The Glen Bar
Located at 173 Main Street, this Victorian pub was known as the Royal Oak Tavern.
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In 1906, the pub changed its name to the Glen Bar.
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From 1914-1951, the owners were the Brady family (originally Peter and Cecilia Brady). The pub was known locally as 'Brady's'.
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The pub closed in 2008.
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Right, the Glen Bar in 1991
Image credit: OldGlasgowPubs.co.uk
© Rutherglen Heritage Society
Frank Daly, barman
Above, Frank Daly, aged 20, in the Glen Bar, 1924
'My dad Frank and his dad Pat before him were janitors at St Columbkille’s School. From 1924 to 1928, he worked at the Glen Bar. There is a photograph of my dad in the Glen Bar with a calendar showing the date as February 1924. He was 20 at the time.
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When war broke out in 1939 dad was called up for the Navy. He went for his medical but failed because he was short sighted and had flat feet. They told him he would be suitable for the Police Force so he spent the war years as a Policeman.
He was a self taught pianist and we had many family parties and singalongs. He couldn’t read a note of music but had a fantastic ear for music. He used to say ‘If you can whistle it, I can play it’. '
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Left, reference dated 22nd. October 1924 given to Frank Daly which assisted him in getting the job as barman at the Glen Bar. Apart from this glowing reference, Frank was also given a banjo by the Aylmers as a parting gift. See below.
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The 'L. Aylmer' who provided the reference was Laurence Aylmer, wine merchant. The premises at 9 Bedford Street where Frank worked in his teens and early 20s, we assume to have been an off-licence.
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This is L. Aylmer's entry in the 1907 Glasgow Post Office directory:
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'S.S'. is shorthand for South Side (of Glasgow). Looking at earlier directories, there is a whole family of Aylmers in the licenced trade back in Victorian times. Their businesses were mainly based around the Calton/Bridgeton area.
'I spoke to my son (a guitarist) the other evening and he reminded me of an old banjo in his possession which came from my dad to me. It’s a bit of a wreck and was probably wrecked by me and my brothers when we were kids. The banjo sadly will never play again despite our best efforts to have it renovated. My son has it hanging on his wall at home in the North of Ireland. Originally the banjo was a gift from the Aylmers to my dad.
My dad was known fondly as ‘Big Frank’ and was well known in Rutherglen as the ‘janny’ at St Columbkille’s and even today people still mention him to me and remind me what a great and good man he was.'
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Gerry Daly
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Left/above, reference dated 27th. February 1928 given to Frank Daly by Cecilia Brady when it came time for him to move from the Glen Bar. to St. Collumbkille's school.
Right, Frank Daly (back, left) holding his son, also Frank, whose siblings are shown with some painters in the playround at St. Collumbkille's school, 1936.
Many thanks to Gerry Daly for the information about his dad, Frank, and for the photographs provided. Thanks also to David Jackson for the historical information about the Glen Bar. Acknowledgements to the National Library of Scotland for the use of the extract from the 1907 Glasgow Post Office Directory.
Right, site of the Glen Bar at 173 Main Street. The premises are currently in use as an e-cigarette shop. Before that, it was a Chinese takeaway.
Background map reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland