Above postcard, date unknown.

Above postcard 1911.

Above photo, kindly sent by Tricia Francis, 21 March 2015.

From an email received, 13 December, 2019.

The "Bell Inn," East Street, Harrietsham.

I lived in Harrietsham in the late 60's and the Bell was my favourite drinking haunt.

The Landlord and his wife were Charlie and Betty Ledger, who had a daughter Steph.

Apart from the summer months, even the "Roebuck" was full of day trippers on their return from the coast, the "Bell" was the busiest pub in the village. It had a successful darts team that played in the local league. The landlord used to take bets for a Maidstone bookmaker (Malcolm Butcher) who used to come round once a week to settle up.

The main bar had beams and hanging on these beams were countless bells. It was a game to some of us regulars, to see how many we could take down and hide before Betty noticed.

There used to be regular card schools playing crib (cribbage) As it was in a quiet part of the village, Charlie would allow lock ins. Where myself, and other regulars, used to quietly go into the back room, when the time bell was rung, until any non regulars had left. Whereupon we would return to the main bar until Charlie or Betty thought enough was enough.

The village had it's own bobby, Mr. Pearson, who lived in a police house on the council estate. He would occasionally join us in these lock inns (off duty though). His sergeant was based at Bearsted nearby and he knowingly allowed the lock ins as long as they didn't get out of hand. On one occasion Mr. Pearson came in the pub and warned us that he would be in later accompanied by his new sergeant and that we should all behave ourselves until he knew which way the wind blew.

Charlie allowed some of his regulars (including me) to have a slate. So that every one didn't know about it we would say "Pint please Charlie, quietly adding, and change for a fiver".

Many of the regulars had their own pint glasses behind the bar, inscribed, in gold with their names. The rep from the company that supplied the pub with glasses used to take orders for the personalised ones.

The only food, apart from bar snacks, that the pub did were marvellous sandwiches or Ploughman's on thick crusty bread. Filled with thick slices of meat that Betty used to roast out the back. My favourite was beef with slices of onion.

We would often start the night out in there for a pint and the move on to Lenham for a couple before returning later for the lock in. At that time it was a Fremlins pub. Brown and mild was the most popular drink.

From John Woodward.