Thanks And Acknowledgements

My thanks go to Kent Libraries and Archives - Folkestone Library and also to the archive of the Folkestone Herald. For articles from the Folkestone Observer, my thanks go to the Kent Messenger Group. Southeastern Gazette articles are from UKPress Online, and Kentish Gazette articles are from the British Newspaper Archive. See links below.

Paul Skelton`s great site for research on pubs in Kent is also linked

Other sites which may be of interest are the Folkestone and District Local History Society, the Kent History Forum, Christine Warren`s fascinating site, Folkestone Then And Now, and Step Short, where I originally found the photo of the bomb-damaged former Langton`s Brewery, links also below.


Welcome

Welcome to Even More Tales From The Tap Room.

Core dates and information on licensees tenure are taken from Martin Easdown and Eamonn Rooney`s two fine books on the pubs of Folkestone, Tales From The Tap Room and More Tales From The Tap Room - unfortunately now out of print. Dates for the tenure of licensees are taken from the very limited editions called Bastions Of The Bar and More Bastions Of The Bar, which were given free to very early purchasers of the books.

Easiest navigation of the site is by clicking on the PAGE of the pub you are looking for and following the links to the different sub-pages. Using the LABELS is, I`m afraid, not at all user-friendly.

Contrast Note

Whilst the above-mentioned books and supplements represent an enormous amount of research over many years, it is almost inevitable that further research will throw up some differences to the published works. Where these have been found, I have noted them. This is not intended to detract in any way from previous research, but merely to indicate that (possible) new information is available.

Contribute

If you have any anecdotes or photographs of the pubs featured in this Blog and would like to share them, please mail me at: jancpedersen@googlemail.com.

If you`ve enjoyed your visit here, why not buy me a pint, using the button at the end of the "Labels" section?


Search This Blog

Saturday 18 October 2014

West Cliff Shades 1940s



Folkestone Herald 7-9-1940

Local News

At the Folkestone Police Court on Tuesday the Magistrates granted a protection order to Mr. P.E. Wootton, of the Guildhall Hotel, Folkestone, in respect of the Martello Hotel, Dover Road. It was stated that Mr. R.L. Chapman, the licensee of the Martello, would shortly be going into the Army.

Folkestone Herald 24-4-1943

Local News

At Folkestone Police Court on Wednesday, the Magistrates agreed to the transfer of the licence of the Guildhall Hotel, Guildhall Street, from Mr. P.E. Wooton to Mr. R.P. Rawlings, of Messrs. Mackeson's, Ltd.

Note: This does not appear in More Bastions.

Alderman R.G. Wood pre­sided with Alderman J.W. Stainer, Mr. P. Fuller and Mr. P.V. Gurr.

Folkestone Herald 31-7-1943

Local News

For a breach of the Lighting Restriction Order, Mrs. Amy Wootton, of the Guildhall Hotel, was fined £1 by the Folkestone Magistrates on Tuesday.

Folkestone Herald 6-1-1945

Local News

Four members of the R.A.F. Regiment who stole a firkin of beer from a Folkestone hotel were fined at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court last Friday. Alfred Jennings, Samuel Campbell, Stanley Jones and Stanley Kempson Boyle pleaded guilty to the theft of the barrel of beer, valued £2 12/6, the property of Mr. Ev P. Woottcn, licensee of the Guildhall Hotel. Jennings, who was further charged with stealing a glass tankard, valued at 2/3, denied the theft.

P.C. Farrier said at 10 p.m. on December 23rd he was in Rendezvous Street when he heard a disturbance coming from the passage by Messrs. Lewis Hyland's premises. By the light of his torch he saw two airmen, one carrying a firkin of beer on his back. He challenged them and the one who was carrying the beer dropped it and ran into Rendez­vous Street. He caught the other man (Jennings) and asked him where they had obtained the beer, and he replied “I will show you”. At the Police Station he searched Jennings and in his right hand overcoat pocket he found a mug which was later identified by Mr. Wootton as his property. Later he charged Jennings with stealing the mug and he replied "All I can say is this; in the pub I took off my over­coat and before leaving put it on again. I did not know the glass was in my pocket”.

