Old Glasgow Pubs

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Deans Bar

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Deans Bar sign 2005

821 Shettleston Road, Shettleston, Glasgow. G32 7NR. Closed.

Image of Deans Bar 1897
Deans Bar. 1897.

John B Deans bar. The address then was 39 Main Street Shettleston. Note the wooden shutters on the windows. The sign on the window is for Tennents Lager.

Effingham Deans opened this pub in 1875 and living at 33 Main Street, Shettleston. Effingham Deans has been trading as a vintner in Glasgow since 1835 at 80 Trongate.

John B Deans Shettleston Road 1902
John B Deans. 1902.

John B Deans refurbished the bar in 1902.

In the News 1953…

Group image with Effie Deans 1953
Effingham Deans. 1953.

Mr Effingham Deans, a well-known licence-holder in Shettleston, Glasgow, and his son, Mr John B. Deans, figured in the rink representing Shettleston Burns Club which recently won the McLennan Trophy, a bowling cup awarded in an annual contest open to all Burns Clubs in Scotland. The presentation of the trophy, pictured here, took place in Sandyhills Bowling Club. 1953.

Interior image of Deans Bar 1960s opening of the off sales
Opening of the off sales 1960s.

In the early 1960s the Deans family extended their premises to the shop next door and made it their new family department (Off Sales.) At the opening was John B Deans, Effingham Deans and Rangers footballer William (Willy) Woodburn. The local women, children and men queued up inside and out to get a glimpse of the big man.

Do you know any of the locals here?

Interior of Deans Bar opening of the off sales 1960s
Opening of the Off Sales. 1960s.
Image of Willie Woodburn Rangers F.C. at the opening of Deans Bar Off Sales 1960s
Opening of Off Sales. 1960s.
Image og the interior of the opening of the Off Sales at Deans Bar 1960s
Opening of the Off Sales. 1960s.

From left to right are Barman, John B Deans, Willie Woodburn and Effie Deans.

Image of Willie Woodburn and Effingham Deans 1960s
Willie Woodburn and Effie Deans. 1960s.
Wedding image of Irene Deans and father John B Deans 1970
Irene and father John B Deans. 1970.

Miss Irene Deans with father John B Deans. 1970.

Miss Irene Deans, grand daughter of Effingham Deans, Shettleston Road, well-known Glasgow publican who has held a licence for 53 years, leaves for her wedding to Norman Whitelaw with her father John B Deans. The reception was in the St. Enoch Hotel. 1970.

Image of Shettleston Road with Deans bar and Town Tavern 1960s
Shettleston Road. 1960s.

Shettleston Road with Deans Bar in the background and the Town Tavern on the right. 1960s.

Image of John B Deans Shettleston Road 1960s
John B Deans. 1960s.

Deans Bar 1960s.

Image of Deans Bar 1991
Deans Bar. 1991.
Image of Deans Bar Shettleston Road 2005
Deans Bar. 2005.
Image of Deans Bar Shettleston Road 2011
Deans Bar. 2011.
Image of Deans Bar Shettleston 2011
Deans Bar. 2011.

The last time I passed this pub there was a sign above the door TO LET.

Its a shame Deans bar is now closed for good. A public house that has been here for well over a hundred years. Deans was once a family name in the east end of the city.

Do you remember Deans Bar? If so please leave a comment.

Danny Macs

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1325 Duke Street, Glasgow. G31 5PN. Demolished.

Image of Danny Macs Duke Street, Glasgow 1991
Danny Macs. 1991.

Named after the owner Daniel McGrain of Celtic F.C. fame.

Image of Alf Daniels at the opening of the Pippin Duke Street 1965
Alf Daniels. 1965.

At the opening of the Pippin in 1965.

Members of Tennent Caledonian Breweries at the opening of the Pippin. 1965. left to right R Baxter, Glasgow Sales Manager, D H Scott, Managed houses Director, A Anderson, West Regional Sales Manager and Alf Daniels, Manager.

Originally known as the Pippin and opened by Tennent Caledonian Breweries in the summer of 1965. The interior consisted of the main public bar on ground level and a comfortable lounge on the upper level, the decor was finished in red cedar wood. Manager Alf Daniels was well known in the area having been invested with the chain of office of the Provost of Parkhead by the Lady Provost of the city, Mrs William Gray.

Group image with Alf Daniels 1972
Alf Daniels. 1972.

Left to right Alf Daniels, Mrs Gray and David Aitken, controller for Tennent Caledonian Breweries.

