Bye Bye to the Griffin Bar

[scaryman2u]

There`s a wee lady in there the noo Weasler.... we call her Peggy Mitchell and she loves it

[viceroy]

I dont know the origins of ownership for the Griffin, but i do remember drinking in there during the 80,s and was owned by a Mr Griffin, and his son also worked there. The place i worked at then had a nickname for Mr Griffin(ShineyArse) due to his rather uncleaned and shiney trousers.

His son had a beard and a Canadian accent, and was a rather obnoxious character, as was his father. The wee lady we nicknamed Molly Weir also worked there at the time and was also there up until it shutdown a few weeks ago. Dont know if she still works there now as i havent seen her since it re-opened.

Weasler....

The pub was in the hands of the Griffin family for at least 3 generations. I started going there in 1971 and occasionally you would see a rather distinguished looking elderly gentleman on the premises wearing a bowler hat. This was the patriarch of the family who, I believe, had owned the pub since the 1930’s. It was called the King’s Arms originally and he simply took his own surname and renamed it The Griffin. Legend had it that the money he used to buy the establishment had been obtained by nefarious means, but this may have been just an urban myth.

Griffin sr. passed away in the early 1970’s and his son then took over. This was the Mr. Griffin mentioned above. His name was Bill and he had emigrated to the USA [not Canada] as a young man and brought up his family there. He was always affable towards the customers, myself included, but he was most definitely a hardnosed businessman and I don’t think the staff liked him very much. His wife also worked in the pub – she supervised the preparation of the lunches – and I remember her as being very pleasant.

His [bearded] son was called Frank and he gradually took over the day to day running of the premises, while his father concentrated on looking after the Griffin Hotel in Bothwell, which was also owned by the family. As far as I can remember Frank was a Vietnam War veteran, ex US Navy I believe. Personally I quite liked him but at times he did have a slightly arrogant manner which didn’t always go down well. Like his father, he was something of a disciplinarian in the way he treated the staff. There was also a daughter called Veronica who worked in the pub for a while but she decided to go back to America.

Eventually of course the family sold out. I haven't been in The Griffin for something like 20 years and I’ve often wondered what happened to Frank and what he’s doing now.

[Josef]

His [bearded] son was called Frank and he gradually took over the day to day running of the premises, while his father concentrated on looking after the Griffin Hotel in Bothwell, which was also owned by the family.

Although I've been in both, I would never have put two and two together here, probably because I didn't realise that the bar was eponymous (like the Kenwood electrical company- never realised until I read Ken Wood's obituary).

Thanks for this, Viceroy.

[MacotheIsles]

Was there not a Griffin in Alexandria or Balloch as well? I used to do the advertising on the Helensburgh Advertiser back in the late 70s and I'm was always under the impression that the one whose adverts I was designing was part of a set.

I did a griffin logotype for them but it was rejected for being too demonic. And my artistic career has been on the slide ever since.

[viceroy]

Personally I don't recollect hearing any of the Griffin family refer to another establishment in Alexandria/Balloch. But that doesn't mean to say there wasn't one, although even if there was it might not have had any association with the family in spite of its name.

I'm sure there will be some HG members from that neck of the woods who can verify this one way or the other.

[MacotheIsles]

Just found a link to the Griffin Hotel Alexandria regarding its conversion into flats around 2004. As you say Viceroy it may not have been a bona fide Griffin Griffin although I'd always thought it was.

[HollowHorn]

The pub was in the hands of the Griffin family for at least 3 generations.......

Stunning post there, Viceroy. Oral history is living history, cheers

[weasler]

Viceroy, That info was Brilliant, I often wondered about the history of this establishment and i had a hunch that it had been in the family for some years.

I sort of remember when the pub was sold to the brewers(cant remember what brewers), it was the early 1990,s maybe 1991, and if my memory serves me right the son Frank was given the charge hand for a year or so after the sale.

Viceroy can you confirm if the wee lady Molly/Peggy was working there in the 1970,s? as she looks like she has been there for years. Her real name is Anne.

Weasler...

[viceroy]

Viceroy can you confirm if the wee lady Molly/Peggy was working there in the 1970,s? as she looks like she has been there for years. Her real name is Anne.

Weasler...

Hi Weasler

I had a feeling somebody would ask me that. Unfortunately I cannot offhand remember a lady by the name of Molly/Peggy or Anne. Having said that, the Griffin did have a large succession of female staff over the years and it's possible that she was there when I frequented the place, which was from 1971 to the early/mid 1980's. I do remember a barmaid called Maureen [quite a character] who was usually referred to as Mo, but I believe she moved to London. If I knew what Molly/Peggy/Anne looked like maybe I would recognize her [making allowance for the passing of the years, of course].

[My Kitten]

open up again soon Griffin!!!

Where else in the City Centre could you get pie chips beans and a pint for £3.05!!!!

You get a 3-course meal in the Star Bar for 99p.

PK

Is it not £2 now. The horseshoe bar lunch is a good one too.

[weasler]

Great Photo Kitten, But where is the Star bar?

[onyirtodd]

Great Photo Kitten, But where is the Star bar?

Eglinton Toll, opposite what was the Plaza (?)

[My Kitten]

Great Photo Kitten, But where is the Star bar?

Eglinton Toll, opposite what was the Plaza (?)

Indeedy!

[The Voyageur]

Glasgow's Flat Iron...

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[Josef]

One of my very favourite buildings in the whole world. Ye can keep yer Empire State building; if ever I go to New York it will probably be mainly just to gaze at the Flat Iron.