Old Glasgow Pubs

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Waterloo Street

The Corner Bar

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51 Blythswood Street, Glasgow. G2. Demolished.

The Corner Bar.  1962. Thank to the Mitchell Library.

The Corner Bar was situated at the corner of Blythswood Street and Waterloo Street.

Blythswood Street was formerly known as Mains Street.

In 1874 Andrew Frost owned this old pub, he also owned the old Victoria Bar, St. Vincent Street which later became known as the Dew Drop.

His wife Rachel took over the following year and continued as licence holder until 1878.

In 1898 Eva Manson Sturrock acquired the licence, the pub was then known as the Waterloo Vaults. Mrs Sturrock was still the holder the the licence in 1919.

In 1926 William Y McCreadie was licence holder, William was a Director of the Glasgow and District Licensed Trade Defence Association as a representative of the Blythswood Ward, he was also president of the Royalty Burns Club, in his spare time he played bowls. Mr McCreadie died in 1945, his wife Margaret continued as licence holder. The family continued in this pub just before it was demolished in the early 1960s.

This group of Glasgow and District Licensed Trade Defence members on a days outing to Oban. 1937. Front row left to right, Frank Jeans, W Y McCreadie, John Burns, John Russell, James Denholm, president, Archibald McNiven, Vice-president, William Jamieson, Hon. treasurer, John Holmes, John McKinnon, William Cosgrove and Kenneth McLean. Back row Alexander Graham, W J McDowall, secretary, James Clelland and Patrick McKay.

Mr Kenneth McLean.

Another view of the Corner Bar. 1960. Thanks to the Mitchell Library.

This old pub was demolished a few years after this image was taken.

Here are some principal personalities who attended the smoker dinner held at Belmont House, Glasgow, by the Cowcaddens Ward of the Glasgow Association in 1962. Left to right: Mr G Ramster, Glasgow Association Office; Mr H Doherty, Symposium Bar, Cowcaddens Street; Mr N Jones, Cross Keys, St. Peter’s Street; Mr J Dougan, Dougan’s Bar, Springburn Road; Mr R Lemon, Lemon Tree, Parliamentary Road (Ward Convener); Mr W J Bennet, Port Dundas Road; Mr W B Gow, Bristol Bar, Cowcaddens; Mr J Lanagan, Maitland Street; Mr T F Flynn who succeeded Mr Gow as president of the Glasgow Association; Mr D McNiven, Argyle Arms, Kennedy Street; and Mr W J McDowall, Secretary, Glasgow Association.

Another view of the Corner Bar. 1960’s. Thanks to the Mitchell Library.

The Corner Bar. 1960. Thanks to the Mitchell Library.

Facts…
Licence Holders.
1960-1945 Margaret Thomson McCreadie.
1945-1926 William Y McCreadie.
1919-1898 Eva Manson Warren Sturrock.
1878 Mrs Rachel Frost.
1874 Andrew Frost.
Do you know anything about this pub or any other pub in the city?
If so please contact us and we will review your comments.

END.

Carnegie’s.

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21 Waterloo Street, Glasgow. G2 6BZ. Tel: 0141 221 5479.

Carnegie’s. 1991.

Carnegie’s chain of pubs were so popular in the city fifteen years ago, there was also Carnegie’s in West George Street, St Vincent Street and Cambridge Street.

Update…2019.

………………

The above images are of a book of matches advertising Carnegie’s and Fouquet’s two well Glasgow drinking venues.

Update…2008.

From at least 2008 this venue has been known as Rhoderick Dhu.

Situated in the heart of Glasgow, sister to the Best Bar-None, Rhoderick Dhu, The Ruag Function Suite offers Scottish hospitality at its best! A family owned business we take pride in ensuring that your special occasion is an event to remember.

Do you remember this Carnegie’s or have memories of any venue from this address? Please leave a comment.

END.

Archie’s

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27 Waterloo Street, Glasgow. G2 6JX. Demolished around 2006.

Archie’s Bar, 1991.

Now called L’Attache. 2006.

Archie’s circa 2004.

Also see Arches, Argyle Street.

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In the NEWS 1979…

Archie’s Got The Lot… drinks, meals, coffee, gateau.

Interior view of Archie’s 1979.

Girls, the next time your better half says he’s going to Archie’s don’t think he’s dropping in on an old pal. The chances are he’ll be sampling the hospitality of Glasgow’s latest lounge bar, Archie’s in Waterloo Street.

Archie’s opened only 2 weeks ago, but already it’s become a favourite spot for businessmen at lunchtime and, later, theatregoers.

