John House (16 May 1906 – 11 April 1991) was a prolific and popular Scottish writer and broadcaster, with a significant attachment to the City of Glasgow.
This, together with the fact that both of his parents were born in England,[1] would come as a surprise to those who knew him as "Mr Glasgow", so thoroughly did he identify himself with the culture and people of that city.
That his father, also John, was a prosperous company secretary and Jack himself trained as an accountant would only add to the surprise, given Glasgow's "Red Clydeside" reputation.
In 1928, he got a job as a reporter on the Glasgow Evening Citizen, where he was involved in a number of sensational stories – including a tragic blaze at the Glen Cinema in Paisley in which 80 children had perished.
During the second world war he attained the rank of captain in the cinematographic unit, for which he wrote scripts (in the company of Peter Ustinov and David Niven).
His "'Ask Jack" column in the Glasgow Evening Citizen gave lively answers (most of them true) to readers' questions on all aspects of the City.
He was often on television, with STV and BBC Scotland, and formed a winning partnership with Sir James Fergusson in the long-running radio series Round Britain Quiz.
He spent a great deal of time in the "Ubiquitous Chip" restaurant and there is a caricature of him – buck teeth and all – by Emilio Coia still hanging over his habitual table.