B

The Buchanan Bar.

November 11, 2016 by John Gorevan Leave a Comment

222 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, City Centre. Demolished.

The Buchanan Bar & Lounge. 1970s.

Over the years these premises were once part of the hotel. In 1875 John Purvis was the Hotel Keeper. In 1887 the hotel was known as Baikies Temperance Hotel. In 1912 it was called the Palace Temperance Hotel, 1919 the Oversea Club Hotel then back to the Palace Hotel, then the Buchanan Hotel.

In the 1940s and 50s it was known as Ferrari (The Corner House) restaurant. During the Ferrari hay days the place was used for pre match team lunches for Celtic Football teams.

The Buchanan Bar was next door to the well-known Five Ways Bar.

The Five Ways Lounge and The Buchanan Bar on the left hand side.

The Buchanan Bar and Lounge and Restaurant sold Tennent’s Lager.

By the late 1950s and 60s Thomas G Dick was licensee of these premises which was now a public house owned by Tennent Caledonian Breweries.

Thomas G Dick was also licensee of another five premises including 67 Cambridge Street, 179 London Road, 88 Whitevale Street and two on the Gallowgate no. 514 and 616.

The main pub was on the ground floor there was a staircase which took you upstairs, the first floor was the Lounge Bar, second floor was the Oak Room which was used as a function room. The Off Sales was entered from the main street.

One of the workers in the Buchanan Bar was a Mr Dudley Walker for 1967-69, he remembers the manager Davie Bennett who hailed from Jersey. In 1972 the licensee was a Mr Kenneth William James Beaton.

Thanks to Mr Dudley Walker.

Do you remember this old favourite Bar in the City? If so please leave a comment.

END.

Brunswick Cellars.

November 11, 2016 by John Gorevan 2 Comments

239 Sauchiehall Street. Glasgow. G2 3EX. Tel: 0141 332 9329.

Sparkles. 1990s.

The Cellars. 2008.

Brunswick Cellars. 2010.

The Priory. 2014.

Priory. 2014.

Email from Bob F: “This was formerly the Blenheim.”

Update…2019 Still called the “Priory.”

Do you have anything to say about this venue? If so please leave a comment.

END.

Broon’s Bar.

November 11, 2016 by John Gorevan 1 Comment

163 McAslin Street corner of 99 Taylor Street, Glasgow. G4.

McAslin Street was formerly known as Albert Street.

Broon’s Bar dates back to 1881 when Matthew Galloway got his licence to sell wines, beers and spirits. Matthew lived at 86 Garthland Drive. By 1897 he was paying and annul rent of £65.00 for his pub in Albert Street (McAslin Street) and owned another pub at 205 Castle Street, this old pub was known as the “Grapes.”

During this time there were two other pubs on Albert Street the other was at 149 owned by landlord Robert Glover, and the Glebe Bar owned by Thomas Logan at number 63.

This popular pub was then taken over by James Hegan in 1917, the rent was then £60.00 a year.

In 1937 John McFarlane was landlord.

Mr McFarlane served the locals here until the early 1950s.

William Miller then took over the pub which was now known as Willy Miller’s Bar, before renaming it Broon’s Bar.

William Miller was a former Celtic and Clyde goal-keeper.

This image was taken in 1958 at the Glasgow Licensed Trade Association Dance.

left to right Mr H McCrostie, Whitbread’s; Mr & Mrs J Lundie, Cavendish Street; Mr & Mrs William Miller “Broon’s Bar”; Mr H L Jenkins, Whitbread’s; Mrs & Mr J K Hardie, Balmoral Bar; Mr F W Bowles, Whitbread’s.

William (Willie) Miller, Celtic goalkeeper. 1949.

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

END.

Britannia Vaults.

November 11, 2016 by John Gorevan Leave a Comment

113 Trongate, Glasgow. G1 5HD.

Britannia Vaults. 1880s.

The Britannia Music Hall (The Panopticon) in Trongate, Glasgow, is the oldest surviving music hall in the world.

Built in 1857 by Thomas Gildard and HM McFarlane, it has hosted some of the biggest names on the Music hall circuit.

In 1906 Stan Laurel made his first stage appearance there on amateur night. In that same year A E Pickard bought the building and changed its name to the Panopticon. He also undertook some major works, installing a freak show, a roof top carnival and a waxworks. He also excavated the basement and installed an indoor zoo.

The Panopticon was one of the first buildings in Glasgow become powered by electricity and one of the first cinemas in Scotland. It closed in 1938 when it was sold to a tailors and converted to a workshop. It is currently being conserved by a trust who regularly perform traditional shows in the auditorium. It is now protected as a category A listed building.

The Britannia Vaults was situated at 113 Trongate and 2 New Wynd. One of the earliest licensees’ was John Graham who was landlord in 1858.

When Gildard & McFarlanes’ theatre first opened it appears to have been called Willie Campbell’s Singing Saloon, within a few months John Brand took over and renamed it the Britannia Music Hall.

Before the Britannia was built there was licensed premises on this site and in 1847 John Couper Spirit Merchant was trading at 113-115 Trongate, he also ran a public house at 17 McAlpine Street / 6 William Street, Glasgow.

Britannia Music Hall. 1857-1938. Also known as the Panopticon.

Robert Hillcoat a well-known Wine & Spirit Merchant in town was approached by Albert Ernest Prichard (Panopticon,) he needed to find more space and beneath the pub on the ground floor. Prichard and Hillcoat after months of excavation it was ready to open 4th May 1908. The pub had iron cages with birds, reptiles and curios to attract customers the the Panoptican.