Old Glasgow Pubs

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Angel’s

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114 Main Street, Uddingston. G71 7HZ. Tel: 01698 812106.

Angels. 2005.

What the Newpapers said 1970…

Harry Hood’s First Time Crack At Been Mine Host…

Mr. Harry Hood. 1970.

Does the name Hood conjure up anything for you? Football fans will immediately put “Harry” in front of it and start reliving magic moments from shots this well-known Celtic player’s career. Others will opt for Robin, and start thinking of Sherwood Forest, and Maid Marion and Friar Tuck.

It may surprise you to know that there is now in fact a link- at Uddingston, along the New Edinburgh Road. There you’ll find the new Sherwood Manor Hotel, owned by that Celtic star Harry Hood, and opened last night by the Celtic boss Jock Stein, in the company of the entire fitba’ team.

No stranger to the trade.

“It’s been my ambition for some time to own a pub or a hotel.” Harry told me. “I was a rep at one time and so I know something about the licensed trade, and my wife’s mother had a pub, so between us we know something about the business.” While Harry intends to be at the hotel as much as his other commitments will allow his attractive red headed wife Kathleen, won’t manage to be there at the time either. The couple have three youngsters, including a two month old baby.

The man on the spot is Mr. Stephen O’Connor, who will manage the hotel – once called the Mirn Hotel – for the Hoods.

Why the name was changed.

I asked Harry why he had renamed the place. “Well we wanted a new name and Sherwood links up with our surname.” he explained. “We did some delving back to try to find out what a place like this would have looked like in that part of the world. “Wood was used extensively, and so we have made use of it here. “We have used golden cherry wood in the lounge bar, It was brought specially from Japan.”

Murals of Robin’s Men.

Positioned at vantage points around the hotel will be large leather work murals of the Sherwood Forest characters. Friar Tuck will have pride of place but the dining-room, for example and the other weel kent folk will adorn other walls. The leather work has been specially commissioned and is being done by a Falkirk craftsman. There is a colour TV in both the cocktail and lounge bars, and Harry has applied for a music licence so there may well be cabaret in the future.

Remark in Bus began it all.

“How did I come to choose this hotel.” “I’ll tell you – I overheard some people on a bus saying that the place was for sale! “I was interested at once, so I got some one to make inquiries for me. I was very impressed by what I was told and I thought the old place had very good potential – so here I am!

“So far we haven’t had time to do anything to the bedrooms, but in the very near future they will be modernised,” his wife Kathleen told me. There are seven bedrooms, both single and double,a and bed and breakfast charges are 50s.

Sherwood Hotel Advert 1970.

Warehouse Transformation.

“We’ve made a lot of alterations already,” said an enthusiastic Harry. “The Lounge bar and the cocktail bar have both been redecorated and refurbished and we’ve turned the old wash-house into a dining-room.” They have too! And compact through it is, they assure me they can comfortably seat 40 there. Being divided from the cocktail lounge merely by louvre doors, the two rooms can be used together to take larger parties.

Aim – to give real value.

Already bookings are coming in and the Hoods are delighted with everything. “I enjoy meeting people, and I aim to give real value for money,” said Harry. Head cook is Mrs. Margaret Geggens, who I was assured makes the best home-made broth for miles around. The Sherwood staff includes two cooks, two waitresses, and manager Stephen O’Connor.

Took course in catering.

Examples of the menu…

Sherwood Mixed Grill, 12s 6d; Fillet Steak Garni, 15s; Chicken Maryland, 10s; Double Lamb Cutlets, 9s; Cold Chicken and Ham served with Fresh Green Salad, 9s 6d. “Although I knew quite a bit about the drinks side of the business, neither I nor Kathleen knew much about the food side of things,” confessed Harry. So I took a course of catering lessons, and learned some of the tricks of the trade at the same time.”

Business lunches are served between 11.30 am and 3 p.m. and dinner between 6 p.m. and 10pm.

Plans for the future.

“Our immediate plans for the future, after modernising the bedrooms, is to build a function suite,” I was told. “We have so much car parking room that some of it can easily be used for the suite.” Once plans are approved for that, things should really begin to move. All the alterations to the interior of the hotel were carried out in nine days in a round the clock operation.

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In the NEWS 1978…

Harry doesn’t score with pub plan.

