1607 Paisley Road West, Glasgow. G52 3QX. Tel: 01418821546.
Howden’s. 1991.
Mr. David Howden owned this bar in the 1930s, he also owned the Cessnock Bar in Harvie Street, off Paisley Road West.
1607 Paisley Road West, Glasgow. G52 3QX. Tel: 01418821546.
Howden’s. 1991.
Mr. David Howden owned this bar in the 1930s, he also owned the Cessnock Bar in Harvie Street, off Paisley Road West.
118 Bell Street, Glasgow. Demolished.
This old establishment was situated in Bell Street just off High Street, it has now been demolished with flats being built on the site. To read the full history of this once popular bar check out our book here.
This old pub was formerly called the Pop Inn.
Interior view’s of the Pop Inn. 1936.
The pub was refurbished in 1936, Mr Kelly the proprietor stripped the four walls of this old pub, he erected a new center island gantry with an oval surrounding counter. The gantry was well designed in mahogany, concealed lighting showed off the display of drinks on the shelves.
Around the walls he had constructed eight cabins (small rooms,) with rounded fronts, each would have accommodated about eight to ten people. Upholstered seating was installed in each room with new non-burnable tables, all double tiered. In the far right corner was a lunch, dining and supper room, the pub enjoyed the advantage of the supper hour. Ladies were now allowed into the premises, new toilets were installed for their purpose. Beyond the dining saloon was the kitchen, fitted with all the mod cons.
A feature of the pub was the coloured glass vestibule at the entrance, an old leaded partition picturing some of the heroes of the South African War, Generals Roberts, Buller and MacDonald, purchased on the demolition of old licensed premises elsewhere in the city.
There were two fireplaces, one on each side of the room, one a coal fire the other electric. The floor was covered in Lino. The pub was now called the Pop Inn Restaurant. Also read the history of Mr Kelly’s other public house at 70 Cowcaddens “The Pop Inn.”
Do you know anything about this old Glasgow Pub? If so please leave a comment below.
19 Drury Street, Glasgow. G2 5AE. Tel: 01412295711.
The Horse Shoe Bar. 1991.
One of Glasgow’s hidden treasures, it also has the longest bar in UK.
The next time your your in town and nothing to do, go into the Horse Shoe for a drink and see how many horse shoe’s you can find in the bar alone. I don’t think anyone as stayed sober long enough to count them.
One of the most famous owners of the Horse Shoe Bar was John Scouler.
To read the full history of the Horse Shoe check out our book here.
The Horse Shoe Bar. 2007.
Swinging sign.
This etched stained glass panel was taken from the Union Bar on Union Street when John Y Whyte was proprietor.
In 1971 the latest in the Tennent Caledonian Breweries chain of public houses to be brought up-to-date was the famous Horse Shoe Bar, Drury Street, Glasgow, where, however, the remodelling had been concentrated on the dinning room upstairs. The Bar downstairs was also redecorated, but its existing characteristics were to be retained. The manager of the Horse Shoe Bar was Mr James Rowan.
Mr James Rowan. 1971.
——————————————
In the NEWS 1979…
42 lucky years for Jimmy and Horse Shoe Bar…
Horse shoes are lucky for Jimmy. 1979.
When Jimmy Rowan started in the Horse Shoe bar in Glasgow’s Drury Street all of 42 years ago, a half of whisky cost eight (old) pence and a pint 6d.
Rowan has been manager for 22 years and the pub draws in half a million pounds every year. The little manage claims that pound for pound, his shop in the narrow street slap-bang in the city centre is the best in the business.
It has much in its favour, it looks like a hostelry from another age, a indeed it is, having opened 20 years ago.
The horseshoe motif is everywhere on mirrors, the toilets, the fireplaces. In fact it has become such a famous meeting place that the owners have been offered a “London Bridge” deal.
