The University Cafe situated in Byres Road has an art deco exterior but internally it’s all very Edwardian, by the look of things nothing has changed since it was first opened. Look carefully and you’ll see that Jack took this photo of the front door, I’m standing next to him.
Cafe culture was a big thing in Glasgow, I think it started way back in the early 20th century when there was a large influx of Italians who came to Britain, escaping from a war or poverty. They stayed and most of them went into business often opening up cafes or fish and chip shops. In fact whenever you meet a person with an Italian surname in Scotland it’s a fair enough question to ask them – fish and chips or ice cream?
In fact my parents met each other in an Italian cafe, but not this one and there were still a lot of cafes around when I was growing up, sadly not many have survived into the 21st century. For some reason they nearly always had the walls lined with massive mirrors, which I’ve always found a bit disconcerting.
Anyway, it was at Easter when we were in Glasgow that we finally went into this cafe to have an ice cream, we’ve walked past it hundreds, possible thousands of times but never actually sat down in it. The seats are those old tip up wooden ones, like in old cinemas. I couldn’t resist asking the young girl who served us for a McCallum, but sadly she didn’t know what it was – one of the older staff did though. She’ll know the next time someone ancient asks for one! It’s just a vanilla ice with raspberry sauce, and if someone can tell me why they were always called a McCallum in Glasgow, I’d be much obliged!
The exterior of the cafe – and the chippy next door as well as two other Art Deco buildings nearby – can be seen here.
Jack reminds me of one of the Beatles in that reflection!
Peggy,
I hope it’s George Harrison then as he was always my favourite!
My mother and I used to go to soda fountains (in the U.S.) and order lemon phosphates (a bit like 7Up only not as sweet). I don’t know of any place you can get them these days or anyone who has even heard of them. Of course soda fountains have gone the way of the dinosaur, too.
Joan,
I’ve seen soda fountains in old films. I can’t imagine anyone drinking anything called phosphates now, they are seen as nasty chemicals. My favourite drink was an ice drink, what is now called a ‘float’. Ice cream with a fizzy drink poured over it, I loved limeade ice drink, but I called it green lemonade. I think I was worried they would give me the wrong flavour!
I love all the old art deco shop fronts, sadly on the decline now.
Funny you should mention the ice cream sodas/ floats. I had an orange one with friends just the other day, my first in years! I liked the red soda best!
Can’t help with the origins of a McCallum. Sounds interesting though!
Evee,
Jack photographs anyhting vaguely art deco looking, often old garages in horrible condition, it’s a shame that they are allhttp://piningforthewest.co.uk/wp-admin/plugins.php disappearing. There is an art deco cinema in Edinburgh, in Clerk Street which has just been allowed to moulder. It must have been wonderful before the damp got into it.
We have the frontage of an art deco cinema in Peebles, now a shop. There is a flat/apartment above it and it would look so much better if someone would strip off the peeling paint and repaint it! I don’t remember the cinema itself, but when I used to walk to work I would walk up the close/lane next to where it had been and could see one of the internal walls. You could see where the back stalls dipped down to the main stalls! All demolished now and flats built there now. Apparently in the back of the shop in their store room you can see part of the stairway that led from the Foyer to the cinema auditorium.
Evee,
Somehow Art Deco style looks worse than anything else if it isn’t kept looking absolutely pristine. We must have a look for that frontage next time we’re in Peebles.
I found this on another forum in relation to why the ice creams were called McCallums:
A keen supporter of the Clyde football club in Glasgow, G. MacCallum was the instigator of the MacCallum Ice Cream.
So that he could advertise his team’s colours, he requested his local ice cream seller to squeeze raspberry juice over the top of his ice cream cone.
His suggestion soon caught on.
Paul,
Thanks for the information. It seems a strange reason for naming an ice cream a MacCallum, but I suppose it had to be something weird and that’s as good a reason as any other.