Old Glasgow Club
Minutes of ordinary meeting
of Club held at Adelaide’s, 209 Bath Street on Thursday 10th December
2009 at 7.30pm
Attendance 89
Chair
Mrs McNae for Mr Gordon (President)
Welcome
Mrs McNae welcomed all to the meeting.
Apologies
There were apologies
from Sam Gordon, Anna Forrest, Jim Gibson, Jim Robertson, Graeme Smith,
Dorothy Blair, Jessie McArthur, Marion McGuigan, Esther Connolly, Jane
Collie, Neil MacIntosh, Isabel Haddow, Ronnie Knox, Jim Russell, Sheila
Kelly and Jennifer McTavish.
Minutes
The minutes of the
last ordinary meeting held on Thursday 12th November were
approved, proposed by Mrs Thom and seconded by Miss Cairns. There were
no amendments or matters arising.
President’s report
There was no President’s Report in the absence of
Mr Gordon.
Secretary’s report
Mrs McNae pointed out that there were still some
2010 Glasgow calendars for sale on the merchandising table as well as
the usual items.
There were still 2 tickets available for the
Pantomime on the 17th December at the Eastwood Theatre.
An outing to the BBC Headquarters at Pacific Quay
on the 28th November was reported as being highly enjoyable.
Mrs McNae reminded members that the January 14th
2010 meeting would be Members Night with a theme of “A Night at the
Pictures”. This would try to recreate a 1950’s style Saturday morning
cinema with usherettes, Pathe News, some short films and all the sweets
of the era – well all the ones we can find.
Speakers
Mrs McNae introduced Irene Birkett
and her daughter Julie, owners of Glickman’s Confectioners.
Glickman’s was opened as a confectionary shop 106
years ago by Irene’s grandfather and has remained in the same location
at 157 London Road ever since. The shop was initially known as the Black
and White Sweetie Shop due to its distinctive frontage. The shop thrived
throughout the years, making tablet, macaroon and candy balls. During
WWII the unusual, aniseed based, cough tablet was extremely popular. It
was marketed as a medicine, not a sweet, and managed to be exempt from
rationing. All the traditional sweets are still sold and some are still
made on the premises. Irene and Julie found themselves in possession of
Mr Glickman’s diary from 1910 detailing all the sweets made in the shop
but in many cases the recipe was missing. In order to carry on the
family shop tradition, Julie enrolled on a two year course at Glasgow
College of Food Technology specialising in chocolate and sugar
confectionary. Gradually they managed to re-create the lost recipes.
One of the most popular items in the shop is
Liquorice, be it liquorice allsorts or plain sweets. Sugarally was used
to make sugarally water – a favourite of Glasgow children and also
pregnant woman as a cure for indigestion. One old favourite which is
making a comeback is a “Lucky Tattie” however now without the toy inside
due to Health and Safety Laws.
Victory V’s were also made on the premises but one
of its original ingredients, chloroform, is now no longer an allowable
flavouring so the recipe has been altered to include something safer.
The shop is also popular for making props for TV
series such as River City and Taggart. Next time you see a bag of drugs
think of Glickman’s sherbet. The shop recently produced a biodegradable
“crow bar” made of sugar rock for a baddie in Taggart to throw in the
Clyde. There have also been some superstar customers who make a point of
ordering their sweets when they are in town. A Meg Henderson book –
“Chasing Angels” - also gives the shop a mention.
The shop is very much a Glasgow landmark. Many
customers remark they used to come into the shop when they were
children, many now introducing their own children and grandchildren to
the shop. Many ex-pats visiting family are amazed and pleased that the
shop is still there and still (almost) as they remember it. The
distinctive black and white frontage has gone but there are plans to
bring it back soon.
Irene and Julie have built up a good relationship
with the surrounding businesses and regularly talk in the evenings to
clubs such as ourselves or Rotary Clubs to keep the public aware of the
shop and its place in the history of Glasgow. The business also supports
many charities (e.g. Paisley’s Sma Shot Cottages) and provides catering
for parties. Glickman’s confectionary products are now sold at many of
Glasgow’s tourists attractions.
Irene and Julie then showed some slides of the shop
through the ages. Many of the copper bottomed pans and scales in the
pictures are still used today.
Glickman’s is definitely a Glasgow institution and
is one of the few places to remain constant while Glasgow has changed
around it. Whether it is the Black and White Sweetie Shop at the Barra’s
or Glickman’s Confectioners of the Merchant City the shop is in the
memories of generations of Glaswegians and hopes to remain so for a long
time to come.
Vote of thanks
Mrs Sannachan thanked
Irene and Julie for a lovely, humorous talk and commented on what a good
double act they made. She also thanked them for bringing so many of
their sweets for us to enjoy. Mrs Sannachan concluded that she was sure
some of the Old Glasgow Club members would be visiting the shop in the
foreseeable future.
The Christmas raffle was
then conducted.
Close
Mrs McNae wished all
a safe journey home and a very Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New
Year.
Next Directors Meeting- January 6th
2010 (Wednesday)
Next Ordinary Meeting – January 14th
2010 Members Night
P Cairns,
Recording Secretary.
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