That’s not really surprising, because the pub not only offers cosy surroundings but a selection of fine foods.

The Beard family who own Archie’s, they also own the Busby Hotel, have spent almost £70,000 on the premises, which used to be the Garrick, and it is money that has been well spent.

Prints

Only real material have been used in the interior design of the pub. The walls are covered with wood panelling and stone and much of the scating is made from cane which has been specially stained down it fit in with the rest of the decor.

Mr J. R. Notman, a Glasgow-based architect, was in charge of the interior design and it was he who chose some beautiful old prints of Glasgow for the walls of the pub.

Salad

But where Archie’s really scores is the fact that it serves food from 12.15 right through to 10 o’clock at night. Archie’s opened only 2 weeks ago, but already it has become a favourite spot for lunch time businessmen and pre-theatregoers.

The menu varies from a selection of super salads to dishes like chicken a la king or curry. There is also a selection of starters, with delicious gateau to finish off your meal.

“Although we serve meals we would be more than pleased if someone came in simply to have a coffee and a piece of gateau,” said a family spokesman. “And the fact that we are serving food, virtually all day means that a customer can come in at any time and be guaranteed a meal,” he added.

The Beard family know that some of their customers won’t have a lot of time to eat, especially at lunchtime, and so they have installed handy shelving round the main lounge area where customers can eat a quick snack.

Archie’s is open from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. So, Girls, the next time your husband says he’s going to Archie’s, go with him and enjoy a really good evening out.

Archie’s advert 1979.

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Archies was a favourite haunt of staff from Britoil in the mid 1980,s when they had an office in Cadogan St (before the move to the big office at 301 St Vincent St). Specially popular as the Archie Equation was used by oilfield petrophysicists to calculate the amount of oil present in a rock. The initial plans to found the Glasgow Hash House Harriers in 1985 (now celebrating its 1500th run tomorrow (2nd June 2013) were made in the basement bar in Archies between myself and Mark Simpson. Sent by Roger McIIroy. 1/06/2013.

Facts…
Do you know anything about this pub?
If so please contact us.

END.

The Alhambra Inn

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31 Waterloo Street, Glasgow. G2 6BZ.

The Alhambra Inn, 1991.

The Alhambra Inn has been a landmark in the city centre for many years. After the Second World War this was a confectioners run by Mrs Helen Persichini. In the 1950s Louis Evaristi was trading here known as the Alhambra Vintry wine merchants. In 1970 a full public house licence was granted to Mr Evaristi. This pub has changed its name now to Rabbie Burns and the last time I walked by the pub was closed down. During the 1980s the Alhambra Inn was a popular bar, upstairs held many private functions and office parties.

Rabbie Burns Tavern as it is now called will never be opened as a pub again, the owners Creevy LLH has sold the pub to a private investor for over £625,000. It is destined for mixed retail. With the increasing accessibility requirements of the Disability Discrimination Legislation and the desire for open plan pubs, the pub is no longer suited for a public house.

Sadly the pub was demolished 2006. A new office block of flats will probably take it’s place.

In the News 1974…

Alhambra Inn brings touch of Nostalgia.

Alhambra Inn Advert from 1974.

There’s a new Alhambra for Glasgow, not the theatre, but a nostalgic reminder of it in the form of the recently opened Alhambra Inn at the corner of Waterloo Street and Wellington Street.

Under the personal supervision of the owner Mr. Louis Evaristi, who’s been catering for the Glasgow public on that same corner for the past 25 years, the Alhambra Inn is a bar restaurant with lots of atmosphere, the tasteful kind.

There’s the air of a theatre bar, it even has a rather grand panelled and carpeted staircase to the upper lounge with its adjoining bar-cum-waiting area for the small, intimate restaurant. If it seems different from most other bars once you’re inside, that’s probably because the interior decorators never got their hands on it. Mr. Evaristi’s family chose the lovely Sanderson paper, olive green Hessian walls, velvet curtains, and rich maple hardwood as well as the framed photographic reproductions of old Alhambra programmes and pages of newspaper advertisements which appeared at the opening of the theatre.

Lounge music

This long, L-shaped upper floor extends round the corner into the restaurant area, where there are large framed art nouveau style prints. Mr. Evaristi would like to have a piano bar, but so far hasn’t found a pianist. Groups appear in the lounge on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and it’s provided with a colour TV too, but if it’s a quiet drink and a candlelit meal you want, you won’t be disturbed.

