Real Lives: ‘Super grump’ David is pulling last pint at Kay’s

Known affectionately as “super grump”, David, 69, took over the Jamaica Street premises in 1988.

“I’d come from the New Town Hotel in Danube Street, which was only about 150 yards away,” he said.

“Kay’s Bar is definitely a regulars’ pub, about 90 per cent of customers come here again and again.

“It’s very much a rugby bar and if international games were on it would become horrendously busy.

“But even when it was quiet, the coal fire in the main bar kept it pretty cosy.

Originally from Blackhall, David lives in Fettes Village with his wife Kate, who has recently retired after having served as a councillor for Edinburgh West for 13 years.

The couple have one son, accountant Campbell Mackenzie, 38, and three grandchildren.

“I think my customers tended to see me as a bit eccentric,” he said.

“One incident they would refer to was a day when I had to ask someone to leave because they had fallen asleep in the pub.

“But only a short time later I started doing some paperwork and fell asleep myself.”

And David admits that when it came to running a pub, he was sure he had the right idea.

“I wasn’t really a Campaign for Real Ale aficionado, I had a bit of a love-hate relationship with them.

“Nothing has really changed at Kay’s over the years.

“One of the regulars came back after having worked in Ukraine for six years and popped in to see if anything had changed – everything was the same, even the menu.”

David, who used to play for Edinburgh Northern Rugby Club, was a referee in the sport for 15 years.

Before he became involved in the licensed trade, he was a photographer and went on to spend 12 years as a ladies’ fashion agent.

“Outerwear, that is,” he joked. “Then I got to 40 and thought, ‘I’m going to join the bar trade’.”

Today, for the first time, David will find himself on the other side of Kay’s Bar.

Manager Fraser Gillespie will open the pub for the first time as the new lessee – with David as his first customer.

The pair have worked together for 23 years.

“Fraser came to the pub in the January after I became the tenant,” said David.

“Every so often I say to him, Fraser – will you pick up some of my good points and not just the bad.

“He is very much his own man – and he knows how to run Kay’s.”

David, who has another pub, the Blue Blazer, said  he plans to spend his retirement on the golf course and perfecting his skills on his five-string banjo – but he still plans to see his regulars.

“Over the years, many customers became friends,” he said.