The Horn Bar
Category Archives: H
500 Great Western Road, Glasgow. G12 8EL. Tel: 0141 334 2995.
Hubbard’s with Viper at the corner. 2008.
The viper at the corner was formerly called Cleopatra’s it was soon to become well known all over the city as Clatty Pat’s by the locals. This photograph was taken in 2008. Telephone number of Viper is 0141 334 2995.
Hubbards has now been closed since August 2009. Forr six months the doors have been closed.
Update…
Hubbards is now called The Wise Monkey. It was opened on Thursday 25th February 2010. Manager Graham Sutherland now runs a music venue there. Graham is not new to the Glasgow pub trade, he opened EI Sabor in the Merchant City. Good luck with your new venture, I’m sure it will be a success.
The Wise Monkey February 2010.
263 Duke Street, Glasgow.
Mr Henry Kerr. 1890.
Exterior view of Kerr’s Bar. 1890.
To read the full history of Henry Kerr and his public houses. Click here.
The Imperial Vaults, 25 Stockwell Street, Glasgow.
When old crooked thatched roof dwellings and ancient tavern’s adorned Stockwell Street the Imperial Vaults first became a licensed business. Although under a different name the old howff was a thriving haunt of sailor’s and merchant’s. In the 1840s spirit dealer James Beekenridge sold claret, stouts, beer and hot ale, tea was also served at any time of the day and a large urn behind the bar stewed till closing time. Other spirit dealers had their names above the door of the old tavern like Wilson’s, Reid’s and Dunlop’s. James McCrone took over the business in 1867, he turned the tavern into a very successful concern, year after year the pennies rolled in and Mr McCrone opened a tobacconist business next door to his public house in Stockwell Street followed by another pub at 239 Stirling Road.
Mr McCrone was now residing in High John Street with his wife and family. His wife and children all worked in the pub at one time or another. When James passed away his took over the business but struggled to keep an eye on her husbands business concerns, one by one she sold them off but kept the old tavern in Stockwell Street until 1892. She sold the business to Henry J Brown.
Mr Brown a talented wine and spirit merchant completely transformed the interior of the pub, few traces of the old interior arrangement remained. A new staircase was built, leading to the fine rooms on the second flat. The bar counter and gantry arrangements were also changed, now the rich mahogany bar counter ran the full length of the premises, fifty men could now be served with plenty of elbow room. Two of the rooms upstairs were admirable adapted for the meetings of football clubs and masonic meetings. One of the rooms was more of a hall than a room.
Mr Brown’s alterations to the pub cost him a small fortune of £500, the outlay had been judiciously expended and no establishment in Stockwell Street looked tidier than the new Imperial Vaults. Mr Brown was well experienced for the conduct of such an establishment, for eleven years he was a member of the Glasgow Police Force in the Central district. His record throughout those years was impeachable, his character and friends in the right places added to him getting a certificate to sell wine and spirit. He was very familiar with the dark side of the neighbourhood which was going through massive structural changes. Henry stocked good quality liquors, beers and ales and some of the finest blends of whiskies including Bushmills and the best Edinburgh ales.
Henry J Brown was an Irishman and came to Glasgow about the time he joined the forces. Henry lived with his wife Mary and their children in a flat across the street, he still used his past training as a police officer during his time as a publican, this is probably why he lived across the streets from the pub, to keep an eye on it when he was absent or when the pub was closed, as licensed premises were always being burgled at that time. Henry sadly passed away in 1898, his wife Mary took the business. During the First World War Mary was licensee of both Stockwell Street and a pub on Gairbraid Street (Maryhill Road.) Her licence for Stockwell Street was under threat, as she appeared at the License Courts for various offences during these hard times and lost her certificate in 1919, however she got it back in 1920, the pub continued trading and stayed in the family until the late 1930s.
