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.

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Saturday, 6 December 2014

Updates

6th December, 2014: Folkestone Herald Reports from 1963, 1964 and 1965 Added.

Royal George 1960s



Folkestone Herald 31-7-1965

Local News

A young woman asked Folkestone Magistrates on Tuesday “Stop this man molesting me everywhere I go. He is making my life a misery”.

She told him that he had threatened to kill her. That was one evening when she had been out with friends. Miss Sheila Leggett, of Bridge Street, Folkestone, said he had called her over to him, and then started to call her all the dirty things he could. “He started bashing me”, she went on. “He grabbed me by the coat and swung me round. This is not the first time it has happened. It has been going on for a long time now. My friends stood and watched to see what would happen”. Miss Leggett had brought a private prosecution for common assault against 22-year-old Eamonn McShane, of Pavilion Road, Folkestone.

He pleaded Not Guilty, and finally the Magistrates bound over both Miss Leggett and McShane to keep the peace in the sum of £5 each for 12 months.

Cross-examined by Mr. T. Hulme, junior, defending, Miss Leggett agreed there were several people round the stalls in The Stade when McShane assaulted her.

“Are you really telling us that all these people were about and stood and did nothing while he grabbed you?” asked Mr. Hulme.

Miss Leggett: Only my cousin. She told him to keep his hands off me.

She said that on previous occasions McShane had “busted her nose in” at her home, and last year outside the Beach Hotel he had made as if to hit her. She had defended herself that time by punching him on the face. She had also punched the girl with him when the girl was funny with her. Miss Leggett said she had danced with McShane at a dance last Wednesday. That was after he had tried to throttle her and she had laid the complaint against him. “The only reason I danced with him was to stop trouble”, she said. “No matter what boy I talk to he comes up starting trouble”.

Mr. Hulme: Were you not, in fact, trying to persuade him to plead Guilty today?

Miss Leggett: No. Since it all came out he has been nearly on his knees to make me stop the case.

McShane told the Court that he had met Miss Leggett and had taken her and her friend into the Royal George and stood them a drink. Miss Leggett had then left him and joined her friends there. They left without him. Later he went into the Jubilee Inn where he saw Miss Leggett and her friends. “They laughed at me and took the Mickey out of me”, he said. Outside he took her by the lapels of her jacket and pushed her, saying “Stay with your friends”.

Mr. Hulme told the Court: I was going to say this was a storm in a tea cup, but I do not think anyone had been drinking tea that evening. The truth is these people had been out on a pub crawl and Miss Leggett abandoned McShane for her friends.

Binding over Miss Leggett and McShane, Mrs. D. Buttery, deputy Chairman, told them to keep out of each other`s way. “If you come up against each other in that time you will forfeit the sum of £5”, she said.

Jubilee Inn 1960s



Folkestone Herald 31-7-1965

Local News

A young woman asked Folkestone Magistrates on Tuesday “Stop this man molesting me everywhere I go. He is making my life a misery”.

She told him that he had threatened to kill her. That was one evening when she had been out with friends. Miss Sheila Leggett, of Bridge Street, Folkestone, said he had called her over to him, and then started to call her all the dirty things he could. “He started bashing me”, she went on. “He grabbed me by the coat and swung me round. This is not the first time it has happened. It has been going on for a long time now. My friends stood and watched to see what would happen”. Miss Leggett had brought a private prosecution for common assault against 22-year-old Eamonn McShane, of Pavilion Road, Folkestone.

He pleaded Not Guilty, and finally the Magistrates bound over both Miss Leggett and McShane to keep the peace in the sum of £5 each for 12 months.

Cross-examined by Mr. T. Hulme, junior, defending, Miss Leggett agreed there were several people round the stalls in The Stade when McShane assaulted her.

“Are you really telling us that all these people were about and stood and did nothing while he grabbed you?” asked Mr. Hulme.

Miss Leggett: Only my cousin. She told him to keep his hands off me.