Percy E. Wootton, licensee of the Guildhall Hotel, said shortly after 10 o’clock on December 23rd he found the firkin of beer was missing from the saloon on the public side of the bar. There was an exit from the saloon bar to the back of the Town Hall.

D. Sergt. Bates said on Decem­ber 24th he saw Jennings and told him that he was making enquiries about the theft of the brer. Defendant replied ‘’Yes. I was helping Campbell to take it away when the policeman came along”. Later he interviewed Camp­bell, and he said "During the evening I went down to the lavatory in the pub and helped some other men to take the beer outside. I don’t know who the other men were. I later told Jennings about it and we were taking it away when the policeman stopped us”. Witness next saw Jones, who said “I was in the pub with Campbell and Boyle and took the barrel from the bar and took it outside”. Later he saw Boyle, who said “Yes. I was with them. We took the barrel from the bar”.

Campbell said they had had some drinks that evening and what they did was more of a seasonable prank than anything else.

An officer said all the men had good characters.

The Chairman (Alderman N.O. Baker): You regard it more or less as a seasonable occurrence than anything else?

The officer: Yes, a seasonable prank.

The Chairman told the defendants they had done a very silly thing. Everybody knew it was Christmastime, but they belonged to the Air Force and should have thought before doing such a thing. They had given a lot of trouble, and had deprived the licensee of the beer at a time when it was in short supply.

Each would be fined £1, and Jennings a further 5/- for the theft of the mug.

Alderman Baker sat with Dr. Esme Stuart.

Folkestone Herald 24-3-1945

Local News

Two R.N. Commandos, Frederick James Edwards and Thomas Lee, appeared before the Folkestone Magistrates on Tuesday charged with robbing with violence from L.A.C. Alfred Williams, and stealing his wallet containing £1, correspondence and a cigarette case, altogether valued at £2.

Defendants appeared before Alderman W. Hollands (presiding), Alderman N.O. Baker and Dr. Esme Stuart.

After evidence had been given by a detective officer, accused were remanded in custody until next Tuesday.

D. Const. Peck said on Saturday last at 11 p.m. he went to a billet in company with an officer, who checked the roll. On a landing he saw Edwards, dressed in underclothing, come out of his room and go to the lavatory. Shortly after Edwards returned to his room. A quarter of an hour later, accompanied by a duty officer and L.A.C. Williams, the complainant, witness again visited the billet, and in the seventh room they entered Williams pointed to three men, two of them being Edwards and Lee. Williams said “These are three of the men who were in the public house”, and indicating Edwards and Lee, he said “These are the two men who assaulted me”. Witness told defendants that the airman who had just been in the room had been assaulted and robbed of his wallet and cigarette case and that he had pointed them out as the persons responsible. Edwards immediately said “I don`t know anything about it”. Lee said “Nor me”. Witness then went to the lavatory to which he had seen Edwards go, and on the top of the cistern he recovered an empty wallet and a handkerchief. He showed the wallet to Williams and then went back into the room to show it to Edwards, telling him where he had found it, and that he had seen him (Edwards) go to the lavatory. Edwards said “I didn`t put it there”. The following day he charged defendants, and Edwards said “I had nothing to do with it because I was with Lee all the time, and we came back together. I never saw the airman after we left the Guildhall”. Lee said “I know nothing about it. I left the pub at closing time and we went back aboard with Edwards and the other two of our boys. I never saw the airman when I left the pub”.

As stated, defendants were remanded for a week.

Folkestone Herald 31-3-1945

Local News

Two R.N. Commandos were committed for trial at the next Kent Assizes when they appeared before Folkestone Magistrates` Court again on Tuesday, charged with robbing with violence Leading Aircraftsman Williams, R.A.F. Accused were Frederick James Edwards and Thomas Lee.

