Hastie’s Farm

Blantyre's Ain Website

Blantyre, Lanarkshire, ScotlandGlasgow Road South

Hastie’s Farm

Hastie's Farm

Hastie’s Farm a working farm till the 1960s and then a Night Club and Restaurant. The best night out in Blantyre at one time. They came by the bus load. There were more marriages joined and broken here than anywhere else. My Mum worked there when it was a farm, and if she answered the phone she had to say, “Blantyre Five O, and not 5 zero or 5 nothing. It is now Victoria Nursing Home.

Stonefield Farm which was known locally as Hastie’s Farm was situated in Victoria Street near to its junction with Glasgow Road. In the 1960s the farm declined to such an extent that it ceased to operate as a working farm and was sold by the Hastie family to Mr. Robert Brown, a local Building Contractor, in 1963. In 1964, Bobby Brown leased out the main farmhouse and an adjoining building to a Taxi firm, whilst he himself opened a room at the right-hand side of the entrance as a small Cafe in which he installed a piano and pianist who provided live music for the customers! The Taxi firm didn’t last very long but the Cafe took off, and I am quite sure that it was then that Bobby Brown got the idea that with further adaptations to the remaining buildings, a Restaurant and Bar could be created within whilst retaining the architecture, heritage and historic old world atmosphere of the original farm!

Hastie's Farm Staff Party

Hastie’s Farm Staff Party, Bobby Brown, owner, in centre.

When the conversion was complete, a food and drinks licence was granted. This together with the fine food, drink, audience participation and live music provided by ‘The John Doc Trio’ (John Doc, Bryce Sloan and John Healy) plus the unique ambience created within the restored barn, was instrumental in making the farm into a high-class Restaurant and Bar, which was considered by many, to be the best in the West of Scotland. I must say here that it was during this time that many of our local talents came to the fore when they performed in front of a live audience.

When in 1979 Bobby Brown decided to retire and sold the complex onto Sam Plotnikoff, a young business man from Glasgow. Sam carried on the same traditions and high standards of the Bobby Brown era, viz; fine food, drink and live music, etc. I think it would be true to say that he improved Hastie’s image, when during a slight recession in trade, he refurbished the small Cafe-cum-lounge and opened it up as Bananas Disco and decided to bring some international stars to the Farm. Some of the celebrities, actors and artists who came to Hastie’s at that time, not all to perform, but just to see and be seen was, Matt Munro, Ruby Murray, Frank Ifield, Vince Hill, Marty Wilde, Jiminy Cricket, Alistair McDonald, Russel Hunter, Neville Taylor, Brian Taylor, The Dutch College Swing Band, The Livingstones, Christian, John Cairney, Aker Bilk, Andy Cameron, Hector Nicol, Jock Stein. Many of Celtic, Rangers and other Scottish Football teams players were seen from time to time.

In 1985, Sam a business man, decided that due to a slight decline in trade and to give himself some time to attend to his other interests in Snooker Clubs, put the farm up for sale. The ‘Farm’ was taken over by a Company known as Lanarkshire Holdings.

The Company did not have the same interest or charisma as the two previous owners and trade continued to decline. Conversions were made to the main dining area and other areas within the building which were renamed Zigfields, Barnums, Panama Jacks, Bananas, Happy Jacks respectively, but still the decline continued and the complex closed late 1989.

On Hogmanay night, 1990, just minutes before the bells, a fire was discovered in the roof space of the main building. The Fire Brigade was sent for. On arrival, the entire roof was seen to be involved and damaged to such an extent, that the building was considered unsafe and demolition was recommended. Some time later, the buildings were demolished, and Blantyre had lost the best Restaurant and Bar, with the best in Entertainment, in the West of Scotland. Call it what you may, Stonefield Farm, will always be known as ‘Hastie’s Farm’ to the clientele who still miss it to this day. “Blantir’s no ra same withoot it, sure its no?”

Acknowledgements: James Cornfield, Sam Plotnikoff, Frank (Jinxy) Regan, John Rodwell, John Cummiskey, Archie Daly, Margaret Allan, Mary McGinty, Andy Dewar, June Finlay, Cissy Long and many other’s.

In 1975, Hastie’s burned down. My nana Kathy Brown was in South Africa at the time. She sent a postcard which arrived after the fire, in which she said, “Having a lovely time. See you soon. Keep the home fires burning.” Little did she know what had actually happened.

