Old Glasgow Pubs

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The Caledonia Bar.

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29 Port Dundas Road, Glasgow. G4. Demolished.

The Caledonia Bar, the photograph was taken from Garscadden Street in the 1925.

There has been licensed premises on this site since the 1840s. Mrs Elizabeth Bryson traded here as a grocer and spirit dealer.

Port Dundas Road 1925, the car sits in front of the Caledonia Bar.

Andrew Dunn traded as a Provision’s merchant and a spirit dealer in the 1850s.

Over the years many spirit dealer have traded from these premises. One of the most prominent gentlemen to hold the licence was William Aird, he took over the pub in 1883, he also ran a pub on Parliamentary Road and Dundas Street, this pub became known as the Variety Bar run by Scots comedian Jock Mills.

William Aird went on to own another pub at 140 London Road, this old pub was a few doors away from the Balmoral Bar at the corner of Montgomery Street.

The Squirrel was situated at the corner of Port Dundas Road and Airdrie Street. This photograph was taken in the 1963 just before the old tenement was demolished.

Airdrie Street was once called Garscadden Street, the Squirrel had it’s family department (off sales) entrance in this street.

The Squirrel bar formerly known as the Caledonia Bar, during the 1930s Donald Crerar jun ran the pub for James McVey Ltd, he also ran pubs at 97 Neptune Street and the Abercorn Bar, 26 Abercorn Street.

The last licence holder for the Squirrel was Francis McNulty, he ran a successful business here from the 1950’s, the pub was demolished in the late 1960s.

Facts…
Licence Holders.
1968-1953 Francis V McNulty.
1952-1940 H McBride.
1937 Donald Crerar ( Sec. for james McVey Ltd.)
1936 Thomas Rankin.
1929-1883 William Aird.
1881 Alexander Crawford.
1877-1875 Alexander Stirling.
1870-1865 Neil Livingston.
1858 J McLaren.
1857 Alexander Cumming.
1851 Andrew Dunn.
1848-1847 Mrs Elizabeth Bryson.

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

END.

Calders Lounge.

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349 Victoria Road, Glasgow. G42 7SA. 

Calders Lounge. 1991.

This pub is better known as the Pandora. It was opened 1962 by restaurateur Mr Reo Stakis, it was formerly a large double cafe converted into a public bar cocktail bar and lounge with a small off-licence sandwiched in between.

A feature was the fluted woodwork which lined the walls and ceiling in the public bar. Mirrors were fitted at stages along the plain gantry a red carpet with musical instruments and score inwoven stretched to within four feet of the bar.

The cocktail bar and lounge was cosy and again the panelled woodwork appeared at the entrance and around the bar. The fitted carpet was of abstract design in a dull red colour and in contrast the walls on one side were blue and the other grey, these colours being repeated in the upholstered wall seats.

The cocktail bar was well lit by spotlights at the rear with red shaded fittings over the bar top. The gantry divided by a door leading to the public bar had an orange tinted glass background on one side and a mirror back on the other both having glass shelving.

In charge of the Pandora was Chick Geatons a former Celtic Football player.

Scottish & Newcastle Breweries took over the Pandora, it went Dutch in 1972.

Manager of the Pandora was Frank Cox.

Interior Views of the Pandora 1962.

In the News 1972…

Pandora Goes Dutch.

Going Dutch has taken on a fresh meaning for customers at a new Glasgow restaurant. This time it does not mean that they pay their own way, but that they can choose from a selection of true Dutch speciality dished on the menu.

For instance they may choose Uitsmijter made up of ham, bread, salad, fried egg, copped parsley and French fried potatoes. Or they may fancy Blinde Vinken, which consists of veal escalops, minced beef and rashers of bacon, and perhaps they might like a glass of Borrell, a Dutch gin served iced and taken straight.

These dishes are on the menu at The Barn restaurant of the Five Flies, a large extension of Scottish & Newcastle Breweries Pandora managed house in Victoria Road, Glasgow, incorporating also a new Courtyard lounge bar. Manager of the Pandora and its new extensions is Mr. Frank Cox, who joined Scottish & Newcastle two years ago.

The Lounge at the Pandora was called The Five Flies.

The Five Flies Lounge advert 1977.

The Five Flies Lounge, corner of Victoria Road / Calder Street. Monday special with Lee Tracy. 7p.m. Late Night Supper and Sing-Along. Grilled Bacon, Baked Potatoes and Salad. Total Price 50p. YES ONLY 50p. Also on Wednesday 7p.m-12 p.m.