Mr. T.T. Cropper, who prosecuted, said it was alleged that defendants robbed Williams of a wallet containing £1 and a cigarette case. At the first hearing, added Mr. Cropper, D. Const. Peck gave evidence that he went to defendants` billet the same night, and there L.A.C. Williams identified defendants as the two men who had assaulted him. The Magistrates would also remember that while the detective was standing on a landing Williams, it was alleged, came out of his room and went across to a lavatory. Later in the lavatory an empty wallet was found.

L.A.C. Alfred Williams, R.A.F., said on March 17th at 9.10 p.m. he went to the Guildhall Hotel, Folkestone. Among those in the public bar were four R.N. Commandos, Edwards and Lee being among them. Witness was accompanied by L.A.C. Hignell. He left the hotel at 10 o`clock, hignell being in front, and Edwards was behind following Lee. He (Williams) was going to the Central Station to get a taxi. Edwards, who was standing outside with witness, called Lee, and the three of them walked along Guildhall Street. He was in the centre, and Edwards and Lee  had an arm linked with his on either side. After they passed Moncrieff`s shop Edwards pushed him into a doorway. Holding witness, Edwards told Lee “to give it to him”. Edwards held him and Lee started hitting him about the face and head with his fist. Edwards`s arms were round him. Witness`s eye was blackened, and he was marked on the nose and the other eye by Lee`s blows. Edwards then said to Lee “Have you got the lot?”, referring to his wallet and cigarette case. Lee replied “Yes”. The case and wallet were taken from his tunic pockets. The wallet contained a £1 note. Edwards and Lee afterwards made off. As witness came out of the doorway he contacted a soldier, and about four minutes later he saw P.C. Harman to whom he reported what had happened. At the police station he received attention for his injuries. At about 11.30 that night he went with a detective to a building in which he visited several rooms. In one of them he identified Edwards, Lee and another Commando as having been in the Guildhall Hotel earlier. He also picked out Edwards and Lee as the men who had attacked him; neither defendant said anything. Afterwards he was shown his empty wallet by the detective.

By Edwards: From the time they left the public house to the end of the attack about 15 minutes had elapsed.

L.A.C. John Q. Hignell, R.A.F., said on the following day he attended an identification parade at the Town Hall. There were about eight R.N. Commandos lined up and he picked out two who were in the Guildhall Hotel the previous night. Edwards was one of those, but he could not be quite definite. Witness said he left the room and returned again later. On that occasion he picked out Edwards, Lee and another as having been in the public house the night before.

Able Seaman J. Kelly, R.N. Commando, said on the night of March 17th he was in the Guildhall Hotel. Defendants were also there. He left at 10 p.m., and as he was coming out of the bar a soldier pushed him. There was an argument for a time, and then witness started making his way back. He had walked about 30 yards from the public house when defendants came up behind him. On arriving at their billet they all turned in. Later a police officer visited the room. Before that witness had left the room, but he could not be sure whether anyone else had done so.

Replying to Edwards, witness said it was a fairly dark night.

P.C. Harman said at 10.10 p.m. on March 17th he was on duty in Sandgate Road when he was approached by Williams, who was bleeding from a cut on the bridge of his nose, and from another cut under the right eye.

Both defendants said they did not wish to make any statement at that stage.

The Magistrates committed defendants for trial at Kent Assizes, granting legal aid.

Alderman W. Hollands presided, with Alderman N.O. Baker and Dr. Esme Stuart.

Folkestone Herald 13-10-1945

Local News

The following licence was transferred at a sitting of the Folkestone Magistrates on Wed­nesday last week: West Cliff Shades, from Mr. Her­bert Walter Barker to Mr. Leonard Barker.



 
 
 
 

No comments:

Post a Comment