and to dinner afterwards, was the idea of Mr D. Bowman, manager of the “Three Coins in the Fountain.”
He invited several of the Rangers F.C. players to help “demolish” the pile. And it took three of them to knock it down!
The Chaplain of the hospital, the Rev. D. W. Drysdale, accepted the gift on behalf of the patients. The “Three Coins in the Fountain” staff are now aiming at another target. They hope to collect enough to give some of the children in Eastbank Children’s Home a Christmas treat.
Other Glasgow Rangers players making a wish, young Jim Baxter, Ralph Brand, Jimmy Millar and Norrie Martin.
Joseph M Lombardi, JP and director of McKinlay and Lombardi Glasgow Ltd, dropping a coin into the fountain, Mr Denis McKinlay licensee at the rear centre, Mr William B Gow, president of the SLTA with the chain, Mr John McKinlay, director of McKinlay and Lombardi Glasgow Ltd on the right. 1959.
Also see Mr W B Gow at the Cross Keys.
Glasgow Rangers football players George McLean and Davie Provan flip coins into the fountain, I wonder what they were wishing for?
Facts…
Licence Holders.
1973-1968 John McIntosh.
1959 Denis G McKinlay.
Do you have any memories of this old pub? If so please leave a comment.
END.
The Club Bar
190 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow. G41 1PS. Demolished.
The Club Bar, 190 Pollokshaws Road corner of Elgin Street.
The Club Bar sat at the corner of Pollokshaws Road and Elgin Street later Turriff Street.
In the early part of the 1900s Pollokshaws Road and nearby Eglinton Street was a great thoroughfare for shopping and a nice place for dwelling housing. The street were also well stocked with public houses.
The history of the Club Bar can be traced back to 1861 when Spirit Merchant James Vance was granted a licence to sell wine and spirits. The tenement building on which the pub was situated was called the Rosebank buildings.
Mr Vance lived in the close next door to the pub above with his wife and children. James only had this pub for a short while and the pub was then owned by Donald Currie in 1865.
Donald Currie was a Wine & Spirit Merchant, residing at 161 Cumberland Street in the Gorbals, before moving to better accommodation five years later to 20 Salisbury Street, then to 48 McKinlay Street by 1880.
Donald continued to serve the locals until 1884.
In 1885 Thomas N Reid then took control of the pub, Thomas had the pub for a few years and sold up in 1890. Mr Reid was living at 5 Lilybank Street.
The pub lay empty for two years before Mrs Elizabeth Anderson took over the running of thew pub. She was also a Wine and Spirit Merchant living at 93 London Street before moving to 227 Hospital Street in the Gorbals. Elizabeth used to run a pub at 11 Back Wynd just off the Trongate before taking over the Club Bar.
Mrs Anderson again only had the pub for a few years and sold up in 1894.
The next licensee was a Wine and Spirit Merchant called James McCorry.
When Mr James McCorry took over the Club Bar he redecorated the pub inside and out. As you walked into the establishment to the right on entering, was a long semi-circular bar, running the full length of the interior, right facing you was the well stocked gantry with various blends of Scotch Whisky, Liquors, Sherries, Bass Ale, Guinness Stout and the “Club special” old Scotch Whisky.
The woodwork looked bright and well varnished, the roof and walls were covered with Japanese Wallpaper. Beautiful mirrors around the walls with such names as “Roderick Dhu”, the “Premier” and “Bass made the bar look larger that it was and gave a bright feel to the place as the light came through the large windows.
The sitting rooms were neatly finished and upholstered with stained glass windows with good ventilation. In the winter months each sitting room had a large glowing fireplace.
Underneath the pub there was ample room for cool cellarage with a beer raising machine at work to send the liquor up the the bar counter.
James McCorry gained his knowledge in the Wine and Spirit trade in Dunoon, where his mother carried on business for many years. He came to Glasgow and joined the staff and services of William Morton, 21-23 Dixon Ave, Crosshill, the Old Queen’s Park Bar.
James worked in the Queen’s Park Bar, for 6 years, where he gained both the goodwill of his employer and the patrons of that well-known establishment. On leaving the pub he received a handsome gold Albert and pendant bearing the following:- “Presented to James McCorry by the employees and customers of William Morton Esq., and friends, 1894”.
About a year after leaving he was charge hand of the Empire Vaults in West Nile Street, now the Iron Horse.
When the pub on Pollokshaws Road came onto the market, James was determined to embrace the opportunity to strike out for himself and got the licence. James had very few hobbies and found no time to attach himself to any of the incorporated bodies, he spent all his time in the pub.
After James McCorry, Thomas Foote was now the owner.
In 1898 Thomas Foote obtained the licence and lived at Laura Cottage, Cumbernauld Road and also ran a pub at 220 Castle Street. In 1899 Thomas paid an annual rent of £34. He continued to run the pub until 1928.
In the 1930s licensee’s John Shearer, Murdo Maciver and John Donovan ran the pub.
In the 1940s Alexander W Douglas was licensee, when he passed away his wife Eileen took over in the 1950s trading under the title of A W Douglas & Son Ltd. Eileen was still licensee in the 1970s. The pub was then known as the Glen Bar. It was demolished in the early 1980s.
Thanks to Bob Grisly, Flickr for the image of the Glen Bar.
Do you remember this old Pub? If so please leave a comment.
END.