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The Nipp

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418 Parliamentary Road, Glasgow.

The Nipp bar

The Nipp was situated on Parliamentary Road at the corner of Killermont Street.

There was a pub on this site since at least the 1860s.

The first licensee was a gentleman called Colin More who was trading from these premises in 1860. He lived with his family at 10 Killermont Street a few yards from his place of business. Mr More was first a spirit merchant but by the 1870s was registered as a wine and spirit merchant. Colin sadly passed away in 1884 aged 66 he may have retired a year earlier a year before.

Titus Mulholland owned the premises in the 1890s which were very much smaller than that of the pub in the 1930s.

Major alterations were carried out in 1939, proprietor James Sutherland had architect James Taylor Thomson, 212 bath Street to draw up plans for the new pub. Two adjacent shops and part of a third shop at the rear was taken over to make the pub very much larger.

The new Nipp consisted of a semi circular bar counter with an over head canopy with tube lighting. Two new sitting rooms were also installed a new office and lavatory accommodation. Central heating was now a new addition to the pub.

Manager of the Nipp was a gentleman called Arthur McGowan. For seventeen years he was employed here, during which time her served six years with the R.A.F. during the war. Nine years of his service was as manager. He then left to manage the Cathcart Bar, Cathcart Road owned by Mr Brash before joining the staff of Campbell Henderson & Co., wholesale and retail wine and spirit merchants and off-licence traders, whose head office was at 220-222 Broomielaw. When this firm was founded in 1910 they had no travellers employed up until around 1949. The firm were proprietors of the well known Strathduie whisky.

Thanks to Fraser Hamilon for the info on Colin More.

Arthur McGowan

Arthur McGowan, manager of the Nipp.

Licence Holders.
1960 William Henry Devlin.
1956 J Smith.
1947-1937 James Sutherland.
1919-1913 Thomas McCall White.
1910 Hugh Mullaney.
1902-1892 Titus Mulholland.
1863 Colin More.

The Lemon Tree

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394 Parliamentary Road, Glasgow. Demolished.

Lemon Tree

The Lemon Tree sat at the corner of Parliamentary Road and Pladda Street formerly Calderwood Street.

There has been a pub on this site since 1863, owned by Charles McGilvray. Two year later Robert Lang took over the pub, Mr Lang lived in one of the flats next door to the pub.

The pub was named after Richard Lemon the proprietor in the late 1950s.

In the 1870, Robert Cleat a wine & spirit merchant traded here, he also ran a small pub at 101 East Milton Street.

In 1881 William McLeod a prominent spirit merchant acquire the licence. Mr McLeod was born in 1843 at Lambhill and educated in Springburn, his first initiatory start in life was his engagement as clerk to the firm of Messrs., Leadbetter, Govan & Co, quarrymasters, to whom he remained for 17 years, during which time he married a niece of Mr Govan, one of the partners.

He took over his first pub at 281 Gairbraid Street, Maryhill, premises that had just been built, in 1873 at the corner of Vernon Street, now Queen Margaret Drive. Business was booming and in 1887 he acquired another pub further up Maryhill at 210-12 Main Street the “Redan.” Using his Gairbraid Street establishment as his headquarters, all the finest liquor was dispensed at his premises, blending all his own whiskies and his special blend of “Tiree” which not only had a large home consumption but was known abroad, where it was extensively exported. Read More on McLeod.

In 1911 Patrick Shanley took over the pub he also ran a public house at 117 Bishop Street, Anderston, he ran a successful business here until after WW1.

Richard Lemon acquired the licence in the late 1950s, he held the licence until the pub was demolished in 1964. The following year he acquire the licence for the Cuillins, Kyleakin Road.

Large group of men with John Dougan, Springburn Road 1962
John Dougan fourth from the left. 1962.

Trade personalities who attended the smoker dinner held at Belmont House, by the Cowcaddens Ward. 1962. left to right Mr George Ramster; Mr Hugh Doherty, Symposium Bar, Cowcaddens; Mr Neville Jones, Cross Keys, St. Peter’s Street; Mr John Dougan, Dougan’s Bar, Springburn Road; Mr Richard Lemon, Lemon Tree, Parliamentary Road, ward convener; Mr W J Bennet, Bennet’s, Port Dundas Road; Mr William B Gow, Bristol Bar; Mr James Lanagan, Maitland Street; Mr Thomas F Flynn, Mr Donald McNiven, Argyll Arms, Kennedy Street, Mr W J McDowall. 1962.

