Updates

20th December, 2014: Folkestone Herald Reports for 1968 and 1969 Added.

I will now be taking a short break from posting while I start sorting through material which I have in store. Posting will resume in February.

Earl Grey 1960s

Folkestone Herald 14-6-1969

Local News

Police on Wednesday objected to the transfer of the licence of the Earl Grey Inn, High Street, Folkestone.

Mr. R. Webb, who appeared for the police, told Folkestone Licensing Justices that the police objected because the applicant, Mr. Alfred Adams, was not a fit and proper person to hold a licence and. because the premises were not conducted in an orderly fashion.

Mr. John Medlicott, repre­senting Mr. Adams, described the objections as “rather sweeping”. He said that as notice of the objections had been given orally only 48 hours previously an adjournment would be necessary for him to take further instructions.

The justices adjourned the application until June 26, and extended the existing protection order.

Folkestone Herald 28-6-1969

Local News

Police objections to the licensee of the Earl Grey public house in High Street, Folke­stone, were overruled by Magistrates on Thurs­day at a special sitting of the licensing sessions.

The hearing was cut short before repre­sentations were made on behalf of the land­lord, Mr. Alfred Adams, and after three police inspectors agreed that on later visits the premises were run in a proper manner.

The police case was put by Mr. R.A. Webb, who said that in recent months the public house had been the centre of serious disturbances. At an earlier hearing police objected to the transfer of the full licence because, it was alleged, Mr. Adams was not a fit and proper person to hold a licence and because the premises were not conducted in an orderly fashion.

On Thursday the Magistrates listened to evidence from four inspectors and a detective constable, and then interrupted the case. After a five minute adjournment, the Chairman, Mr. P.J. Baden-Fuller said the premises appeared to have been conducted in a proper manner since June 11. The Magistrates agreed to extend the protection order until August, when, if no adverse reports were received, the full licence would be transferred.

In their evidence the police inspectors referred to visits to the Earl Grey in April and May, when “abusive remarks” were made. One of the remarks was “Don't drink with those scum”. On other occasions the words “fuzz, fascist police and police pigs” were used. Obscene and disgusting language had been used, and on one occasion police were told: “When we take over this country you will be shot like mad dogs”.

But cross-examination by Mr. John Medlicott made it clear that during later visits there was no cause for com­plaint about the “undesirable persons” police alleged used the Earl Grey.

Folkestone Herald 16-8-1969

Local News

The Earl Grey public house in the High Street, Folkestone, was granted its full licence on Wednesday.

At Folkestone licensing sessions, the licensee, Mr. Alfred Adams, heard that there had been no further objections to the granting of the transfer of the licence, since he was given a protec­tion order for the premises in June. At the earlier hearing the interim order was made with a provision to transfer the full licence if no further objections were made before this week’s sessions.

 

Princess Royal 1960s

Folkestone Herald 2-9-1961

Local News

A 27-year-old window cleaner pleaded Guilty at Folkestone Magistrates` Court on Thursday to stealing £5 from the Princess Royal public house in South Street.

D. Inspector Ivan Packman said the accused, George Jolly, who lives in lodgings in Folkestone, went with another man to the public house for a drink on Tuesday. They ordered drinks, and one of them tendered a £5 note, which the wife of the licensee, Mrs. Dennis, put on a shelf at the back of the bar. She left the bar for a few moments, and when she returned the note was gone, said the Inspector. She stopped Jolly outside the public house and demanded the money back. He gave it to her. In a statement at Folkestone police station on Thursday morning, Jolly was alleged to have said he was tempted, reached over and took the note.

“I realise how stupid I was”, he told the Magistrates. “I immediately admitted I was wrong to do it, and gave the note back”.

D. Inspector Packman said the defendant had been in court four times between 1951 and 1957. In 1951 he was put on probation; three years later he was sent to prison for nine months for shop-breaking and larceny. In 1956 he was sent to prison for two months for taking away a car without consent, and in 1957 he went to prison for three months for unlawful wounding.

Folkestone Herald 12-10-1968

Local News

Bill and Annie Dennis, mine hosts at the Princess Royal public house for the past seven years, retired this week. And in doing so they paid tribute to Folkestone. Said Mr. Dennis “This was our fifth pub. We have been in towns throughout the country and we have decided Folkestone is the place for us. We shall continue to live here in our retirement.”