Pandora and the Five Flies Lounge advert 1978.

By popular demand an evening with KANDI. On Sunday. 18th June, Ticket at door from 7 P.M.

80p (including meal) Come Early! It’s always a sell-out!

Up-To-Date-NEWS…2017.

A COMMUNITY-run food firm is planning to open its first large-scale supermarket.

Locavore, which started its vegetable supply business five years ago, is hoping to start the supermarket in the South Side within the next nine months. The firm grows crops locally across three sites in Glasgow, and sells them to hundreds of customers via its vegetable box scheme.

The property at the corner of Calder Street was previously home to the Pandora Bar, and will be used for the new supermarket provided Locavore can secure a building warrant in the next three months.

Locavore Grocery.

The Pandora with a cream exterior.

The Pandora with a green exterior.

Update…2019.

Thank goodness the pub was reverted back to a pub and the pub went up for sale of offers of £280,000.

Update May…2019.

This pub has been sold. We will update later when we find out more.

Do you remember this South-side favourite? If so please leave a comment.

END.

Cairns Bar.

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5-15 Miller Street, Glasgow. G1 1EA. Tel: 0141 248 5007.

Cairn’s Bar. 1991.

Cairns Bar. 2011.

Cairns Bar. 2017.

Cairns Bar. 2017.

To read the full history of Cairn’s bar click here.

Also see John Eadie and R W Cairns.

Update…2019.

Belhaven Pubs owns this old Pub. http://belhavenpubs.co.uk

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

END.

M Cairns.

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524 Gallowgate, Glasgow. G40 2DU. Demolished.

M Cairns.

The image above was taken on a Sunday morning as the pubs closed on Sunday’s back in the day. Most of the pubs in those days had a holiday fund, which the customers and staff would put a small amount of money away each week and the licensee would keep it safe until the holiday mostly to the seaside or in the countryside.

Michael Cairns owned this well established Gallowgate howff from the 1930s, it stayed in the family until the 1960s.

Michael’s son Desmond F Cairns assisted his father in the running of the business, Michael Joseph another son occasionally helped out in the bar.

In 1949 Michael senior organised a bus run for the staff and customers, this was a popular outing amongst many other pubs in the city, usually on a Sunday when the pubs in Glasgow were closed. Mr Cairns and the customers went to Fife on this occasion on August of 1949, Kirkcaldy was their centre for the day, where they would play games such as football, the three legged race and sprinting. They had lunch and high tea in the Dunnikier Arms, where Mrs Grace Penman was licensee for many years. The guests of Mr Cairns were looked after by her daughter in-law Mrs Adam Penman, she was a well known variety stage performer in her day, known as Rita Halkett.

The following year Desmond was married in Our Lady of Lourdes, Cardonald to Miss Bridie Agnes Mulhern an Irish lass from Breenagh, Co. Donegal. Desmond’s brother Joseph was best man.

The history of the pub can be traced back to the 1860s when Robert Clugston a wine & spirit merchant owned the pub, he also owned premises on Howard Street which became known as the Snaffle Bit. William Gardner then took over the pub, he also ran a public house on London Road, many will remember this old bar as “Jack’s Bar.”.

In 1878 David Thomson took over the licence, he continued in the pub until the early 1900s.

William McGregor Watt took over the business before the First World War, after a long illness his wife had to run the pub, William died in 1920 at his residence 14 Kyle Park, Uddingston. Mrs Norris sold the pub to Alexander Norris in 1926. Mr Norris was a thirty year old manager who ran a shop on Argyle Street, prior to this he managed his mother public house at 180 French Street, Bridgeton.

Mr Michael Cairns took over in the 1930s, his son Desmond took over the licence and ran the pub until the 1960s. The other son Michael ran a pub at 63 Shamrock Street at the corner of Garnethill Street.

The last owner of Cairns bar was Elizabeth McCormick Callaghan, the pub was finally demolished along with other pubs on the Gallowgate in the early 1970s. This was the result of the City Council’s redevelopment scheme which saw many of our famous Gallowgate landmarks disappear.

The customers and staff of Cairns bar, on their way to Ayr. 1950.

