Cumberland St Station and The Office bar

[DannyGill]

First of all many thanks to the admin for splitting this subject as this, in turn, has allowed me to post a picture which I referred to in my very first post "empty beer bottles" and, of course, there were no vehicles in Wellcroft Place when I lived there. The picture is a blink of the eye which takes me back to my childhood. Thanks also to Freddie and "wee blether" for giving me the name of the paint factory which through the eyes of a 5 to 6 year old, I dedicate the following poem which I wrote years ago and it sums up all or most of my postings on the site.

******

A penny from a paintmaker
It was every Friday afternoon after school finished for my brother and me
We would run to the paint store faces full of glee
A sort of lesson in giving with the price not very high
A gift from someone else's father who seems a little shy
A large door slides open out comes the foreman without a care
He has adopted the two wee boys for his wages to share

For this is The Gorbals of Glasgow where there is poverty
but a penny from a paint maker makes us very happy

You might ask where mum and dad are at this important hour
Well dad is on the back shift and mum has just gone into labour
But we are well looked after by a sister who is nearly 10
On her tiny shoulders are the lives of 6 little children
You see she cooks and cleans for all of us in a quiet sort of way
Until mum is out of hospital that's the way it will stay

For this is The Gorbals of Glasgow where there is poverty
but a penny from a paint maker makes us very happy

**********

I was never old enough to drink at The Office but before I left Scotland I drank at The Grand Arms on a Saturday night and went to The Lindella Club (Hope Street) with a few friends. Ironically enough during the war my father met my mother in this pub.

Best regards Reg

Hi Reg,
Hidden talents mate, I enjoyed your wee poem. Well done.
Regards.
Danny.

[DannyGill]

Hi Gang,
Many thanks to all who have contributed to the "mix up" to the two entrances one at Eglinton st and one at Salisbuty st, I think that going through the links kindly provided shows us there actually was two entrances. I thought there was only one [at Eginton st] but I was wrong [again ha ha]. Many thanks to everyone who took the time to post in regards to this matter.
Regards.
Danny.

[accobra]

Hi All ,

Apologies to everyone it was "The Grant Arms " and not The Grand arms as stated on original post.

Best Regards Reg

[DannyGill]

Hi All ,

Apologies to everyone it was "The Grant Arms " and not The Grand arms as stated on original post.

Best Regards Reg

Hi Reg,
I knew where you meant =the Grant Arms in Argyle st almost under the Heilin mans umberella, I used to have a few beers there myself [of course that was in our younger days ]
Regards .
Danny

[amelia]

Hi gang the picture of Salisbury St. brought happy memories to me, my dad used to stand at this corner. When I was young it was used as a station but later on Scragowitz and Gillman the furniture makers had it, they also had premises in Surrey St.
The workers who worked in Hillington used to use it and my ma and all of us could "Hing oot the windae" and watch the engine drivers and shout over to them.
The shop that is in the picture of the station was a cooked meat shop and we used to buy polony from it remember it had a thin red skin around it, then there was the lane and after that you came to the rag store that was on the corner of Surrey St. my ma used to send us around to it with any rags she had to get coppers for them. I often wish someone had a full photo of Salisbury St. On the even side they had Teachers the pub a close I think you go through it and come out at Cumberland St. a wee shop house then up a bit you had Maxwells they were a removers then the close was 14 Salisbury St up to 22. the closes 14/16 had bigger houses than us then the next closes were room and kitchen they had a wash house in the back. Then there was a garage and a chrome and platers work then you came to Cavendish St.
Across the road you had a pub called Lundies then there were 2 closes and then the fruit shop "Chrissies" she was a blonde woman and I remember she had a thing like a bunker where she shovelled the tatties into your bag. Next to that you had a queer building we called the "throughgie" you could walk through it to the Surrey lane then the closes started again at 33 down to 14 but between 14/16 you had Mrs Bradleys shop remember she used to have a check machine in it and then there was Georges the dairy so that is all that was in my street but I loved it, brilliant roads to skate on and cycle. Couldnae skate noo if you were to pay me Amelia

[accobra]

hI Freddy & Wee Blether ,
Thanks for your post on above subject. UNfortunately I cannot answer your mention of the bar
being called Mc Manus,s? Perhaps someone out there can confirmthis for you .
I left when Iwas age 7 and my memory is the Striped Tiger sign and the name "Aitkens"
I also remember the Bakery and the paint factory but did not know that they were both called
Johnson's. Ironically there was a Bakery in Partick with the same name which I worked for delivering 20 dozen rolls six days a week when I was at Secondary school Could they have been the same company.?
My poem relates to that paint company and the kindness of the the Foreman who would slide the door open and come out for some fresh air. Strange as it may appear but i love the smell of paint when I am
decorating and also find it relaxing Any my memories are for a short window of time but few as they
are they are all treasured ones and the folks around us were Diamonds!!

Best regards Reg

[amelia]

Hi Gang
Was the bakery shop at the corner of Wellcroft pl./ Cumberland St. not called AF Reids there was also the Thompson school of dancing in Cumberland St. and was there not a place that made pianos.
Also at the corner of Abbotsford Pl./Cumberland St. there was the foot clinic can anyone remember these places. Also the church across from these places was it called the Rennick church
Amelia

[accobra]

Hi , Amelia
Many thanks for your reply to above posts and i am just going to say that the detail on the first one
is probably as far as content goes one of the best if not the best I have read .
I went to Abbottsford Place School so I must have past one or two places that you have
mentioned ,but all I remember about that walk was when it was blowing a gale and elderly people
were being blown against an old tenement wall. Unfortunately I am unable to remember a lot of the
places mentioned but what a hive of activity, but the c oal bunker with the spuds i do remember my mother taking me there and thinking how funny it was to get her spuds in this way . Ironically enough
for a Saturday job I used to deliver friut and veg from an old 1950's Ambulance around the streets of Knightswood.< a stone of potatoes then was one shilling and twopence> that equates to an old
penny per pound.??
Finally excuse my ignorance but what was a "Check Machine"

Best regards Reg

[amelia]

Hi Reg

A check machine was a one armed bandit, you gave the shop owner money and she gave you back these metal coins to the value of the money you gave her that you inserted into the machine and if you got 3 oranges etc you won checks and I cannot remember if she gave you back money or you had to buy stuff to the value of what you had won from her shop, maybe someone else will remember.
They are just like the machines that you see in these amusement shops or the bookies only the were a small machine. Maybe someone can google it up.
Abbotsford place school has been sold to the Asian community as far as I have been told they are making it into a nursery or school of some kind.

Amelia

[accobra]

Hi Amelia ,

Thanks for solving that mystery for me . I was actually thinking when I saw the word "check" it was
to do with a "Provvie" or provident "cheque" . Now that is a whole new can of worms to open .!!
And as far as Abbottsford place School is concerned the only two names that I remember
from way back was twins called Mamood and Masood. How ironic .

Best regards Reg