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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Monday 12 September 2016

Richmond Tavern 1980s - 1990s



Folkestone Herald 1-4-1983

Canterbury Crown Court

An attacker who threatened to kill a 62-year-old barmaid when he robbed a Folkestone pub was jailed for two years on Friday. At Canterbury Crown Court, William Charles Worster, of St. Michael`s Street, Folkestone, admitted robbing Mrs. Winifred Tutt, at the Richmond Tavern, Margaret Street, on January 6.

Mr Brian Pearson, prose­cuting, said Worster, who was deported from South Africa last year, said he had a drink problem which start­ed when he was in the Rho­desian Army. He drank several pints of strong lager in the pub that morning and just before closing time he saw the landlord and his wife leave. Mrs. Tutt was left in charge and she noticed that Worster had disappeared and left his drink half finished. She checked he was not in the pub before locking up but found him when she went to the upstairs toilet. “She screamed and went back to the bar area. Worster followed her, grabbed her by the arms and told her that he wanted the money from the till”, said Mr. Pearson. “He insisted that she got the cash - £140 in all - and said before he left that he would kill her if she told the police”. Worster was arrested later that day drinking in another pub. After denying the offence, he then said “I couldn`t do anything else. I was boozed. I have a drink problem and was short of cash”.

Defending, Mr. Peter Birts said Worster intended to sneak down when everyone had left and empty the till. Mrs. Tutt had her arms bruised in the assault, but Mr. Birts said “He didn`t mean to hurt the woman in any way, but when she screamed he just got hold of her”.

Sentencing Worster, Judge John Streeter said “You cannot frighten people into submission by the use of force just to solve your drink problem”.

After the trial Mrs. Tutt said a stiffer sentence might deter other would-be robbers. “I don`t think some of these people get enough”, she added. The burly attacker was not armed but, said Mrs. Tutt, he did not need to be.

Photo from Folkestone Herald


Folkestone Herald 25-1-1985

Local News

Everybody has heard of Male Chauvinist Pigs — but Shepway has its sheep. Members of the SAS (Silly As Sheep) club meet at the Richmond Tavern in Folkes­tone’s Harvey Street and dedicate themselves to such worthwhile acti­vities as not wearing pinafores or carrying shopping bags and never holding an empty beer glass. The bar club was founded when Stevie, wife of leading fireman and sheep Denis Langford stopped him as he went out one evening with “I suppose you are off down the pub with the rest of the sheep?” Fines are imposed for all kinds of silly offences, including not carrying the green card of the club with the motto “Who cares who wins?” Chauvinism is taking a holiday break in September when the dozen members are off to Ibiza with their families. “We have got to take the wives with us because they are paying for the holiday by working in the even­ings while we are down the pub”, arch sheep Denis told the Herald.
  
Folkestone Herald 17-5-1985

Local News

Ian Sell, of Black Bull Road, Folkestone, had his £100 Raleigh Marina cycle stolen from outside the Richmond Tavern on Thursday.


Photo from Folkestone Herald


Folkestone Herald 6-3-1987

Local News

Top dog fundraisers at the Richmond Tavern have done it again. Last week the Margaret Street tavern handed over another hefty cheque to Folkestone Guide Dogs For The Blind. The cheque for £1,000 is the amount it takes to train a guide dog from a puppy to adulthood. The Margaret Street pub have been raising money for the guide dogs charity for some time and have paid for the training of three guide dogs so far. They already have nearly half the amount needed saved up for the next dog!

Folkestone Herald 5-2-1988

Local News

They`re a generous bunch down at the Richmond Tavern in Margaret Street, Folkestone, - and they intend to stay that way! A bumper £2,000 cheque was handed over to Folkestone`s Mayor, Kelland Bowden, by landlady Betty Martin, the sum of one year`s fundraising for the pub`s adopted charity, Guide Dogs.


“We have raised £5,000 in the last 3½ years and we`re nearly half way to our next target”, said Betty.

