58 Nithsdale Road, Strathbungo, Glasgow. G41 2An.
The Titwood Bar. 1991.
Andrew Small a wine & spirit merchant occupied these premises and obtained a public house licence in 1893. Mr Small paid an annul rent of £62 10/- (shillings) to the owner of the property Mrs Janet McIntyre, 40 Nithsdale Road.
Robert Hill Stevens ran this prosperous business during the 1930s and 40s. The pub was taken over by Marion Cullen in 1950. A new cocktail lounge bar was added to the pub in 1954 called “The Elbow Room.” The contractors were Messrs Caskell & Chambers (Scotland) Ltd who were the leading pub designers at the time.
Wallpaper was hung on the walls with mirrors to give the new lounge a larger feel to it, a crescent shaped Honduras mahogany bar counter was also installed. Honduras mahogany was also used for the wall panelling in the lounge.
The Cullen family continued to run this popular bar until the 1960s. Tennent Caledonian Breweries took over in 1964, the pub was then run by Roy Hutchison for over ten years.
Interior view of the new cocktail lounge bar the “Elbow Room” 1954.
———————————-
In the NEWS 1978…
Tenants say pub is breaking up their homes…
Bill Findlay (right) with his brother John. 1978.
Residents on Glasgow’s South Side are drawing up battle against the owners of their local pub.
For the people of 50 Nithsdale Road are angry over cracked walls and broken door frames which they say were caused by extensive renovation in the Titwood Bar downstairs.
Now a legal wrangle involving lawyers, architects, and engineers from both sides has begun in a bid to resolve blame for the damage.
PROBLEM
The problem started in May when the modernisation work began at the former Tennent Caledonian Pub, bought by William Findlay and his brother James and John.
Said resident Ian Murray, “Relations were very amicable to begin with, with the owners approaching us and apologising in advance for any noise and inconvenience. “But we didn’t know what was to come.”
It was during the work that cracks appeared on the stair wall and a paving stone sank down at the back of the close. But then damage began to appear in the house. Said Robert Buchanan who lives on the first floor of the building, “I noticed the wallpaper was beginning to peel away and when I looked behind it a crack had appeared.
“I knew it was a fresh crack and an engineer confirmed it was. I also noticed that the doors in the hall had gone off line and the frames were coming adrift.”
Mr Buchanan approached the Findlay brothers but found them unco-oprative. “They just don’t seem to be bothering now they are in the pub,” he said.
Today a solicitor acting for the tenants confirmed that action was being prepared and that an engineer’s report is due shortly on the cause of the damage.
At the bar John Findlay said, “This matter is in the hands of our architects and solicitors. I think it is better to say nothing to the newspapers.”
———————————
In the NEWS 1978…
Ally Picks Out Another Winner…
Scotland’s football manager, Ally MacLeod, flies tonight with his squad for the World Cup finals in Argentina. But before he left Glasgow he made a point of dropping into the Titwood Bar in Nithsdale Road, owned by his old friend Bill Findlay and his two brothers.
The Findlay brothers recently bought the pub from Tennent Caledonian Breweries and, after spending the last few weeks modernising the premises they invited Ally along to the reopening.
The Titwood was originally divided into three parts, lounge bar, public bar, and off-sales. Now it’s all been knocked into one large lounge which has been attractively decorated on traditional lines.
Bill Findlay and his brothers, who also own the Victoria Bar in Victoria Road, will be serving lunchtime meals in the Titwood Bar.”We plan to offer an extensive menu at lunch-times covering everything from a Ploughman’s lunch to scampi,” Mr Findlay told me.
PARKING
The brothers hope that the Titwood will become popular with businessmen looking for a pleasant lunch. “We are quite near the Kingston Bridge and being in a cul-de-sac we have plenty of parking space,” he said.
Although there is no live entertainment in the pub there will be background music and a large colour television has been installed, perhaps to let customers keep up with the latest World Cup news.
“Ally MacLeod was received a lot of criticism recently about his commercial ventures but although we offered him a cheque he said he would be delighted to do it for nothing.” Bill Findlay said.
“We offered, than to make him a gift but he suggested that instead we make out a cheque to Mr Alex Wilson of the British Sailors Society,” Mr Findlay added.
Titwood Bar advert 1978.
———————————————–
In 1979 the Findlay brother also owned the Craigdhu Bar in Paisley. Click here to read more.
Titwood Bar. 2009
Titwood Bar. 2009.
The Titwood Bar sign. 2009.
