Wallace Bar.
31 Paisley Road West, Kinning Park, Glasgow. G51.
The Wallace Bar. 1991.
In 1873 George McLachlan was landlord here he also owned pubs in Gardner Street, Paisley Road, South Street and Elder Street.
In 1887 George Christie Walker took over the pub. George was born in Keith where he spent most of his younger days, he had a good education in commercial and business training. He left for London where he spent a few years and other parts of England before returning to Scotland. He came to Glasgow and worked for Thomas Young & Co, south side publican's.
Thomas Young & Co had premises on Paisley Road, Crookston Street and the Gallowgate, young George Walker managed the pub on Paisley Road and succeeded in becoming a partner in the firm. Maybe this was a business arrangement between Mr Young and Walker as George married his bosses illegitimate daughter who died in childbirth, leaving a baby daughter Winifred.When Thomas Young died George Christie Walker and a son Thomas Pringle Young were to inherit the business.
George then went on to take over George McLachlan's pub on Paisley Road West. The pub was renamed from McLachlan's to The Alhambra Bar, George sold mostly whisky and wine in the pub. In 1892 he reduced the price of his beer and stout to try and encourage more ale drinkers into his establishment, a gamble that paid off. George now had ale and whisky drinker in his premises. In his spare time he would ride horses, he was also in the Queen's own Yeoman's.
In 1893 extensive alterations were made, including a horse shoe bar of seventy three feet in length.
George later opened another pub in the south side, this time in the Gorbals at 117-19 Oxford Street, this pub sat at the corner of North Coburg Street.
In 1910 Wallace B Todd took over the pub, Wallace ran the pub until the outbreak of the First World War, his wife Janet then took over as licensee until the end of this horrific war.
Another well known face in the pub was Thomas McAuley, the McAuley family ran this pub for over thirty years.
The Wallace Bar has been close now for some time.
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