Some local public houses are calling last orders early in a bid to save money as trade is destroyed by the ongoing ­downturn in the economy.

They are turning the clock back to the 1950s when they were closed entirely in Dumbarton on Sundays, remained open only until 9pm on weekdays and 9.30pm on Friday nights.

To be served with alcohol on a Sunday, customers who had to qualify as “bona fide” travellers and topers walked from Dumbarton to Alexandria, usually the Albert Hotel at the junction of Main Street and Bridge Street, for a pint.

Other popular watering holes were the Old Vale Bar in Main Street and Mattha Thomson’s in Random Street, which had a hitching post outside and a well for your horse to drink from.

It was vice versa for Valemen who had to walk into Paddy Harrison’s Glencairn Bar or Hugo Gallacher’s Galvanic or, once again, Willie McManus’s Elephant and Castle in the High Street, where Peter Brown, aproned from his chin to his toes, was in charge of the bar.

Then there was Kirk’s pub, across from the Rialto cinema, owned by Bobby Barr and later by Hughie and Margaret McCafferty in College Street, next door to the Central Station, and later known as The Railway Tavern.

The working man’s drink at that time – and it was men only who were welcome to drink in local pubs in the Fifties – was “a half and a beer” or a “boilermaker” which was one fifth of a gill of whisky and a half pint of beer.

Popular places to drink included the Dumbuck Hotel, which is now closed permenantly, which was owned by Willie McManus and his sister, Frances, whose family, Harry and Nellie, owned the Rhu Ellen Hotel.

Whoi remembers The Green Tumbler or The College Bar or the County Bar, across the road from the Sheriff Court in Church Street?

The Dumbuck’s well known barman over a long number of years was Ned Ward, who famously called time by requesting thirsty punters to “drink up your glasses now, gentlemen, please”. 

This week, we were told that some pubs are staying closed on quieter days of the week when they struggle to get any punters through the doors.

In a blow to the night-time economy, a poll of British Beer and Pub Association members found a third have reduced their operating hours due to higher operational costs.

On the contrary, Glasgow City Council our-of-touch SNP administration is considering retaining the city’s parking laws – imposed by yellow lines – until later into the evening, which will almost certainly deter people from driving to pubs and restaurants.

He said: “Utility bills are tripling, sometimes ­quadrupling and although the government helped homes with the energy support scheme, it stopped for business. On top of energy bills, we’ve got the national minimum wage increasing by almost 10 per cent next month.

He added: “The situation is even worse in Scotland because we are unequal with the rest of Great Britain as far as the issue of business rates is concerned. The Scottish Hospitality Group led the campaign for an emergency 75 per cent business rates relief to match the support that hospitality businesses in England and Wales have received over the last year.

He added: “There are some positive stories of big, family owned businesses doing well, but small to medium sized businesses are really, really struggling. Everybody in government seems to think hospitality will always be there, and that we’re used every single day.

“But it won’t be until there’s no hospitality premises left on our high streets except for big corporate companies that they’ll realise they’ve messed up. Because of rates and other things like the cost of parking in Glasgow, potential investors from England are looking at Scotland as a no-go area.

“We want to keep our small bars and restaurants because as soon as one shuts in a small village, it will never open again.”

British Beer and Pub Association chief executive Emma McClarkin said: “In recent times, many pubs have been forced to make the decision to reduce their operating hours, as they have been grappling with a multitude of challenges from rising energy costs to struggles with recruitment and retention.

“The decision to reduce hours is not one pubs ever want to make – they are a survival strategy in an unsustainably tough operating environment. The government must act to support pubs to alleviate these pressures and ensure the local remains at the heart of our communities and the engine of our high streets.”

The national chairman of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), Nik Antona, said: “Pubs are swimming upstream against a monsoon of challenges. To survive being drowned by the perfect storm of multiple economic crises, many pubs have taken the decision to close earlier than initially advertised in order to save costs.

“Last orders at an earlier time is certainly preferential to the pub closing its doors for good and the local community losing its central hub. The fact that venues are being forced to make this ­decision should serve as a harsh wake-up call for government to support UK pubs, lest we lose them forever.”

The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.

Top picture: A few well kent faces in the public bar at The Railway Tavern in College Street.