225-35 North Street, Charing Cross, Glasgow. G3 7DL.
The Cross. 2005.
In recent years this pub has had numerous names, so many I can’t remember them all. If you can please let us know.
This pub was also called The Berkeley after the Cross Bar.
87 Cowcaddens, corner of 188-290 Hope Street, Glasgow.
The Top Spot, 188-290 Hope Street. 1950’s.
Originally called the Camel Vaults, other names this pub has been known to have are Theatre Royal Vaults, The College Bar, and The Top Spot.
There has been licensed premises here since 1870, owned by Glover and Francis wine and spirit merchants. The firm continued to hold the licence until 1879 .
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Thanks to Mr. Alan Hale for this email… dated May 2012…
My name is Alan Hale aged 64 and my father was born inGlasgow in 1908. As a small boy from about 5, I remember returning to Glasgow from where we lived in Dartford Kent England for holidays most years. Whilst out and about with my mother and father, I remember him going to The Top Spot pub in Hope Street on a few occasions. My mother too went there on one occasion. I believe The Top Spot was only one of a few pubs at this time where women could go in. I also remember that the STV Television Studio was near by and the Top Spot pub was frequented by Andy Stewart when he was performing at the TV studios. Finally I remember my father mentioning the owner or manager at that time was a man called Gerry Fitchett (not sure of the spelling) who was came from Dartford, where our family lived. On one of my father’s visits he was given a glass from the Top Spot with its name on. I still have this glass and have attached a picture of it.This would have been mid to late 1950’s I think. Cheers Alan.
Top Spot Glass. 1950s.
also see Camels Head,under the Royal Theatre, Cowcaddens.
End.
97-99 Candleriggs, Glasgow. G1 1NP. Tel: 0141 553 1577.
The Caley Bar was formerly called Hughes Bar, established by wine and spirit merchant James Hughes in 1875. Mr Hughes lived in nearby 17 Petershill Road, he belonged to the well known Springburn family of Hughes who had pubs and licensed grocers businesses in that area. Mr Hughes also owned a pub at 132 Castle Street. Other members of the Hughes family had pubs at 588 Springburn Road and 564-66 Springburn Road.
Over the years the pub lost the name Hughes Bar and a new name was put over the pub “The Caley Bar.” At the end of the 1890s James’s wife Catherine took over the license, she also held the license for the pub on Castle Street and the Waverley Bar, 708 Gallowgate, in the east end of the city. In 1902 John James Hughes became licensee followed by Thomas Bernard Hughes until the 1950s.
Do you remember John Young Nisbet who ran the pub in the 1970s.
The Caley Bar sat in-between the Cawder Vaults and Dougan’s Bar.
The old Caledonian Wine and Spirit Vaults was a prominent site in Camlachie, it was situated across from Stevenson Taylor’s Vaults at the Camlachie Institute. The Caledonian Vaults was an old fashioned tavern, the proprietor lived on the premises in its early history.
During the 1840s cowfeeder and spirit dealer William McNicol was the landlord, Willie was a well-known character in Camlachie, when the circus came to Vinegar Hill all the pubs in the area were packed. Old Willie sold up in the early part of the 1850s. He was followed by William Willox, Issac Stewart then in 1879 James McConnell acquired the business.
James McConnell was a well respected wine and spirit merchant in the east end of the city, his wife Margaret took over the business in 1897 as one of the trustees of his estate for her late husband. She had a long title, being married a few times, she was known at the licensed courts as Margaret Flynn or McConnell or Murphy. She became licensee of several pubs in the east end including The Springfield Vaults, 743-49 London Road, the Mill Vaults, 122 Millburn Street, the Waverley Bar, 37 Preston Street at the corner of Bernard Street.
Margaret prospered during her years as a landlady, the old Caledonian Wine & Spirit Vaults were finally closed down by the magistrates, as it was very old and in desperate need of renovation, they said the the place was falling down under your feet and the premises should be blown up, it would have been cheaper to demolish the building rather than refurbished it. It was closed in 1921.
95-97 Glasgow Road, Clydebank, near Glasgow.
Connolly’s Bar, Restaurant, Glasgow Road, Clydebank. 1970s.
It’s farewell to Connolly’s Bar, the “Star” of a Gracie Fields film!
A Clydebank public house which has been at the heart of the town’s eventful history for many years has closed down and the licensee who has been associated with the premises for 40 years is going into retirement.
The premises are Connolly’s Bar, 95-97 Glasgow Road, only a stone’s throw from Clydebank’s famous shipbuilding centre. The licensee is Mr. Denis McLaughlin.
In such a situation the premises naturally became a favourite place of call for thousands of shipbuilding workers and personalities associated with shipbuilding over the years. It was at John Brown’s shipyard, of course, that the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth were built and launched. The yard was also the birthplace of innumerable other vessels, among them the Royal Yacht, the Indefatigable and the Vanguard.
Mr. McLaughlin served as manager of the premises for 20 years under the former owner, Mr. Daniel J. Connoly, who had taken over in 1921. After Mr. Connolly’s death the premises went into trust before a company, D. J. Connolly, Ltd, was formed, Mr. McLaughlin becoming the licence- holder.
Mr. Denis McLaughlin. 1976.
For Denis McLaughlin the end of a famous pub that helped to make history.
One featureof the pub’s spacious public bar was a large Johnnie Walker mirror, 8 ft. by 5 ft., believed to date back to before the turn of the century.
Connolly’s Bar became known not only to shipbuilding and shipping people, but also to personalities in show business and also to boxers, footballers and golfers. Mr. McLaughlin remembers with pride that a replica of the bar was built on the studio of a Gracie Fields film, “Shipyard Sally” in 1938.
The premises became a focal point during a dispute at the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders a few years ago. A Russian TV team came over and used the premises as background for a documentary. It is because of redevelopment that the premises have closed.
For the past 23 years Mr. McLaughlin has had as his right-hand man Mr. Philip Allen, and between them they have had 63 years association with the premises. For many years Mr. McLaughlin was active in the affairs of Clydebank L.T.A. which is now part of the Strathclyde Association, and for about 10 years latterly he was the Clydebank vice-president. 1976.
