From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday, 7 January, 1921.

WINGHAM PETTY SESSIONS

Plans for alterations to the "Crooked Billet," Ash were sanctioned.

From the Dover Express 15 January, 1971

LICENSEE WAS ACE NIGHT FIGHTER PILOT

The "Crooked Billet" public house at Ash is the drinking place of many Czech airman.

Mr. Slavonil Janacek and his wife have taken over as licensees.

It is almost within sight of his last R.A.F. posting, Manston - where he served from No. 23 Squadron years ago.

Slavonil was one of many Czechs who escaped to England at the outbreak of war in 1930 and soon became a member of the then Wing Commander Max Aikens night fighter squadron.

This was a posting that earned him a Distinguished Flying Cross to add to his D.E.M. on the occasion when he shot down four German aircraft in one night during a raid on Liverpool.

It was during his wartime service he met his wife Mavys, formerly an art student and then a fighter plotter in the W.A.A.F.

It was with high hopes for the future that he took her back to his country in 1945 when he joined the Czech Air Force.

But like many others he found the Communist Country unacceptable. Three years later with Mavys as his navigator he "borrowed" a plane from the station at Chradime near Prague, and took off to England.

However good a wife Mavys may be her navigation was obviously slightly adrift. Running low on fuel and seeing a cricket match in progress they proclaimed that they had arrived. But on making a forced landing they found they were at St. Valerie near Somme in Northern France.

It was after this that Slavonil joined the R.A.F. for the second time.

We'll fight to keep village ale and hearty.

From the Dover Express 12 November 1998 by Sergio Nardone.

BATTLE GOES ON TO STOP HOMES REPLACING PUB

A DECISION on whether to allow the conversion of a former village pub into a house has been deferred by councillors.

The Crooked Billet, in New Street, Ash, closed in September after the owners reported a downturn in trade.

They say they tried to sell the pub but failed to find any interested buyers when they put it on the market.

Dover District Council's planning committee is dealing with an application to convert the pub and build two other homes behind it.

Planning officers cannot prevent the owners putting forward the proposals as there are three other pubs in Ash, The Red Lion, The Chequer Inn and The Volunteer.

But 75 members of the local branch of the Campaign for Real Ale signed a petition calling for it to be kept as a going concern.

They said there were few meeting places in Ash and the pub helped prevent people having to go outside the village for entertainment.

Neighbours said the development would be over-intensive, adversely affecting the area's special character.

Council officers are negotiating with the owners to change plans to include two bungalows rather than houses which would overlook nearby properties.

Ward councillor Mary Smith (Cons, Ash), welcomed the deferral as a chance to obtain more information.

She said: "I've no objections to the site being developed but I think the present plan is over-intensive and out of keeping with the surrounding area."

Councillors approved deferral and a tree preservation order.