ONE OF Glasgow’s oldest surviving pubs has welcomed its fair share of celebrities over the decades.
Bath Street’s famous pub, which re-opens this week after closing during lockdown, sits right across the road from the King’s Theatre.
On any given show night, you never quite know who will be popping in – like the time Billy Connolly surprised staff and punters by turning up to watch city rockers Glasvegas play in a secret warm-up gig for the Magners Summer Nights Festival. It was 2015, and the Big Yin took time to pose for photos with the crowd.
Famously, Scottish soap High Road’s legendary cleaner Effie McInnes – alias actress Mary Riggans –once cleared glasses from tables at chucking out time during her run at The King’s.
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Still Game stars Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill, snooker players Alex Higgins and Alan McManus, comedian and presenter Paul O’Grady, actors Claire Sweeney and Joe McGann and Del Amitri frontman Justin Currie have also visited The Griffin.
Phil Differ the comedian and writer and producer behind shows such as Scotch & Wry, Naked Video, Chewin' the Fat and Only an Excuse? performed a one man show there, and the pub was also heavily namechecked in Espedair Street, a novel by Scottish author Iain Banks.
Despite its name, and being set in Edinburgh, Sunshine on Leith - the musical based on The Proclaimers' songs - also went on location in Glasgow, with one famous scene filmed at The Griffin.
The Griffin is one of Glasgow’s oldest surviving pubs, having operated on the same site on the corner of Bath Street and Elmbank Street since 1903. There has been a pub on the site since 1865, in fact. Originally it was owned by Glasgow publican John Lawrie, who began trading as a wine and spirit merchant Glasgow in the 1840s and who owned pubs in Sauchiehall Street, Queen Street and Howard Street.
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The original building was demolished at the start of 20th century. The current building was designed in 1903 by architect William Reid for Duncan Tweedley, who took over the business from Martin Wallace in 1891.
The original, carved wood frontage remains, while the original etched glass windows have been replaced. The interior, including the ceiling, is largely original.
After Tweedley, the licence for the premises was held by George Owen, who also owned the Empire Bar in West Nile Street, The Bay Horse in Bath Street and the Garrick in Wellington Street.
New lounge and dining areas, named the Griffini and the Griffinette, were installed by William Griffin, the publican who took over the 1960s and called the pub after the family name (it was previously known as the King’s Arms.)
When he died in 1974, his granddaughter Veronica and her family moved over from New York to take the reins. Veronica’s mother did the cooking, bringing American influences like tacos and to Sauchiehall Street, while Veronica and her brother are famed for bringing tequila to the city….
In 2020, Veronica visited from LA, and popped in to chat to staff and pull some pints.
The Griffin is due to re-open this week under new ownership after being closed for more than two years.
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