Richard Lemon

Some of the members of the Scottish Benevolent on a days trip, left to right Mrs A McCaskill, Kirkhouse, Mr T Brennan, Whitehall Restaurant, George Grier, Mr & Mrs R Lemon.

Other licensees’ who ran this pub were Patrick Breen, Mr Breen was an Irishman, and owned this pub during the 1930s, he sold the pub to move to Donegal. He passed away in 1945 beside his wife who died in 1921 in Kells Co. Meath, Ireland.

Another licensee was William Burke who ran the pub during the 1950s before Richard Lemon look over.

William Macleod

William McLeod.

Also see Bennet’s other pub

Facts…
Licence Holders.
1964-1959 Richard Lemon.
1950-1947 William Burke.
1937 Patrick Breen.
1919-1911 Patrick Shanley.
1910-1881 William McLeod.
1880 Robert Weir.
1878 Robert Weir.
1875 Robert Cleat.
1870 Robert Cleat also had a pub on 101 East Milton Street.
1865 Robert Lang.
1863 Charles McGilvray.

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

END.

The Forfarshire Bar

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420 Parliamentary Road, Glasgow.

Forfarshire

Forfarshire Bar. 1960s

The Forfarshire Bar sat on the corner of Parliamentary Road and Killermont Street.

This old pub was ideally situated near the Buchanan Street Bus Station.

There has been a pub on this site since at least 1870s. Robert Anderson was landlord here in 1875, he also had pubs at 6-8 College Street and 161 West Nile Street.

In 1881 John Watt acquired the licence, he was a well established spirit merchant in the city, having licensed premises in 30 College Street and 70 Cowcaddens, many will remember this old pub as Tommy Foley’s Pop Inn. Mr Watt continued as licensee before WW1.

William John Ross then took over the pub, he passed away in 1918, his wife Helen then got a transfer of the licence. Helen’s son John took over the running of the business until the 1950s.

In 1939 John had the pub refurbished to keep the bar up to date with the rest of the pubs in the area. The pub had an increasing number of bus passengers among its clientele, a larger amount of visitors came to the district as a result of the bus station, which was the site of the old Buchanan Street railway station.

Two plain unpanelled doors, one in Parliamentary Road and the other in Killermont Street, where the family department was. The exterior of the premises were painted in grained light oak with terrazo work at the entrance. The inside swing doors were of Japanese oak, and two of them at the main entrance had special air pressure springs a new addition to the pub and one of the first to be installed in Glasgow.

Forfarshire interior

Interior view of the main bar. 1939.

A display window with concealed lighting and a neon sign gave a good effect in Killermont Street. The interior was well lit by two large windows which had an artistic and modernistic bottle and glass theme worked through them presenting a very attractive appearance. Artificial lighting was provided by a number of hanging octagonal electric lamps which matched the design of the gantry and bar.

The gantry, semi-circular was finished in Australian walnut and with mellow concealed lighting displayed the various drinks available, behind this was Mr Ross’s office. In the centre of the gantry was a modern electric clock.

The bar counter was the same shape as the gantry with a mahogany top and Japanese oak finish. Monel metal bar pipe fittings with two sets of three chrome plated taps were fitted to the bar. A small display cabinet on the counter exhibited the various liqueurs. To the right of the counter was a small electric cooker for hot snacks.

The walls were panelled half way up in Japanese oak, with a red band at the top. Above this was painted cream, while the ceiling was papered in anaglypta. The saloon had glass topped tables and oak chairs. A modern electric fireplace was installed on one side with electric tubular heaters, which lined the bottom of the walls provided warmth during winter months.

A small sitting room with an arched doorway was situated to the left of the main saloon. Seats covered with red Rexine leather line the walls on either side. Small tables and chairs similar to those in the main saloon were provided. The floor was covered with red designed linoleum.

There were two architects involved in the construction of the new bar, William Reid and John Boyd.

Licence Holders.
1970-1960 James A D McLean Smith.
1950-1937 William John Ross jun.
1919-1918 Helen Gabriel Ross.
1917-1912 William John Ross.
1910-1881 John Watt.
1875 Robert Anderson.