170 Port Dundas Road, Glasgow.
The Old Hundred Acre Inn sat at the corner of Port Dundas Road and 2 Forth Street. This old inn is said to have a date of 1799 and the licence had continued in unbroken line. I have a different view of this old inn, it was indeed an old established business dating from the 1830s, landlord Alexander Wright held the licence for five years, his wife then took over the certificate for a further five years.
Over the years publicans came and went until 1879 when Daniel Boyle acquired the business, when Mr Boyle passed away around 1893, his wife Bridget took over the business. She was very successful here but sold the inn in 1906 the inn closed for good in 1907.
Mrs Bridget Boyle had a thorough training to the business, her late husband showed her all that was needed to run a wine and spirit business, it was in her favour that she took everything in, as it wasn’t long before she had to do all the ordering and stock the old inn with good liquor.
License Holders.
1831-1840 Alexander Wright.
1845-1855 Mrs Wright.
1860-1865 Robert Goold.
1870-1873 Joseph Spence.
1875-1878 James Baker.
1879-1892 Daniel Boyle.
1892-1905 Bridget Boyle.
1906-1907 Mr J McGuckin.
Other pubs on Port Dundas Road…in 1899.
1 Port Dundas Road sat at the corner of Cowcaddens, the Gushet Bar, owned by Robert W Armstrong.
29 Port Dundas Road sat at the corner of 21 Garscadden Street owned by William Aird.
31-33 Port Dundas Road was owned by James Sloan.
34 Port Dundas Road was owned by William Hillcoat.
40 Port Dundas Road was owned by James Gilmour, this pub became known as Bennet’s Bar.
55 Port Dundas Road, the Station Bar was owned by Philip Duffy.
86 Port Dundas Road was owned by John Alston.
90 Port Dundas Road sat at the corner of 77 Milton Street, owned by Peter N Roy.
564-66 Springburn Road, Glasgow.
This old Springburn landmark was established in 1871 by wine and spirit merchant John Hughes. Other members of his family owned pubs at 588 Springburn Road, and 147 Springburn Road, (Caley Bar.)
John ran this old pub until 1875 then Andrew Hughes took over the license. He continued to run the pub with success and was closed down before the First World War. This old pub was situated right next door to the Stag Inn.
During the 1970s Alexander Massey & Sons Ltd Grocers was trading on the same site.
14-16 West George Street, Glasgow. G2 1HN. Tel: 0141 353 6082.
Check back soon for the history of this pub.
63-65 Kilmarnock Road, Glasgow. G41 3YR. Tel: 0141 636 0797.
Check back soon for the history of this pub.
315 Woodlands Road, Glasgow. G3 6NG. Tel: 0141 337 1790.
Now known as the Primary.
Formerly Woodlands Public School which was built in 1882 by Robert Dalgliesh.
757 Maryhill Road, Glasgow.
The H.L.I. Bar stood at the corner of Maryhill Road and Kelvinside Avenue. This old pub was formerly known as the Kelvinside Bar.
The pipers of the H.L.I. march proudly along Maryhill Road. After the parade they would march back up Maryhill Road to the barracks. 1970s.
This photograph was taken in the summer of 1959, on a cruise doon that water with the Scottish Benevolent. Left to right J Sime, Clachan Bar, Paisley Road West; N Andrew, H.L.I.; J T Wharry, Director of Campbell and Clark Ltd.
This photograph was taken at the refurbishment of the H.L.I. Bar in 1957. Left to right Captain A G Ingram, adjutant, H.L.I.; Mr D Anderson, artist; N Andrew, licence-holder; Colonel Robert Younger, chairman, Robert Younger Ltd.; J B Millar, managing director, Robert Younger’s: Major B S M Carson, Commander, Maryhill Depot, H.L.I.; and D Ross, Director, Robert Younger’s. In the background is J Webster, Change-Hand.
One of the brightest and most attractive pieces of re-decoration seen for a long time had been completed at the H.L.I. Bar in Maryhill Road, Glasgow.
