South Side road has reopened after blaze
A ROAD in the South Side of Glasgow has re-opened a month after a devastating building fire.
Shops and restaurants in Seaward Street were left gutted after the major fire, which took place on the early hours of December 16.
Around 60 firefighters and 12 appliances tackled were in attendance at the height of the blaze, with huge plumes of smoke visible across the River Clyde.
The incident sparked power cuts in the area for several hours, with homes and businesses left without electricity.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service chiefs confirmed there were no reported casualties.
Diversions were put in place as the street was closed to traffic between Paisley Road West and the M8 eastbound off-slip to Scotland Street.
However, Glasgow City Council earlier confirmed that, after a month of closures, the road has now been fully re-opened to traffic.
ONE of Glasgow’s oldest pubs – which has links to Frank Sinatra and Laurel and Hardy – and an Italian restaurant institution are preparing to say a final farewell to customers after a 148-year history in the city.
The Iron Horse, which dates from 1872 and O Sole Mio, Glasgow’s oldest surviving Italian restaurant, which opened in 1965, will close their doors for the last time within the first few days of February when both leases expire.
The pub and restaurant are among five businesses on the corner of West Nile Street and Bath Street closing as plans progress for a new £30million multi-storey hotel.
Jennifer Brooks, who runs the Iron Horse, and Djamel Benouari spoke of their sadness at the loss of two much-loved Glasgow businesses and their livelihoods.
The Iron Horse was previously known as The Empire Bar, which served the theatre-goers and stars of the famous theatre of the same name around the corner. For the past few decades it has served as a “city-centre local” for Glasgwegians and meeting point for the Tartan Army.
In its 55-year history, O Sole Mio has been a popular haunt for celebrities, including Billy Connolly and Old Firm footballers. Former Rangers and AC Milan player Gennaro Gattuso, now managing Napoli, met his wife Monica Romano in the restaurant, while Lorenzo Amoruso was also a regular.
George Capital, which now owns the block, is seeking permission to flatten the site on the corner of West Nile Street and Bath Street to make way for a hotel that the developers say will create 100 new jobs.
Djamel, 62, said: “We knew it was coming because the lease had not been renewed. But when the shutters come down, I’ll be sad. The miracle I was hoping for didn’t come.”
More than 400 objections to the plan were lodged with the council, while a petition created by the Iron Horse attracted more than 2000 signatures, with objections coming from as far as Azerbaijan and the USA.
According to a council spokesman, the application is “working its way through the planning process”.
The Blue Lagoon fish and chip shop will also shut, as well as a small beauty business – betting shop Paddy Power is already boarded up.
Jennifer Brooks took over the running of the Iron Horse in the 1990s with her father Eddie.
The former Empire Bar became the Iron Horse in the 1960s and after a couple of name changes in the 70s and 80s the pub re-opened with the current name.
She said the family are focused on helping the venue’s 12 staff find other jobs, while a Tartan Army farewell party is planned for the final weekend on February 1 and 2.
Jennifer said: “I’ve had elderly customers who say they saw Frank Sinatra in the Empire Theatre. There was a door in the theatre that backed onto the pub and the acts used to come in for a drink during the interval.
“We just want to say goodbye to as many of our regulars as possible. The Tartan Army meet here and are planning something for the final weekend.
“Our focus is helping our staff, arranging training courses for them. We get a lot of veteran groups meeting here so we have also been trying to find them other places to meet.”
Jennifer said her dad is planning to retire and she is considering other opportunities.
Djamel, 62, bought over O Sole Mio from the original owners, the Romano family, exactly nine years ago yesterday (January 15, 2011) after a long career in Glasgow’s hotel and restaurant industry that included managerial stints in Dinos, The Arthouse Hotel (now Abode), Barca and Oran Mor.
Mario Romano, died in 2011 at the age of 71 leaving a £4 million fortune and is survived by his wife Pina, who sublet the lease to Djamel.
The new owner spent £70,000 refurbishing the restaurant, which boasted Scotland’s first wood fired pizza oven. He says: “I used to tell people, just follow your nose and you will find us.”
Tuesday night was spent contacting customers who had booking for after February 1 (“the last supper”) and he is assisting the restaurant’s 15 staff to find new jobs. Responses from regular customers have included, “Where are we going to eat now?”
He said: “It hasn’t really sunk in that in three weeks’ time we won’t be here. I know the Romano family are quite sad. It was the first venture of their father’s.
“I hear stories every day from customers. ‘I met my wife here, we got engaged here.’ There are a