She said that on previous occasions McShane had “busted her nose in” at her home, and last year outside the Beach Hotel he had made as if to hit her. She had defended herself that time by punching him on the face. She had also punched the girl with him when the girl was funny with her. Miss Leggett said she had danced with McShane at a dance last Wednesday. That was after he had tried to throttle her and she had laid the complaint against him. “The only reason I danced with him was to stop trouble”, she said. “No matter what boy I talk to he comes up starting trouble”.

Mr. Hulme: Were you not, in fact, trying to persuade him to plead Guilty today?

Miss Leggett: No. Since it all came out he has been nearly on his knees to make me stop the case.

McShane told the Court that he had met Miss Leggett and had taken her and her friend into the Royal George and stood them a drink. Miss Leggett had then left him and joined her friends there. They left without him. Later he went into the Jubilee Inn where he saw Miss Leggett and her friends. “They laughed at me and took the Mickey out of me”, he said. Outside he took her by the lapels of her jacket and pushed her, saying “Stay with your friends”.

Mr. Hulme told the Court: I was going to say this was a storm in a tea cup, but I do not think anyone had been drinking tea that evening. The truth is these people had been out on a pub crawl and Miss Leggett abandoned McShane for her friends.

Binding over Miss Leggett and McShane, Mrs. D. Buttery, deputy Chairman, told them to keep out of each other`s way. “If you come up against each other in that time you will forfeit the sum of £5”, she said.

Globe (2) 1960s



Folkestone Herald 13-2-1965

Local News

Police statements about the responsibility of publicans towards drunken drivers have brought protests from local landlords. Superintendent Frederick Coatsworth said at Seabrook last week that licensees exerted a tremendous influence on their customers and had a vital role to play in the prevention of offences involving drink, especially where motorists were concerned.

Reaction from Mr. Reg. Gard, landlord of the George Inn in George Lane, Folkestone, was “It just doesn’t make sense. We’re supposed to be mind- readers now, asking customers their age to see if they are over 18. The only thing we can do is to refuse to serve drinks to anyone who has obviously had too much. And, of course, thirsty motorists could always wear a ticket around their necks saying “I’m a driver. Please can I have a drink?””

Mr. Ron Letts, licensee of the Globe on The Bayle, said “It’s ludicrous. Our job is to sell drinks. A fair proportion of my customers are drivers, and in the nine years I have been here I have found they are generally responsible people. On the odd occasion, when you know your customer, it’s O.K. to say “Give me your keys—you’d better take a taxi home”. But how can you say that to a perfect stranger?”

Mr. Alec Wales, of the Lon­don and Paris, near the Har­bour, who is chairman of Folkestone, Hythe and Dis­trict Licensed Victuallers’ Association, put most of the blame on restaurants. “You cannot hold a pub­lican responsible for what customers drink”, he declared. “I don’t allow anyone who is obviously drunk in my house, but when they can get served at a restaurant, what can you do? I certainly don`t think the majority of drunks come from pubs”.

At Folkestone Brewster Sessions on Wednesday Supt. Coats worth reiterated his opinion. “Licensees, particularly those whose premises attract what is known as the motor car trade, have a vital contribution to pay in regard to safety on the roads”, he said. The police are the first to realise in a town such as Folkestone that all persons do not obtain their liquor in licensed premises. But, as responsible citi­zens, licensees can exert a great influence on their cus­tomers by always bearing in mind the effect which alcohol taken in excess might have on drivers of a motor vehicle”.

The last word came from Mrs. Maud Lewis, licensee of the Guildhall Hotel, chairman of the Women’s Auxiliary of the local L.V.A. After Brewster Sessions she told the Herald “We all try to do our stuff. If we think customers have had enough we tell them so. Irrespective of whether they`re driving or not, I`m firm with them on the question of drink”.

Folkestone Herald 24-7-1965

Local News

Some three years ago Mr. Ronnie Letts, of the Globe Hotel, The Bayle, Folkestone, revealed an unexpected flair for organisation. It was suggested that an annual darts competition should be arranged for Cancer Relief (as apart from research) and he undertook the task of running it. It proved an instantaneous success, and in each of the last two years a very useful sum has been realised through the co-operation of other licensed houses within the area.

