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Rutherford's Lounge Bar
3 Drummond Street, Edinburgh Old Town
Background and
Developments
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Rutherford's Lounge Bar
3 Drummond Street |
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The small photo below is
of Rutherford's Lounge Bar, one of Edinburgh's older public houses.
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This photo was
taken in January 2007. Rutherford's looks, to me, as if it has
probably seen little change, inside and outside, over the past 50
years. - Peter
Stubbs: January 2007 |
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However, it looks asif things are about to change now. See
below.
- Peter Stubbs:
July 2007 |
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July 2007
Future Plans
for
Rutherford's Lounge Bar
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Background
Rutherford's Lounge Bar
dates back to 1834. Its facade dates back to 1899. It
was Robert Louis Stevenson's favourite pub. He spent much of
his time there as a student and is commemorated on a plaque outside
the pub.
It was recently sold by
Kevin Doyle to Franco Martone who runs Cafe Roma on South Bridge.
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Stewart's Bar
Kevin Doyle's company, Caledonian Heritable, transformed
Stewart's Bar, across the road from Rutherford's, naming it 'The
Brass Monkey' several years ago.
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Gay Nightspot?
It has been reported in the press that Franco Martone's has plans for Rutherford's, yet to be approved
by the city council, to:
- keep its facade.
- change its name.
- convert it into a two-storey gay nightspot with dance
floor in the basement. |
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Edinburgh Evening News:
July 2, 2007, p.20 |
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July 2007
Future Plans
for
Rutherford's Lounge Bar
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Ownership
The sale of Rutherford's to Kevin Doyle's company, Caledonian
Heritable, took place about a year ago after Rutherford's Bar had
been owned by the same family for several decades. However,
are some points have still to be resolved, so the sale has not yet
been completed.
Planning proposals to convert Rutherford's into a gay bar with
dance floor below were submitted to Edinburgh Council by
Franco Martone during summer 2007. These were approved,
but the approval does not include making any changes to the B-listed
facade or interior.
Franco Martone is the owner of the cafe Ciao Roma, adjoining
Rutherford's Bar. However, Franco Martone does not (yet) own
Rutherford's. He hopes to purchase it from Caledonian
Heritable when the sale above is complete.*
* The comments above on ownership are
based on an interview on a 'Talk 107' radio program on
September 26, 2007.
The Edinburgh Evening News, September 26, 2007
describes Franco Martone as "owner of both Ciao Roma and
Rutherford's Bar". |
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Petition
Drinkers at Rutherford's
Bar have set up a petition:
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to save the interior of the premises, rather than see a new-style
bar created to replace the old.
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to prevent Rutherford's Bar being connected to the adjoining Ciao
Roma restaurant, so creating a gay bar with dance floor in the
cellar.
So far, over 100 regulars have signed the petition. Those
signing the petition claim that it is one of the last pubs of its
kind where the elderly can meet and chat over a drink, as almost all
the other pubs around have new-style bars catering for students and
young people. |
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Discussion on the local
radios station, 'Talk 107':
September 26, 2007
+ Edinburgh Evening News, September 26, 2007, p.13. |
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August 2008
Rutherford's Lounge Bar
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Ciao Roma Restaurant Extension Opens
The old Rutherford Bar has been refurbished. It re-opened
extension to Ciao Roma Restaurant opened around August 6, 2008.
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I spoke to Franco Martone, owner of Ciao Roma Restaurant in August
2008, soon after the extension to his restaurant had opened.
I asked if he still planned to open a dance floor, as had been
reported in the press in 2007. He told me: "No, you
can't believe everything you read in the papers."
However, he told me that he plans to decorate his restaurant
extension in a 'Treasure Island' theme in late September
2008, in recognition of the fact that Robert Louis Stevenson, author
of 'Treasure Island', used to frequent Rutherford's Lounge
Bar.
Acknowledgement : Franco Martone: August 19
2008 |
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