Ex-Celtic player Harry Hood today moved into defence as he prepared to meet his biggest challenge match outside a football ground.

Lining up in opposition to Harry, who now plays for Queen of the South, are councillors, residents and church people in the Croftfoot area of Glasgow who are against his plans to open a pub in their “dry” district.

He has lodged an application for planning permission in Croftend Avenue, but this has led to a petition to try to stop the application winning approval.

WRONG

District Councillor Maurice Toshner has promised the objectors his full backing. “The people who live there are appalled,” he said, “This is a totally residential area and a pub would be completely wrong.”

But a planning official dealing with the application commented: “I think I will probably be recommending it to the committee.”

Hood, who already runs the Sherwood Manor in Uddingston, said: “What I plan to build will be a bit higher class than just a public house. It will be next to a shopping centre, where local people can have a coffee, a snack, and a drink if they want it.”

2012… Harry Hood also owns Angels Hotel, Uddingston, The Castle Rooms, The Croft, The Dalziel Park Hotel, and The Parkville.

Auld Hoose

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455 Gallowgate, Glasgow. Demolished.

The Auld Hoose. 1991.

Also see the newer Auld Hoose at number 429 Gallowgate.

This is the original Auld Hoose on the Gallowgate which was demolished in 1991. New flats now occupy the site of this once popular east end local.

It was once called The Empire Bar run by James Gray from 1906 to 1922, he left this old pub and took over larger premises at 14 Kelvinhaugh Street, west end.

James Gray standing proudly outside his Empire Bar 1920.

To read more on the history of this old pub click here.

Mr Gavin Ellis, 1891.

To read more on the pubs on the Gallowgate read up & Doon the Gallowgate by John Gorevan. A copy can be bought for a few pounds at the Hielan Jessie on the Gallowgate or contact me at [email protected]

One of the proprietors of the this pub was Patrick O’Brien an Irishman from Co. Monaham. see Owen’s Bar, Coatbridge.

Do you remember this old pub? If so please get in touch.

END.

Alexandra Hotel

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148 Bath Street, Glasgow.

Alexandra Hotel, 1891.

Alexandra Hotel was erected in 1877, designed specially to meet the requirements of a really first class hotel and a decade later, on the entrance of a new tenant, it was entirely rearranged, newly decorated and renovated. There are four spacious floors about one hundred feet long by fifty feet wide in the building, which forms a large rectangular block at the corner of Bath Street where the entrance is and West Campbell Street. There are sixty bedrooms in the hotel, a drawing, dining, smoking and billiards rooms. There was also a number of private sitting rooms. A buffet, with the entrance from West Campbell Street is in connection with the billiards room.

This magnificent Hotel was erected by Mr Cranston of the Waverley Hotels, under his personal supervision.

Mr J Fritz Rupprecht, 1887.

In 1887 the Hotel was taken over by Mr J Fritz Rupprecht. Mr Rupprecht was born in Nunebery, Germany and came to the UK., in 1874. He made his way to Edinburgh where he spent a few years learning the trade as a waiter in the Banavie Hotel where he met his wife and got married, she was then the cook at the hotel. Shortly afterwards they came to Glasgow and ventured into the Alexandra Hotel, Hope Street. Three and a half years later he was asked to come  and occupy the North British Station Hotel then the Queen’s, where he spent thirteen years service there. He then became the proprietor of the Ranfurly Hotel in Bridge-of-Weir,  before he took over the Grand Hotel, Charing Cross, Glasgow.

Mr Rupprecht sadly passed away in 1905 leaving a son and two daughters.

Mr J F Rupprecht 1905.

Mr W R Cuddeford, 1891.

Mr W R Cuddeford the new landlord with his wife and his sister and some of the best staff in that business ran the hotel like clockwork. Mr Cuddeford worked in many first class hotels, clubs and other establishments, including the Golden Cross in Oxford, the Grand Hotel in Brighton, the Queen’s Hotel, Hastings and the Pal Mall Club, London. Mr Cuddeford then crossed the border and worked in the Golden Lion in Stirling and was engaged with the Carlton Club in London. He then came back to the north and worked in the Royal Hotel, Edinburgh and for five and a half years in the Cockburn.

