26 Anderston Quay, Glasgow. G3 8BG. Demolished.
The Copy Cat. 1991.
The Copy Cat has been hit by the bulldozers like all the other pubs in this area. Not one of the historic pubs have survived here since the developers have upgraded the entire area with fancy flats and office buildings.
The Cop Cat stood at the corner of Cheapside Street and was popular with the Daily Record staff, this is where the pub got it’s name.
Formerly known as the Dublin Vaults.
There has been a public house on this site since 1845. The first licensee was a gent called Govan Stewart. William Teacher even traded from this site from 1862 until 1876.
Facts…
Licensees’
1990 Annie Houston, (Allied Breweries.)
1979 Manager John McCartney, (Lormier’s Breweries Ltd.)
1978 Daniel M Gordon, wine & spirit merchant, also 2231 Great Western Road.
1973 Dugald Stewart McIntyre.
1960 James Young.
Do you remember this old pub? If so please leave a comment.
END.
As a young Area Manager of 27, still wet behind the years, from Edinburgh I may add, I learned my trade in Glasgow with my first 4 bars I took responsibility for, namely, The Copy Cat, The Charter Bar, Dows (Dundas Street) and the Corn Exchange. Anna Houston was a Gem of a Women and a tremendous Managaress at the Copy Cat . Really kind and tough as old boots in equal measures. She was always immaculate and ran the bar as if it was her own. The small side bar was popular with journalists whilst the main bar was frequented by the blue collar Daily Record staff along with patrons of the local shelter. Both bars were visible to each other and the banter between them was pure class. Anna really cared for all her customers but particularly those who had fallen on hard times often making them soup and sandwiches, she was like a Mother figure to them and a very glamorous one at that. She was always immaculately dressed with her Black Hair sprayed high above her head into an immovable force of nature. I can remember her barring a petty loan shark who was threatening a vulnerable customer without any fear of reprisal having paid his small debt for him . I’m sure he would have known never to darken the pubs door again.
I also remember vividly phoning Anna to complement her on the pubs turnover and in particular to find out why her Sunday takings had increased so much. She advised me it was a thing called Karaoki and that I should come down and see it and experience it myself which I duly did.
It was basically a double cassette machine with about half a dozen tapes with printed A4 music sheets for the customers a Microphone with an MC with brilliant Glasgow patter calling the shots.It was a phenomenal night and I wish I could have captured it. This was definately 1988 as I borrowed the machine for my wife’s 30th Birthday which is still talked about to this day by those who attended in my Wife and i’s flat in Leith.
I bought 2 of these machines for the Charter Bar in Tollcross Road and for the downstairs bar in the Corn Exchange. Both of which were a tremendous success ran by the respective Managers Bill Flanagan and Ronnie Patterson.
My colleague Area Managers followed suit and purchased more machines for their community bars
so I credit wee Anna Houston with helping launch the UK’s Karaoki phenominum.
This was the formative years for my career in the trade which lasted until my retirement in 2017.
I was truly blessed to have met some wonderful people on the way and will never forget the dynamic Anna Houston of Copy Cat fame who was truly a fantastic publican and a wonderful lady.
my parents took over the pup in 1979 Margaret & Jimmy Ferguson it was still Lorimers and then changed to Ind Coop My mother had previously worked with Donnie & Agnes Gordon and his sister Bell . they had run The Golden Eagle Hotel in Prestwick previously. it was still a single bar then and not partitioned. the pub Some wonderful characters and customers .
My aunties pub. I remember going here as a child and auntie would cook us a meal. Loved going here