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Saturday, 11 January 2014

Royal Oak (1) 1910s


Folkestone Daily News 13-2-1913
 
Annual Licensing Sessions
 
The Licensing Bench on Wednesday, February 12th, was constituted as follows: Messrs. Ward, Boyd, Leggett, Swoffer, Stainer, Herbert, Fynmore, Hamilton, and Linton.

The Chief Constable read his report (for which see Folkestone Express).

The Chairman said the report of the Chief Constable was very satisfactory, but the Bench were still of opinion that there were too many licensed houses in a certain portion of the town. Therefore a number would have their licences withheld until the adjourned sessions on the ground of redundancy. Formal opposition to the renewals would be served so that full enquiries could be made into the trade of these houses, with a view of referring some of them to the Compensation Authority.

The following were the licences which were held over: The Raglan, Dover Street; Oddfellows, Dover Street; Royal Oak, North Street; Isle of Cyprus, Bayle; Lord Nelson, Radnor Street; Lifeboat, North Street; Wellington, Beach Street.

Folkestone Daily News 10-3-1913

Adjourned Licensing Sessions
Monday, March 10th: Before Messrs. Ward, Hamilton, Stainer, Herbert, Harrison, Morrison, Linton, Boyd, Stace, Jenner, and Giles.
There was again a large crowd in Court on Monday morning, when the fate of 7 licensed houses (referred for redundancy) hung in the balance.

At the commencement of the proceedings the Chief Constable said the Bench had to consider the seven licences adjourned from the annual sessions on the ground of redundancy. He invited the Bench to hear the evidence in regard to such houses separately and give a decision after hearing all the evidence.

The Royal Oak

In the case of the Royal Oak the Chief put in the same ground of objection as in the last case. Rateable value of the house £20, owners Messrs. Leney and Co., tenant W.F. Collar.

Mr. Drake, for the brewers, pointed out that the present tenant had been in the house 11½ years.

Mr. Collar, the tenant, said he was tied for beer but not for spirits. For the last three years the average of spirits worked out at 85 gallons per annum.

Mr. A. Leney said the rent of the house was £15, gross rateable value £25, and nett rateable value £22 15s. For three years the average trade was 5 barrels per week – 275 barrels per annum.

During the period when a witness was speaking as to the licensed accommodation in the Fishmarket area, Mr. J. Stainer, one of the Justices, surprised everyone in court by pointing out that one house of accommodation in the Market had not been mentioned – The Bethel. Seeing that this is a teetotal house, a good many people in court were heard to say “Bias”.
The Bench retired at 4 p.m., and returned at 4.10, the Chairman announcing that the Lord Nelson and the Isle of Cyprus would be referred to Canterbury and the other five licences would be renewed.
Folkestone Express 15-2-1913

Annual Licensing Sessions

The Brewster Sessions were held on Wednesday morning. The Justices present were E.T. Ward Esq., Major Leggett, Lieut. Col. Fynmore, Lieut. Col. Hamilton, G. Boyd, G.I. Swoffer, R.J. Linton, and J. Stainer Esqs. Mr. Boyd and Mr. Stainer did not take part in the licensing business, not being on the committee.

The Chief Constable read his report as follows: Gentlemen, I have the honour to report that there are at present within your jurisdiction 119 places licensed for the sale of intoxicating liquor by retail, viz., Full Licences 73, Beer On 7, Beer Off 6, Beer and Spirit Dealers Off 15, Grocers, etc. Off 9, Confectioners` Wine On 3, Chemists Wine Off 5. This gives an average, according to the Census of 1911, of one licence to every 281 persons, or one on licence to every 418 persons. As compared with the return submitted last year this is a decrease of two licences. At the general annual licensing meeting last year a new licence was granted for the sale of beer off the premises at Morehall, and two other off licences were discontinued.

At the last adjourned general annual licensing meeting the renewal of the licence of the Rendezvous Hotel was referred to the Compensation Committee on the ground of redundancy, and at the meeting of that Committee on the 7th August, 1912, the licence was refused, and after payment of compensation the house was closed for the sale of drink on the 28th December last.

During the past year fifteen of the licences have been transferred; one licence was transferred twice.

Six occasional licences have been granted for the sale of drink on premises not ordinarily licensed for such sale, and 34 extensions of the usual time of closing have been granted to licence holders on special occasions.

