57 Candleriggs, Glasgow. G1 1LA.
This is another one of Glasgow’s old pubs that was mysteriously demolished in the way of redevelopment. To read the full history of this popular bar click here.
In 1888 this old pub was known as the Stag.
Interior view of the Stag. 1888.
Granny Black’s Advert.
In late Autumn of 2001, shortly after Halloween, I was living at 72 Candleriggs, 50 metres up the road from this pub towards Ingram St. I came home from ‘work’ one Thursday and parked my car outside the front door of my flat directly opposite the entrance to the Merchant Square. I walked down to Granny Black’s, had a pint and then bought a massive amount of fruit and veg from the greengrocers that used to be next door and had all their fresh stuff on show on the street. The smell was amazing. None of your rip of West End Roots and Fruits nonsense. This was great bargains, straight from the market, so good and they’d always chuck in something free. I was 26 and had big appetite. Went home and had myself a huge dinner, a bottle of red that I’d stolen from a nearby bar I used to work in and settled down to watch that weeks episode of my favourite show, “The Sopranos”. It was season 2 or 3 because the opening credits still showed the Twin Towers as Tony drove home with his cigar. Obviously, these which had just come down a few months earlier on Sept 11th. A few smokes were had and some late night news then about midnight I stumbled blearily off to bed and sunk into a deep contented slumber even The Dude would have coveted.
I recall hearing a huge rumble and vibration as I lay in the dark. Thought to get up. Didn’t. Then a big commotion in my dreams. Banging and hurried footsteps and people talking loudly in the corridor outside. Thought to get up. Didn’t. I even recall a bang on my door. Maybe a few. Again thought to get up. Didn’t. I drifted off to sleep.
Next morning I got up as usual. Put my suit on and headed out for ‘work’. As I approached the glass door of my building I could see Candleriggs and my car covered in a thick layer of masonry dust and Police tape everywhere across Bell Street to Metropolitan Bar and Candleriggs all closed off. Several police and fire service vehicles at various points, radio comms echoing across the street and as I wandered out the front door I was approached by two bemused coppers and a fireman telling me the building across had collapsed during the night and that I shouldn’t have been there as my whole building had been evacuated during the night for safety reasons and they thought everyone had already left. It was totally surreal but I got in my car and they lifted up the Police incident tape and I drove off and parked 200 metres up and across the road in the rough carpark next to the Press bar on Albion Street which was free. I went home later that afternoon and that was the end of Granny Black’s….and my favourite green grocers.