Bobby Brown had the place fully rebuilt and open for business three weeks after the fire. The place was just a busy as ever, but it was never quite the same.

This Hastie’s Farm photo shows the place after the rebuild, as can be seen by the newer roof covering most of the length of the building.
Lon McIlwraith – Vancouver (Grandson of Bobby Brown)

Hastie's Farm
Hastie’s Farm after Refurbishment

Thomas Dunsmuir Hartman remembers, “On the left-hand corner of Victoria Street looking South stood Ness’s School. On the other side of the street was the start of a tenement type building (Annfield Terrace), which continued up the Glasgow Road. On the corner of this tenement building was a grocery store. (Gibson’s shop grocery & provisions). Further on up past the tenement building was the entrance to Hastie’s Farm.

This was a farm as I knew it in the 1930s it it had cows and a dairy with a lot of stable space, which was used by the farmer and local carters for sheltering their horses. I can remember the large cobble stones through-out the yard and all of the slipping and sliding that went on those frosty mornings when they were first brought out of the stables to be harnessed, they seemed to have a sense telling them that they had to tread much more carefully on a morning like this. Most of the horses were Clydesdale’s.

John Hutchison, who follows Blantyre’s Ain was checking on his Matchbook collection and found two pertaining to Blantyre. This one for Hastie’s Farm and another for Mickey’s Cafe..
Victoria Nursing Home

Victoria Nursing Home. By the 1950’s Hastie’s farm started to go through a change where it was turned into a Restaurant and Banqueting Facilities. Over the years, it became very well-known in Lanarkshire and drew a fairly large crowd most nights. It had to have been going for nearly 30 years before it was sold and in its place now stands a Retirement Home called Victoria Nursing Home.Further up the street, there quite a Fruit, Vegetable, and Plant Nursery where a lot of the locals bought their tomatoes and seedlings for their allotments or small holdings.”

 

Hi Bill

I’m not quite sure why I looked up Blantyre today but came across the website showing Hastie’s Farm. The write-up talked about the time when it was a night club and yes, I was in that too but as I sat at the bar, I was telling my husband that’s where the office was, that’s where the pit was, garages down that end and Grannie lived over there.

Yes, I am the eldest granddaughter of Mary and John Cunningham who owned and farmed it for many a long year. My aunt Betty is the only surviving child and should you wish to get some older history of Hastie’s I’m sure she would love to help you. I remember running around the yard and being told to keep out of the pit where my uncle was working under a car. He also drove the wedding car, and we often were to be found outside the Burleigh church on a Saturday waiting for the bride coming out. Grannie always had a few pennies in her apron in case none had been dropped inside the car I only found this out many years later.

My other grandparents owned Gilmour’s Draper shop on the Glasgow Road and there is a photograph in the booklet Hamilton and Old Blantyre.

I was so pleased to see the photograph of Hastie’s on the website there is another one, which hangs in Hamilton Ice Rink, and it has the Hastie boys with their Curling Trophy played for on the local pond. This is no small trophy. I can assure you, and they were founder members of the club. The trophy should now be in Hamilton Museum as this is the first year it won’t be played for due to smaller club size but my Aunt wanted it to remain within the area.

Thanks for bringing back some very good memories.

regards

Joan Anderson (nee Gilmour)

Lon McIlwraith: Bobby Broon kept pigs, chickens and even a donkey doon at the end of the yard. Auld Charlie tended to them and kept a wee greenhouse going too. Bobby Broon fed the pigs with all the leftover food and beer slops from Hasties’ three kitchens and bars. An urban farm long after the original farm had gone.

Before it was a pub it was a National petrol station and service garage. The disused pumps and wee glass office were still there years later, you had to drive through them into the back parking lot.

John Cornfield says, “I worked here on the door when it was Hastie’s Farm then the front end was Bananas and the big room at the back was still Hastie’s this was when Sam Plotnicoff had it.
Then James Mortimer bought it and changed the front to Barnum’s and the back to Ziegfield’s, very state of the art nightclub of its time . Two of the doormen who were the best ever in Blantyre who Worked there when it was Hastie’s were Mr Terry White and Mr John Rodwell, I have much respect for both who’ve sadly passed away”.


