Continued from Murdochs / Peppers Pub (Priory Inn History pt 2)
Following a change of ownership, in May 1958, Architects Cullen, Lochead and Brown were involved in drawing up plans for alterations and extensions.
The relaunched public house was given the name, the Commercial Bar. Vincy McGuire formerly owned the pub after leaving the Smiddy Bar on Glasgow Road. Punters were predominately male and there mostly for the football, a drink and good banter.
Pictured in the 1960’s outside the Commercial Bar is Thomas (Cutty) Smith of nearby Calder Street.
During the 1980’s and 1990’s it was notoriously a Celtic pub, frequented by many Blantyre people who followed that football club and I’m told a rammy or two outside the pub on match days was quite commonplace. It was known as the Commercial Bar right up until 2008. Live acts included Davy Starrs who is shown in some of these photos.
Here’s a 7 minute video taken in 1991 inside the Commercial Bar.
Can you tell me anymore about who else owned the bar or perhaps who worked there? What’s your memories of the Commercial Bar, as it was then?
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I worked there part-time in the 1970’s and played darts for the pub team when Big Phil was the manager. Handy as we lived in Calder St. Phil was ex-army, then bricklayer, then pub manager. His white boxer dog (black eye patch) was called Tyson (I think). It used to catch the 62/63 bus by itself and come to the pub. Many fond memories.
Like, Jackie I remember it as a Rangers Pub. In the late 1960s, with the Pub Manager due to retire, the regulars raised the money and the Union Jack Club was built.