The other Golden Gate - not in Mount Vernon.
A good show tonight and a lot of people with great memories of Slade. Andy Summerston e-mailed to say that before they were famous, Slade had played at The Golden Gates Hotel in Mount Vernon, Glasgow.
I was rather intrigued by the name and wondered what the story behind it was. Ian MacKay in Atlanta was straight on the e-mail and here's his explanation:
"At the foot of the avenue, the London Road that begins at the Glasgow Cross end at the foot of Mount Vernon Avenue, where the Corporation car runs to Uddingston and Glasgow only separates them, there is a beautiful mansion, the last house at the foot of the Avenue and about thirty years ago it was christened the "Golden Gates".
It has a history. Fifty years ago Mr. Christie, Colonel Buchanan’s Land Estate Factor, lived in it. When he left, Mr. Roxburgh, the Proprietor of the , Glasgow, bought the house and spent a large amount of money in renovating the whole of the estate with the interior and exterior of the whole surroundings, a beautiful new dyke and costly panels and large gates all which were painted gold, hence it was called the Golden gates.
When the Corporation was widening the roads, etc. the dykes, panels, gates etc. were all taken down and replaced many years back."
Thanks Ian.