Old Glasgow Pubs

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Alex’s Bar

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37 Watt Street,  Southside, Glasgow.

Alex’s Bar, 1930s.

This photograph was taken after alterations in 1940. The pub was named after the proprietor Alexander MacDonald who held the licence until the end of the Second World War.

There has been a pub on this site since the 1870s, owned by Alexander L Jeffrey. Mr Jeffrey also own a pub on Norfolk Street, south side, this old pub became known as Wester’s Bar.

John Callaghan behind the bar.

Mrs Christina Jeffrey took over the licence when here husband died and continued in the trade until 1899. The pub was sold to Joseph Muir in 1901, he continued to serve the locals here until the end of the First World War.

The pub was demolished in the 1970s, the last licensee was John Callaghan.

This old pub was also known as the Flyover when the Kingston Bridge was being erected.

Licence Holders.

1973-1968 John Callaghan.

1960 James McIntyre.

1947-1940 Alexander MacDonald.

1937 William Clark.

1919-1901 Joseph Muir.

1899 Christina Inglis Jeffrey.

1875 Alexander L Jeffrey.

END.

Alexandra Bar

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468 Duke Street, Dennistoun, Glasgow. G31Tel: 014155 44757.

Alexandra Bar in 1991.

First licensed in 1870. Landlord Walker Laird occupied the premises until 1884. Well known Glasgow publican Andrew Jardine then took over the business, he also had a licensed grocers shop at 400 Duke Street. The rent for the premises in 1899 was £90 per annum. Mr Jardine resided at 110 Ingelby Drive, Dennistoun.

Interior view, 2005.

Thanks to Brian Charlton for the following email…

“I used to work in the Alexandra Bar in Duke Street in the late 1960s. The manager was an Irishman called Pat (don’t know his 2nd name). He was a very mean man and had a special deal with a whisky supplier who supplied him with whisky in bulk. No matter what standard whisky you bought in there, you always got the same cheap whisky. I am surprised none of the punters caught on, as the bottles were used over and over and the labels were all very grubby looking. He also collected all of the “Slops” from the beer drip trays in a bucket and disappeared down into the cellar with them (even though there was a sink in the bar), we think he poured it into one of the darker beer tanks suck as “light” beer. Another penny pinching exercise was to pour the spilled spirits from the drip trays into Black Rum as this would hide it well.

Whilst I worked there, the under manager left to run a pub of his own in the Gallowgate. He was looking for barmaids, so my girl friend (now my wife) got a job with him. I think it was called the Shandon Bells, it was on the south side of the Gallowgate quite near the Bellgrove Hotel (model).

Exterior view of the Alexandra Bar, 2005.

The Staff of the Alexandra Bar, 2005.

Facts…

Do you know anything about this pub or any of the pubs in Duke Street please contact us.
Duke Street.
Is the longest street in the UK. Oxford Street in London was given the title first but Duke Street was considerably longer. Duke Street was opened in 1794 and named after the Duke of Montrose.
In 1902 Duke Street had 26 Public Houses there are only 14 left today, however only 9 are opened to the public as the others are now closed.

Alexander’s Bar

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504 Argyle Street, Glasgow.

The pub here on the left was called Alexander and was taken in 1959.

Named after the owner of the pub Alfred James Alexander. He also ran pubs at 106 Paisley Road West and was trustee of 55 Kingston Street. In 1937 Alfred traded under the name of A J & E Alexander Ltd spirit dealers. Ernest W Alexander was licensee of the premises in Paisley Road West at the corner of Mair Street from 1926.

From 1910 until the end of the First World War, Hugh McLean owned this small public house.

Facts…
Do you know anything about this pub?
If so please contact me and I will publish your comments.

In 1891 Walter McFarlane took over the licence, the address was then Main Street, Anderston. There has been a pub on this site since at least the 1870s. It was demolished in the 1960s.

End.

The Albion Way

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67 Iona Court, Broomloan Road, Glasgow. NOW CLOSED DOWN.

The Albion Way, 1991.

Tennent Caledonian Breweries built a brand new luxury public house in Broomloan Road in 1972 in time for the Christmas parties at a cost of £50.000.

The new venture consisted of a lounge bar and a public bar with plush seats and carpeting and a new infra-red grill, Govan had never seen anything like it before.

The manager of T.C.B’s David Aitken said at the time “We hope that the residents of the area will come here to relax and enjoy themselves.”

It only took six months to build this new pub which was a real challenge in those days.

The manager of the pub Mr William Harley stayed across the road in the high flats.

Thomas Cordiner Cunningham and Partners the architects and the builders M Muir & Co., were responsible for the design and layout of the building.

Exterior view of the Albion Way, 1973.

The Albion Way interior view taken in 1973.

Behind the bar left to right Mr G Watkin, Miss E Clarke, Mr W Harley jun, the manager, Mr D S Aitken, controller manager of T.C.B’s, Mr Jo Shirley-Dale, assistant district manager for T.C.B’s, Mr A Thomson, district manager, Mrs M Goode and Mr A Stewart.

Facts…
Do you know anything about this pub?
If so please contact me.
Licence Holders.
1991 Alexander Coyle.
1972 James Hamilton Ballantyne.

END.

Albert Bar

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332 Langside Road,Crosshill, Glasgow.