The name in view of events, had been happily chosen, but it was selected long in advance of the present publicity for the affair of the H.L.I.
The idea, in fact, came from a customer. He suggested the Happy Lad’s Inn, using the initials of the H.L.I. It was decided to use the letters and not the words, but the customer got the prize of a bottle of whisky for all that. So now with the prospect of an H.L.I./R.S.F. merger, the public house will acquire something of an historic interest.
In a measure it had that already, of course, for the theme of its decoration is entirely H.L.I. and official blessing, as it were, was given to the project by the presence as a guest at the opening of Major B S M Carson, commander of the H.L.I. Depot at Maryhill Barracks.
The sentry in his sentry box is now displayed at the re-opened Maryhill Burgh Halls… Thanks to Gordon Barr, Heritage Devolopment Officer.
Above the long gantry was a most handsome mural painting of men of the H.L.I. in the regiment’s various uniforms. The artist, Mr Douglas Anderson, had specialised in military painting, and he at one time was adjutant of the H.L.I.’s 1st Battalion. He was still associated with that regiment as honorary curator of the H.L.I.’s regimental museum.
For the walls he had painted a series of studies of the regiment’s headdress from 1777 onwards. And to adorn the pubs facade he had carved and painted a striking effigy in wood of an H.L.I. braw laddie.
Mr Anderson’s mural had been given a coating of a special preparation which, when it dirties, may be removed and re-applied again without harming the painting or affecting its colouring in any way.
Manager John Johnstone with some of the items of the Military collection in the H.L.I. Bar. 1970.
The collection of the H.L.I. Bar in Maryhill Road, Glasgow, really starts outside the premises, at the small-scale sentry box complete with Highland Light Infantry soldier on guard.
Then in the entrance-way there was a stained glass window containing the H.L.I. badge, one of the many such representations in the bar.
Inside were other regimental items, the main ones being a mural of the H.L.I. dress throughout its history and six paintings of regimental headgear ranging from 1777 to 1957.
All the art work was done by local artist Douglas Anderson a former H.L.I. officer, he was called on by the former owners in 1957 (Scottish & Newcastle Breweries took over the licence three years later) to do the decor and decided on the theme of the regiment’s dress in the mural and its headgear in the six portraits.
The mural was a great conversation point with customers and visitors of the bar, some of whom, especially in the late evenings, dispute technical points about the work.
There was one regular who posts himself opposite the mural, points to the big soldier on the left-hand side of the painting and declares to those around: “See that fella? Ah sodgered wi’ him.”
Unfortunately for that old sweat I have the artist’s word for it that there is no such person. “Although I was stationed with the regiment at that time there were no models used for the model,” stated Douglas.
Artist Douglas also did the sentry box model which H.L.I. Bar manager John Johnstone decorated with fairy lights during the Christmas celebrations. “The lit-up landmark proved so popular in the district that we’ve kept it that way ever since,” said John.
Other decorations inside the bar included an alcove pelmet done in bonnet dicing; some plumed dress helmets and four breastplates (one marked “Klingenthal Juin 1828”) which were fine for effect but didn’y appear to have any real link with the regiment; a couple of carved H.L.I. plaques; and a belt buckle of the Royal Highland Fusiliers, the regiment created out of the merging of the Highland Light Infantry and the Royal Scots Fusiliers.
John became manager, with his wife Nancy as assistant, at the H.L.I. Bar in 1968 after 15 years in the Merchant Navy, but he does have a strong link with the regiment in that his father was a bandsman in the H.L.I. and was a life member of the regimental club.
The bar being within rifleshot of Maryhill Barracks many of its customers were local men who served in their regiment, and there were also serving soldiers and ex-soldiers who make sentimental journeys back because of their Service days in the district.
“For this reason I’d really like to get some unit photographs,” said John, who felt this would give ex-H.L.I. members a chance to identify even more with their regimental “headquarters.”