The photograph above was taken on the occasion that more than 450 games, books, trucks and dolls were collected by staff and customers of the Pippin over three months and distributed among Glasgow’s less fortunate children at Belvidere Hospital, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the Society for Mentally Handicapped Children and the Glasgow Welfare Dept.

In the NEWS 1972…

Image of nurses receiving toys from the Pippin Duke Street in 1972
Nurses. 1972.

The Lady Provost, Mrs Gray (right), hands over toys for Belvidere Hospital to Nurse Margaret McAuley, five year old Diane Bell, and Nurse Patricia Duffy (left to right). Diane’s mother was a nurse at the hospital. 1972.

Pub gives toys for Children.

Hundreds of toys gathered by a Glasgow pub were handed over for city children today. More than 450 games, books, trucks and dolls were collected by the staff and customers of the Pippin, Duke Street, Parkhead, over the last three months.

And today the Lady Provost, Mrs William Gray, received the toys and presented them to Belvidere Hospital, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Glasgow Corporation’s Welfare Department, and mentally handicapped children.

Mr Alf Daniel, manager of the Pippin, said, “We were quite delighted at the number of toys we were able to hand over. Everyone did extremely well.” Most of the toys were bought as a result of various cash-raising ventures while others were made by customers and their friends.

Robert Skelton took over the licence in 1971.

Update 2005…

Image of The Pippin Duke Street, Glasgow 2005
Pippin. 2005.
Image of The Pippin Duke Street 2005
Pippin. 2005.
Image of The Pippin Duke Street 2005
Pippin . 2005.

Update 2007…

The Pippin will soon be demolished to make way for a new tenement of flats. 2007.

The Pippin was demolished and a block of flats was erected in its place.

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

The Dalriada

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678 Edinburgh Road, Cranhill, Glasgow. G32. Demolished.

Image of the Dalriada Edinburgh Road, Glasgow 1991
Dalriada Motel. 1991.

The Dalriada opened in 1963 by Rio Stakis and was demolished in the 1990s. At the end there was a lot of violence in the pub, someone was severely attacked in the lounge, this was the last straw, the place closed down shortly afterwards.

Image of the interior bar of the Dalriada Edinburgh Road, Glasgow 1968
Dalriada Bar. 1968.

Interior view of the Dalriada, the bar was massive.

Janet Munro email me on the Dalriada, Janet has an extensive knowledge on Cranhill and surrounding area. .. The Dalriada Hotel on Edinburgh Road was not in Easterhouse. The front door was in Carntyne Road between Springboig and Carntyne. The Hotel had seven bedrooms this was the requirement for a 7 days licence. There were very few places opened on a Sunday. When the Dal was owned by Rio Stakis and was named by his friend Mr Phillips who was a French teacher at Cranhill Secondary School, it was named The Dalriada because that is what the Roman’s called this part on Scotland.

Image of the Murray family at the Dalriada Bar Edinburgh Road, Glasgow 1970
The Murray family. 1970.

It was said the Dalriada had the longest bar in Scotland at one time. I worked in the Public Bar in 1974 as a bar-maid. The upstairs lounge could hold around 500 people and there was live music on every week-end and also during the week. Some great bands played in the Dal.

On a Sunday night the Public Bar was so crowded it was about 6 deep at the bar with men trying to order drinks. Many a time I told a man “If you want a pint find a glass.” Every Sunday night at least two boxes of pint glasses had to be opened so that drink could be served. In 1974 a pint of Tennents lager cost 2/6p.

Dalriada or Dál Riata (as it was called in Ireland) was the kingdom of the Scots who migrated from County Antrim in Ulster to Argyll and eventually gave their name to Scotland. Aidan mac Gabhráin who reigned from 574 to 608 as king of Dál Riata built a strong navy and waged aggressive war raiding as far as the Isle of Man and the Orkney Islands. He was less successful in land battles and lost the Battle of Degsastan in 603 to the Angles. The kingdom’s power in Ulster was greatly diminished by a decisive defeat by the O’Neill (Uí Néill) in 637 at the Battle of Mag Rath.

Group image of the Murray family 1968 taken in the Dalriada Bar

The Murray family. 1968.

Thank to Cranhill arts project.

From then on the Dalriadans focused on their lands in Britain. Their rivals were the Picts to the north and the Angles of Bernicia to the east. On the south they were bordered by Strathclyde a British kingdom. Dunadd, in Argyll, was probably the seat of the kings of Dalriada. It has been excavated archaeologically and in addition to fortifications many moulds for the manufacture of jewellery were found. A census of Dalriada exists, the Senchus fer n’Alba.

