291-93 Main Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow.
The interior of the Shawfield Bar early 1980s.
The Japanese are responsible for the introduction of the Karaoke machine. While years gone by the locals here may have had a wee singsong or one of the locals played a tune on the ivories. By the 1980s Karaoke, Japanese for “empty orchestra” had arrived in many of Glasgow’s pubs and clubs.
The picture above show the locals having a good old knee’s up at one of the many hundreds of songs on the Karaoke machine.
Do you remember this event or anyone in the picture. If so please get in touch.
The Shawfield Bar sat on the north side of the Rutherglen bridge at the corner of Main Street and Trafalgar Street. There has been a pub on this site since at least 1845, owned by city publican James Mitchell.
Other members of the Mitchell family owned this pub until 1897. Well-known publican and a renowned member of the Scottish Licensed Trade John Adams then took over the pub.
Mr John T Adams.
Mr Adams also owned The Auld Hoose in Cathcart also known as Granny Robertsons.
The Auld Hoose sat at 123 Castle Road, Cathcart, and was taken over by John T Adams in 1900. The two pubs had telephones connected Corporation no. y355 and National 2716, all the latest football results were received at a moments notice.
Mr Adams was treasurer of the Clyde Football Club, he was also a member of the Lodge Union and Crown of Free Masons, also the Brave Old Oak, Free Gardeners, Bridgeton Burns Club and the Cathcart Curling Club. He was a breeder of Collie Dogs and in 1901 he had one of his dogs stolen which cost him a massive £20.00, a lot a money in those days.
The Shawfield Bar had six large plate glass windows beautifully engraved. The bar counter, bar fittings, cornices and frescoes were a work of art. The counter panels were of walnut and oak picked out with gold, the doors and screens were of maple and mahogany wood and was lit by five massive oxydised silver pendant lights.
John gave up the licence in Main Street, Bridgeton in 1906 and concentrated on the Auld Hoose, Cathcart. However Cathcart went dry in 1921 and the Auld Hoose was closed down, locals then had to travel to the Queens Park Cafe, Victoria Road for a drink. The pub was converted to a bakery shop called Kirkwood’s
Leave a Reply