From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday, 9 July, 1937.

WINGHAM PETTY SESSIONS

The County Petty Sessions  were held at Wingham on Thursday, before Viscount Hawarden, Messrs. C. J. Burgess and W. G. Chandler, and Miss Tower.

License Transfer Refused.

Mr. N. G. Goodwin, formerly of Margate, applied for the transfer  of the licence of the "Green Man," St. Margaret's By, from Mr. J. Davis.

The Chairman said that the Magistrates felt they would have to refuse the application as the police testimonial of the applicant was not good enough.

Mr. Gerald Hardman (Deal), later in the morning, said that he hoped the magistrates would allow him to make an application, although they had already dealt with the matter. He had just been instructed on the matter, and felt that if the magistrates were to be convinced that the circumstances were such that it would be a gross hardship to refuse the application for a transfer they would not think it an improper thing to do to grant the transfer. He could only tell them that the Police did not oppose the application for the transfer, the Superintendent was not heard on the matter at all. The magistrates had before them references and a Police report which he had not seen. His instructions were that the present tenant of the "Green Man" was very ill, and the position was a very difficult one for the persons concerned. Mr. Goodwin had first class references from Messrs. Cobb, brewers, of Margate, and Messrs. Thompson, brewers, of Walmer, who were satisfied with the references he produced. He did not think those two firms of brewers were firms who would take tenants without a very careful enquiry.

Mr. Phillips, Valuer, Canterbury, said that the present tenant had to be removed to a nursing home. He had known Mr. Goodwin for about eighteen months when he (Mr. Goodwin) applied to him for a licence. The brewers said they were sorry to part with his services. Mr. Goodwin's references at Margate were satisfactory, and his application there was granted. He had been intimately associated with Mr. Goodwin for a year, and at Margate he ran his premises very well, and they were spotlessly clean.

Mr. Hardman (who had been handed the report fro the police at East Suffolk) observed that it stated that Mr. Goodwin was "a man of fairly sober habits." It also stated that he did not conduct the "Anchor" and the "Crown" Hotel too satisfactorily.

Mr. Phillips said that had he any knowledge that Mr. Goodwin was anything but sober he would not have submitted his name to the brewers. According to the references he received, Mr. Goodwin was a thoroughly honest, sober and industrious man.

Mr. Goodwin said that before coming south he held licences at Lowestoft. On two occasions he as warned for having customers on his premises after hours, but was never summoned. On one occasion it was a public house used by fisherman, and it was difficult to get them away at times, and the other was at a commercial hotel, and travellers staying there had friends in.

Mr. Hardman submitted that the Police report was only an expression of opinion, and it might be wrong.

Mr. Burgess said that it was an outstanding Police report. All Police reports he had read had been absolutely fair.

The Chairman, after the Magistrates had retired to consider the application, said that it had been decided not to grant a temporary transfer that day, but to make further enquiries from the Police first, to see what they meant. The full transfer would come before the Court at Dover next week.

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 16 July, 1937.

WINGHAM PETTY SESSIONS

"Green Man," St. Margaret's.

The adjourned application for the transfer of the licence of the "Green Man," St. Margaret's, from John Davis to Gerald Nettleton Goodwin, came before the Justices for further consideration.

Mr. J. H. Mowll, appearing for the brewers, said his client had decided to go no further with that application and asked for the temporary transfer to Mr. Dredge, Manager Messrs. Thompson, Brewes. The present licensee, Mr. Davis, was very ill indeed and asked that he might be excused attendance at any further transfer there might be.

The Magistrates granted a temporary transfer of the licence to Mr. Dredge.

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 26 June, 1953.

RE-BUILDING THE "GREEN MAN"

Rural Council Dislike the Design

FURTHER progress in the re-development of St. Margaret's Bay from its war and gale-damaged condition is foreshadowed by the proposal of the brewers, Messrs. Thompson and Son, Ltd., to rebuild the "Green Man."

But Dover Rural Council, whose coast protection works at the Bay have just been completed, do not like the design which the brewers have submitted.

A report before the Council at their monthly meeting recommended that, under the building by-laws, the plans submitted should have approved for five years only as the materials proposed to be used included short-lived materials.

On planning grounds, the final decision lies with the County Planning Department, and the Rural Council decided to inform that department that they object to the present design and suggest that they should be given power to approach the brewers direct with a view to obtaining a more satisfactory design.

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 5 March, 1954.

RE-BUILDING THE "GREEN MAN"

Above shows a view of the work in progress this week

Hopes that the "Green Man," St. Margaret's Bay, would be rebuilt and ready in time to welcome visitors by Easter received a set-back during the recent unusually cold spell when brick-laying was stopped. Despite this, work of digging foundation trenches and clearing away excessive rubble went on and Messrs. Jenners, of Dover the firm of builders who are doing the work for Messrs. Charrington's, the brewers, hope that it will not be very long after Easter before the premises are ready.

The building was transformed from a quaint 600-year-old inn to a state of chaotic rubble during the war when it was used as part of a Commando course. If, when these soldiers put their training into practice against the enemy, it was half as efficient as it was to that homely little pub at the Bay, then they more than played their part in the winning of the war.

Claims that the building is 600 years old and that the building was shattered by Commandos during the manoeuvres and not by enemy action have been backed up by discoveries made in the cellar which extends back into the face of the cliff at the rear of the building. Here we found several old coins dating back to 1378, a practice grenade, which was taken into custody by the local policeman, several rounds of both used and blank ammunition and some typical "British Tommy" phrases written on the walls.

Before the war the building had a frontage of some forty yards from which teas were served to visitors. This forefront will now be replaced by a car park for customers, with open tearooms both on a veranda in front of the building, on the ground floor, and on a specially prepared flat roof above the main building.

A lot has been done to restore as far as possible the flint facings on the wall. The builders even have hopes of retaining two drunken looking chimney stacks to gibe the premises a kind of antique look despite the fact that a lot of modern materials have had to be used.

The northern end of the building will be two-storey, with living accommodation for the licensee.

Bay windows will give diners a clear view of the Straits and, with the new sea wall and the recently-erected groynes holding back the shingle, bathing at St. Margaret's Bay should, in future, be popular.

The license of the "Green Man" has been held in abeyance for some thirteen or fourteen years and the premises' re-opening will be the first sign of permanent business returning to this once popular bay.

From the Dover Express and East Kent News. 26 April, 1963.

"Green Man" Raided.

A thief forced his way through the cellar flap of the Green Man public house in the Bay on Thursday night last week and stole £10 in cash. He ignored the stock.