During the year ended 31st December last 85 persons (62 males and 23 females) were proceeded against for drunkenness; 64 were convicted and 21 discharged.

In the preceding year 54 males and 31 females were proceeded against, of whom 66 were convicted and 19 discharged.

The number convicted of drunkenness last year, viz., 46 males and 18 females, is, I find, the smallest number convicted in any year since 1896.

Of those proceeded against, 31 were residents of the Borough, 34 were persons of no fixed abode, 13 residents of other districts and seven were soldiers.

No conviction has been recorded against any licence holder during the past year. Proceedings were taken against the holder of an off licence for a breach of the closing regulations, but the case was dismissed.

Eleven clubs where intoxicating liquor is sold are registered in accordance with the Act of 1902.

There are 17 places licensed for music and dancing, eight for music only, and two for public billiard playing.

I have no complaint to make as to the conduct of any of the licensed houses, and offer no opposition to the renewal of any of the present licences on the ground of misconduct.

The Chairman said it was a very satisfactory report indeed, but they felt that there were still too many licensed houses, particularly in certain portions of the Borough, and the Justices would direct that a certain number of the applications for renewal should be deferred till the Adjourned Sessions, so that they might have evidence as to the trade those houses were doing, and decide whether any of them ought to be referred to the Compensation Authority.

The houses to be dealt with were seven in number, namely; the Raglan Tavern, the Oddfellows, the Royal Oak, the Isle of Cyprus, the Lord Nelson, the Lifeboat, and the Wellington.

With those exceptions the existing licences were granted.

Folkestone Herald 15-2-1913
Annual Licensing Sessions

Wednesday, February 12
th: Before Mr. E.T. Ward, Lieut. Col. Fynmore, Lieut. Col. Hamilton, Major Leggett, Mr. W.G. Herbert, Mr. J. Stainer, and Mr. G. Boyd.
The Chief Constable presented his annual report (for which see Folkestone Express).

The Chairman remarked that the report was a very satisfactory one, but, in the opinion of the Bench, there were still too many public houses in certain portions of the town, and they would defer the renewal of certain of the licences to the adjourned sessions, so that they might have evidence as to what trade they were doing, and see if any of them were to be referred to the compensation authority.

The licensees of the Raglan Tavern, the Oddfellows, Dover Street, the Royal Oak, North Street, the Isle of Cyprus, the Lord Nelson, the Lifeboat, and the Wellington were called forward.

The Chairman said the renewal of the licences of those public houses would be deferred until the adjourned licensing sessions, and notice of opposition would be served in the meantime on the ground of redundancy. The Chief Constable would be directed to serve the notices.

The licences of all the other houses were then renewed.

 
Folkestone Express 15-3-1913

Adjourned Licensing Sessions

At the annual licensing sessions seven licences were deferred to the adjourned sessions, which were held at the Town Hall on Monday. The Magistrates on the Bench were E.T. Ward Esq., Lieut. Col. Hamilton, Alderman Jenner, and W.G. Herbert, J. Stainer, R.J. Linton, G. Boyd, W.J. Harrison, J.J. Giles, E.T. Morrison and A. Stace Esqs.

The Royal Oak

Mr. Reeve put in a similar notice of objection against the Royal Oak. Mr. B.C. Drake appeared for the owners and the licensee.

The Chief Constable said the tenant was Mr. W.H. Collard, and the registered owners were Messrs. Leney and Co., of Dover. The rateable value of the house was £20. The house had a frontage of 16ft. 10in. to the street. There were two entrances. One was to a small bottle and jug department, which was divided from the public bar by a partition about 6ft. high. He other entrance opened into a passage which led into the front bar. The passage also led to a small taproom, which overlooked the back yard. There was a serving window in the passage from which customers could be supplied from the bar. The room at the back was approached by four steps in the passage, and about 11ft. 9in. further down the passage there was the urinal for the use of the customers. On the first floor, over the taproom, there was the club room. That was approached by eleven stairs from the passage. The stairs were winding, very awkward, rather dark, and required artificial lighting. The kitchen and scullery were in the basement at the back of the house, and the cellar was under the front door. There was no back entrance to the premises, but there was a small enclosed back yard. Fifty five yards from the house was the Lord Nelson, and sixty yards away there was the Lifeboat. There were sixteen other on-licensed premises within a radius of 150 yards. The Wonder Tavern, in Beach Street, had a rateable value of £36, the South Foreland, £72, and the Chequers, £28, being the next nearest houses. The house appeared to do a fair trade, especially on Saturday nights. He considered it was structurally inferior to other houses in the area, and if the licence was taken away he had no doubt there would be ample accommodation left at the other houses. He made no complaint as to the conduct or management of the house.