Dalriada was conquered militarily by the Picts but eventually overwhelmed them culturally. Kenneth MacAlpin, a Dalriadan, was first King of the united Picts and Scots reigning from 840 to 857, as the king of Alba or Scotland. The Viking raids of the 10th century broke the sea communication between Ireland and Scotland and contact was lost with the western lands of Dál Riata, but not before the Stone of Scone was brought over.

Advert for the Dalriada Bar Edinburgh Road 1976
Advert from 1976.

Dalriada Hotel advert 1976.

Mr. J. M. Black was the manager of the Dalriada in 1976.

Entertainment in our lounge bar Monday – Saturday.

For good food, excellent service, come in and have a meal in our Steakhouse.

Fully Licensed.

Open 7 days a week. 11 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. – 5 p.m. to 11.30 p.m.

Enquiries Welcome for small weddings, parties, Etc –

Catering for up to 25 people –

Funerals up to 50 people.

Do you remember the Dalriada? If so please leave a comment.

END.

Grant Arms

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188-190 Argyle Street, Glasgow. G2 8HA. Tel: 0141 229 5831.

Image of Grant Arms Argyle Street, Glasgow 1991
Grant Arms. 1991.

You haven’t read the full history of this pub until you read…. Click here.

There has been a public house on this site since 1864.

Over the years this old pubs has been known as Thomas Cansh & Co; R. W. Cairns; Chrystal Bell & Co; The Grant Arms; Gamps and Dickens Bar; Mister Macawber and back to the Grant Arms.

Image of Da Vincis Argyle Street 1980s
Da Vincis. 1980s.
Image of Grant Arms Argyle Street, Glasgow 2008
Grant Arms. 2008.

In 1971 this popular bar was called Gamps.

In the News 1971…

Dickensian Flavour.

I am always baffled by people who say there is “nowhere to go for a drink and a good meal” in Glasgow. It seems to me that I write about at least 20 a year.

Some of them I admit, have just been given a wash and brush up or extension, or extensions, but many are new, and all of them offer a pretty extensive range of surroundings, atmospheres, and cuisine to the Glasgow diner. This evening yet another rendezvous opens its doors to a discerning public, Gamp’s Chophouse in Argyle Street, just within the shadows of the Heilan’man’s Umbrella. It is a Clydesdale Commonwealth, Hotels Ltd, enterprise, and has been opened at a total cost of around £70,000.

Image of Gamps Argyle Street Glasgow
Gamps. 1971.

Gamp’s formerly Grant’s Bar. 1971.

Clydesdale Commonwealth are taking their first steps into the bar/ restaurant business, having been extremely successful in the Hotel line. They have 18 hotels in Scotland and two in Bermuda. Among those in Glasgow are the Royal Stuart, the Ivanhoe and the Bath, and their others are in Edinburgh, Dundee, Falkirk, Grangemouth, Inverness, Loch Lomond, Oban, Gatehouse-of-fleet, North Berwick, Nairn and Argyll.

The new combination, Gamp’s, takes its name from a character in Dickens’s “Martin Chuzzlewit,” and there is a Dickensian flavour throughout. The Bars, a Dickens bar on the ground floor and the Parlour on the first floor, are similar in design and decor. The restaurant is on the top floor and seats about 50. Head chef is Edward McIntosh, who comes to Gamp’s from the company’s Nairn hotel. It is he who will have the delightful task of supervising the operation of two of the very latest pieces of kitchen equipment, micro convectors.

Advert from 1971 for Gamps Argyle Street, Glasgow
Advert 1971.

Speciality from the menu is a trifle lamb chop roasted with crushed pepper corns and served with onion sauce, chips, new or roast potatoes, and salad garnish. Price is 95p. Manager of the Gamp’s is John Whincup, who hails from Yorkshire, but who has been manager of the company’s Nairn hotel for some time.

In the News 1972…

Image of an advert from 1972 for Gamps Argyle Street, Glasgow
Advert 1972.

In the NEWS 1978…

Mister Micawber’s, the Glasgow brewery-owned pub slammed at yesterday’s licensing board, today banned the public from its lounge bar.

The Argyle Street bar was one of only a handful of pubs refused an all-day licence by the board because it had fallen foul of the Public Health Act on 13 counts.

Health officials complained about faults in the toilets of both the public and lounge bar such as a door lying off its hinges, a leaking cistern, and broken tiles behind the urinals.

But any changes of the public judging for themselves the state of the lounge bar toilets at the Tennent Caledonian pub were thwarted today when management decided not to open the lounge.