Desmond F Cairns wedding day with bride Miss Bridie Agnes Mulhern. Bridesmaids were Miss Annie Teresa Mulhern and Miss Eileen Selina Mulhern, the best man was Desmond’s brother Michael. The ceremony was performed by Canon George Galbraith. M.C. 1950.

Michael Cairns shaking hands with Mrs Penman and his on the right. 1949.

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 [email protected]

Facts…
Licence Holders.
1973-1968 Elizabeth Callaghan.
1960 Desmond F Cairns.
1937 Michael Cairns.
1926 Alexander Norris.
1926-1920 Mrs Watt.
1919-1909 William McGregor Watt.
1902-1878 David Thomson.
1875-1865 William Gardner.
1865-1861 Robert Clugston.

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

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

END.

Cairns Bar.

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135 Balornock Road, Glasgow. G21 3UL. Closed.

Cairn’s Bar. 1991.

The Cairn went on fire and is now demolished.

The pub was rebuilt a few years later.

A good friend of mine Tam Waters was asked by Tennent’s to go and manage Cairns Bar as there was a lot of trouble in it by local neds. His wife went with him and it turned out she ended up managing this pub.

When they left trouble was always a problem in this pub and it was always in the news of gangs and fighting in the pub. However it was not always like that, in fact it was quite a good pub when it first open.

In the NEWS 1978…

Manageress Julie Jones with some members of Ally’s Telly Army in Cairns Bar, Balornock Road.

Pubs Go Out To Bring Fans In…

While Ally’s Tartan Army are already on the move, his Telly Army are firmly rooted to their spots, in front of screens in pubs, clubs, and hotels.

Scotland’s publicans are going all out to make sure their customers can enjoy a pint in a football-crowd atmosphere. The Ardeer Recreation Club in Ayrshire typifies the spirit.

Said secretary Mrs Margaret Laird: “We will have eight colour TV sets in here during the World Cup. They will be in our three lounges and in the dining-room, or what is normally the dining-room.

“We had the sets installed over a week ago, so that there wouldn’t be any last-minute snags for our 5000 members.” The Ardeer club officials have even arranged their committee meetings so that they don’t clash with any of the “Big Games.”

LOUNGES

In Glasgow publican Miller Reid, chairman of Partick Thistle, has set up a special 8ft square screen in a room of his Esquire House, Anniesland Cross, at a cost of £1000 for the month.

But don’t cry for him, Argentina. He’s renting the place out to organised parties for about £100 a night, with live pictures of the games.

He has also put portable TV sets in his bars and lounges to make sure the staff can see the matches.

But at Glasgow’s Ashfield Club, for years one of the city’s top night-spots, manager Charlie Craig reckons’ he’ll be watching the games with his staff and a few others.

Said Mr Craig, “I’ve been asking our customers what they intend doing during the World Cup and most say they will be watching at home.” He said, “This month will be a dead loss for people like us though,” The World Cup will mean a break with tradition at Burns’ Howff, in the city centre.

For more than a decade the place has played host to rock groups and disco sounds, now a TV set will be installed for the first time. Owner John Waterson said: “I’ll be recording the games and, if we do well, then I’ll show reruns of them in the winter nights.”

At the Cairns Bar, in Balornock golfers at the eighth tee of the nearby Littlehill course will be tempted even more than usual to jump over the wall for a quick drink. Manageress Julie Jones has made sure colour TV facilities are laid on, and there will be a raffle with a difference for regulars.

Said Mrs Jones: “The raffle tickets will be free and numbered 1-90. If there’s a goal score in the 47th minute and you have ticket No. 47, then you’re on to a half bottle of whisky.”

BOVRIL

The Boulevard Hotel, just outside Clydebank, is another of the “Big Screen” set. Manager Tony McHenry has rigged up a 5ft x 6ft screen, restricted his viewing audience to regulars and has had to impose an “all-ticket” crowd limit of 120 at £1 a time.

The Central Hotel is also looking after its football daft regulars, with extra TV sets installed in different bars and pies and Bovril provided to give that “terracing Tam” atmosphere.

In the NEWS… 2018.

The Cairn Bar on Balornock Road, which dates back to the 1960’s will be turned into four new homes. Two one-bedroom flats and two two-bedroom flats will be constructed on the site by Briggs Building Ltd. A car park with six spaces will be added for residents as well as a private amenity space and a row of trees.

The once Cairns Bar. 2018.

Do you remember this 1960s Pub? If so please leave a comment.

END.