This image at the fut o' the Hull was taken on 3rd July 1982.On it, tucked away bottom right of the picture wearing the Sunderland strip is, The Hawthorn.
For some reason, this pub seemed to suffer an arboreal identity crisis, because during it's history at this spot - 5 Hilltown - it has been called The Rowan Tree, then it became The Maple Leaf, before it eventually settled for The Hawthorn.
The various transitions of the pub's family tree, however, came to an end just a few years later...as you'll see in the next batch of photos!
Photo by Neale Elder.
There was always a very distinctive smell when you passed The Top of the Steps and The Hawthorn.
ReplyDeleteA strange mix of tobacco, spirits, stale beer and equally stale auld men would drift out in warm wafts.
Not a smell you'll ever experience again in this day and age of smoke free bars, ventilation and regular bathing!
The shoe shop next door - Browns??
ReplyDeleteI remember getting a pair of brouges there in the late 70s complete with segs, whic were the thing to wear for your discerning 14 year old.
Sad to see all these wee shops are long gone and their like probably gone for good
shoe shop was behrs.
ReplyDeleteThere was a shoe shop called Brown's there in the early 80s. I remember getting my Doc Marten boots from there. Seemed to be all he sold. Behrs was further up the hill (and still is). There was a portakabin polis station on the other side of the road in the early 80s too along with a carpet shop (Beehars?)
ReplyDeleteThe shop below the white building is "Anthony's" hairdresser. Also had shops in Lochee, the Strathmartine Road and others. A brace of Cortina's outside and of course the Lada taxi's were the norm right into the early 90's
ReplyDeleteYes, Behar Carpets was across the road. It was originally Super Savers Supermarket, opened in 1971 by a Mr Jawaid and some size of shop for its time. The following year it opened an in-store butcher's (the LP's firm, Fitzgerald's) and the People's Journal ran an advertising feature which purred that 'Housewives don't have to look for bargains inside the shop. Everything is a bargain.'
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ReplyDeleteI just see Lindsay the baker there. The did excellent flaky onion bridies. I used to have one for my lunch in McGill's staff canteen, around 1970/71.
Another thing that's disappeared from that photo - the signpost to DRI ;-)
ReplyDeleteAt the time of the Wellgate demolition The Hawthorn was called The Central Bar; I have a photograph taken from slightly further up the hill showing the row of shops, The Central Bar and the demolished ruins of the Wellgate in the background.
ReplyDeleteThe Central Bar was called The Top O' The Steps when the Hawthorn was demolished.
DeleteThere's a pic up on Retro.
Hawthorn & Central were different pubs.
Spot on
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