Old Glasgow Pubs

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Adlib.

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111 Hope Street, Glasgow. G2 6LL. Tel: 0141 248 6645.

Adlib. 2008.

Adlib is part of the Baby Grand Group. It has an American Diner theme. There is also an Adlib at 33 Ingram Street, Glasgow. G1 1HA Telephone: 0141 552 5736.

This was formerly called Junkanoo and Pappa Zeb and The Europa.

Advert 1971.

In 1973 the name of this popular disco was called Europa.

Europa Advert. 1973.

Ad-Lib, 111 Hope Street, Glasgow, Advert from 1976.

In the NEWS 1979…

New Night Club for Glasgow…

Our CITY fathers will later this month sit down to consider an application for a new night club, I can reveal. But it’s the enigmatic guy behind the application that I find more interesting.

He’s Eddie Topalion, late of the Ad Lib restaurant, Hope Street. Eddie has been lying low since he sold the restaurant to Gino Romano for a tidy sum, but it was no secret that he had plans to open an entertainments complex with chartered accountant Brian McVey.

That was to have been in Springfield Court, but their plans were set back because Mr McVey was refused a gaming licence for a proposed casino on the grounds that he did not have any experience.

Peculiarly, Eddie has the experience, having managed a casino in London’s Soho district, but he insisted that he was not interested in the gaming side of things.

Now it would appear that Messrs McVey and Topalion have parted company. The site proposed for Mr Topalion’s licensed nightclub is in the basement of 33 Virginia Street.

“I want people to be happy,” was one of Mr Topalion’s favourite sayings, and with our city fathers’ consent he might just get the chance.

Junkanoo, 1991.

Do you know anything about this pub / restaurant? If so please get in touch.

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The Anne Bar

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147 Main Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow.

This old pub was also known as the International Bar.

Main Street in Bridgeton was once a great shopping area in the East End of the City. Pub too were plentiful, and at one time there was 27 Public Houses on Main Street alone.

There has been a pub on this site since 1866. The licensee was a gentleman called Thomas McGibbon. The owners of the pub was a very old business called “The Bridgeton Old Victualling and Baking Society Ltd. Thomas wasn’t new to this kind of work as he moved from 98 Main Street where the Old Victualling & Baking Society had their premises before moving to 147 Main Street.

Thomas McGibbon was manager and licence holder for two premises on Main Street 98 and 102, Thomas lived at 51 Franklin Street with his family before moving to better accommodation at 117 Greenhead Street.

When Mr Thomas McGibbon passed away his friend Robert Muirhead took over as licensee and manager of the O.V & B. S. Mr Muirhead ran the pub from 1875 to around 1880

Over the years many licensees ran this old pub including after Robert Muirhead, Robert Dawson, he only held the licence for a few years, then John M Derby took over from 1884 to the early 1900. John paid an annual rent of £69 10/- (shillings).

John Aitken from 1910 until 1919. John Aitken was treasurer for the Bridgeton Old Victualling & Baking Society Ltd. John Proctor was next on line to hold the certificate. John held this position until 1935.

Terence McGowan 1937 to the 1950s. One of the last licensees was popular and well respected publican Hugh Bonner. Working for Mr Bonner was Pat O’Donnell and Ben McGreevy.

Mr Hugh Bonner.

More on the history of the Bridgeton Old Victualling & Baking Society Ltd, the Society was established in 1816 in Main Street Bridgeton and was known as the New Victualling Society. In 1825 Robert Issac was manager of the Victualling Society and purchaser.

The Baking Society was also in Main Street and 8 Well Street, Calton. The Bridgeton Union Victualling Society, the Friendly Victualling Society, the Operative Victualling Society, the Bridgeton Victualling Society.

By the 1840s, Alexander Campbell was manager of the Bridgeton Victualling Society, John Frame was the purchaser for the Bridgeton Victualling Society at Peebles Land, Main Street Bridgeton, The Friendly Victualling Society was run by Robert Morrison and the Operative Victualling Society was run by David Alexander. As time when on all the Societies merged together.

In the Recollections of Bridgeton by William Guthrie, mentioned three the the licence holders of the pub at 147 Main Street. Mr Guthrie stated that…

“There was a grocer’s shop opposite Rumford Street, owned by Mr McGregor. When he gave it up it was occupied by a company of printers. McDonald, McGibbon and Muirhead. The first named Hugh McDonald, the Rambler, who was appointed shopkeeper. These were all intimate friends of the writer.

This venture was unsuccessful and the partners came to grief. I believe if McGibbon has been appointed manager it would have been a success, as he afterwards became manager of the Bridgeton Old Victualling & Baking Society, and made it a prosperous concern.

When he died, Mr Muirhead followed in the same management, and this concern is still flourishing under the direction of working men and Mr Dawson, an expert salesman, with assistants.”

Hugh McDonald the Glasgow Rambler (1817-1860) was a popular author of publication as “Ramblers round Glasgow” and “Days at the coast.”

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Anderson’s Vaults.Dick Bartons

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282 Moffat Street, Gorbals, Glasgow. Demolished.

Image of Dick Barton bar Moffat Street Gorbals
Dick Barton.
Image of Dick Barton pub Moffat Street Gorbals
Dick Barton.

Dick Barton was situated at the corner of Moffat Street and Rutherglen Road. Dick Barton never owned this pub however the landlord Richard Barton named it in 1960.

Moffat Street was originally called South York Street and the pub that sat on this corner in the late 1880s was Anderson’s Vaults, named after John Swan Anderson. Mr Anderson continued to hold the licence until 1912 when Owen McCabe acquired the pub. Mr Owen also owned a pub at 5 West Campbell Street, many will still remember this old pub as the City Rendezvous.

