DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

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LIST PUBLIC HOUSES Paul Skelton

 

Notes of 1965

 

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 5 February, 1965.

LATER CLOSING APPLICATION AGAIN REJECTED.

Most "Drunks" since war.

Seldom has Dover Court Room been so crowded as on Monday morning when, at their General Annual Licensing Meeting, local Magistrates were called upon to decide until what hours public houses in the town should be allowed to remain open. It looked as though practically every licensee in the town was on parade with all the public seats taken and many people standing at the back of the Court.

On behalf of the local branch of the Licensed Victuallers' Association, Mr. Christmas Humphryes applied for an extension of hours until 10.30 p.m. all the year round instead of only in the summer.

But for the third year in succession, the Magistrates refused the request. Therefore, during the winter months, all the public houses in the borough must close at ten o'clock.

The Magistrates also heard that more people were convicted of drunkenness in 1953 than in any year during the last nine years. There were 25, but of this number, only seven were local residents.

The composition of the Bench was Mr. G. Golding (Chairman), the Mayor (Councillor R. Snelgrove), Mesdames A. C. Booth, A. E. Binge, M. E. Crick, Messrs. D. Bradley, G. W. Blackburn, R. R. O. Barwick, G. D. Clark, F. A. Holmes, and .S. Newman.

hearing the drunkenness figures, Mr. Golding asked the licensees to exercise their judgement when supplying drink t people, especially Service personnel.

"Most of them are young fellows and should not be encouraged to have that one additional drink - for it is that additional drink which knocks them over," he said.

Reporting on the administration of the licensing laws during 1953 Supt. H. A. Saddieton, in a written statement, said there were now 140 licensed premises in the borough and these were made up of: 115 fully licensed houses, 4 beer "on" licenses, eight "off" licences, two wine "on" licences, and 11 shops where other goods were sold in addition to intoxicating liquor.

The licence of the "Golden Cross," St. James Street, was removed to the "Wheelwrights Arms," Buckland Valley Housing Site, and the full licence of the "Pavilion Hotel," Customs House Quay, was removed to the "Trocodero," Snargate Street, where the six day licence of the premises was surrendered.

There were 27 licensed premises in the Borough still closed either as a result of enemy action or being demolished in connection with improvements.

Twenty-five people were charged with drunkenness during the year, of whom one was sent to prison, 20 were fined sand the remaining four conditionally discharged. All of those people were males. There was one case of drinking methylated spirit.

Of those convicted of drunkenness seven were local residents, ten were visitors to the town, and eight were Service personnel.

Mr. Christmas Humphreys, presented the case for the Licensed Victuallers' Association, referred to the outset to the fact that the application was made on behalf of every member of the local L.V.A. That was a most important point, he declared, because, in cases like that, it was often said particular licensees were not awfully interested in whether the application was granted or refused.

This year to put the matter beyond all shadow of doubt, every licensee in the Association was canvassed by letter asking whether or not he wanted the application made. And the answer was a hundred percent. "Yes."

The Magistrates had heard the Superintendent of the Police describe the licensees as a well-behaved body, people who conducted their houses well and kept within the law.

Now the licensees were asking, as they had asked before, that the magistrates should allow the experiment of half-past ten closing all the year round to be tried. They were not asking for something which could not be changed if the experiment failed. They were saying, "Let us keep open until half-past ten, because that is what people want, and at the end of the year judge the result."

The Magistrates would know at the end of the year, continued Mr. Humphreys, whether increase in drunkenness had anything to do with the hours of opening.

"I have heard today of the increase of drunkenness over last year's figures," said Mr. Humphreys. "It is an increase, but the fact still remains that only one person in the whole division gets drunk once a fortnight, which is not such a terrible situation when you allow your minds to go back to the state of affairs thirty of forty years ago."

They had heard of the increase of drunkenness in Dover, but in no case had they heard it said that the licensees were to blame. It had never been stated that people were getting drunk on licensed premises, and no licensee had been summoned for permitting drunkenness.

Many of the persons who had been convicted of drunkenness were visitors to the town. Wasn't it likely that they had their drink before arriving here or perhaps brought their drinks with them in their cars or charabancs. Others were sailors who had too much drink by the time they came ashore.

If these facts were correct, and there was no shadow of evidence to show that they weren't, he thought the licensees very justifiably came before the magistrates that day and asked to be trusted to see that the experiment was carried out successfully.

The licensees were, after all, speaking on behalf of the public - the people who cared to frequent public houses and who wished to be allowed to drink for a few minutes after ten o'clock.

