A Blantyre coal merchant called the police nine times in as many weeks in early 1980 when midnight revellers from a local nightspot disturbed his peace.
The complaints against ‘Hastie’s Farm’ a popular entertainment venue were however rightly justified as revellers poured out each evening, being overly loud and perhaps forgetting that there were many homes nearby.
Mr William Prentice of Victoria Street, was annoyed when people leaving neighbouring Has-tie’s Farm regularly woke him and his family. On the first Thursday in February 1980, when Hastie’s Farm had an application before Hamilton Licensing Board for a one a.m. extension to their drinks licence, Mr Prentice turned up to object.
Before the Thursday, Hastie’s Farm was licensed until midnight, which for Mr Prentice, seemed “bad enough.”
“Surely if an extension to the licence is needed the local people should be taken into consideration,” he told the board. “On numerous occasions since the last licence was granted, I’ve had to phone the police station. The problem has been after 12 o’clock. There’s no problem until the people come out of the premises.”
And Mr Prentice added, “There’s a lot of bus parties come to Hastie’s Farm and when they come out they sing and shout.” According to Mr Prentice, the noisiest night was a Tuesday when a disco was held. On one Tuesday night, December 4, 1979 he called Blantyre police twice when there was a fight outside his house.
“Would you not accept that you are a very difficult person who complains over much?” asked Hastie’s Farm’s solicitor, Mr Robert Gloyer, rather unreasonably. And, he alleged that Mr Prentice is himself noisy when at 8 a.m. he starts loading his coal lorries.
Despite two further objections, one from Mr William Whitelaw and one from Blantyre Community Council, the licensing board granted the bar’s extension — other than on a Tuesday night. Blantyre Councillor George McInally said he was concerned at the reports the board had heard and he asked Mr Samuel Plotnikoff, the licence applicant, to stop the disco at 12 o’clock and to employ commissionaires to make sure that coaches park in the pub’s car park.
Did YOU go to Hasties in this pre-Ziegfields era?
On Social Media, the following comments were received on Facebook about this article:
Christine Butler One of the best nights the late great Matt Monro 
we took my mum as he was a favourite of her and dad’s in the 60s was blown away with his voice never forget it our table was on the wee balcony stage where he preformed
Agnes Vorsterman We went a lot in the 60s. Great night out though I didn’t know there was a disco. I remember there was a hypnotist regularly.
Tom McGuigan Agnes Vorsterman the Hypnotist made you forget the Disco!
Ian Falconer My older sister was a waitress there when I was a kid and I remember going there for a kids Christmas party back around 75-77.
Margaret McDonald Had my Son’s Christening there in 1974. Great meal and wonderful staff.
Ann Hartman I worked part time in Hasties in middle to late seventies ,worked with a great bunch of people, didn’t feel like work more a night out.Also had many social nights with family was a great all round place to have a night out.
Orlando Ancilotti Willie Prentice was a lovely man
David Beggs Orlando Ancilotti I agree to that he was my mothers cousin he was the type of man that would help anyone out.
Orlando Ancilotti I was just wee, but I remember him being nice.
Lorna Agnew William Prentice was my grandfather. Absolute gentleman
Ann Carruthers Had my wedding tea in there!
John Allan Loved Sunday afternoons, great singers
Margaret Quinn Used to run down from Calder Street Secondary with ma mates at dinner time on a Friday for a plate of chips they cost a shilling and, went to a few nights out in it years later it was a great place and a great sing song there too
John Berry My mum worked in there
Carol Jordan My mum worked at hasties
Brenda Mcgrail Sunday afternoons !! Great memories Anne Bain Ann Odonnell Marie Thomson
Anne Bain Brenda Mcgrail absolutely loved our Sunday pub crawls,my mum worked there also
Irene Mcparlane Loved it such talented singers great night out
Jim Crawford Great nights at Hasties in the 70s
Fiona Connell The first time I went out with my late husband he took me to Hasties and I loved it that was in the 70s. Our wedding was in there in 1982. A lot of great memories there wasn’t a place like it. May Purse was in the kitchen great cook.Happy times great memories!!