Much of the good work is down to regular, Vic Price, who has run money-spinning raffles.
 

Photo from Folkestone Herald

Folkestone Herald 7-7-1989

Local News

Regulars at Folkestone`s Richmond Tavern in Margaret Street have bought their ninth guide dog for the blind in five and a half years. Landlord Derek Martin handed over a cheque for £2,000 to the charity, raised by a sponsored walk and a weekly meat draw – joints are bought on Saturday and raffled in the pub on Sunday. The guide dog has been named Richmond.

Folkestone Herald 1-2-1991

Local News

Regulars at the Richmond Tavern have just helped to buy their 14th guide dog – a record for Shepway. Landlord Derek Martin started fundraising for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association seven years ago and his customers have helped raise an incredible £14,000. Each guide dog costs £2,000, but when £1,000 has been raised the Association pays the rest.

Mr. Martin said “Before we started I asked regulars which charity they wanted to collect for and we decided we wanted something to show for the money we raised”.

Every year the pub holds a sponsored walk at Easter, which raises about £500, and they have raffles every Sunday lunchtime. A gallon-sized bottle also sits on the bar for coins.

Mr. Martin said “When we hand over the money we get a framed picture of a guide dog so that the regulars can see what they`ve bought”. He will be giving the money raised at the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association`s diamond jubilee concert on February 9 at the United Reformed Church hall in Castle Hill Avenue.

Folkestone Herald 28-6-1991

Local News

Folkestone drinkers are calling themselves the cleverest in Kent – and they have a title to prove it. Regulars at the Richmond Tavern in Harvey Street have won the Guinness/Shepherd Neame pub quiz challenge.

Landlord Derek Martin said “It was all in good spirits – but the lads are proud of being the cleverest in Kent”.

The five man team came first out of 137 Shepherd Neame pubs all over the county to win the first prize. The finals were held at the Gentyl Knight pub in Canterbury this week when the Richmond beat a team from the Albion in Maidstone.

Derek said “They had to answer a whole load of questions to win it but they kept their cool right to the end”.

The team were presented with a selection of Guinness and Shepherd Neame goodies and have won a day out at Brands Hatch with free access to the hospitality tent.

“They deserved to win, of course, but the liquid inspiration helped them to become pure geniuses”.


Photo from Folkestone Herald



Folkestone Herald 7-9-1995

Local News

One of Folkestone`s smallest pubs is celebrating having raised enough money to buy a guide dog – its 20th in just 12 years. Regulars at the Richmond Tavern in Margaret Street, Folkestone, join in weekly raffles and sponsored events to raise the cash for the Folkestone branch of Guide Dogs for The Blind. Over the years the pub has collected £20,000 to buy and train the dogs which help blind people become more independent.

Landlord Derek Martin said “We always have meat raffles on Sundays and various sponsored events throughout the year. There`s also a big bottle on the bar where people put their change. Nowadays we collect about £1,000 a year, which is enough to pay for one guide dog. A few years ago, when there was more money around, we used to raise enough for two or three each year”.

The £1,000 cheque was presented to blind Folkestone man Christo Thiardt by Miss Folkestone, 16-year-old Sam Beazley. Folkestone Mayor Roz Everett was also there. Dave Bentley, Treasurer of the Folkestone branch, said “We never know which dog our money buys because it all goes into a central fund but every penny helps. We are very grateful to everyone at the Richmond Tavern because they have raised so much money for us. It`s one of the smallest pubs in the town, but it`s a little pub with a big heart”.

Folkestone Herald 7-5-1998


Toby Jugs

Jugs hears congratulations are in order for the landlord of the Richmond Tavern, Folkestone. Derek Martin, of the Margaret Street pub, has apparently raise enough money over the years to buy 20 guide dogs for blind people. As well as his excellent work for the community, Mr. Martin is also the second-longest-serving landlord in Folkestone. Anyone know who the first is?
 
 
Watercolour by Stuart Gresswell (ex Raglan and Guildhall)