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You are here: Home / Archives for Chrystal Bell & Co

Chrystal Bell & Co

Grant Arms

January 8, 2017 by John Gorevan 1 Comment

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.

Filed Under: Argyle Street, ArgyleStreet, G Tagged With: argyle street, Argyle Street Pubs, Cairns, Cairns Bar, Chrystal Bell & Co, Da Vincis, Dickens Bar, Doubles Bar, Edward McIntosh, Gamps, Gamps Adverts, Gamps Chophouse, Grant Arms, The Grant Arms

Chrystal Bell & Co.

November 28, 2016 by John Gorevan Leave a Comment

31-35 Gallowgate, Glasgow. G1 5AA. Tel: 0141 552 2690.

Chrystal Bell & Co. 1938.

Chrystal Bell & Co. 1960s.

This pub is steeped in history, better known as the Chrystal Bell’s or Chrystal Bell & Co. Other names this old hostelry has had over the years is Rutherford’s and the Royal Albert. To read the full history of this historical landmark click here.

This old pub was formerly called “Rutherford’s” then Chrystal Bell & Co, then “The Royal Albert” and reverted back to the “Chrystal Bell & Co.”

Chrystal Bell & Co.

This old public house was known as Rutherford’s.

When these premises were known as Rutherford’s, Mr Cameron a strapping Scotsman managed the premises, he was succeeded by Mr Wylie who had held for years the same position. Mr Cameron was something more than just the ordinary man behind the bar. He was well educated and had some artistic predilection which he gratified after hours. He was an accomplished elocutionist and had ability which even a professional might envy. He was a member of a well known Glasgow society which existed for proficiency in elocution and Mr Cameron years ago was one of it’s brightest members.

In the NEWS…1970.

Charles Sheridan, manager of the Chrystal Bell & Co, Gallowgate. 1970.

The Chrystal Bell & Co., was taken over by Scottish & Newcastle Breweries in 1965 and refurbished the old premises. One of the executives in the S & N furnishing department was inspecting the vast cellars below the premises and stumbled upon a book of photographs of mid-Victorian Glasgow.

The set of plates provide a remarkable record of the social life of some of the oldest areas of the city. Their value and the atmosphere they could lend to the old-fashioned Chrystal Bell were quickly realised and the photographs were soon framed and fixed to the walls of one of the bars and the restaurant.

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 ponds at the Hielan Jessie on the Gallowgate or contact me at john@oldglasgowpubs.co.uk

The News in 1971…

This way to the Chrystal Bells.

So many of the pantomime pubs of Glasgow see pantomime no more. The pubs are still there, but the theatres have gone. And as far as pantomime is concerned we have only two this season. I can remember when there were nine pantomimes running in Glasgow.

Even just after the last war we had 11 theatres operating in the city. Before that war we had even more in and around Glasgow. Tommy Morgan told me that, as a young comic, he could do 19 weeks in a different theatre every week and reach them all by tram car!

Alas, the glory has departed, and I’m referring to the tram cars as well as the theatres. You can go into some of the old pantomime pubs to-day and not find a single soul who remembers the theatres beside them, except, perhaps by name. This of course, is because pubs have changed ownership and the barmen and barmaids who could exchange pleasantries with the principal boy, the sister act, the comics, the “heavy” and the orchestra have sought fresh woods and pastures new.

Chrystal Bell & Co. 2001.

One of our great pantomime theatres was the Queen’s in Watson Street, beside Glasgow Cross. It suffered from the occupational hazard of old Glasgow theatres, a fire. The Hall family who ran it, decided not to rebuild. But before, during, and after the war it was the mecca of those who liked pantomime in the rough.

The stars of the Queen’s pantomime were Frank and Doris Droy, Billy Fields and Sammy Murray. There was no bar in the Queen’s because, many years before when, it was the Star Music Hall, there had been a fire scare in the middle of a show and several people were killed rushing down the steep staits into the street.

But in every Queen’s Theatre pantomime, in the act before the interval a notice would appear somewhere on the scenery, whether it be a wood, a palace, a kitchen, or a polis office, saying “This Way To The Chrystal Bells.”

Interior view of the main bar. Thanks to Scran for the image.