Cross-examined, Mr. Reeve said he was not objecting to the house on the ground that the house was structurally inferior to the others. The chief reason he considered for it being inferior was the steps. The house was very easy of police supervision.

Mr. W.H. Collard said he had been tenant since August 27th. 1901. He was tied for beer, but not for spirits. In 1910 he did 87 gallons of spirits. The average for the last three years was 85 gallons. The rent was £15.

Mr. A.C. Leney, the managing director of the owners, said there had been no convictions since it had been their property. The gross rateable value was £25, and the net was £25 16s. Taking the last three years the average trade was five barrels of beer a week. The trade was increasing. Last year the trade was 265 barrels. If there were any structural alterations required by the Magistrates he would be willing to give an undertaking that they would be carried out.

The Magistrates retired, and on their return the Chairman announced that the licence would be renewed

Folkestone Herald 15-3-1913

Adjourned Licensing Sessions

The adjourned Annual Folkestone Licensing Sessions were held at the Police Court on Monday, when the licences of the seven houses deferred at the Annual General Sessions came up for hearing. Mr. E.T. Ward was in the chair, and he was supported by Mr. W.G. Herbert, Lieut. Colonel C.J. Hamilton, Mr. J. Stainer, Mr. R.J. Linton, Mr. G. Boyd, Alderman C. Jenner, Captain Chamier, Mr. J.J. Giles, Councillor W.J. Harrison, Mr. E.T. Morrison and Councillor A. Stace.


The Royal Oak

Mr. B.C. Drake appeared on behalf of the brewers, Messrs. Leney and Co., of Dover.

The Chief Constable stated that this house was situated in North Street, and the present licensee was Mr. Wm. Henry Collar, who had been there since September 11
th, 1901. The registered owners were Messrs. Leney and Co., Dover, and the rateable value of the house was £20. The house had a frontage of 16ft. 10ins. to the street, and there were two entrances, one to a small bottle and jug department. This compartment was divided from the public bar by a partition about 6ft. high. The other entrance on the left hand side of the front opened into a passage, which opened into the front bar. This passage led to the back of the house to the tap room, overlooking the back yard. There was a serving window in the bar in the passage, where customers could be supplied whilst in the passage, and about 11ft. 9ins. further down the passage was the urinal for the customers of the house. On the first floor, over the tap room, was a club room. This was approached by eleven stairs from the passage. After ascending the passage four steps, they became dark, and required artificial light. The winding stairs were very awkward. The kitchen and the scullery of the licensee were in the basement at the back of the house, and the cellar was under the front bar. There was no back entrance to the premises, but there was a small enclosed back yard. This house was 55 yards away from the Lord Nelson, and 60 yards from the Lifeboat. There were 16 on licensed houses within a radius of 150 yards. The Wonder Tavern, in Beach Street, had a rateable value of £36, the South Foreland a rateable value of £72, and the Chequers, next door, a rateable value of £28. The house did a very fair trade, especially during the weekend. He considered, however, that the house was structurally inferior to other houses in the area, and if the licence was taken away he had no doubt there would be ample accommodation left. He made no complaint as to the conduct of the house.
Cross-examined by Mr. Drake, witness stated that the present licensee had been in the house 11½ years. It was conducted properly. He had no complaint to make on that ground. The house was easy for police supervision. A fairly good trade was done.

Mr. Collar stated that he had been in the house for 11½ years. During the lasdt three years his average spirit trade had been 87 gallons of spirits. The rent was £15 per annum.

Mr. Alfred Charles Leney, Managing Director of Messrs. Leney and Co., Dover, said he knew of no conviction since the house had been in their possession. The rent was £15, and the gross rateable value net was £20 16s. The barrelage of the house during the last three years was five barrels per week, or 257 barrels per year. The trade was increasing, and the barrelage last year was 265. Anything that needed to be done structurally would be carried out.

The Magistrates retired for a period to consider their decisions. On their return the Chairman said that the Royal Oak licence was renewed

 


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