3 Dalmarnock Road, 13 Bridgeton Cross, Glasgow. G40.
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 Cactus Lounge. 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 of the Cactus Bar. 1962. Interior views of the the 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.
The Drayman’s Arms, August 2005.