The Albert Bar 1991.

George Dalrymple was granted a certificate for this pub in 1879. Mr Dalrymple had pubs in Trongate, Gallowgate, Stanley Street, Great Eastern Road now known as the Gallowgate, Main Street Pollokshaws and a Home Brewery at Parkhead just off the Gallowgate.

In 1939 a new lounge was added to the pub, a five apartment house next door was converted into the new lounge. It took the builders 150 days to convert the ultra modern saloon.

The main bar was also modernised at the same time. The main feature of the new lounge was the canopy over the bar, an American style lounge decorated with tall stools in red leather with chrome legs. Small tables were also installed with walnut panelling up to the top of the door then plaster covered the walls to the ceiling. The two fireplaces were tiled,during winter months this gave a warm and cosy feel to the place, new lavatory accommodation was also installed.

The new landlord Angus J MacDonald took over the license in 1937, he was born into the trade in Stratherrick, Inverness-shire where his father had the Whitebridge Hotel. He came to Glasgow in 1929 and went into business for himself as a publican in the Gallowgate, soon afterwards opened another pub in Reidvale Street before taking over the Albert Bar.

Interior view of the Albert Bar in 1939.

Interior View of the Albert Bar in 1953.

In 1970 Helen Toupa was manageress, click here to see a picture of Helen. She went on to run the Jeanie Deans Bar on Govan Road.

Facts…

Do you know anything about this pub or any other pub in the city.
If so please get in touch.

Langside Road.
has 2 pubs the Albert Bar situated at the corner of Albert Road and the Hampden Bar sitting on the opposite corner.

License Holders.

1991 Maureen Dillon.
1978 E W Miller.
1973 William Weston.
1970 J Martin.
1960 David Haddow.

1937 John MacDonald.
1930 John McGugan
1899 John McGugan

1889 James Adams.
1885 Henry Butler.
1884 George Dalrymple.
1879 George Dalrymple.

In 1881 Mr Dalrymple was living at 459 Great Eastern Road now the Gallowgate. He was 50 years of age, born in Kirkintilloch and had sadly lost his wife. His eldest daughter Mary age 23 took charge of the house and looked after her brothers and sisters, Margaret 18, Jane 16, George 11 and William age 8.

The Admiral

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72A Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 7DA.Tel: 01412217705

The Admiral was opened in 1969.

The landlord then was Frederick Joseph Grome.

This mock Victorian pub attracts many of the office workers in the area.

The Admiral 2007.

Thank to Steve Blaney for the above image, 1969.

Email: My name is Steve Blaney. I was the first person to play on in the Admiral when first opened in 69′. The lounge was a classy old galleon ship style with first class fittings, brass port holes, beautiful red lounge seating etc.

I played the electric accordion with my drummer George Picken. We were there for about a year and knew “Freddy” the manager well. I have been in Canada for nearly 40 years and anytime I am in Glasgow I visit the old pub. I was there last month Oct. 2011.

Email: Hi! John,
Notice the Admiral behind us on stage, this was the theme of the lounge. Like I was saying, Watney’s, you know the Red Barrel people, I believe were the first company there, put a lot of money into making this place very classy. The figure I was given was £30,000 for the lounge. Beautiful brass fittings (port holes and rails) with deep red sofa’s with wood paneling on the walls, to give the atmosphere of being inside an old style ship.

One story was, a patron asked, who was the guy behind the band (the Admiral on the wall), I was not sure to believe this or not, but then again, it was a pub. The accordion I am playing is a Farfisa Transicord bought from McCormack’s on bath street sadly now closed. It was state of the art back then at a cost of £300 pounds. George and I used to practice in the lounge on a Saturday afternoon (the lounge was closed then), we played there Friday’s and Saturday’s. After our practice Freddy the manager would give us lunch upstairs you know, steak, mushrooms ect. the good stuff.

He was a very nice guy and we got along well and he looked after us like son’s. The lounge back then was a place where married couples or couples wanting a nice quieter night out would come and listen to George and I play some Pop music and a few type classics, you know like a lounge you would be in on holiday at that time. I got married shortly after, to my wife Linda Geddes (still my wife) and moved to Canada here.

George played around Europe very successfully and eventually settled back in Scotland where we would meet up anytime I was back (home). He bought his new wife over to Canada for a holiday/honeymoon in Niagara and stayed with us also. We met for the last time this October in Scotland when I was there as he was dying of Cancer. He died four days after I left, he was 61. Always a nice, clean living guy, we knew each other for over 40 years. So, before I left Scotland this October (2011) he asked me to go to the Admiral and have a drink for us.

I did. The lounge now is geared up for a more busy? crowd? who have a little more exercise than we used do down there LOL. Still nothing stays the same, as long as it’s still open and people are having fun. I still have a music room in my house here in London Ontario with Guitars and sill have a Transicord accordion. I am 60years of age now and still love Scotland (my first home) and anytime I am there I always go to the Admiral for a wee drink and a lunch, good stuff. Anyway that’s part of the story. Like everything else I could write a book, maybe I will someday about all the nice people who used to work there and frequent the place……and they still are great people. So all the best.
                                                                                   
                                                                               Maybe we will meet sometime,
                                                                                                 Steve Blaney, (First to play in the Admiral).

Cheers! Steve.

END.