27 (8) Military Road

Chatham

Above postcard, circa 1911.

Above postcard, circa 1911. Obviously a coloured version of top card.

Above photo, showing "Navy Week" 1939, kindly sent by Steve Morskyj.

Above photo showing Joan Morskyj, barmaid Sue, Steve Morskyj and Sue's husband Des in the lounge bar circa 1969.

Above photo showing licensees John (apparently known as John the Pole despite coming from Ukraine,) and Joan Morskyj, circa 1969.

Above photo, 1969, kindly sent by Steve Morskyj.

Above photo, circa 1970s, kindly sent by Tony Smith.

The 1911 census gave the address as number 8.

Local knowledge, further pictures, and licensee information would be appreciated.

All emails are answered.

Steve Morskyj writes to me with the following information:- I believe we moved to the "Imperial Forces," Military Road, Chatham sometime in 1968. I seem to remember the previous landlords first name was Chris and maybe he was Irish. Quite a busy pub, interesting clientele, a few visits from the police from just up the road as well as the military police who were quite effective to say the least! In those days I worked with “green” murphies, who had a depo up beyond Rochester airport/M2/Bluebell hill junction. Some of the guys from Murphies enjoyed a pint or two in the Imp, I remember a jolly guy Kevin as being a permanent fixture and he also drove a JCB for murphy! The pub had a lounge bar, corner bar and public bar We were the last “tenants” for Courage brewery at that pub as when we left they put in a manager who kept it going for a few months whilst a ‘portable’ pub was built next door. Courage brewery persuaded my parents to come back as managers in their employment. There first assignment was to manage the pub across the road to the “Imp” – the "Naval and Military" arms also in Military Road. They stayed there in appalling accommodation for maybe 6 months or so until demolition.

I am also informed by Tony Smith that the building was demolished, in the mid 1970s a new building was erected in it's place and opened as the "Chatham Arms."

LICENSEE LIST

MEAR Elizabeth 1911+ (age 30 in 1911)

DEAR William 1938+

ELLIOTT V 1939+

???? Chris (possibly Irish) to 1968

MORSKYJ John & Joan 1968-71

https://pubwiki.co.uk/ImperialForces.shtml

Census