"These people do not get drunk in that extra half-hour," declared Mr. Humphreys. "I challenge you to produce facts that there is increased drunkenness during that extra half hour."

In about half the towns in Kent, the all-the-year-round half-past ten closing time was in force. As near as Deal those hours operated, and had operated for at least thirty years because no one had been long enough in the Town Clerk's Department who remembered when the change was made.

So, almost in site of Dover, they had the hours for which the local licensees were now asking. Was it a failure in Deal? No one had ever suggested that they should revert back to ten o'clock winter closing.

The tendency these days, and no one seemed to know why, was for people to want to drink later, continued Mr. Humphreys. Early in the evenings one would find the public houses empty and licensees would say that their busiest time was between half-past eight and ten o'clock.

When ten o'clock came around the business was it its best, and was extremely difficult to get the customers away.

Why had they got to go at ten o'clock, they asked. And what could the licensee answer? Only that it wasn't allowed to drink after ten in Dover.

But why wasn't it allowed, the customers would ask. And what could the licensees say to that? They just didn't know, excepting that their requests to the magistrates had been turned down year after year.

Hours of opening did not lead to drunkenness, and unless they had reason to suppose the extra half-hour would cause damage to someone's morals or health there should be no reason for the application to be turned down.

A considerable number of people living in Dover came out of factories, railways, and cinemas at about ten o'clock. Were they to be told by law that they must go straight home without a drink on the way?

"There is a sense of injustice in the minds of the licensees that they are not allowed to have in Dover, which they regard as an infinitely more important town than Deal, the same hours as licensees enjoy in Deal."

Mr. Humphreys asked the magistrates to once more seriously consider that application. He knew that they had turned it down several times before but they would not be doing anything remarkable or terrible if they tried out the experiment.

The opposition would, no doubt, cry "Woe! Woe!" and describe the dreadful things which would happen if the extra half-hour was granted. But never once had he heard those who raised such objections coming forward afterwards to prove that the dreadful things they had forecast had actually taken place.

Mr. Humphreys concluded by asking the magistrates to consider "soberly and quietly as he knew they would," whether they could trust their licensees and grant then the hours which they had requested.

The only objector in court was the Rev. I. E. Evans, Minister of Salem Baptist Church, who said he wished to make it clear that he came that day not representing a body of people, but as a private citizen of the town.

As he walked to the front of the court there was a buzz of conversation from the male licensees present.

Mr. Evans pointed out that there were 115 fully licenses houses in Dover, an increase in hours until 10.30 would bring 57½ hours more drinking time each night.

he moved a lot in the town, said Mr. Evans, and he had not heard or observed any expression of any special requirements in Dover for the increase in hours.

Mr. Evans pointed out that at the moment there were vary few troops in Dover, and it seemed likely that the number would remain small for some time to come.

"There is a R.A.F. camp within a few miles, and a fairly good number of men is stationed there. But that station is a very well organised unit and provides for their men sufficient recreation, both mental and physical, and, I could add, spiritual, throughout the week," he said.

Referring to shift workers in Dover, Mr. Evans pointed out that not all of them worked the same hours consistently throughout the year and these, together with the number of cinema-goers when wanting to drink after ten o'clock could hardly be said to constitute a reason which could be called special requirements.

With regard to other towns which had 10.30 closing all the year round, Deal had been mentioned specifically, but, he understood, Dover very often preferred to be compared to Folkestone rather than Deal.

And in Folkestone and Canterbury the closing hours were the same as those which existed at the present in Dover.

All the licensees in Dover were unanimous in supporting that application but he would like to know, he said, if every licensee actually belonged to the Association which had been mentioned.

Mr. Humphreys: All but four do.

Mr. Evans continued that licensees were not the only people who were working under a heavy burden of the law. If they went to the grocer or to any other shopkeeper they would probably say the same thing.

This was greeted by loud laughter from the gallery and there were cries of "Silence in Court."

It was said, stated Mr. Evans, that people did not get drunk on licensed premises and the emphasis was on the preposition "off." That might be true but they did get their drink from licensed premises.

Much had been sad about the number of visitors who came to Dover and though Dover said to be the Gateway of England he doubted very much whether many of these visitors who pass through the Gateway stayed in the town. If they came from the continent they found that they could not drink after ten o'clock they were no doubt amazed. If they went to other towns where half-past ten closing was permitted they would still be amazed because on the Continent they were allowed to drink during much longer hours.

And if they happened to come from the British colonies they would again be amazed because there, in many cases, the licensing hours were restricted far more than in this country.

