John McNicol & Sons - Strathbungo's Zulu Connection

The removal of the signage for 1st Class Restorations above the alleyway at 674 Pollockshaws Road has revealed another glimpse into the history of the village in revealing the name of JOHN MCNICOL & SONS JOINERS & VAT & TUN BUILDERS.

Although we haven't been able to discover anything more about the company at this site we did find them in Grace's Guide to British Industrial History  which states that that the company was established in 1904 and in 1914 were located at 202 - 204 Rutherglen Road, Glasgow, employing 12 people and listed as 'Joiners and vat and tun builders. Specialities: vats, wooden tanks of all sizes and shapes and erected at home and abroad/ chemical tanks; refrigerators; wooden shives and plugs: general turners'.

When the Birmingham based Kynoch company closed their ammunitions factory in Ireland which had employed almost 5,000 workers during World War 1 and moved production to Umlazi in South Africa in order to supply explosives to the gold mining operations on the Witwatersrand, 

John McNicol & Sons erected all the Vat Plant for the South African Factory which initially employed workers who had transferred from the Irish plant and the town of Umbogintwini or "Mbokodweni" in Zulu was established to house these Irish immigrant workers.  John Udal who was the general manager of both the Irish and South African sites aggressively pursued the recruitment of local Zulu workers with 15 years old boys being offered five-year apprenticeship with the factory with Kynoch providing being accommodation food and payment 12/- a month, rising to 16/- following completion of their apprenticeships.

The South African Kynoch company diversified into the production of fertilizer and grew from strength to strength.

Strathbungo the Pottery Village

The village is fast becoming a centre for pottery with Govanhill Baths Ceramics operating from the Deep End arts space at 21 Nithsdale Street since late June 2019 and Wild Gorse Pottery opening on 5th October at 684 Pollockshaws Road by professional Potter Jen Smith. 

Both Govanhill Ceramics and Wild Gorse Pottery provide a range of pottery classes and courses, further details can be found here:


Govanhill Baths Ceramics

Wild Gorse Pottery

Vini in the Village!

Bar Vini opened on 12 September 2019 in the former site of The Depot bar at 80 Victoria Road, Strathbungo. Initially offering a front wine and antipasti bar,, their plans are to open a trattoria in the backroom in mid-October. The bar offers a selection of wine by the glass and a small antipasti menu with aperitivo (happy hour) running daily from 4pm-6pm.

Have a Butcher's at this Historic Signage

Following the closure of the short-lived Kowloon Bar and Kitchen at 72 Nithsdale Road, work being undertaken by the new owners has revealed a look back into the history of the village.  The rear of the building backs onto Nithsdale Street and the sign refers to a previous owner, William Bennie and Sons Butchers. The Post-Office annual Directory record of 1894/95 show that the said butcher was located at 62 Nithsdale Road, Strathbungo and even further back in 1878/79 the same directory lists William Bennie as living at 19 Titwood Place, Strathbungo and having a Flesher's shop at 4, 5 and 8 Titwood Place. Flesher being Scots for a butcher.

Titwood Place was the original name for what is now 18-76 Nithsdale Road.  Given the fact that the street was build in 1876 by Alexander 'Greek' Thomson's partner Robert Turnbill a year after the architect himself had passed away, it's fair to assume that William Bennie would have been the first occupier of the building. Bennie also had another Flesher's shop at 29 Vermont Street.

The name change from Titwood Place to Nithsdale Road came with the development of Nithsdale Street, although reminders of its former title still exist, not least of all in the name of the Titwood Bar located at 52-58 Nithsdale Road.

Strathbungo Village is Scotland's Seventh Best Place to Live

It's official our wee village on the South Side of Glasgow has been recognised as one of the top ten places to live in Scotland. The Sunday Times list of the best places to live in the UK has included Strathbungo Village within its top ten places to live north of the Tweed. Here's what they said about us:

 Sandwiched between the grit of Southside and the grand villas of Pollokshields, this family-friendly enclave unites an ever-improving menu of restaurants and cafes with an authentic sense of community. There’s a choice of secondary schools, and the improving Shawlands Academy is easing the pressure on tiger parents to fork out for private Hutcheson’s Grammar or move to East Renfrewshire. Strathbungo is 10 minutes from Glasgow Central by train; Queen’s Park and Pollok Park are close by, for a healthy helping of fresh air and green space; and, best of all, there are lots of beautiful Victorian properties. There’s also a playful energy that you won’t find on the other side of the Clyde. The gnarlier pubs have been replaced by gastro bars festooned with fairy lights, there are two artisan coffee shops, and Marchtown is a cool and classy wine bar/bottle shop. The real secret of happiness hereabouts, however, is to get involved in the events and mini-festivals organised by the Strathbungo Society.

Why we love it:  Village life in the heart of the city.

Melrose was named as the best place to live in Scotland, replacing last year's winner North Berwick. The former winner remains one of the top ten and is joined by Dundee, Orkney, Aberdour, the Black Isle, Aboyne, Morningside and Wigtown and the best wee secret in Scotland, Strathbungo Village.  

KOELSCHIP YARD OPENS IN THE VILLAGE

Koelschip Yard opened to the public this weekend, offering a wide range of craft beers, some 14 keg lines of good beer, and 2 cask lines of good beer.

There is also a further 50-60 different good beers in can and bottle format. 

With good wine, good spirits, and good soft drinks too, the bar should be a good addition to the village. 

One thing that Koelschip Yard do is serve full pints, instead, they prefer to serve 2/3rds and 1/3rds.

The Yard is the latest incarnation of the bar, previously known as Kelly.s. 

We welcome them to the Village, why not pop in for 2.3rds of a pint, or two, just to be sociable of course.

Koelschip Yard, 686-688 Pollokshaws Road, Strathbungo, 

Glasgow G41 2QB

Sweet Memories of Rock in Govanhill

With Govanhill being the focus of the music and political worlds this weekend, with the Govanhill Against Racism Festival commemorating the 40th anniversary of Rock Against Racism, it seems like an opportune moment to recall Govanhill's own rock star, Brian Francis Connolly McManus who died 20 years ago

Born in Aitkenhead Road on the 5th October 1945 he was to change his name to, Brian Connolly, and become the blond lead singer with the Seventies glam-rockers Sweet. 

The band sold over 50 million records with hits including: "Funny Funny", "Co-Co", "Poppa Joe", "Little Willy","Wig Wam Bam".,"Blockbuster", "Hellraiser", "Ballroom Blitz" "Fox on the Run" - a million-seller in the United States - "Action" later covered by Def Leppard) and "Love is Like Oxygen". Not too bad for a wee lad from Govanhill who never knew who his dad was and who's teenage mum abandoned him in a Glasgow hospital when he was still an infant.