Still Game star welcomed 46-year-old pub back to Glasgow

This Glasgow bar has had a few lives, but after almost half a century in Candleriggs, it still evokes the quality and charm of a good old-fashioned pub.

A wander through the Merchant City today will lead you to a labyrinth of pubs, restaurants and bars in which to enjoy lunch with friends, a few drinks or a night on the town.

If you’re after all three, there’s a spot on Bell Street providing a choice selection of beers, good grub and a side order of a relaxed atmosphere.

(Image: Blackfriars) When the ribbon was cut at Blackfriars in summer 2022, it wasn’t a brand-new arrival but the return of a beloved favourite to our city.

This pub was saved from a closure forced by the pandemic, and before that, it had been part of the Merchant City furniture since the early 1990s.

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But did you know about its past lives before it was Blackfriars?

When Blackfriars was a ghost town (Image: Newsquest)In 1978, Candleriggs – once a quieter part of the city – was beginning to brew with new arrivals.

New businesses were appearing such as a showroom for Dyer Interiors which sold curtain materials and carpet samples at discounted prices, a luxury men-only sauna club, and The Bell Geordie.

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This was the original name of 36 Bell Street, and the pub was run by history buff and local proprietor Jim McGavock.

The Bell Geordie was Mr McGavock’s first deep dive into hospitality and he reportedly spent a great deal of time and money gutting out the venue, which was a former butcher shop, to create a traditional homely pub.

(Image: Blackfriars) Mr McGavock was fascinated by the history of the characters of 18th-century Glasgow, so he designed the bar’s theme and named based on it.

The pub was named after George Gibson, an assistant bell ringer who eventually lost his job after he accused the city’s magistrates of corruption.

His portrait was one of many hung on the walls of the pub, which served a range of real ales and British and Italian dishes to the delight of customers, such as pate, smoked salmon, steaks, venison and veal.

(Image: Blackfriars)

Mr McGavock reportedly charged punters as little as £1.50 for lunch, and he aimed to make The Bell Geordie an inviting place for any and all tastes.

It sadly only lasted a few years and reopened as Rockwells in 1983. This change in name brought with it a change in theme, with Rockwells resembling a 1950s American-style bar.

Still Game's Gavin Mitchell at the grand re-opening (Image: Blackfriars) But the name many of us remember most clearly is the one that’s been on the front of this pub since 1991. Blackfriars is back with a new team at the helm, the same minds behind city venues The Duke’s Umbrella and Gost.

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With traditional ales, pies and chips as well as enticing new options like a hot sauce burger, the  team said they “wanted to give this Glasgow pub staple a facelift and refresh the menu; creating something that’s familiar but still exciting.”

And who was a better choice to help welcome customers through the doors once again than Glasgow’s most famous barman?

(Image: Blackfriars) Boaby the Barman from Still Game, a.k.a. actor Gavin Mitchell, was on hand to cut the ribbon and celebrate the return of a city favourite brought back to life.

Gavin said: “I’m delighted to see the legendary Blackfriars being saved and reopening.

"A few more choices of beer here than The Clansman, and more than just pies on the menu.

"Superb to see they are offering comedians plenty of gig opportunities and events, bringing back a buzz to Merchant City.”