"I am not here crying "Woe! Woe!" but I repeat, Your Worships, that if you grant this application the kind of thing we citizens of Dover do not want to see happen in this town may happen.

"It may not necessarily in the year in which this experiment is tried but it may well happen in ten years hence (loud laughter from the gallery).

"It is quite obvious that that statement has not drawn very much sympathy," declared Mr. Evans.

"But I can prove that statement not in words, but by taking anyone to certain homes I know in the district," he concluded.

After a quarter-of-an-hour's retirement the Magistrates announced that they had decided not to grant the application but half-ten closing would, as in the past, be granted during the summer months.

 

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 5 February, 1965.

SHARP RISE IN DRUNKENNESS CONVICTIONS.

Drunkenness trebled in Dover in 1964. This unexpected news was reported by Chief Supd. Leonard Pearce, at Dover Brewster Sessions, on Tuesday. Compared with 1963 the number of people dealt with by the courts increased from 12 to 36. In 1962 the number was 21.

Superintendent Pearce said he was giving his first report and would not attempt to suggest a reason for the considerable increase. But he wished to assure the Bench, he said, that the police would continue to bring all cases before the court so that the "merits" of each could be considered.

It would also enable the Bench to forma fait picture of the situation in the Borough, said the Superintendent.

THIS YEAR

Saying he hoped there would be a considerable decrease in this year's figures, the Chairman of Dover Magistrates, Mr. David Bradley, paid tribute to the diligence of the Dover police.

The Superintendent said the Bench had imposed two one-month prison sentences on one of the woman dealt with and fined the remainder. In addition, four motorists were dealt with for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Only seven of the people dealt with by the court were non-residence, he said, and in 1963 only one motorist appeared before a court on a drink charge.

ROAD SAFETY

Licensees, particularly those attracting considerable motor trade, had a vital contribution to make towards road safety, he said. But in Dover it was appreciated that liquor could be obtained in places other than public houses.

This point was also referred to by Mr. Bradley, who said licensees were in a position to exert considerable influence on customers who drink and drive.

 

Thanet Times, Tuesday 16 February, 1965.

Things get a bit hectic at times.

Dick Burrows 1965

Catering chief of Margate Corporation Mr. G. R. (Dick) Burrows, also has another important role in his manifold duties. He is the licensee of 5 bars run by the council. These are the "Hippodrome Bar," Cecil Square, the "Winter Gardens Bars," the "Ocean Restaurant Bar" and the "Sun Deck Cafe," Marine Terrace, and the "Bungalow," Cliftonville.

Dick said it was peculiar, but few people realise he was the licensee for these establishments. "I suppose it's all taken for granted, but it is an extremely important side of the council's catering department and one which entails a great deal of supervision and planning," he said.

Summer and winter, with the ever-increasing number of functions which are held in the "Winter Gardens," plus the new "Queen's Hall," when it opens again at the end of April, there is a permanent staff of 14. At the "Hippodrome" bar there is a staff of 2 and the same number is engaged at the "Ocean" restaurant.

Staffing at the "Marine Sun Deck" and the "Bungalow" is a little different for in both places it is only a table licence and here the work is mainly catering for day parties on a visit to the resort during the summer months.

There's not much that Dick Burrows does not know about the licensing trade. He started at the age of 16 at the "Princess Hotel," Piccadilly, London, "where we used to do her own bottling," he said.

He has also been an American cocktail barman in London's West End; with a J. Arthur Rank Organisation responsible for the licensed bar at the "Odeon Theatre," Folkestone, and also with Folkestone Corporation.

It was in 1960 that Mr. Burrows came to Margate as deputy catering manager and two years later, following the sudden death of Mr. Arthur Rogers, he was appointed catering chief.

Is he enjoying his work in Margate? Yes he is, although, of course, it becomes extremely hectic at times. But there is not the shadow of doubt that the coming of Mr. Burrows to Margate has been to the benefits of the resort and what Margate has gained others having the lost.

 

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 12 February, 1965.

CLOSING TIME FOR RURAL PUBS

Magistrates' Decision.

There have been no cases of drunkenness for over ten years in the Dover sub-Division of the of the Wingham Division, it was revealed at the annual licensing sessions at Canterbury yesterday (Thursday).

The Chairman (Mr. G. T. Elphinston), congratulated the licensees and the police on their excellent reports, said that they were what they had almost come to expect.

The licence of the "Crooked Billet," Ash, was transferred from John R. Nash, to Herbert C. Skilton, and that of "The Ship," Ash, from Joseph G. Bateman to Roy R. West.