Next Thursday, commencing at 7.30 p.m., the semi-finals and final of this year`s competition will take place at St. George`s Hall at the rear of the Roman Catholic Church. A fitting venue, because the project has the interest and active support of Father C.J. Walmsley, priest-in-charge at the church.

The semi-finalists are Plough Inn A (holders of the loving cup held annually by the winners), Cherrypickers Inn B, Star and Garter Inn A (holders of the runners-up shield) and Richmond Inn A. There should be some excellent sport, and, still more important, a generous addition to the funds of the very worthy cause for which the competition is held.
 

Bouverie Arms 1960s



Folkestone Herald 13-6-1964

Local News

Two youths involved in a fracas at the Bouverie Arms public house, Cheriton Road, from which, it was said, they had been banned, on March 13th, were charged with assaulting the landlord, Mr. Harry Elliott, at Folkestone Magistrates` Court on Tuesday. The youths, who pleaded Not Guilty, were fined £3 each. Postle, however, chose the alternative of seven days` imprisonment.

Mr. Elliott said that at about 8.30 p.m. on March 13th the youths, Edward Postle (19), of 14, Samian Crescent, Folkestone, and Michael Huntley (18), of 56 Bradstone Road, Folkestone, were in the toilets at the back of his premises. A customer told him that there was a disturbance there and he went to investigate. “When I saw them I turned round and walked back to the door of the lounge bar”, witness said. “As I went in I was grabbed from behind and pushed into the bar. Postle did this. The other one went for my son and knocked him against the fireplace. I went to help him and there was a general scrimmage. I called for help and a customer from the saloon bar came through and helped me to get them out”. Witness said he was struck about the head and in the ribs, and later went to hospital for an X-ray. His wife and son were also involved.

The son, Jeffrey Elliott, said he stood at the door while his father went to investigate. When they went back they were grabbed. His father was pushed over the counter and he was pushed over the fireplace. Eventually his mother came along and took a reasonably active part in the scuffle. Witness said it was Huntley who tackled him and Postle who assaulted his father.

Leslie Avis, landlord of the Devonshire Hotel, said he was sitting in the saloon bar and on hearing two cries for help went into the other bar. “I went through”, he said, “and there was absolute chaos. Postle was pulling Mr. Elliott`s tie and his son was grappling with Huntley on the fireplace”.

Huntley told the Court that he and Postle were walking along the road to go to a cafe and met a girl outside. They wanted to use Mr. Elliott`s toilets, so they walked up the passage by the pub. There were a few cars parked there and they had to squeeze past a black car to get through. He tripped and they both fell through the bar door. Mr. Elliott and his son tried to push them out. Huntley continued “When we were pushed Postle went for the son and I held Mr. Elliott and kept him away from the scuffle. I could not have hit him as my hand was wrapped up in plaster. Mr. Elliott`s wife came in and started hitting me over the head and kept saying “If you don`t let my husband go I`ll call the police””.

Postle gave similar evidence.

Miss Gwenda Mann said she met defendants by the Bouverie Arms and they went to use the toilets. When they had tried to squeeze past a black car they fell into the bar doorway. The landlord came out and pushed them back. She shouted “Please don`t fight”.

Folkestone Herald 17-4-1965

Local News

Irish Labourer Joseph O`Loughlin struck a costly blow when he smashed the public bar window of the Bouverie Arms Hotel in Folkesrone on April 3. He was fined £5 by Folkestone Magistrates on Tuesday for causing wilful damage, and ordered to pay £45 for the cost of repairing the window.

Chief Inspector Frank Corke, prosecuting, said that at about 11.45 p.m. the licensee of the Bouverie Arms, Mr. Harrv Elliott, saw a man trying to look through thej saloon bar window. He did not take much notice of him and the man went away. Several minutes later, however, the public bar window, measuring over 6ft. by 2ft. 6in., was smashed. Mr. Elliott left the hotel, and saw O`Loughlin, the man who had tried to look into the saloon bar, in Millfield, holding one of his shoes in his hand. He handed him over to the police, who were told later by O`Loughlin “I did it because they said “Ignore him; he`s a Paddy””.

O`Loghlin told the Court he had been drinking all that day.