An American firm are so impressed that they have offered to buy it lock stock and all those big shiny old barrals and transport the lot to New York, where thatold-fashioned look would be a wow.
The unflapable manager hopes at least to have another four years as top man. Catch the names of some of the characters who have partaken of food and drink in the pub.
Roy Rogers turned up one busy lunch hour, complete with Tigger. Needless to say room was made for both. Then there was the near riot up and down the counter.
Sir John Mills and daughter Hayley came in for a quiet tipple. The Horse Shoe doesn’t crave publicity, with its drawings and the fact that it turned down that fabulous offer from New York.
There can be few more experienced or longer serving bar manager in Glasgow than Rowan. He says that only twice in 42 years he has had to call in the police to avert trouble.
Glasgow Road, Half Way.
The Horse Shoe Tavern had an established date of 1804, it succeeded an ancient hostelry giving the place it’s name of Half Way House also known as the Auld Hoose. It was opposite here that the Glasgow to Paisley steam carriage exploded in 1807, the charred remains of the carriage were kept at one time in the Kelvingrove Museum.
The locals bragged that Queen Mary rested and took lunch in here on her way to Crookston Castle. What is certain is that the Harvie family owned this old tavern for generations.
This old building sat on the highway to Paisley and was half way between Glasgow and Paisley. Part of the old tavern was utilised as a smiddy, where many a lucky horse shoe was turned, the smith acting in the double capacity of horse-shoer and Boniface. This was as far back as the time of the great grandfather of Miss Elizabeth Harvie, who was proprietor in the early 1900s. The lease bearing the date 1800 was granted by Lord Blantyre and was for the term of 99 years.
Next to the old tavern, Robert Harvie, Elizabeth’s father, built a two storey house over the smith’s shop as a dwelling house for his son John Harvie, who carried on a large and successful dairy business, supplying most of his products and milk to Govan. Mr Robert Harvie had licensed premises at Williamsburgh, Hawkhead, Paisley and while attending strictly to his own business, he and his brother David efficiently assisted their sister Elizabeth in the management of the Horse Shoe Tavern.
In 1881 Robert Harvie the proprietor of the tavern was living with his large family, he lost his wife at an early age. His dwelling house was large enough to sleep all this children, Elizabeth, 24, John was a joiner aged 27, Robert a blacksmith, 18, James a clerk, 16, William was still at school, 14, David was also at school, 12. Roberts other daughter Mary Stewart was also living in the house with her husband also a blacksmith and their children Walter and Jessie. Robert employed a domestic servant Maggie Martin and a boarder James Broadley a general labourer, he was an old Irish gentleman of 74 years.
The old tavern was demolished in 1901 and a new tenement of houses was erected in it’s place.
164 Crown Street, Gorbals, Glasgow.
The Horse Shoe Bar stood at the corner of Crown Street and Clelland Street, Gorbals.
There has been a pub on this site since 1836. In the 1970s, when the old tenement was built around the late 1860 and 70s the pub was positioned on the ground floor. William Laurie was the name of the pub and the landlord at this time. Mr Laurie owned several pubs around the city of Glasgow including Bridgegate, Great Clyde Street, South Portland Street, North Street and Govan Street to name a few. The pub was soon called the Horse Shoe Bar which was one of the busiest pubs in the Gorbals.
In the 1930s Martin Malarkey took over the pub, he formerly owned a pub at the beginning of Crown Street from the 1920s.
In this wonderful photograph sent by J Hawkesworth, is Mr Martin Malarkey on the far right and the first gentleman (Barman) standing behind the bar is James MacArthur.
James MacArthur was born in 1913 in Alexander Street Clydebank and moved to Skye with his stepmother and sister Rosina when he was about 5 years of age. When he began working at 14 years of age he moved back to Glasgow and worked in bars around the city. Young James met a young lass when he was 22 years old, the young girl used to come into the family department of the Horse Shoe Bar and buy a wee half for her sick father William Haining, a Gorbals born man, who suffered a serious leg injury during the First World War.