Frank Wylie Fiona Connell that makes sense now we know where the noise came from if you and frankie were there lol xx
James Kerr I got one jellaba beating in there one night the battle of Blantyre Blantyre boys fighting halfway boys still feel it lol
John Purse Snr We used to go there at lunch time from Blantyre high as my Maw worked in the kitchen
Lorraine Mckenzie Yup, with my best friend and her then boyfriend
Brian Abberley Spent many a CHRISTMAS Day there had a fabulous time with all the family
Elizabeth Turkington Yes every week for dinner and entertainment best night ever
William MacSporran Worked in the middle bar with May McDougal and Hughie Ferrie in 1974
Orlando Ancilotti I worked the petrol station, did the bottling, peeled the potatoes… 1974/75 or 76.
Margaret Dunn Yes I used to go with my Mum, we used to sing there on a Sunday afternoon
Arlene McWilliam Green My Granny, Jeannie Hendry, lived beside it in the early 1900s when it was actually a Dairy Farm. Her dad was a coal merchant at the time. She was horrified it became a pub then a nightclub
Bridie Browne Had my wedding reception in Hasties many moons ago
Ann Mcguire Bridie Browne we did too Bridie
John Latta Spent many a good night in Hasties We got our coal from Bill Prentice
Hugh Lennon Tonner My uncle Terry Whyte was a doorman in Hasties for a very long time for Bob Brown
Matthew McGuigan Hugh Lennon Tonner As well as being a respected boxer, Terry was a real gent and a devoted husband to Margaret. I worked with him in Hasties for many years.
Robert McLeod-Wolohan remember this well, thats where i got my coal from
Bernadette Mcparland Was a great place
Yvonne Nardone Had some great night’s there happy memories
Mary Dawson Many happy memories of Hastie’s Farm
May Hannah Great night out , You always had to book, Meals were Fantastic
Maree Cathcart I worked behind the bar in Hasties as well as Ziegfeld , had some great nights there
Ann Jeffrey My dad James Jeffrey knew bill prentice well and spoke of him a a lovely man . I’m Sure his worries about his family’s welling were justified . Hasties was a very popular venue a very popular place within the community and brought many jobs there to.
Elaine McConnell They were the days
Jeemo Lisboa Great place
Carol King Loved it
William Mcinulty Loved it great place
Rena Caullay In the 60 and 70s enjoyed many nights there
Stevie Park Yes, that’s my first pub and also worked in the bars , great entertainment,matt Munro,sang there twice and who could forget Andy Kelly great memories
Clare Marie McCourt Great nights had by all at Hasties
Iain Gilmour Bob brown gave me his Rolls Royce for my wedding in 1973 my uncle John gilmour drove it
John Corny Cornfield I remember the Tuesday night discos and the Fighting outside Prentices house. The discos were a riot, but great fun
Jim Nisbet Prefered Zeigfields and Rascals
Wullie Doyle Sunday afternoons was something else
Elizabeth Mccluskey Loved going to Hasties but I loved Bill Prentice and I can remember how good he was to our family and probably a lot of families through the coal strike and I would have hated staying next to it
Charles Miller Doc and Healy
Maureen Glancy Remember the fire in the early seventies in the function room
Michael Gillon Went with my brother in law John Healy who sang with Doc in hasties
Irene Paton I loved Hastings farm my uncle Richie Paton used to sing in there it was a great atmosphere he worked for the coop and Richie was also known as Dick Paton drove a van one of his old pal’s Eddie mc clounie was his friend he stayed in wheatland Ave he’s gone now but was a fantastic singer
Peter Bancroft My aunty Ella worked in there in the 70s I was her resident babysitter lol oor Issy n James Hainey great kid’s lol xxx happy days xxx
Janice Fulston My sister Betty Speirs work the bars there
Matthew McGuigan Fantastic place but much better when Bob Brown owned it. That picture is late sixties/ early seventies as it shows the Vauxhall Ventora that Bob had before he bought his Rolls Royce Shadow reg RB150
Tom McGuigan I was never out of Hastie, great pub, well run by Michael
My wife and myself had our wedding reception there in Sept 30th 1972. We had relations up from England for the wedding and it was funny when they asked what toilets they could use as the doors were marked Jocks and Jessies. It was smashing place for parties of any kind and the staff were fantastic. It was a sad day when it closed.
I worked in the market at Hasties.