Hastie's Harm.
Blantyre.
Hastie's Farm. thanks to http://www.blantyre.biz/Hasties-Farm-A-History.html
In the NEWS 1979...
Its singalong time down on the farm...
There aren't many places left where you can go for a night out, really let your hair down, and have a marvellous time.
Most places seem to be aiming for a sophisticated air now-a days, but not Hastie's Farm, Blantyre.
Hastie's which first opened its doors as licensed premises in 1967, has achieved a reputation of being a showplace for amateur talent, an image which the two imaginative new owners plan to further.
LURE BACK
Sam Plotnikoff and Graham Gordon took over the bar/restaurant complex five weeks ago and are full of enthusiasm for its future. Said Sam: "The atmosphere we're determined to create is casual, informal, and relaxed. It's not a dinner dance, and we don't have a cocktail bar," he stressed.
Graham added: "When we took over, there was a long list of exotic drinks at the bar, some of which weren't asked for more than once a year. We pruned that and, apart from the usual drinker, we only have six or seven "specials."
One of the first moves the new owners made was to approach John Doc, the well-known Lanarkshire musician, and lure him and his trio back to Hastie's, a move that is proving very popular.
John Doc plays at Hastie's from Wednesday to Sundays, and on some of these evenings there is dancing. Monday is a quiet night down at the Farm, with the bar open for customers.
NEW TALENT
Tuesday is disco night. The new owners are worried that folk will think they've turned the place into a disco joint, but that's not the case at all. Although the bar has been done up and converted into into a young people's bar, the Disco is only held on Tuesday evenings in the restaurant.
The disco evenings kick off tomorrow with Radio Clyde's Dougie Donnelly and the Clyde Disco Road Show. Other nights of the week. Hastie's provides a good three-course meal and coffee for £3.75. The catering is under the eye of Graham's wife Irene who, like her husband and his partner, has entered the business with tremendous zest.
Visitors come from far an wide and the visitor's book shows entries from as far afield as Romania, Australia, Canada, U.S.A, Iraq, Thailand, and South Africa.
Sam said: "We're quite a tourist attraction, People bring their friends and relatives to show them typical Scottish entertainment."
Saturday is just one evening when all the good amateur singers come to take their turn at the microphone. Sam said: "There is a core of regulars, but new talent appears all the time. Some are every bit as good as you would hear on the T.V."
Group outings are welcome at Hastie's Farm. They get parties of all sizes for every evening, three bus loads from Clydebank booked in while I was visiting.
Booking is advised, although the restaurant can seat 180. They have bookings already for next Easter. All this is keeping the partners busy for 18 hours a day. But they don't mind as they're determined to build Hastie's back to its former glory, something which they're well on the way to achieving.
SUNDAY SHOWS
"After all, there's no local competition." Graham said, "and we're in a very handy location just 20 minutes from Glasgow. The bus loads come from all over, Ayrshire, Stirlingshire, and even further away."
Still concentrating on local amateur talent, a Sunday afternoon singalong has been started up. This began two weeks ago on August 5 and with some 25 singers taking the stage is proving a great success. Snacks are on offer at the singalong with lunches in the other part of the complex.
On other days lunches are also available. Although there is waitress service, the idea is to provide a "Pub Grub" style of menu. Lunch at Hastie's with a quiet drink is expected to increase still further in popularity when the giant new Asda store, adjacent to the complex opens soon.
End.
