Attoh's Bar, a historical landmark

Some seventy years later, Attoh's Bar is still in business at Osu, Accra, Ghana.

The bar was established by Mr. George Attoh, a Ga and Osu born native, when he returned from World War II in 1945.

Uncle Pa George, as he was famously known, already fluent in many Ghanaian Languages, was also fluent in several European Languages.

Attoh's Bar became an institution, a sort of Rick's Bar (the film Casablanca fame without the shady aspects) in the then Gold Coast that was to become  the nation of Ghana today. 

Uncle Pa George was the icon of Attoh's Bar. If for nothing, not even for a drink, people came to the bar to hear him talk for he was a superb conversationalist - a raconteur of a rare kind.

Attoh’s Bar soon became the watering hole and meeting place for diplomats from all over the world after the Gold Coast became Ghana in 1957.

"He was always there in his white shorts and white shirt to welcome all high and low with his charming and infectious smile. His Motto was that all are welcome at Atto’s Bar," says his nephew Rev. Peter E. Addo, a long time educationist in the US, residing in North Carolina.

"Charles Nii Attoh, the son of Uncle Pa George, looks just like my late uncle"  says Rev. Addo.

Charles is the current proprietor and manager of the family business.

Ghanadot is pleased to have in its archives pictures of the old and current Attoh's Bar brought to us by Rev. Addo.  It is a sure tourist attraction site and a landmark of early post independent Ghana.

E. Ablorh-Odjidja

Publisher, Ghanadot

August 07, 2013r
 

Response from a reader:

Dear Editor:

By chance I have just read your comments on Attoh's Bar. I had the good fortune to meet George many years ago the last time being about 30 years or so and what memories came flooding back. There were many good things from the first meeting, a welcome and handshake was the first. In talking to George you soon realised what a super memory he had for regaling tails and then came the history of the bar, a chance to sign the visitors book, a look through the many news reports he had gathered over the years including a Reuters report that "during the coup all shops and businesses in Accra were closed except Attoh's". His claim that the beer was always cold, the glasses clean and the ash trays empty was true, other than that things were left alone - presents on the shelves were left untouched and consequently full of dust and cobwebs. The bar I remember had a Toyota fan on it, that had been working for so long the front fan protector had rusted and all but blown away but an excellent fan according to George. There were others, brown round Bakelite light switches and a Rediffusion radio, neither of which I had seen for ages - but still functioning. Too, too many things to mention but the most endearing was the night I popped in for a beer (my visits to Ghana from the UK were limited and I would see George once, twice a year); empty but for three well dressed Ghanaian business men sat at the bar. They immediately switched from English to local dialect and just as quickly were admonished by George for doing so and turned to stare at him. Georges explanation to these three was that I was his brother and they should continue their conversation in English for the only difference between him and me was that he was born at night and I was born 1during the daytime. Turned into an enjoyable night for the five of us which kept the bar open past its usual 21:00 hours closing.  RIP George, thanks for the memories, I just wish there were many more like you in this world.

John Finney (Obrouni), Manchester.