Martin Malarkey the owner of the pub used to joke with the young lass that “their boy fancied her and would like to take her out,” Sarah having grown up in a family of 10 with lots of brothers answered something to the effect if he wanted to take her out he would have to ask her himself “if he had a tongue in his head.” Thus developed into a love affair that would grow for many happy years. Young Sarah Haining worked as a dairy saleswoman prior to her marriage.
The young couple were married at the John Knox Church. Young James lived at 492 Rutherglen Road not to far from the pub, while Sarah lived at 244 Cumberland Street. After their marriage they stayed in Thistle Street. Sarah felt very safe and secure while walking with James in the notorious Gorbals, all the gangster type tipped their hats to James and offered him respect.
One of the gangsters who had a big reputation lived locally, James used to deliver his drink to him as he was to scared to come out as there were so many who wanted to do away with him. James had a special knock on the door and then identified himself and only then would he be allowed into the gangsters home.
It was very unusual at that time for a rangers supporter to work in a bar bar full of Catholics and vice versa. James was an exception, he was a proud Scotsman and a supporter of R.FC; he even ventured to London to watch the Scots play soccer. No of the Catholic locals in the Horse Shoe Bar would have known his religion as a Protestant as they would not have stood for such a person to be drinking or serving them. This must have been at the back of his mind for many years.
If was not unusual for two friends with different religions going to Celtic Park to watch an old firm game, one Catholic and one Protestant would meet up after the game and be best of pals until it came to going down the pub. If for instance they were going to the Horse Shoe Bar in the Gorbals, the Celtic Supporter would go in one door and the Rangers supporter would go into another door. The Celtic supporter would be served right away and his pal would only be served when everyone else was served, this could mean he would have to wait ten or fifteen minutes. This was just accepted in those days.
James was in the British Army during the war. James and Sarah emigrated to Australia after the Second World War in 1949. The young couple came to Australia on the Cameronia and departed down the Clyde. They lived very happily in Melbourne for the rest of their lives.
James never forgot his homeland and loved telling people that he was in Australia to educate the masses! He used to tell stories and jokes to all around him especially the ones from his time in the pub in the Gorbals. However no matter how much he loved Scotland he grew to love Australia too and really appreciated the chance of a better life it offered his family. He was extremely proud that all three of his children had a tertary education as and education was one thing he was denied. His stepmother could not really afford to keep him let alone allow him an education. James is believed to have won a scholarship to help with further schooling but he need to earn a living to keep himself.
James MacArthur died in 1981 from a long and painful death from cancer. He told his family that he wrote a poem and would like it to be recited at his funeral. His son gave the words to an Australian folk singer who also came from Scotland, Eric Bogle. Eric put the words to music which is called Jimmy’s Song / Across the hills of Home. A great memento for his family. James loved writing poems and ditties for his family and acquaintances. To read the lyrics of Jimmy’s Song / Across the hills of home click here. http://ericbogle.net/lyrics/lyricspdf/acrossthehillsofhome.pdf
To read the full history of this popular Gorbals hostelry Keep an eye out for our second book here.
283 Gallowgate, Glasgow.
Hoops. 2005.
Opened in 1987 by Thomas Patrick who formerly owned the White Elephant. The pub was then called the Earl of Lennox, Mr Patrick died shortly afterwards, his wife Jane then took over the running of the business. Over the years the pub has been known as the Sound Check and has had a few name changes since.
The Sound Check. 1990s.
Tir-Na-Hog. 2007.
In 2007 the pub was refurbished and a new name was put above the door, Tir-Na-Hog.
Tir Na Hog mean’s in old Irish the Land of Eternal Youth or the land of ever young.
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 john@oldglasgowpubs.co.uk
Update 2012…
I noticed that the pub was getting a refit and a new name well maybe not a new name, “The Hoops”.