Norwood Arms

144 West Street, Glasgow. Demolished.

This photograph was taken in 1965, Eric Caldow, Ranger and Scotland footballer, scrapes £27 7 shillings from the mirror, proprietor Mr T Blue catches the coins in a bucket. The coins were stuck on the mirror by dipping it in your pint and when dried stuck like glue. The customers collected this amount for the home of the mentally handicapped children at Merchiston Hostel.

In 1891 Jane Mitchell was landlady of this popular West Street howff. Mrs Mitchell continued as licensee until the end of WW1.

During the 1930s David Craig ran this old pub followed by his wife Jean who held the licence from 1945.

One late February morning in 1956, just after opening time a three ton lorry and a Corporation bus collided outside the pub, the truck shot tight through the lounge window, showering glass and plaster all over the bar. The lorry became embedded in the masonry and could not be moved until the public house wall had to be shored up. A column supporting the four storey tenement above had been snapped.

Four persons were injured as a result of the crash. The fire brigade and gas board workers were called out in case a fire broke out as there was flooding fuel from the truck and escaping gas from one of the pipes. A no smoking order was issued by the police to the crowd of onlookers.

Inside the premises the burglar alarm was ringing, the trucks horn blared and the lights flickered, the plaster from the ceiling began to rain down on the bar.

65 year old Mrs Craig the proprietrix said “I got the shock of my life, I thought the whole place was collapsing.”

In spite of all this Mrs Craig continued to serve the customers with drink, while the lorry was still embedded in the lounge.

Interior view of the Norwood Arms, note the lorry embedded in the lounge.

Group of Glasgow Licensed Trade Golf Club members, front row left to right Mr H W G Kerr, Queen Anne., Mr A Hart, W MacNair & Co. Ltd., Mr J Blair, W MacNair & Co. Ltd., Back row Mr Norman Smith, Planet Bar, Mr T Salton, Smiddy Bar., Mr T Blue, Norwood Bar, Mr W Newall. 1966.

Glasgow Licensed Trade Golf Club at the Grand Hotel, front row Norman Smith, Mr P Smith, H W G Kerr, Mrs A Hart, Mr T Salton, rear Mr T Blue, Mr V Adkins, Mr W A Simpson, Mr A Hart, Mr J Escourt, Mr B Barclay, Mr J Logan, Mr W Redpath, Mr W Newall, Mr J Ryburn. 1966.

Facts…

Licence Holders.

1965 Mr T Blue.

1960 Denis Miller.

1956-1945 Jean Burnett Craig.

1945-1937 David Craig.

1919-1891 Jane Fish Mitchell.

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

END.