This referred to the pub opposite the pantomime, a pub which still bears the name of the proprietors, Messrs Chrystal and Bell, although it belongs to the brewers now. Since there was no bar in the theatre the audience, the orchestra, and quite a few of the cast crossed over the road at the interval and between the two houses.

The Queen’s pantomime was a twice nightly show and the top price for the stalls was 9d. The pub was constantly mentioned in the pantomime. A favourite gag was when Sammy Murray, as Dame Fanny Cartwight whatever the name of the show, showed his “Feed” a photograph.

“That’s a photie o’ ma murray ootside ra Chrystal Bells,” he would explain. The “Feed” would examine the picture carefully, then say – “I see the Chrystal Bells, but I don’t see your mother.”

“Ma good,” Sammy riposted, “is she in therr agane?”

Interior view of the main Bar.

Well I went into the Chrystal Bell the other night and found it had a Victorian air which I didn’t remember. The present owners have done it up with imitation gas lamps,a lot of red trimmings, and a notice which promises much gastronomical delights as mince and dough balls, tripe and onions and pig trotters. I doubt, though, if you can get them.

The place had a more functional air on the occasion we took Binnie Hale to see the Queen’s pantomime and at the interval to the pub, Binnie Hale was enchanted by the whole affair, but especially by the Jackson Sisters, who were capable of singing six different songs in six minutes and dancing at the same time.

Well I couldn’t find a single soul who remembered the great days of the Queen’s, so I went up Watson Street and round the corner to the House of Lords in Bell Street. It used to be Kelly’s Pop Inn, but it was the House Of Lords when Frank Droy took me there to discuss a B.B.C. broadcast.

Another view of the bar area.

Frank always wrote the script for the Queen’s pantomime. We think we’re “permissive” today, but you should have heard what they said at the Queen’s. The police were worried and, when they found the script had not been submitted to the Lord Chamberlain, they insisted on this being done.

Well Frank Droy wrote his script in pencil in a B2 jotter, so he sent the jotter to St. James’s Palace. Maybe it was because it was in pencil, or maybe because it was written in lovely Glasgow dialect, but the Lord Chamberlain passed it.

The police were non pleased, and every night the audience roared at jokes I wouldn’t dare repeat in these pure pages. The reason that Frank Droy had made an assignation with me in the House of Lords was that, when he went to Chrystal Bell, he was inundated with others of haufs, pints, “hale Yins,” and the like. On this occasion he wanted to escape the adulation and discuss serious matters.

The pantomime at the Queen’s that year was “Robinson Crusoe,” in which Doris Droy insisted on eaiing “Robertson Crusoe,” and what I wanted to know was why the principal boy was called Colin.

The Royal Albert. 1991. 

Frank couldn’t understand what I was talking about. “Our principal boy’s always called Colin,” he explained in a kindly manner, as if he was talking to a half-wit.

The House of Lords didn’t look much changed when I went into it this time. And in no time at all I’d met three chaps who not only remembered the Queen’s, but the good old Princess’s as well. One of them in fact, had been a stage hand at the Princess’s (now the Citizens’) just in case you didn’t know.)

“We could do anything there,” he said. “I remember the time when we put on an earthquake in one of the pantomimes. You should’ve seen it. Better than the real thing!”

There were no earthquakes at the Queen’s, but one of my companions did mention a world-shaking event which occurred there. “Here,” he said, “didn’t you appear as the hind legs of a horse in one of the pantomimes?”

The Royal Albert. 1991.

I admitted it. That year Doris Droy was appearing as a woman carter and her horse was performed by Carr and Vonnie, Jimmy Carr is still appearing with Lex McLean, For one performance only I took Vonnie’s place as the hind legs. And here was somebody who remembered! I left The House of Lords feeling Like Laurence Olivier. By Jack House.

Chrystal Bell & Co. 1970s.

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 john@oldglasgowpubs.co.uk

Facts…
Did you know that the Chrystal Bell & Co. was in the video of Robson & Jerome – What becomes of a broken hearted.

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

END.

Filed Under: C, Gallowgate, Gallowgateroad Tagged With: Charles Sheridan, Chrystal Bell & Co, Gallowgate, Royal Albert, Rutherford's

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