People fondly remember Wimpy as one of the few remaining fast food restaurants which has table service, serves your meal on a plate and provides cutlery - a global burger chain with a local cafe atmosphere.

At its height there were around 500 restaurants across the UK during the 1970s - but there are now only 93 left as they make way for gourmet diners and bigger brand names.

But the ghost of Wimpy's past made a return to Union Street this week as a shop refurbishment laid bare the old shop front to the Glasgow public - sparking old happy memories of eating knickerbocker glories, spicy bean burgers and impossibly thick milkshakes from our readers.

What other cherished shops, bars and restaurants from a bygone era that have folded in Glasgow after decades of service which were a testament to our city's great heritage? Here are the ones we miss the most.

 

Crocket

 

 

This family run business has been in existence since 1870 and operated in its West Nile Street shop for 50 years, before bosses decided to relocate to Ayr in February due to rising costs. It originally started out as a basket-makers, but became an ironmonger selling pots and pans - before moving into outdoor clothing, homeware and DIY gadgets.

 

Flip

 

 

Selling alternative clothing for three decades, Flip sold Levi jeans, vintage varsity jackets and band t-shirts to Glaswegians with a taste for edgier fashion until it shut up shop in 2007. It was originally owned by couple Jean Brown and Colin McNaught, and also had a tattoo parlour in its basement.

 

What Everyone Wants

 

 

 

Originally named What Every Woman Wants, this discount retailer was founded by Gerald and Vera Weisfeld in 1972. The stores eventually disappeared from the high street by 1995 and were taken over by Your More Stores and Pound Stretchers.

 

King's Cafe

 

 

The King's Cafe on Elmbank Street is the latest Glasgow firm to fall on its sword. Back in February, it announced that it was closing to make way for gourmet burger restaurant Steak, Cattle and Roll. Management made the announcement on Facebook that they suffered from decreasing trade and static costs over the years. The much-loved eatery was founded in 1898, joined with the famous King’s Theatre which opened six years later. In its prime, the King’s Cafe would have over a thousand customers a day – attracting hungry theatregoers and late-night clubbers at the weekends – serving up a 4am fritter at an hour when no other chippy would be selling them.

 

 

Goldbergs

 

 

 

Situated in the Candleriggs area of Glasgow, this famous department store had rather humble beginnings when it was founded in 1908. Abraham Goldberg, a Jewish immigrant from Eastern Europe, opened a small shop in the south side – but over the years the company flourished into a hundred outlets across Scotland, selling a variety of wares, such as clothing, household good and electrical items. The department store was decorated in marble and brass – with a grandiose in-store water feature. It also had Wrygges in the Eighties – a trendy boutique for 16 to 24 year olds that had a DJ and a soda bar inside. The store closed in 1990 to be replaced by discount retailer Weisfields, which operated until 1999. The site was to be replaced with Selfridges, but they demolished the building and sold the site onto a private developer – for now, the area where the legendary Goldbergs was lies derelict and run-down.

 

 

 

Dino’s

 

 

 

 

The Italian family restaurant on Sauchiehall Street had been in business for over fifty years. The eatery had an outdoor seating area which was packed during the summer, serving up good-value pizza, pasta and chips to the public. It was replaced by a Halifax bank last year – despite that a sister bank is located across the street.

 

 

 

The Odeon Cinema on Renfield Street

 

 

 

 

 

This legendary picturehouse hosted The Beatles and The Who back in its heyday – starting out as the Paramount music venue in 1934 before being converted into a 2800 seat cinema in the late Sixties. It closed in 2006 due to competition from the Cineworld and out-of-town cinemas, and demolition began in 2013 to make way for a bar and hotel. Fortunately, the planners intend to keep the Odeon’s Art Deco frontage.

 

Buchanan Steps

 

 

 

Ascending towards the Royal Concert Hall at the top of the Glasgow’s bustling Buchanan Street, these stairs are the cornerstone of the city centre. It’s a popular place for locals and tourists alike to sit and people-watch, listen to guitar-playing buskers, or look out towards the wind turbines in the horizon from the top step. It’s wonderful knowing that you can be in the heart of Scotland’s largest city, but you only have to look into the distance to know that you’re never too far from the peace and wildlife of the countryside.

However, these steps will be demolished to make room for a £400 million Buchanan Galleries glass atrium – including a more ‘disabled friendly’ entrance – despite that 12,000 people have signed a petition to keep the public space and make other, arguably better arrangements for accessibility.

The new development, which includes footbridges to the North Hanover Street Car Park and a new path from the shopping centre to Buchanan Bus Station, is expected to be finished by 2017.