The bench approved the grant of a music and dancing licence for the Miners' Welfare Hall, Chaucer Road, Elvington, subject to requirements of the Fire Service and Police being carried out.

On behalf of the 86 licenses of the old Wingham Division and 19 of the old Sandwich area, Mr. J. W. Girling applied for the permitted opening hours to be fixed at 8½ per day instead of 8, i.e. from 10.30 to 2.30 and 6 to 10.30 all the year round.

He pointed out that under the 1921 Act the Sandwich licensees had for 32 years had 10.30 p.m. closing all the year round and there had been objections from no-one.

Mr. Girling submitted that there were three types of interests in the new area - agriculture, mining and the townspeople - apart from the influx of holiday-makers in the summer and night life  did not end at 10. p.m. It was necessary in these grim days, he said, that people should be allowed to relaxand get what enjoyment they could out of life.

Robert E. Silk, of 20 Harnett St. Sandwich, of the Richborough Rubber Works, where there were sixty employees; Edward S. Smith, licensee of "Ye Old and New Inn," Sandwich and hon. secretary  of the sandwich and District L.V.A.; William H. Salmon, licensee of "The Whitehall," Shepherdswell; George Douglass, of 47, Hyde Place, Aylesham, a miner at Snowdown Colliery; Charles R. Munday, licensee of "Sportsman's Arms," Barham; and Mrs. Vera M Hayes, of Breach Farm Café, Barham, all spoke in favour of the application.

The Police had no reservations to make upon the application.

After a considerable retirement, the Bench made an order for permitted hours to be up to 10.30 p.m. from April 10th to October 9th.

 

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 13 March, 1965.

LICENSEES DEPLORE PRICE WAR.

The cut-price wines and spirit war being waged by grocery stores was strongly deplored by Licensed Victuallers Association at their annul meeting at the "Coach and Horses," Sholden, last week.

The secretary, Mr. D. J. Powell, of the "Kings Head," Kingsdown, said the members had been unanimous in their decision to retain the prices normally accepted by the public.

"A village pub is not a chain store and a move to join any cut-price war would only reduce it to that level," said Mr. Powell.

Wines and spirits were the business of the publican, he added, and they provided a personal service which could never be matched by a store which would just as soon sell cans of beans.

During the meeting members chose Mr. S. T. Pitts, of the "Eight Bells," Wingham Well, to be their first president. A popular and well-known figure in the Trade, Mr. Pitts had been chairman for twelve years.

Mr. Fred Wilkes, of the "Four Bells," East Langdon, was elected to the chair and Mr. Don Moon, of the "Jackdaw," Denton, chosen as vice-chairman.

 

Thanet Times, Tuesday 4 May, 1965.

It's one of the busiest pubs in Margate.

Bill Austin 1965

One of the busiest pubs in Margate during the season is the "Jamaica Inn" at the Lido and the man who manages it is 44 year old bachelor Mr. Bill Austin.

Like everybody else in the pub business, Bill and his staff are stirring from their out-of-season slumber, as it were, although even in the winter months there is a steady trade at the "Jamaica," particularly from an enthusiastic band of snooker players.

But within a few weeks, the snooker tables will be taken down and the decks cleared for the summer crowd to enjoy the gay and colourful atmosphere of the West Indies style bar.

"Things certainly get a bit hectic, but I don't mind," said Bill, a quiet but cheerful and popular mine host. "I like meeting people and we get all sorts in this business.

And Bill knows the business better than most. He was born at Burton-on-Trent the heart of the brewing industry and started working a pub in his home town as an odd job boy at 12s. 6d. a week.

He was in the R.A.F. during the war and spent more than 3 years as a bar steward in the officers' mess at a training camp at Filey, Yorkshire.

After the war, Bill worked at hotels in London and Wembley.

In 1950 he came to Margate for health reasons, but within a few months he was back in the business, joining the "Jamaica Inn" then known as the "Cliff Bar" as manager. He has made many friends in the town and every year visitors return for a drink and a chat.

For relaxation, Bill likes to watch football. In his is native county he used to follow the fortunes of Derby County but since coming to Thanet he has become a keen supporter of Margate F.C. He rarely misses a home game and, if he can find the time, travels to their away matches too.

 

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 25 June, 1965.

Fremlins lorry crash 1965

The scene at the bottom of Whitfield Hill last Thursday morning. Seventy boxes of bottled beer and five barrels crashed into the roadway as the lorry, driven by a Faversham man, turned a corner from the direction of Canterbury. Corporation workmen, police and a number of the public gave assistance directing traffic and in the "mopping-up" operations.

 

 

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