Ashton Lane

The Lane was not always the focus of West End cafe society. By the early 1970s, it was a run-down area of small residential and empty commercial properties. However, in 1976, the cost to renew the lease on the cramped property in Ruthven Lane that housed the Ubiquitous Chip restaurant forced the owner to look for new premises. 'The Chip', as it is locally known, moved to its current location in a derelict property that had been the stables for a funeral undertaker. The move was a gamble for the owner, Ronnie Clydesdale, since the Lane was a backwater to the thriving Byres Rd but in 1977 the Glasgow Subway closed for a major refurbishment. This forced several small businesses to relocate…