Our People Adam’s been on the pull 15 years
Montychargehandliftslidonlifebehindthebar
Adam Ford has been the man you would ask for‘the usual’ at the Montgomerie Arms for over a decade.
Having started behind the bar 15 years ago, the St Leonards native has become a familiar face to ‘Monty’ regulars.
Starting out as a fresh-faced 18-year-old, Adam admits he has seen plenty of changes in East Kilbride’s oldest pub.
But as one of the main charge hands behind the bar, he believes the venue continues to be a dram good focal point for the Village.
“It’s really taken steps to grow and I’ve always wanted to see it do well,” he told the News.
“It’s my life and I love the place. It’s never just been a job for me.
“There’s things like bringing in craft beers and a bigger whisky selection. People have been talking about that for years and we’re just doing these things to try and make the customers that bit happier.
“In the winter we have the fires and in the summer we’re lucky as we have the area out the front.
“At the end of the day a pub is only as good as its punters. Ourselves behind the bar are very, very lucky.”
The ‘Monty’ has stood in the town for centuries and Adam has dubbed it an ‘institution’ having spoken to families through the generations.
As a youngster, he remembers visiting the historic pub for the first time - as his dad made a stop on the way back from a haircut.
“I have a really early memory of going down to get my hair cut and going on a loop with my dad and stopping in the pub,” he said.
“I was a young boy. It was before the smoking ban so it was still quite smokey; I remember being quite intrigued by it.
“I’ve got fond memories of the Village and I can see myself being here for a long time.”
The friendly barman admits on a busy Saturday he can struggle to walk from one end of the bar to the other because of the local patter merchants who aren’t just there for the beer.
He continues: “I speak to people whose father and grandfather all came into the pub for a drink.
“You get that real sense of community.
“If I’m off duty and I come in for a drink with my pals, it can take me an hour to try and walk from one end of the bar to the other!
“You always end up stopping and saying hello to people.”
For those who have experience of working behind the bar, it has been said that it is like being paid to socialise.
“That’s the kinds of friendships you make,” Adam acknowledges.
“I didn’t know them from outside of the pub doors, I met them here.
“It’s just a place where everyone looks after each other.
“When East Kilbride originated this was East Kilbride.
“This building and the church – to me it’s still the hub of the community.”
Landlord Andrew Craig is a thirdgeneration owner but prefers to stay out of the spotlight.
“I prefer to be behind the scenes,” he admitted. “I’m not the host that my grandad and dad were – however, the main charge hands like Adam are those kinds of people.
“The more other kinds of pubs change, shut down, invest or reopen, the more we stay the same.
“For outward appearances, nothing should change since 1655.
“We are a proper old-fashioned pub where people come to talk to their friends.”
It has never been just a job for me. It’s my life . . .