British Lion 1970s

Folkestone Herald 13-2-1971

Annual Licensing Sessions

Police are keeping an extra careful eye on some pubs in Folkestone - particularly those popular among young people. This was revealed by Chief Superintendent W. Pullinger in his report to the annual meeting of the town’s Licensing Justices, on Wednesday.

He said that during 1970 licensed premises had been generally well-conducted. But he went on “As in most towns, certain premises require additional police supervision to ensure that the liquor licensing laws are not abused. This is sometimes due to slackness on the part of the licensee, or to popular premises attracting large numbers of young people”.

Mr. P.J. Baden-Fuller, the Chairman of the Justices, appreciated the difficulties licensees faced with young people. He said the Justices hoped that those licensees concerned would try to enforce the liquor laws, but added “It is so difficult to tell the ages of young people sometimes”.

Later, The Herald spoke to landlords of Folkestone pubs that are popular with youngsters – only to find they did not think they had a problem. Several of them agreed with Mr. Baden-Fuller that it was difficult to tell the ages ot some young cus­tomers. The answer to a difficult situation was, they agreed, firmness and rigidly follow­ing the maxim “If in doubt, don’t serve”.

At the Shakespeare, in Guildhall Street, Mr. Ron Balsom, the landlord, said “I have spent many years in London as a licensee, and the young people here are a lot different. I find them very reasonable and very well behaved. They certainly do not cause me any headaches”.

Mr. Alan White, landlord of the Prince Albert in Rendezvous Street, said “There is an occasional problem caused by young soldiers from Shorncliffe wanting a drink. You know who they are and you just have to handle the situation firmly. Trouble is caused when youngsters unused to alcohol have a few drinks and get a bit het up. A landlord has a duty to regular customers, and must make sure that kind of situation does not arise”.

At the West Cliff Shades, Christ Church Road, a spokesman said there were no problems worth mentioning, though there had been occasional instances of vandalism.

At the British Lion, in The Bayle, Mr. Gerry Hourahane said “It is difficult to judge ages, particularly those of foreigners. But if you ask them what year they were born they usually answer correctly without thinking”.

Another aspect of Chief Superintendent Pullinger`s report to the Justices was that hotels and restaurants are catering more for Continental visitors. The number of restricted licences granted to hotels, restaurants and other premises had increased, he reported. “This is no doubt due to more people requiring intoxicants for consumption with their meals, particularly in Folkestone, where the number of Continental visitors, especially day visitors from France and Belgium, continues to increase.

The report showed that 19 cases of drunkenness were dealt with by the police in 1970, compared with 16 in 1969, an increase “which does not reflect on licensed premises”. Fourteen cases of motorists unfit to drive through drink were also dealt with by the police – two fewer than in 1969. There are now 177 licensed premises in Folkestone. The police had no objec­tions to any licences being renewed.

Folkestone Gazette 9-1-1974

Local News

More than 200 customers at a Folkestone pub have signed a petition against proposed alterations to the premises. The regulars at the British Lion on The Bayle are asking Whitbread Fremlins Limited to shelve extension plans for the town`s oldest pub.

Licensed since 1460, the Bri­tish Lion was once the local of writer Charles Dickens and the customers want to keep its old world atmos­phere.

The petition reads “We, the regular customers of the British Lion, feel that the proposed alterations to this, the oldest public house in Folkestone, will destroy the character and atmosphere of the house. We would like to suggest that before the brewers finalise their plans they reconsider their proposals. While we realise that they may take no notice of this petition, we feel that they might like to be aware of their customers’ views”.

Mrs. Joan Hourahane, wife of licensee Mr. Gerry Hour­ahane, said this week that the petition was started by cus­tomers when they heard that Whitbread Fremlins had plans to extend the premises.

A spokesman for Whitbread Fremlins described the peti­tion as premature. He said “We have no definite plans for the British Lion. So far we have drawn up only a rough sketch of possible extensions. If we do go ahead - and that is by no means certain - we would not destroy the character of the house in any way”.

 

Folkestone Gazette 20-3-1974

Local News

The 200 customers at the British Lion, The Bayle, Folkestone, who signed a petition against proposed alterations to the premises, have won their point. Whitbread Fremlins Limited have shelved its extension plans for the town`s oldest pub.

A spokesman for the brew­ery said on Monday “We have been able to consider other factors involved in plan­ning this project and, as a result, we have deleted it from our current programme”. Saying that the main rea­sons were cost and profitability, he added  “Obviously the petition had some bear­ing on our decision”.

 

Folkestone Herald 28-6-1975

Local News

Licensee Mr. Richard Hourahane took a breath test after his car was involved in a road crash which killed a boy cyclist at Folkestone. It proved positive, said a policeman at a Canterbury inquest on Tuesday on Peter Kenneth John Bonham, aged 18, of Broad View, Cheriton, who was also known as Softly, the name of his foster parents.

The jury returned a verdict of Accidental Death and the foreman added it was “not happy with the conflict of evidence”. The accident happened at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 13, on the A20 near its junction with Danton Lane. Mr. Bonham died three hours later in Kent and Canterbury hospital. He had a skull fracture.

Police Constable Graham Steele said Mr. Hourahane, of The British Lion on The Bayle, Folkestone, told him at the scene “All I can say is I was driv­ing up the A20 here and when I got almost opposite Danton Lane the pedal cyclist turned right straight into me. I didn’t have a chance.” The officer said he asked Mr. Hourahane to take a breath test and he replied “I have had a few so I ex­pect I shall be over the top”.

