Off Argyle Street, Glasgow.
1892, for the last twenty-five years the public houses in Sydney Court, off Argyle Street (for many years owned by Robin, now by Mrs Ferguson.) has held a premier position in Glasgow for the excellence of its whisky. The external appearance of the tavern was unpretentious but the interior bar was well equipped and spotless. Staff and waiters were smart and courteous. Scotch whisky on the premises was of very good quality.
At 2 Sydney Court there was one of Glasgow’s oldest establishments “The Taylor’s Clippers. In 1921 an interesting end to one of the oldest establishemnts in Glasgow, at 2 Sydney Court, Argyle Street, which had kept an open door for over 90 years and has been in the Ferguson family for over 50 years. The name Robin was on the old sign but it has been known by several names “Robin’s Bar”, “The Hole in the Wa”, “The Stables”, “The Cuttting Board”, “The Counting House”. There was general agreement as to the virtue of a strong special Whisky called “The Hot Bottle”.
Mrs Janet Ferguson owned an old tavern in Sydney Court a well known establishment which the Ferguson’s kept for generations. Barman Mr P C Masterton work there in the 1880s.
Mr P C Masterton. 1892.
After his extensive training at Ferguson’s tavern he left to go to London and acted as manager to Mr Best of the London Bridge Tavern. Here he obtained a thorough insight into all the mysteries of bar-tending. There was a staff of a dozen man working behind the bar and the popularity of the establishment may be gauged from the fact that sometimes they had a couple of hundred glasses of whisky ready on the counter to serve customers in the rush hours. After remaining in the metropolis he returned to Glasgow and for three and a half years was employed by Mr Haddow, Keppochhill Road, he then went to work as charge-hand of William Robin’s bar at the corner of Govan Street and Commercial Road.
Facts…
Robin’s Bars
The Hole in the Wa.
The Stables.
The Cutting Board.
The Counting House.
Taylor’s Clippers
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