On their last night at the Princess Royal - Monday - there was a special ceremony and farewell presentation for Mrs. Dennis. Friends from the local Women’s Auxiliary of the Licensed Victuallers’ Associa­tion visited to wish her a happy retirement. And the Chairman, Mrs. Mick Rayner, presented her with a standard lamp on be­half of the auxiliary. Later in the evening the glass-fronted wall collection boxes, which have been a feature of the pub, were emptied. In them was £15, which will go to local charities.

Mr. Dennis is not giving up his interests in the licens­ing trade. He has agreed to fill the offices of treasurer and secre­tary of the Folkestone Licensed Victuallers’ Associa­tion.

 

Updates

13th December, 2014: Folkestone Herald Reports from 1966 and 1967Added.

Valiant Sailor 1960s

Folkestone Herald 23-4-1960

Local News

Accused of being in charge of his car while under the influence of drink, Ralph Stanley Lowe, of 6, Cherry Garden Avenue, Folkestone, was at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday sent for trial at Folkestone Quarter Sessions in July

Mr. Ian Graham, prosecuting, said that police officers saw Lowe slumped over the driving wheel of a Hillman Husky car parked outside a row of shops in Dover Road, near the junc­tion with Morrison Road, just before midnight on March 29^th. The ignition key was in the vehicle and the officers formed the opinion that Lowe was under the influence of drink. Taken to Folkestone police station, Lowe said he had been drinking at the Valiant Sailor public house. He was unable to explain what he had been doing between 10.30 p.m. and the time he was found by the police.

Giving evidence of arrest, P.C. Percy Goreham said “I saw a man slumped over the steering wheel. As I approached the car a dog in the back began barking, but this did not rouse the man. I tapped on the glass window of the door and the man raised his head and wagged his finger at the dog. I saw the man had on his lap some fish and chip paper. I asked him if he was unwell and he made no reply. I asked him to lower the window, which he did. I asked him again if he was feeling unwell and he said “I go to sleep. I can`t help it.””.  P.C. Goreham added that when Lowe got out of his car he was unsteady on his feet and his speech was slurred. “I told him that I was of the opinion that he was under the influence of alcohol”, P.C. Goreham said, “and that I was taking him to Folkestone Police Station”. He said “Why did you come that way?” At Folkestone police station, P.C. Goreham continued, he asked him if he had any docu­ments relating to the car. Lowe replied “I would rather not say anything”.

Dr. Derek Musselwhite said that when he examined Lowe at the police station he decided that he was under the influence of alcohol to such an extent as to be unable to be properly in charge of a car. During the examination Lowe was very quiet and was rather slow at answering questions. His tongue was furred and his breath smelt very strongly of alcohol. He was unsteady when stand­ing on one leg and could not do a “knees bend” properly. He was fairly steady while walking and standing with his feet together, and was fairly accurate in touching the end of his nose with his finger with his eyes closed. The pupils of his eyes were normal.

P.S. Richard Grayling said that at the police station Lowe said “I just fell asleep. I am always doing it”. Later he said “I must have been asleep there for an hour”.

Mr. C.B. Croft, defending, said that the prosecution had put forward an extremely weak case against Lowe. He asked the Bench to find that there was no prima facie case against him. Commenting on the medical evidence, Mr. Croft said the fact that Lowe`s tongue was furred was not very significant. Neither was the evidence that his breath smelt of alcohol; it did not mean that he had necessarily taken a lot of drink. Apart from being unable to do a “knees bend” and being unsteady on one leg – both fairly natural things in many people – Lowe seemed to have done well in all the usual tests.

The Magistrates decided that Lowe had a case to answer and committed him for trial.

Folkestone Herald 30-12-1967

Local News

Mr. Alan Basil Scott Ransford, licensee of the Valiant Sailor Inn, near Folkestone, collapsed and died at Folkestone Central railway station last week. He was 60. Mr. Ransford, who leaves a widow, was a native of Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, but spent most of his childhood in Essex. He was educated at Dul­wich College, and later went to Wye Agricultural College, where he obtained a degree in agriculture. He worked in the Colonial Service before becoming host at the Valiant Sailor Inn, almost 15 years ago.

A funeral service was held on Saturday at St. Luke’s, Hawkinge, followed by cremation at Hawkinge Crematorium.