In a statement Mr. Houra­hane told how he left the pub at 7.40 p.m. to take Mrs. Margery Spiers to her home at Woodlands Road, Lyminge. He said he saw two cyclists about 20 yards ahead, so he moved over lo the centre of the road as he approached Danton Lane. The cyclist swung right across the front of his car He braked hard and pulled the car to the offside but was unable to avoid the cyclist who struck the front near side. Mr. Hourahane said he im­mediately jumped out to see what could be done.

Police Constable Steele was asked by a solicitor for Mr Hourahane whether Mr. Hourahane had said he had had nothing until 7 p.m. when he had a whisky and one more before he left.

The officer replied he had said this in conversation later, not in the statement.

Coroner Mr. Wilfred Mowll refused to allow an answer when Mr. Christopher God­dard, counsel for Mr. and Mrs. Softly, asked P.C. Steele the result of a blood test on Mr. Hourahane. The coroner said “We are investigating this boy's death”.

Peter Baker, aged 15, a Harvey grammar school boy from Risborough Lane, Folkestone, said he and his friend Peter Bonham decided to shelter from rain under trees on the other side of the road. He himself went out of the gate of Cranbourne children’s home first, stopped at the road and turned to talk to his friend. He said he crossed the road. There was no traffic coming from Folkestone. He did not see Mr. Bonham cross but just alter he got to the trees he heard a crash.

Mrs. Spiers told the coroner “I could have sworn I saw two cyclists riding abreast. The outside one was wob­bling a bit and Mr. Hourahane said “He is wobbling a bit” and moved over in the road to pass them. He suddenly turned sharp right and just hit us. I shut my eyes. There was a terrific bang. I was absolutely petrified. Mr. Hourahane pulled up very quickly”.

Mr. Mowll, the coroner, told the jury: You have two different stories. The driver and passenger say there were two boys in the road. On the other hand neither can explain what happened to the boy on the inside, if that story is correct. There is a yawning gap. No one can explain what hap­pened to the boy. The boy's friend, who seemed an intelligent and clear headed boy, gave evi­dence that he came out first, crossed the road diagonally to get to the trees. When he got to the trees he heard a crash.

Folkestone Herald 8-11-1975

Local News

Richard Gerald Hourahane, of the British Lion, The Bayle, Folkestone, was fined £75 at Folkestone Court on Thursday for driving with excess alcohol in his blood.

The court was told of an accident on the A 20 road at the junction with Danton Lane on May 13 involving Hourahane`s car and a pedal cycle.

Inspector John Ansell said a subsequent blood-alcohol count was 101, compared with the permitted limit of 80.

Mr. Thomas Hulme, de­fending, said the Bench would gather that his client co-operated fully- and had agreed immediately that he was the driver of the car. He had had two small drinks and had not antici­pated going out early in the evening, but he gave some­body a lift because that per­son felt unwell, and in these circumstances an accident occurred It would not have escaped the Bench's notice that the figure was 101, said Mr. Hulme, and it was certainly not a bad case.

Hourahane was disqualified from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay £8.01

The cyclist, Harvey gram­mar school boy Peter Ken­neth Bonham, of Broad View, Cheriton, died as a result of the accident. An inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

Folkestone Herald 11-6-1977

Local News

One of Folkestone`s best-known licensees, Mr. Richard Gerald “Gerry” Hourahane, died in King`s College Hospital, London, on Wednesday, after a short illness.

Aged 59, he took over the British Lion, on The Bayle, nearly 20 years ago after nine years as licensee of The Clarendon Inn, Sandgate. In world war two, Mr. Hourahane was an R.S.M. in Royal Tank Regiment and served in Italy and Greece. Later he became a physical training instructor at Aldershot. After the war he was appointed secretary of Smith`s Industries Social Club, at Cricklewood, before moving to Sandgate in 1949. A keen golfer he was, for many years a member of Sene Valley Golf Club, and was President of the Odds and Soaks Golf Society. Mr. Hourahane was also very interested in football. He was founder president of British Lion F.C., the successful Hythe Sunday morning league club, and a vice president of Folkestone and Shepway F.C. He was also a keen follower of county cricket. An active member of the Folkestone and Hythe Lions, he was also a Freemason, being a member of Temple Lodge.

He leaves a widow, Joan, and two sons, Major David Hourahane, R.A.O.C., and Mr. Peter Hourahane, senior advertisement representative with the Folkestone and Hythe Herald and South Kent Gazette. 

Folkestone Gazette 15-6-1977

Local News

Beer supplies in 70 Shepway pubs slowed to a trickle this week as many licensees in strike-hit Whitbread houses could only offer wines and spirits to quench heat-wave thirsts And there is no end in sight to the two-week unofficial action by draymen at Faversham which has brought local beer deliveries to a standstill, says the company. Landlords in Shepway have battled to keep open by buying beer from rival brewers, or in cans from supermarkets.

Mr. David Hourahane, acting licensee at the British Lion pub in Folkestone, said “It is appalling. Everything is on a day-to-day basis. Draught beer ran out on Friday. We are thinking of opening at lunchtime only – and we will be really pushed if this hot weather continues”.

Most pubs keep enough supplies for two weeks. Many will now be in a crisis, especially following the jubilee celebrations Supplies of bottled beer at the Globe Hotel in Folkestone can last for another two days, said land­lord Mr. Ron Letts. The pub’s draught beer has completely run dry.

Draymen at Faversham, who be­long to the Transport and General Workers’ Union, want assurances that hired vehicles will carry two Whitbread employees. Management at the company says the demand is un­acceptable.