The John Fairweather

The John Fairweather is a pub in Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, operated by the British pub company J D Wetherspoon plc. It occupies an imposing four-storey building at 52–58 Main Street, at the east end of the street, which has been a local landmark for more than 80 years. The building was constructed in 1929 as the Savoy Cinema, later became a bingo hall and was renamed the Vogue, probably in the early 1960s, before reverting to its original name in recent years. Its classical façade and the Corinthian columns along the sides of the auditorium are characteristic of the Glasgow-born architect John Fairweather, who designed the Savoy Cinema and is best known for designing The Playhouse in nearby Glasgow two years earlier. The pub takes its name from that architect. As a Wetherspoon pub, The John Fairweather follows the chain's familiar format: a large, value-focused, food-and-drink-led pub with long opening hours, an extensive menu and a rotating programme of guest ales and seasonal offers. The pub opens daily from 8:00am, closing at 11:45pm from Monday to Thursday and on Sunday, and at midnight on Friday and Saturday. Facilities include a licensed outside area, TV screens, Wi-Fi and step-free access. Customers can order food and drinks to their table through the Wetherspoon app. The pub participates in Wetherspoon's national promotional calendar, including the twice-yearly real-ale festivals. The autumn beer festival, for example, features a range of 30 real ales, including five from international brewers, over a 12-day period in October, with brewers drawn from countries such as China, Denmark, Singapore, Ukraine and the USA. The John Fairweather also serves the chain's seasonal Christmas menu and its spritz cocktail range, alongside guest ales and craft cans with published tasting notes. The John Fairweather is not a standalone business but one site within J D Wetherspoon plc, the UK pub group founded in 1979 and floated on the Stock Exchange in 1992. Its identity is therefore tied both to the Wetherspoon brand and to the architectural heritage of its building and namesake.

The building that now houses The John Fairweather was built in 1929 as the Savoy Cinema on Cambuslang Main Street. It was designed by the Glasgow-born architect John Fairweather, who was born on 5 February 1867. Fairweather attended the College of Science and Arts Glasgow in 1881 and was articled to James Milne Monro from 1882 until 1887, remaining as chief assistant thereafter while studying at Glasgow School of Art and the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College. In 1913 he joined the practice of George Green, and in 1922–23 he visited the USA to study theatre and cinema design, in which he had specialised since becoming architect to Green. Fairweather was responsible for designing the two largest cinemas of the era and is best known for The Playhouse in nearby Glasgow, which he designed two years before the Savoy. The Savoy Cinema's classical façade and the Corinthian columns along the sides of its auditorium are typical of his work. After its life as a cinema, the building became a bingo hall and was renamed the Vogue, probably in the early 1960s. In recent years it reverted to its original name. The four-storey building has been a local landmark for more than 80 years. The site is now operated as a pub by J D Wetherspoon plc, the British pub company whose history began in 1979, when its first pub opened in Colney Hatch Lane, Muswell Hill, north London, on 9 December. For its first month that pub was called Martin's Free House before being renamed Wetherspoons early in 1980. In the early years the company's pubs were all in north London, with the head office above The Dog in Archway. Wetherspoon hosted its first real-ale festival in 1990, lasting four days and featuring six beers; today each Wetherspoon pub takes part in the twice-yearly beer festival, offering up to 50 beers each, 10 of them from overseas. In 1991 the company opened The Tally Ho in North Finchley, London, with a dedicated non-smoking bar upstairs, one of several pioneering initiatives it carried out before the smoking ban of July 2007; that year it also started its CBS (cleanliness, beer, service) scheme and produced the first edition of Wetherspoon News, an eight-page black-and-white magazine offered free to customers, and opened Hamilton Hall at Liverpool Street station, its first pub in central London and at a train station. In 1992 Wetherspoon opened its first two airport pubs, at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 4, and the company was floated on the Stock Exchange as J D Wetherspoon plc, with shares issued at £1.60. As part of this chain, The John Fairweather operates under the Wetherspoon model of long opening hours, value pricing and a broad food and drink offer. It takes part in the group's national promotions, including the autumn beer festival, which features 30 real ales including five from international brewers over 12 days in October, with brewers from China, Denmark, Singapore, Ukraine and the USA — the first time brewers from Singapore and Ukraine have been involved. The pub also serves the Wetherspoon Christmas menu, available from 12 November to 31 December (excluding Christmas Day), and the chain's spritz cocktail range of nine classic and fruity recipes.

• 1992

  Wetherspoon floats on the Stock Exchange as J D Wetherspoon plc, with shares issued at £1.60.

• 1990

  Wetherspoon hosts its first real-ale festival, lasting four days with six beers.

• 1979

  J D Wetherspoon opens its first pub in Muswell Hill, north London, on 9 December.

• 1960

  The former cinema becomes a bingo hall and is renamed the Vogue, probably in the early 1960s.

• 1929

  The building opens as the Savoy Cinema on Cambuslang Main Street, designed by John Fairweather.

Value-focused, high-volume community pub within the J D Wetherspoon national chain, set in a heritage cinema building.

• Real ale and guest ales

  Rotating selection including festival ales and craft cans with tasting notes.

• Pub food menu

  Value-focused food including seasonal dishes such as the Hot honey Chicken Bowl.

• Spritz cocktails

  A range of nine classic and fruity spritz recipes.

• Christmas menu

  Festive dishes available from 12 November to 31 December, excluding Christmas Day.

1. 1The John Fairweather - J D Wetherspoonjdwetherspoon.com
2. 2History - J D Wetherspoonjdwetherspoon.com
3. 3The John Fairweather - J D Wetherspoon (pub history)jdwetherspoon.com
4. 4About us - J D Wetherspoonjdwetherspoon.com
5. 5The John Fairweather - Wikidatawikidata.org