Other well known names to hold the licence was James L Higgins and Thomas McMurtrie Wilson.

The pub was demolished in the early part on the 1960s.

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

END.

Artizan Vaults.

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3 Finnieston Street, Glasgow. Demolished.

Mr Robert C Kerr. 1897.

Wine and Spirit Merchant Robert C Kerr was born in Catrine, Ayrshire, Robert Burns country. Robert was educated at the village school. He started work very early in the cotton mills, cotton spinning being at that time one of the stable industries of Scotland.

Robert then went on to be a miner. What a change of occupation, from soft cotton to hard dark coal mining. Young Robert then can to Glasgow and worked in a large east end cotton factory. He then entered the spirit trade as an assistant in a pub owned by Mrs Armour, Stevenson Street, Calton.

Mr Kerr was very ambitious and mastered the trade, hoping to once own his own public houses. When the Anchor Tavern, 21 Argyle Street came on the market Robert jumped at the chance to be his own boss.

After acquiring the licence, business was good and seven years later opened the Artizan Vaults in Finnieston Street. Robert managed boss premises and was assisted by his son in the Anchor Bar. The Anchor Bar was located on the confines of the Trongate and in one of the busiest parts of Argyle Street.

Dick’s Bar, 3 Finnieston Street. 1966.

The history of the Anchor Bar dates back to 1788.

When Robert took over the Artizan Vaults in June 1895 the place was in great need of refurbishment. Robert installed incandescent light throughout the pub and the rooms were both comfortable and well ventilated. One neat little snuggery, known as the “Cosy Den”. A new gantry and spirit rack behind the bar was among the handsomest in the area, the walls were decorated with pictures and mirrors.

There was a large cellar underneath the premises from which beer was raised in cool and perfect condition by a Bruce beer engine. All the best whisky and liquor was stocked in the Artizan.

Robert became a licence holder in 1889, entered upon the Anchor on the 17th October 1889;m obtained the transfer on the 17th December; bought the “Artizan” on 17th June, 1895; and obtained the transfer 17th April, 1896. Seven is surely his lucky number.

Dick’s Bar. 3 Finnieston Street.

The history of the Artizan can be traced back to 1867 when Wine and Spirit Merchant James Taylor acquired a certificate to sell wines and spirits at 3 Finnieston Street. James was born in Rutherglen.

By 1880 James was living with his family at 5 Finnieston Street and purchased another public house The Royal Bar, 328 Scotland Street at the corner of Watt Street. Five years later we find his residing at 115 Dumbarton Road before moving to 16 Strone Terrace, Dowanhill, so business was very good.

In 1881 James was living with his wife Janet Colquhoun with seven daughters and one son.

When Mr James Taylor passed away in the early part of 1890s his wife took over the business until 1895.

Robert C Kerr then took over the pub. Robert was living at 91 North Hanover Street in the city centre. He gave up the Artizan Vaults in 1898.

David Burrell then took over the pub and continued to serve the locals until 1908.

Another well-known and respected Glasgow Publican to own the pub was James McCondach, who ran the pub until the 1950s. Many will still remember Raphael Issacs in the 1960s before Mr John Dick took over the pub and renamed it Dicks Bar.

In the 1950s this old pub was known as the Cosy Corner. Maybe someone was renovating the old bar and saw a sign the “Cosy Den” in the snug bar and renamed the pub the Cosy Corner.

Do you know anything about this pub? If so please leave a comment.

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The Avondale Arms

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Gallowgate Port, Gallowgate, Glasgow.

James Warnock, Spirit & Ales, formerly the Avondale Arms.

The Avondale Arms was situated at the Gallowgate Port, the city’s eastern gate. It was a half slate half thatched roof, whitewashed inn. Landlady Helen Whitehead hired out noddies, small horse-drawn carriages) for her customers, who were mainly travellers and carrier workers on their way to Strathaven.

The Gallowgate at that time had hundreds of advertising signs or swinging signs as they were more commonly called, it wasn’t just the old inns and taverns that had them, almost every shop and business in the Gallowgate Trongate and Saltmarket had them, this meant the the streets became very dull as the sunlight couldn’t reach the ground. The authorities put this to and end to try and brighten the district up again.

Helen Whitehead had a swinging sign outside her premises, stating,” All ye that pass through Gallow Moor, Step inside Helen Whitehead’s door, She’s what will cheer man in due course, And entertainment for his horse.”

Wine & Spirit merchant James Warnock occupied these old premises for over thirty years. He belonged to the family of well known wine & spirit merchants in the Gallowgate for many years.

The Avondale Inn, Gallowgate, to the east of Charlotte Street, had a notice, “Two noddies always on hire”; and this vehicle is described in Jamieson’s Scottish Dictionary as a covered-in vehicle on two wheels, entered from behind. Another discription says it was a square-covered box for four, with another box for the driver, on low set wheels and entered from the side over the wheels, with folding down and up steps.

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]

Facts…

Other Gallowgate Inns.

In the 1840s the Gallowgate had other notable Inns and Taverns including the King William, occupied by Robert Blair. William Buchanan had the Elephant, Mrs Burns ran the Hamilton Arms, the Douglas Arms was named after the owner James Douglas, Thomas Hay had the Coach Close Inn, The Black Bull was occupied by William Laurie, Mrs Montgomery owned the Crown Inn, the Heart in Hand was occupied by Thomas Renison, the Welsh Rabbit Inn was owned by William Taylor and the famous Black Boy Tavern was run by John Stark.

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