Picture The Hamptons, New England: the prime summer destination for affluent city dwellers in upstate New York, that is synonymous with old money and celebrities. Now picture Yoker: lying on the northern bank of the Glasgow Clyde; historically a hub of industry from the shipyards; and summed up by comedian Limmy in his infamous sketch as: “one of these places I only know from the front of a bus. Never been there, don’t know what it’s like, it’s just this pure fabled land that sounds like a pure mad egg yolk.” The Hamptons and Yoker couldn’t seem further apart. However, Colin Beattie, who is never shy of a challenge, has decided to bring these two worlds together with a New England-inspired design for the new Jarvies Inn.
Two years ago, a blaze at the pub meant that it was completely burned through. Owner Colin Beattie comments, “The whole inside was completely black. The walls, the floors, everything. We had to start from the beginning. We have put half a million pounds into the refurbishment.”
The old recognisable red sign and brown panelling at the front of the pub have now gone. Instead, the exterior boasts shades of sea blues and creams. Window displays frame both sides of the door featuring busts of Poseidon’s head, ships wheels, and lobster baskets – giving it a beach shack look even from the outside. The front door leads you into the spacious lounge bar that immediately evokes a New England riggers loft. The bar is the first thing that spreads before you, panelled in medium oak that matches all of the tables and chairs scattered throughout. The upholstery on the chairs, provided by Derry’s Upholstery, is a mixture of tweed and brown and light-blue leather. A large barrel situated directly before you reach the bar plays into the boathouse vibe, but also serves a purpose. Colin believes it is important for any new customer to feel at ease with the space and the barrel set before reaching the main bar acts as a comfort zone; as opposed to what can seem like “the long walk”experienced by customers when entering a new space. The welcoming atmosphere that Colin wants to emit is boosted with an attractive sign that takes centre place in the gantry saying: ‘Service with a smile.’ The sizable gantry displays the array of spirits that they have on offer with Colin telling us that he actually invented the flying double optic bracket arrangement displayed, while the large industrial steel and chain light shades that hang down over the bar are evocative of machinery that you would find lying around a ship.
The new flooring features a clever use of rich mixed timbers teamed with terracotta and brown tiles that help define the bar area. The mixed timber allows the space to look bolder as it gives the illusion of more floor space. The walls are a combination of the same wood with a strong nautical theme; on one wall there is a large vintage map with an old-fashioned cutty-sark-like ship, and on the other is a huge compass. A new world-esque theme is evident, with pictures of settlers and pictures of the new America. Existing beside this is Native American themed décor: a traditional canoe with its oars and various pictures of head chiefs. Colin shares that these additions are not just to play into the aesthetic side of the New England vernacular architecture, but also represent something more informed. He says, “I really enjoy social history and with this design, I want to evoke memories of history. The design is framed around the history of the eastern seaboard and how these places came to be. The maritime theme will be something that a lot of the clientele will be familiar with because this area used to be a hub for shipbuilding. It’s something that The Hamptons has in common with the collective Glasgow shipbuilding areas – Yoker, Scotstoun and Clydebank. Also, they will know the history behind these pieces and will be able to look around and have conversations about the various things on the wall.”
The raised platform to the far-right of the lounge bar features a spectacular old mural of a polar bear and is lit up from a set of strip lights, making it loom impressively from anywhere you look. All of the design and pieces were chosen and assembled by designer Brian Donnelly, whom Colin has worked closely with in past projects. Colin tells us that the raised platform will serve for more than just additional seating:“This raised platform will be where the band plays on their music nights. We will have all sorts of bands in – but we will never have karaoke,” he laughs. Back in the day Jarvies was renowned in the area for its live music, so it is nice to see that this tradition is continuing. An extensive food offering is planned to be served in the Lounge Bar, with the ubiqioutous hamburger and pizzas standing side by side with Scottish traditional fare.
Back to back – almost ‘but and ben’ style – with the lounge bar, lies the public bar. The public bar has a more traditionally masculine feel to it than the lounge bar, as you can tell that it is focussed more towards watching sports and playing pool. Walking in towards the pool table area reminds me strongly of an American sports bar. In contrast to the more solely nautical theme of the lounge bar, the lights don’t follow the same ship theme and are instead made of sporty red and green snooker lights. A huge Mohawk Lagers image rests on the faux-brick wallpaper, alongside a sports cabinet brimming with trophies, and old drinks ads clustered together on the wall. Besides these, there is also a nod towards Jarvies history, with pictures of old Jarvies football teams proudly displayed next to the trophy cabinet. This really gives you a sense that the pub has played an important role in the community throughout the years. It makes me feel just how special the redevelopment and re-opening of the pub will be to the community after being shut for two years. The front of the bar in the second room moves away slightly from the American theme and slips more towards a traditional Celtic feel, with four-petaled symbols embossed neatly all around the bar.
The seating is also very different as it is made up of dark wood stools and red leather banquet seating – adding a more opulent dimension than we have seen. Colin’s ambitious project has created an incredibly imaginative interior that is unlike any of his other more classic Scottish places. Jarvies has now gone from a venue that previously catered to mostly a local clientele, to a place that I can imagine people flocking to from all over in order to get a taste of The Hamptons in Scotland. Perhaps now when Yoker is mentioned there will be no conjuring of the Limmy reference and only images of the glamorous New York island.