THE Merchant City is now one of Glasgow’s most thriving areas, but that was not the case back in 1992.
This picture of Candleriggs shows sadly-neglected buildings, with bushes growing out of the walls and paintwork flaking from the walls.
The street was at the centre of a redevelopment battle, with a £20million plan proposed for the former Goldbergs building. However, the developers wanted an order protecting the historic Granny Black’s pub to be scrapped otherwise their plan for 97 flats, offices, shops and a leisure centre would not go ahead.
A huge public campaign was launched to save the pub  – which had been in business since 1820 – with thousands of people signing a petition to keep the protection order.
The pub owners won that battle, but their fight ended in 2001 when the building next
to it partially collapsed and experts decided the pub had
to be demolished for safety reasons.
Another decade on, the pub has long gone and the street is bustling with new restaurants, eateries and the refurbished Old Fruitmarket concert venue.

Glasgow Times:

 

1955: These mothers may be talking about the different ways they have of bringing up their babies as they wait to be seen at the new Pollok Child Welfare Clinic. The clinic cost £60,000 and opened in June 1955