Nicola Walker checks out Glasgow’s latest venue…
Flight Club Glasgow is the first Scottish venture for the social darts and pub company which now has 21 sites globally. All the venues aim to blend the heritage of the traditional British pub with a Victorian fairground, but no two sites are the same.
There are key features that you will encounter in all of their venues, however they also put a lot of work into making sure each venue has unique attributes specific to the area or history of the building.
The Glasgow venue is located on North Frederick St, just on the corner of George Square, and despite the subtle entrance has a far from modest interior. On entering the first thing that strikes you is the scale of the venue. The huge ornate ceilings in the Grade B listed building have been painted a beautiful teal colour to blend in with the walls and the cornicing and pillars around this are in white.
There are huge ring lights all around the venue, which are one of Flight Clubs brand pieces. These are horseshoe shaped pieces of wood, covered in bright fairground bulbs and are stacked at differing levels in the room, creating movement and sparkle. The centre piece of the room is the spectacular bar which has canopy that mimics a carousel or a fairground stall. This is adorned with more of the fairground lights and the roof is painted with sky blue clouds and clad with red drapery.
Local links in the decoration can also be seen, for example in the large ‘Are Ye Dancin’? Are Ye Askin’?’ sign which hangs from the roof. The tables and chairs have a proper old-fashioned pub feel. The tables are unusual, bronze hexagon shapes which can fit together to create areas for larger groups. These are surrounded by high stools made from a dark wood with brown leather studded tops.
The leather look is echoed at the oches where the high benches are all made of studded leather, giving them a real vintage feel. The comfortable highchairs around the bar add a slightly different element and are upholstered in a floral fabric. This theme continues around the venue with different types of floral wallpaper.
Smart, wood panelling features in all the venues but this floral finish is unique to Glasgow, no doubt to tie in with the floral and fruit designs that are carved into the original pillars of the old building. Looking towards the balcony level, the walls are adorned with a range of vintage fairground items.
In the centre there is a miniature Ferris Wheel on a ledge, surrounded by fairground signs, pieces of carnival stalls and even a strongman game! These features have been lovingly restored from their original design and have the power to evoke wonderful childhood memories.
The mezzanine level can be reached by climbing the grand wooden staircase in the centre of the room. This area has a yellow colour scheme, which is very different from the red and teal in the rest of the venue. There is a huge ornate fireplace and mantelpiece against the back wall which I am told was specifically sourced from a chateau in France.
This has a tarnished mirror in the centre and the lighter wood is inlaid with a bronze design. There are various rooms and oches in little corridors off the main area, creating private spaces for parties and more room to explore. Each one of these has its own individual identity and this is partially created by the plethora of antiques and art used on the walls.
You could stay here all day and not run out of things to look at, it is reminiscent of an antique shop. One of my favourite pieces was the full-size carousel horse in the window, which is feature in all Flight Club units, but each has a unique name. There are also lovely stained-glass signs in the windows too which are tailored specifically to each site.
Where the oches are concerned, although the actual space and technology is identical, they have worked hard to make sure each of the 15 areas looks different. For example, one has a wall of pastel watercolours, one has antique fairground games, and another has a range of China plates hung on the walls.
There are also antique coat hooks, clocks, candle lights and fairground pictures which adorn the walls throughout the entire venue. This venue has been Flight Clubs longest project to date – four years from start to finish.
It has been highly anticipated, but the finished result is spectacular with elements of fun and the unexpected. A visit here is a visually intoxicating experience and there is certainly a lot more to this venue than a game of darts!
Next month check out Flight Club Edinburgh which has just opened.