Here are some of your memories…

Colleen Mitchell: I used to go there when I was really young for my dinner! Can still remember the inside, good memories.

Boski Bell: Can mind the last few years of HASTIES, before it was turned into ZIEGFIELDS / ZIGGIES. That we aw went tae every weekend, or 50p a drink night ,,,,, pmsl.

Len Northfield: My first job was at Hasties.

Eddie Mcguire: I spent the best year’s of my life ducking and diving oot a that building, wish it was still here. It had a character I have never came across anywhere else, don’t know what it is was. I loved the smell, the oak beams, the brass, the food, the big chunky pint tumblers with a handle, don’t forget could go on on on great times.

Stuart Oneil: 50/50. ziggy’s on a Thursday nite, the place was heaving!. 50p to get in/50p a drink.

Maureen McGilligan Downie: Do u remember the Tuesday Market in front of Hasties Farm.

Stevie Brown: I would love to have seen Hasties back in the day. Bobby Brown was my great uncle, and my dad told me how great the place used to be and would be mobbed most of the time. My mum also has fond memories of the place.

Maureen McGilligan Downie: Stevie, my Mum worked for your Uncle Bobby and he used to let me go in after school and wait for my Mum to finish work. I would get a plate of chips and a juice and one day we had a thunder storm and he drove all the workers home in his Rolls Royce, he was a lovely Man x

Irene Berry Milligan: I had my wedding reception there in June 73.

Carolann Bate Graham: I have so many memories of Hastie’s, my Dad (Gary Bate) worked for Sam and we would go down and help wash glasses at charity nights and I always remember the place always being heaving!..

Liz Miller: I speak of it often… it was a great place to go .. Was a regular, it’s so sad how a great place always vanishes … great memories… born ‘n bread from blantyre… the good old days…

Fran Mcdermott Walters: Happy memories of that place x

Gordon McInnes Finbow: That’s a blast from the past. My mum and dad used to take me there quite frequently.

Audrey Marshall: I remember the market too and the chicken in a basket – 70s heaven!

Catherine McConnell: remember leaving 12 0’clock Mass at communion to get a good table on a Sunday…lol

Billy Purse: my maw worked in the kitchens, so did I, loved it when the teachers came doon an hid their fish n chips an am sitting eating spare ribs and king prawns… magic it was.

Laurie Allan Crothers: My dad worked for Bobby Broon as a builder. He built the big ‘back end’ as he called it. Thursdays and Saturdays were the big ‘singsong’ nights. This is where I made my singing debut in Blantyre at the ripe old age of 11. Sang with the John Doc Trio. Brilliant.

Fran Mcdermott Walters: our mammy worked there as well.. Betty McDermott , and so did we all in the end lol x

Karen Feelie: I can remember a wee market on the ground where the home was, I was a wee lassie then and that is where a got my ears pierced

Helen Dyer: I had my wedding reception at Hasties Farm.. 1973.. took my friends daughter to the market to get her ears pierced and she got up and ran away after the woman did the first ear. I had to chase her through the market to bring her back. She didn’t get the other one done… lol it was so funny.

Marie McDermott: Was my first job. Helped out in the kitchen when there was shows on. Worked with Cissy. she was the boss. Then I used to clean with my mum Betty McDermott when it was Ziggy’ s. The womens toilets were worse than the mens. lol fact.xx

Fran Mcdermott Walters: Same here sis, then got promoted to cleaning the tables, then there was Zeigfield’s… loved it there x

Elizabeth Dobson Grieve: My Aunt Margaret worked there in the early 1920’s before she emigrated to Canada, Margaret Clelland.

Annie Murdoch Anderson Black: I remember all of this and when I used to come back home spent some time in these places dancing the night away, home sick again..

Margaret Lappin: Worked in Ziegfield’s and Barnum’s, great Sunday sesh always! They were the days April!!!

April Mcmahon: They sure were mag lol !!! Ziegfeld memories lol !!!

Anne Bain: Sunday afternoons singalong. Me and my friends loved it.

Alice Murray: Have memories of hanging about outside there waiting for my dad to get a pound off him lol x

Carolyn Patterson: I used to go in there for lunch with my mum and aunty, then when I was older we went to Bananas Disco lol !!!! those were the days !!!

If you have any Photos… Send them to Bill

Blantyre, Lanarkshire, Scotland

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