Pavilion Hotel 1940s - 1950s

Folkestone Express 23-3-1940

Lighting Order

There have been more prosecutions at the Folkestone Police Court during the past week of offenders against the light­ing  regulations regarding the black-out.

William Belfield, the manager of the Royal Pavilion Hotel, Folkestone, said he was Guilty of the offence.

A War Reserve Police Constable said on March 9^th he saw two bright lights coming from the hotel. He saw the manager and he asked him if he was responsible. He said “Yes”. He (wit­ness) told him he had two unscreened bright lights coming from the top of hotel. The defendant accompanied him into the road, where he could see the lights and he then said “You are quite right. I am guilty”.

The defendant said the man on duty who should have gone round the whole of the hotel only went halfway round. The light was from the staff’s bathroom window and someone had been into the room, turned on the lights and not drawn the blinds.

The Mayor said the defendant would have to pay a fine of 10/-.

Folkestone Express 20-4-1940

Lighting Order

Seventeen summonses were heard by the Magistrates, the Mayor (Alderman G.A Gurr), Dr. F. Wolverson and Mrs. A.M. Saunders, on Friday at the Folkestone Police Court against de­fendants for failing to observe the light­ing regulations in the black-out.

William Belford, the manager of the Royal Pavilion Hotel, admitted the offence.

P.C. Josty said at 11.15 p.m. he saw a light issuing from a window of the hotel. He made inquiries and the defendant eventually found the room. He said the black-out had fallen down, and someone had left on the light.

Defendant said the material looked as if it had been torn down by one of his staff, who was probably disgruntled. He twice went round the building.

Chief Inspector Hollands said there was a previous conviction.

Fined £1.

Folkestone Herald 17-8-1940

Lighting Order

Edward Barton was summoned m respect of a light at the Royal Pavilion Hotel, Folkestone.

P.C. Crane said at 12 40 a.m. on August 3^rd he was on duty near the Marine Gardens Pavilion and from there he saw a light showing from two windows of a top floor room at the Royal Pavilion Hotel He went to the hotel and saw defen­dant, who was the caretaker. He took him to the passage where there was a 40 watt lamp burning.

Barton told the Magistrates that dur­ing the day he had occasion to go to the roof to turn off some water and he switched on the light in the daylight. It would not occur again, however, because he had removed the lamp.

A fine of £1 was imposed.

Folkestone Herald 24-8-1946

Local News

Pearl Candy, Folkestone`s carnival beauty queen, gave evidence at the Folkestone Magistrates` Court last Friday, when A.B. Colin Sutherland, stationed at Dover, was charged with stealing her bicycle from the Royal Pavilion Hotel. Stoker Harry Hoskins was also charged with stealing a bicycle from the Royal Pavilion Hotel on the same evening, the property of the War Department. Both pleaded Guilty.

Cpl. Coral Pilgrim, in charge of the Quartermaster`s Stores, No. 2 Service Women`s Transit Camp, Royal Pavilion Hotel, said three bicycles were usually kept in the passage outside the stores for use by the staff. On Friday morning she noticed two were missing; they were valued at £3.

P.C. Saville said he stopped defendants in Dover Street and they told him they were going to catch a train to Dover; they had borrowed the machines in Dover. Later the bicycles were found abandoned against a hedge at the Junction Station. Defendants were subsequently arrested. Sutherland made a statement in which he alleged that two girls had tol them where the bicycles were.

Both men told the Magistrates that they had been drinking during the evening.

The Chairman (Eng. Rear-Admiral L.J. Stephens) said the Bench was satisfied that the event was just a “drunken frolic” and they were willing to give the men another chance. The case was dismissed, each man paying 15/- costs.

Eng. Rear-Admiral L.J. Stephens sat with Mr. P. Fuller, Alderman N.O. Baker and Dr. Esme Stuart.

Folkestone Gazette 24-12-1956

Local News

After being fined £5 at a Dunfermline court on a charge of larceny just nine days beforehand, James Easton, of no fixed address, appeared before Folkestone Magistrates on Friday on a similar charge. He was sent to prison for a month after pleading Guilty to stealing, between December 4^th and 6^th, a pair of trousers, a shirt, five handkerchiefs, a wallet and a mirror, total value £3 14/3, the property of Leon­ard Thomas Boucher.

Inspector A. Gray said Mr. Boucher, a caretaker at the Royal Pavilion Hotel, found the property missing from his room after accused had slept in the hotel for two nights from December 4^th.

P.C. Baynes said he saw accused at Aberdeen Police Station at 5.30 a.m. on December 20^th and brought him to Folkestone where he was charged with the offence at 12.45 a.m. the following day. The police officer said Easton, in a statement, said that he sold the property to a second­hand dealer in Folkestone for 30/- and with the money bought himself some clothes.

Defendant told the Magis­trates that he took the money because he wanted to get home to his people in Scotland. He asked for another offence of stealing two white jackets, valued at £6, the property of Mr. Victor Behar, manager o the Royal Pavilion Hotel, to be taken into consideration.

Inspector Gray said Easton was 22 and had six previous convictions for larceny, the last being nine days ago at a Dun­fermline Court where he was fined £5. Defendant had also under­gone two periods of Borstal training.

The Chairman (Ald. W. Hol­lands) said in view of defend­ant’s very bad record the magistrates had no alternative but to send him to prison for a month.