Thanet Times, Tuesday 25 May, 1965.

Hot baths for distress mariners.

Mr. James C. Wallace has had two careers in his lifetime. The first one as a civil servant lasted one for 36 years - the second one, as a publican, is 9 years old and looks like going on for many years to come.

It was in 1956 that Mr. Wallace took over the public house facing Margate Harbour. It was then called the "Hoy," but was soon renamed the "Benjamin Beale," after the man who invented the hooded bathing machine at Margate.

With the help of his family he runs what is probably one of Margate's busiest pubs. His winter trade, slack though it may be at times, is enlivened by the fact that as the local representative of the Distressed Mariners' Aid Association, he often opens up to give hot baths and meals to sailors and yachtsmen brought in by the local lifeboat.

Mr. Wallace joined the Civil Service in 1919 when he took a local demob from the Army in Palestine. Starting with the Occupied Enemy Territories Administration, he then switched to the Palestine Governments and worked in several departments before joining the Air Ministry at Stanmore. In 1927 he joined the Customs and Excise and worked in the trade statistics branch until he retired in 1955.

In his younger days, Mr. Wallace was a top-class competitive swimmer and regularly represented the Civil Service and his home county of Hertfordshire.

Thanet Times, Tuesday 6 December, 1966.

Gallant Doris Is Running The Pub.

Although hit by at succession of tragedies, involving the deaths of her husband and other close family members, Mrs. Doris Wallace is pluckily carrying on with the management of the friendly "Benjamin Beale" public house on Margate sea-front.

Her husband, well-known local licensee, 71 year old Mr. Peter James Wallace, died in hospital recently, and on the day of the funeral, her sister was killed in a car accident on the way to Margate.

Mrs. Wallace's father also died in November, aged 83, and earlier this year her younger sister died.

But despite these unhappy events, Mrs. Wallace has kept the pub going since her husband's death and has been asked to take over the licence.

"Everyone has been so kind and I have my daughter and son-in-law helping me," said Mrs. Wallace.

Mr. Wallace was the popular host at the "Benjamin Beale," formerly known as the "Hoy," for 10 years. He took up the licensed trade after leaving the Civil Service, which he originally joined in 1919.

In his younger days, Scots-born Mr. Wallace was a top-class competitive swimmer and regularly represented the Civil Service at the sport.

Mr. Wallace was the local representative of Distressed Mariners' Aid Association and as such, often opened up his home to give hot baths and meals to seamen and other rescued from the sea.