Reason given for the sudden closure was “staff shortage.”

Cleaners

Meanwhile downstairs in the public bar cleaners were busy as the first customers of the day came in to ensure the place was spick and span.

However the effect was spoiled by gang names paint sprayed on the wall outside the gents’ toilet, tiles missing from behind the urinals, and toilet paper holders and towel holders missing.

Despite the 15 counts against Micawber’s, customers pointed out that the toilets were a lot cleaner than many pubs in the city and a least soap and toilet paper were available. Staff said today they had not yet heard from Tennent Caledonian why the pub had been refused an all-day licence.

Delay

Said Mr Aitken, the firm’s commercial manager, “The people who deal with the press and that kind of thing are on holiday.” The start of today’s licensing board meeting was delayed for nearly two hours because the board did not have sufficient members to form a quorum.

After a series of telephone calls to councillors, some of whom were on holiday, a sufficient member was found.

Board chairman Councillor Philip O’;Rourke said, “We deeply regret this delay but it is understandable because of the pressure the board is under. The board are hearing the latest batch of applications for afternoon extensions in city pubs and hotels.

Facts…
Gamps is an old nickname for an umbrella.
Gamps was a character in Martin Chuzzlewit, who never went anywhere without her brolly.

Do you have any memories of this old Pub? If so please leave a comment.

END.

Crystal Palace

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36 Jamaica Street, Glasgow. G1 4QD. Tel: 0141 221 2624.

Image of Crystal Palace Jamaica Street Glasgow 2007
Crystal Palace. 2007.

Crystal Palace website.

The Crystal Palace opened in August 2000.

This pub is something of an architectural landmark. Designed by John Baird, its iron and glass construction was inspired by Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace, a huge greenhouse-like building, the centrepiece of the Great Exhibition of 1851. It was built during 1855–1856 to the designs of John Baird, who had used an exposed iron frame as early as 1827 in the hammerbeam roof of the nearby Argyll Arcade.

Image of J D Wetherspoon's Crystal Palace 36 Jamaica Street Glasgow
Crystal Palace. 2007.

The iron and glass structure of the building now occupied by this J.D. Wetherspoon free house “The Crystal Palace” was inspired by Joseph Paxton’s famous Crystal Palace.
A pioneering departure from traditional building methods, the Crystal Palace was a huge greenhouse-like building, with over a quarter of a million paned of glass. The centre-piece of the Great Exhibition of 1851, it was 600 yards long and tall enough to enclose the mature trees of London’s Hyde Park.

Joseph Paxton was head gardener to the Duke of Devonshire at Chatsworth in Derbyshire. In the late 1830s, he designed a glasshouse at Chatsworth using ideas later incorporated in his Crystal Palace.

Iron framing had been used to construct fireproof factories since the late 1700s. Not long afterwards, English glassmakers adopted French technological innovation, and by the 1840s, large sheets of plate glass could be made. Paxton’s inspiration was to combine the two ideas into a structural whole.
The success of Paxton’s Crystal Palace earned him a knighthood, and £5,000 from the profits of the Exhibition. He later became MP for Coventry. Paxton also designed Glasgow’s West End Park – better known as Kelvingrove Park – and advised the layout of Queen’s Park.

Do you remember any of the old pubs on Jamaica Street? If so please leave a comment.

Do you have any memories of the Crystal Palace? If so please leave a comment.

Possil Bar

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314 Saracen Street, Possil Park, Glasgow. G22 5LA. Demolished.

Image of the Possil Bar with children posing outside Saracen Street corner of Mansion Street
Possil Bar. 1920s.

Many who live in Possil Park will remember this old pub as the Crusader or Williamson’s. It sat at the corner of Saracen Street and Mansion Street. Some people get mix-up with this public house and the Saracen Bar!

There has been a pub on this site since 1880 run by Robert Stewart. Mr Stewart lived at 333 Farnie Terrace in Maryhill. He continued to serve the locals here until 1896. The licence was then transferred to wine and spirit merchant George Williamson. George lived at 185 Saracen Street, a great place to live then and in close proximity of his businesses which also included premises at the corner of Possil Road and Craighall Road, many will remember this old pub as the Possil Bar.

Mr Williamson continued as licensee until 1934. The pub was then taken over by John Clark, he continued to run the business until the 1960s. Many will remember one of the last licensees’ Mr John Macadam.

Do you have any memories of this old pub. If so please get in touch.

Facts…
Licence Holders…
1882 Robert Stewart.
1897 George Williamson.
1935 John Clark.
1970 John Macadam.

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