How times have changed! In December 1921, Robert Henry Clark, the holder of the License for the Westend Bar, Glasgow Road was charged with having sold alcohol to a child under 14 years old.

However, the charge wasn’t due to selling the alcohol to a minor as you would imagine. No, it was actually due to the fact that the vessel the child brought to collect the liquor, wasn’t corked or sealed! Henry had sold the alcohol putting it into an illegal vessel. The Act at that time did permit children to collect liquor for their parents and it was quite customary for children to be out on errands. However, legislation also required a ‘degree of responsibility’ that any vessel was to be corked or sealed to prevent children “sampling”.

Mr Clark was found guilty on evidence and was fined £2, which was paid in court.