West End Bar

The West End Bar

Next there was The Volunteer Arms in Walker’s Building, Glasgow Road, West End. Also known as The Crossguns, owned by Mr. Roberts whose son John owned The Priory Bar.

MacNeil’s Building & Pub.

The West End Bar – West End Place, Glasgow Road. Approximately 50-60 yards from The Volunteer Arms. Also known as Bennett’s, a previous owner and The Farmers Club. Latterly owned by the family of Captain MacNeil, who earlier owned The Caledonian Bar in High Blantyre.

A BLANTYRE family have called last orders – after running The West End Bar for the past 74 years.

The MacNeil family waved good-bye to the pub, in Blantyre’s Glasgow Road last month – after serving the people from the town for the past seven decades.

The story of the family’s association with The West End Bar began in 1925 when Captain Joseph MacNeil, a retired Merchant Navy captain, left the Isle of Barra with his wife Elizabeth to start a new life in Blantyre.

The couple bought a pub in High Blantyre from the Pearson family and renamed it the Caledonian, but locals knew the establishment as “the Hielandmans” in homage to Captain MacNeil.

McNeil's Shield

They ran the pub for nine years before moving their business to Glasgow Road in 1934. They took over The Farmers Club, which is now known as The West End Bar.

Since then, the pub has been run by several members of the MacNeil family, including Donald, Mary, Ian, Joseph and Nan McGhie, who is now the last surviving member of the original family. Nan, who was the licensee of the pub, celebrated her 80th birthday in August.

The third generation of the MacNeil family – Elizabeth Campbell, Kathryn Clarke, Mary-Jo Furlong and Felix MacNeil – continued to run the pub until October this year, 2008.

On behalf of the whole family, Mary-Jo commented: “Throughout the years, most of the family have continued to work and live in Blantyre. The pub has, and continues to be, a well-known landmark and is renowned for its support for local groups.

“It was a very difficult decision within the family to leave the licensing trade. So many of our patrons are extended members of our family.

“Generations of the same Blantyre families have journeyed with us through the years.

“But none of us have children and there was nobody to pass the reins to.

“We all have other jobs and Felix, who was the bar manager, is looking for a new career.

“We would like to thank all of our friends at The West End Bar for their continued friendship and loyalty throughout the years.

“We wish every success to the new owners Maura, Mick, Dougie and their staff.”

When James Cornfield traded me this photo, he said that at this time the building was a Wholesale Grocers owned by Robert Craig of the Old Bar. You can clearly see the sign, ‘Wholesale’ but whether it referred to Grocers or Wines, I can’t be certain. The men gathering are probably waiting for transport to Bardykes Pit to start their shift, said James.