new pub approved for northfield

By seventeen votes to five Aberdeen Town Council yesterday decided to earmark a site near Granitehill Road and Marchburn Drive, Northfield, for an English-type public-house. It will be the first public-house in any of the city's new housing areas. The Council?s decision overturned a Finance Committee recommendation and supported a unanimous proposal by the Housing Committee. Baillie Frank Magee was chief advocate for a public-house at Northfield. He spoke of the great advantages of the English social concepts over the Scottish. "Not least of these is that the Church and the pub are symbols of integrated social existence." he added. "Do away with furtive drinking:," he contended, "and let the man take his wife to a public-house."

 Narrow-minded "Sanctimonious narrowmindedness," was how Councillor Sutherland described the observations of those who opposed it. Councillor Mrs Loutit told the Council that she had brought up this matter at women's meetings, and not one woman had objected to the building of the public-house at Northfield. "At least women can keep eye on their husbands then.? she pointed out. Councillor Watt, who represents the ward of which Northfield is a part, said that the people wanted a public-house, particularly the type envisaged by the Housing Committee. Treasurer McIntosh emphasised that there was no evidence of desire on the part of the people of Northfield to have a public-house, whether it be of "the old school" or of "the new school." Seconding Treasurer McIntosh's motion, Baillie Stephen thought they should have instead, something in the nature of the Continental cafes.

Source:Evening Express Tuesday December 2nd, 1952