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From the East Kent Mercury, 5 July, 1989.
THE ROSE RECALLS A FAMOUS DEAL CLERGYMAN
 
The New Inn-sign for the "Rose Hotel," popular Deal High Street
hostelry is attracting considerable attention. Especially from rose
growers. For the sign shows two beautiful and authentic roses painted by
Bill Pierce, the Charrington artist.
And thereby hangs a tail!
The red rose is a Bourbon Rose and the yellow a Noisette rose.... an both
are linked with Rev. Henry Honeywood D'Ombrain, the first vicar of St.
George's Church which is next to "The Rose."
He became Perpetual Curate at St. George's in 1849 and was instituted
as the first Vicar in 1852.
He was founder of The Rose Society and its secretary for the first
twenty-five years. The society was started by Mr. D'Ombrain in 1876 when
he was sixty years of age.
He was a keen horticulturist and he wrote gardening articles for
half-a-century under the pseudonym of "D. Deal."
He brought the Noisette Rose to this country from France and I
understand cultivated and bred the Bourbon Rose himself.
The two roses on the new inn-sign are taken from two original prints
provided by John Turner, of Union Road, Deal, John is one of the most
enthusiastic of Deal's growing group of local historians. It was he who
suggested the idea of linking "The Rose" with the memory of Henry
Honeywood D'Ombrain.
When Bill Pierce was enthusiastic John did a great deal of research.
John is a pillar of the Deal Society and has been responsible for a
number of excellent exhibitions in recent years.
Stamp collecting and photography are among his hobbies and he is a
former president of the Kent Photographic Association.
John Turner has one of the most complete stamp collections of local
memorabilia I have seen. It builds up to reveal a perfect backcloth of
the town's dramatic history.
Bill Pierce is an artist of consummate skills and has worked for
Charrington since the end of World War Two. His work is to be found -
and admired - on hundreds of public houses and inns in all parts of Kent
and Sussex.
Bill works from a studio which he has in Ringwould, adjacent to "The
Five Bells" public house.
Bill lives in Middle Street, Deal, and had early art training at
Dover and then the Putney College of Art.
He served in the Army in World War Two and saw action in Italy. When
the struggle there was over the military authorities offered him a place
at the University of Art in Florence. He spent six months there studying
the very best of Italy's contemporary artists.
When he came home from the war he joined the then Walmer Brewery
which was owned by Thompson and Son. He then began his unique career as
a painter of inn signs.
His work is art at its highest form and is greatly admired,
especially by visitors from overseas.
For his there is always considerable historic research to be done
before he gets out his brushes.
He is a meticulous craftsman and he ensures his designs are
absolutely right before he starts work in the studio.
Research has taken him to museums, libraries, solicitors, offices
and, more than once, to a lonely graveyard.
He has never been faulted over the authenticity of his work.
Bill tells me many famous artists have painted inn-signs in their
time and among them is Hogarth.
Through his research Bill has become very familiar with the local
history not only of Deal but all parts of Kent and Sussex.
"I think inn signs are part of the British scene," he told me.
I believe him and go farther. They are legitimate works of art.
The "Rose Hotel" was once, so I am told, the office buildings for the
old Hill's brewery which operated with great success in Stanhope Road.
It became a commercial hotel when the brewery ceased to exist.
The licensees are Stan and Min Dale. They moved in last autumn after
a three year stint at the "Antwerp," opposite Deal Pier.
Stan has been in the trade almost ten years. His first pub was in
Margate. Before that he spent twenty years winning coal from the dark
recesses of Betteshanger Colliery.
Stan has been secretary of the Licensed Victuallers Association for
the last three years, while Min, is the vice-chairman of the Ladies
Auxiliary.
Between them they do wonderful work for numerous charities.
They have three grown-up children and are grand-parents.
Stan says, "We are both delighted this notable local collection has
been linked with "The Rose."
It is only through the local interest of enthusiasts like John Turner
such things become known.
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