In 1893 the annual dinner of the Old Spot Club was held here, which comprised a select number of gentlemen well known in trade circles, on Friday 23rd December, to celebrate the clubs anniversary. Mr George McLeod presided, Mr James Walker filling the croupier’s chair. The company included the following:- James Robson, Donald Ross, John Cameron, Simon Cameron, John Kennedy, Robert Dunn, John Ralph, Joseph Cox, Charles Nicol, Robert Swann, James Thomson and William McGill. Among the friends present were Messrs. Crawford Allan, A. B. Ross, J Thomas, W Aitken, D Carruthers, R McCulloch, J Irvine, T Gillespie of the Victualling Trades Review. On the following Saturday the annual election of office-bearers for the ensuing year took place as follows:- President Mr James Robson; Vice-President Mr John Ralph and secretary and treasurer Mr William McGill. The nominations were unanimous.

Mr David Cunningham, 1895.

Mr David Cunningham was born in Northern Ireland, where his father was a Land Steward.

He came to Glasgow in 1872 and engaged himself as a Confidential Servant to Dr Samuel Moore, with whom he remained until that eminent Surgeon died around 1893. Mr Cunningham subsequently accepted the management of a well-known Glasgow restaurant then on to the Alexandra Hotel in Bath Street, coming onto the market he was determined to succeed in the management of the hotel.

David had a valuable assistant of his wife in the management of the business. He is tending to refurnish the place from top to bottom. Cunningham was a Freemason, having joined the Lodge of St John No3 bis, in 1882 when Colonel Menzies was R.W.M.

Exterior view of the Alexandra Hotel, circa 1910.

Wedding party outside the Alexandra Hotel, circa 1900.

Advertisement for the Alexandra Hotel, 1895.

Alexandra Hotel postcard.

END.

The Auld Hoose.

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91 Westmuir Street, Parkhead, Glasgow.

David Anderson’s Auld Hoose. Circa 1910.

In 1892 the proprietor was Mr David Anderson, the pub was then called the Auld House. Mr Anderson collected antiquarian curios and fixed them on the walls in the bar. Over the years the place became cluttered with unusual things of interest, including a sea horse from the shores of the north of Iceland, in a grand glass, a fin of a whale captured in Rothesay Bay, a four week old crocodile from the eastern empire, the tusks of rhinoceros, antlers and the handle of one of the carriages in the ill-fated Tay bridge accident. Both the interior and exterior had an ancient look about it.

Mr Anderson was a heavy smoker in his time, his wife always said that at night-time he would go outside for a smoke and would not come back in until 11 o’clock. Mr Anderson died in 1919 at his residence the Brae, Springboig and left an estate of £6753.

To read more on the Auld Hoose see O’Kane’s, Westmuir Street, Parkhead.

END.

Alexander McKenzie

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7 Shuttle Street, Glasgow.

Alexander McKenzie's Bar

Alexander McKenzie’s Vaults. 1888.

Alexander McKenzie was born in 1846 and brought up in Balfron, when he was 42 years of age he was still a bachelor.

This old pub sat between Ingram Street and College Street on one side and North Albion Street and High Street on the other. It was a stones throw of the College Station.

The pub had five small snug’s or little box rooms all with simple upholstered seating, a spacious saloon at the rear contained three large tables.” McKenzie’s Toddy blend” was popular with the customers. As you entered the main bar one was faced with large barrels on the gantry selling “Breadalbane Highland Whisky” for 10d a glass, other well known blends of whisky such as “Glenlivet” on tap, “Campbeltown,” and “Islay.”

Mr McKenzie made a point to sell nothing but the best matured blends of whisky. Wines Brandies and Bass on tap and bottles were also stocked in the bar. The cellar was deep underneath, a block pulley was arranged for lowering barrels and goods into the cellar, all the bottling was also done on the premises. The bar it-self was unusual, in a J shape.

Before Mr McKenzie entered into the pub trade he was an engineer and boasted that he regularly lifted £20 and over for a fortnight’s pay for himself and his apprentice boy, a large sum of money in those days. But he never had any regrets in leaving that trade. He left the pub the following year, selling it to wine and spirit merchant John McLean, he had another pub at 9-11 Castle Street.

In 1865 David Anderson owned this old pub, Mr Anderson also owned the “Stag” Candleriggs (Granny Blacks), and a pub at 228 Broomielaw. In 1875 William Wright was landlord, 1888 Alexander McKenzie, 1889 John McLean, 1890 Hugh Patrick. The pub closed for good before the First World War.