The Hidden Glasgow Forums

Anyone know much about Bilsland's Bakery? Seems like some of it was knocked down, but the rest is full of small light-industrial units. Big complex, entrances on all 4 sides from what I can make out, but no one obvious main entrance as far as I could tell.




Lots of interesting doorways in this wall:



Managed to find my way inside one part of it, and discovered a carpark with a glass-roof (no idea from the outside that this exists). Might try and get more pics of this area another time:

Nice pics Duncan... must go round for a look.

Found this on a Bilsland genealogy site, a section called "Noticable Bilslands".

BILSLAND BROTHERS LIMITED 1872-1985


James Bilsland ran a small family bakery in Anderston Glasgow.In 1872,he was later joined by his brothers,William,Alexander and John.

William Bilsland had a flair for business and with him at the helm they soon acquired a number of bakeries around Glasgow.

In 1881 Bilsland Brothers became so prosperous they decided to build a factory to help them keep up with the demand. The bakery was completed in 1882 in Hydepark Street,Anderston,Glasgow.
William's main concern was the distribution of the family bread.He acquired 12 vans,as well as horse and carts. Bilslands bread was distributed all over Scotland. He later acquired other firms including Gray and Dunn biscuit manufacturers in 1912.

William Bilsland was a councilor for many years opening many new buildings including a Library in Anderston which was replaced with the Mitchell Library however you can still see a plaque dedicated to his memory.

William later became Lord Provost of Glasgow and was created a baronet in 1907. Sir William Bilsland remained busy helping the poorest parts of the city with houseing and promoting good healthy living with regular hospital check ups for the poor. He also added more parks and made the museums free, he died in 1921.

With the death of Sir William Bilsland in 1921 the bakery passed to his only surving son, Sir Alexander Steven Bilsland,who was educated at St Johns College Cambridge,England,where he studied law.

Along with running his family business he was also the director of many other firms.

He helped pave the way for many other factories and developments in and around Glasgow.

Sir Alexander Steven Bilsland was Knighted in 1955 to Baron Bilsland. He was later to become the director to the Bank of Scotland till 1966 he died in 1970.

Bilsland Brothers Limited lived on as part of Spillers who eventualy disolved the company and sold its smaller bakeries to Mothers Pride.

Bilslands Brothers Bakery was bought by MC Computer Technology who levelled the bakery side but kept the offices.You can still see the sign Bilslands' Bakery from Arygle street.


Does it still have this layout?
Map from 1892-4

And I see from that first photo that's where QualPron is...

For all l337 h4x0r wholesale pr0n

I went over here a few years back.

I was chased off site by a nasty Doberman who belonged to the computer wholesaler that was at that point using the first floor as an offices.

Not sure about it now though - Might be an idea to take a look soon.. Like maybe at the weekend ? Like maybe Friday ?



Chris...

The tower is somewhat iconic on the city skyline. Was there another Bislands on the Southside of the river near to the Co-Op building beside the Kingston Bridge

turbozutek wrote:I was chased off site by a nasty Doberman who belonged to the computer wholesaler that was at that point using the first floor as an offices.

i think they're still using the building, the whole place is pretty much active (although not sure about the upper floors, they look kind of empty)

amcd wrote:Does it still have this layout?
Map from 1892-4

not really, think this map gives a clearer view:
http://193.130.15.3/lizardtech/iserv/getimage?cat=Maps&item=/74416880.sid&cp=0.5242784885450757,0.4005079698721318&lev=3&wid=700&hei=500&

the interior carpark is i think the bit marked as 'cooperage' here. most of the buildings beneath the 'cheapside copper and brass works' is now knocked down, if i'm reading this correctly. the walkways and courts inbetween the buildings look interesting...

who is it that's involved with Soundhaus, would then know much about it (being in one of the units on the top-right)?

The Bilsland building is owned by my good friends of M Computer, hence the big sign on the top.

They bought it years ago when it was cheap, and planned to use the whole building for their business, however they have simply never needed the space thay have available.

The ground floor is admin, offices, service and PC build and service area. The first floor is used to burn in complete network installations before they are taken to site and installed, and they can run run 50 station systems there before releasing them.

Last time I was there this year, the upper floors were still unused.

a couple more old photos of mine:

My mum and my gran used to work in it before it closed. My mum said that there where generations of familys working in it, and that almost half of Anderston had a job in it at some point. My own expeiriences of it as a youngster was well aftyer it had closed though. In the first pic behind the large gate used to be a big skip full of rejects from a company who made sporting goods, sutch as footballs, goalie gloves, cricket bats etc...
We used to scale the fence and nick all the stuff before the guard did his rounds. Also, the dead end at the bottom of that enterance was a famous haunt for prostitution. The working girls would be picked up at Anderston bus station and driven round to Bislands. A gang of us used to sneek down and perv, but had to be quick if we where seen to get back to the top of the street, and on to the 'bridge to knowhere'.

My Dad worked as a cooper next door which ended up as DCL Coioperage but which waas also Black and White. My Grandad was the horse man for the Drey's. I used to love seeing the horses. I have some Photoes but I have to look them out and scan them.

Looks like the bakery is about to get a new lease of life:

http://www.urbanrealm.com/news/3104/Goo ... _bank.html

Strange this should be announced now, as I was walking down there only a couple of weeks ago for the first time since the early 1980s to take a photo for the Wikimapia tag of Bisland's - my dad used to work in the old Roadline/British Road Services depot on Warroch Street - long since demolished of course.

I work in Cheapside Street and it overlooks that site. They probably started working on it the day after RapidAssistant walked down that way!

I'll try to get some shots over the next day or so and update when I can.

you will find a number of items relating to Bilsland Bakery and Gray, Dunn & Co including old invoices, biscuit tins and some shots inside the old bakery enterance at 75 Hydepark Street (the same area you were in).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/robertpool ... 541761643/

Bobby

The images of what the new building will look like are pretty sketchy. Looks like it will also make use of the old Daily Record building site.

Hi i am Ken Lister my great grandad Thomas Lister worked in the bisland bakery for 25 years and finnished in 1937 . this is Thomas Listers gold medal for long service , thought it might be a nice addition to this part of the forum , Thomas Lister passed away at the age of 98 in 1973 i was 5 at the time he was born in stanley perthshire and worked the stanley farm untill he was badly injured by a horse , my nanna was born in stanley farm and they stayed there a while untill they both moved to tannock street in glasgow . and then he worked the bisland bakery , i pass the ruin every now and then and think of my great grandad thomas lister

thanks Ken

ps i can take better pictures of the gold medal if needed was in a rush when i came across this site .