Downstairs there’s a public bar with it’s own entrance, decorated in the same colour scheme as the main bar and restaurant upstairs, and with its own colour TV. The most striking feature of the public bar is a wall of blow-ups of an Alhambra concert programme surrounded by cartoons of Harry Lauder, one of which he drew himself.

The restaurant provides lunch from 11 a.m. on to about 2 p.m., or you can choose from the snack menu and eat anywhere in the bars. Dinner starts at 5 p.m. and last orders are taken at 9.40 p.m. Quarter gills are the bar measure, and there’s a good representative wine list.

Snack menu

The snack menu varies each day, and includes Scotch Pie for 12p or cold meat and salad for 35p to 40p , apple pie and custard 12p, and coffee with fresh cream also 12p. The business man’s lunch for 73p, including VAT, offers chilled fruit juices, soup, fish, steak pie and the like or cold dishes with salads such as pineapple and cheese, dessert or tea or coffee and biscuits.

The a la carte menu has a choice of about a dozen different main courses such as grilled T-bone steak for £1.70 or rainbow trout, £1, omelette 65p, several vegetables at 10p plus the usual starters and sweets. It’s a small dining room, so if you want to be sure of your meal it’s better to make reservations. An excellent chef, given enough notice will prepare anything special you would like, even a birthday cake, and the Inn is available for functions, stag parties and the like, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

And yes, they do take luncheon vouchers.

Facts…
Do you know anything about this pub or any other pub in the area?
If so please contact us.
Alhambra Inn.
Was named after the Alhambra Theatre which stood close by, now long gone, only the eldest of us will remember it.

END.

The Admiral

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72A Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 7DA.Tel: 01412217705

The Admiral was opened in 1969.

The landlord then was Frederick Joseph Grome.

This mock Victorian pub attracts many of the office workers in the area.

The Admiral 2007.

Thank to Steve Blaney for the above image, 1969.

Email: My name is Steve Blaney. I was the first person to play on in the Admiral when first opened in 69′. The lounge was a classy old galleon ship style with first class fittings, brass port holes, beautiful red lounge seating etc.

I played the electric accordion with my drummer George Picken. We were there for about a year and knew “Freddy” the manager well. I have been in Canada for nearly 40 years and anytime I am in Glasgow I visit the old pub. I was there last month Oct. 2011.

Email: Hi! John,
Notice the Admiral behind us on stage, this was the theme of the lounge. Like I was saying, Watney’s, you know the Red Barrel people, I believe were the first company there, put a lot of money into making this place very classy. The figure I was given was £30,000 for the lounge. Beautiful brass fittings (port holes and rails) with deep red sofa’s with wood paneling on the walls, to give the atmosphere of being inside an old style ship.

One story was, a patron asked, who was the guy behind the band (the Admiral on the wall), I was not sure to believe this or not, but then again, it was a pub. The accordion I am playing is a Farfisa Transicord bought from McCormack’s on bath street sadly now closed. It was state of the art back then at a cost of £300 pounds. George and I used to practice in the lounge on a Saturday afternoon (the lounge was closed then), we played there Friday’s and Saturday’s. After our practice Freddy the manager would give us lunch upstairs you know, steak, mushrooms ect. the good stuff.

He was a very nice guy and we got along well and he looked after us like son’s. The lounge back then was a place where married couples or couples wanting a nice quieter night out would come and listen to George and I play some Pop music and a few type classics, you know like a lounge you would be in on holiday at that time. I got married shortly after, to my wife Linda Geddes (still my wife) and moved to Canada here.

George played around Europe very successfully and eventually settled back in Scotland where we would meet up anytime I was back (home). He bought his new wife over to Canada for a holiday/honeymoon in Niagara and stayed with us also. We met for the last time this October in Scotland when I was there as he was dying of Cancer. He died four days after I left, he was 61. Always a nice, clean living guy, we knew each other for over 40 years. So, before I left Scotland this October (2011) he asked me to go to the Admiral and have a drink for us.

I did. The lounge now is geared up for a more busy? crowd? who have a little more exercise than we used do down there LOL. Still nothing stays the same, as long as it’s still open and people are having fun. I still have a music room in my house here in London Ontario with Guitars and sill have a Transicord accordion. I am 60years of age now and still love Scotland (my first home) and anytime I am there I always go to the Admiral for a wee drink and a lunch, good stuff. Anyway that’s part of the story. Like everything else I could write a book, maybe I will someday about all the nice people who used to work there and frequent the place……and they still are great people. So all the best.
                                                                                   
                                                                               Maybe we will meet sometime,
                                                                                                 Steve Blaney, (First to play in the Admiral).

Cheers! Steve.

END.