Blue Lamp, Aberdeen

The Blue Lamp has a rare virtually intact interior from c.1960 featuring distinct fittings of the time on two floors. A three storey granite building in the same family since 1949 it was refitted in c.1960 and is virtual unchanged since with rooms on two floors. In 1989 the former soap factory built in 1850 to the right was converted into a music (lounge) bar. This led to the only loss of the 1960s fittings when new toilets were installed on the ground floor. Front door leads into a small carpeted lobby and on the right is a staircase to the first floor lounge. The interior door ahead is one of many in a very 1960s style with a couple of vertical glass panels and leads to the U-shaped public bar.

The servery is in the right part of the U with a lino floor and has a ply panelled bar front with a black Formica top that extends over the top part of the front. The gantry consists of glass shelves on a mirror back. The left and rear walls have floor to ceiling ply panelling and only some bar stools here, no tables so mainly stand-up drinking. On the left as you enter the public bar there are two door-width gaps with a ply covered square pillar between them leading to the carpeted floor seating area in this part of the U shaped room. Around most of the room the walls have floor to ceiling ply panelling. Typical 1960s red padded leatherette fixed seating runs all around the room. At the front left is a dart area (?) and on the bench end here are vertical wooden slats reaching to the ceiling.

The lounge is on the first floor and has more 1960s doors and a carpeted floor. On the far wall the wall is covered in panelling laid horizontally. The servery is in the rear left area which has floor to ceiling wooden struts as a wall on the right hand side, Another very 1960s feature is the false ceiling over the servery which is of strips of wood laid vertically and horizontally with a mesh within the squares. There is a bar counter with a plain ply frontage and cream Formica top; the gantry is of glass shelves on a mirror backing, the main shelf is of Formica, and lower shelving is almost intact with only one fridge. Around the room is blue leatherette padded fixed seating – very 1960s. The gents’ and ladies on this floor are unchanged. The lounge is available for private functions and occasional music performances.

There is a separate entrance to the popular music venue on the right which hosts the Aberdeen Jazz Festival each March. Through a revolving door is a large room with modern but good quality fittings including a three bay bar back and modern dado panelling, also a stage. The local folk club meet here on a Wednesday night, jazz on some Thursdays, and there are usually bands (rock, blues, folk-rock) playing on Friday & Saturday nights at which there may be a charge for admission. This is one of few pubs still selling (one) real ale from a fount. Opens at 4pm (2pm Sun) - opens at 12 if Aberdeen are playing at home. The music lounge hosts Jazz on Thu, music most Fridays, and comedy on Sat.