Thanet Times, Tuesday 8 September, 1964.

Running a pub is a right up Bills alley.

It took exactly 30 years for Mr. Bill White, of the "Callis Court Hotel," St. Peter's, to achieve his life's ambition to have a pub of his own.

But the wait was worth it. "It is hard work, but I enjoy every minute of it," he said.

The ambition to have a pub started when Mr. White went to work behind a bar as a youngster, but the next 25 years found him on the other side of the bars - as a London policeman.

The First.

A Londoner born and bred, Mr. White finished his police career as superintendent's clerk in the Fulham Division. He was the first Metropolitan policeman to wear a white coat - now standard uniform for traffic duties.

Mr. White is proud of the fact that he was chosen as one of the two officers guarding the West Door of Westminster Abbey for the wedding of the Queen.

After his police service, Mr. White still had to wait for his pub, so for four years he became chief security officer for G.E.C. at Hammersmith.

Then his life's ambition was achieved in 1959, when he was offered the "Ellington Arms" at Ramsgate. After four years there he moved to the "Callis Court Hotel" on 1st January last year.

Bowler.

"The weather was fowl on that day and we literally had to dig our way into the pub through huge snowdrifts," he recalled.

Mr. White has always been enthusiastic about first aid and is president of the Ramsgate branch of the British Railways First Aid Association. He is also a keen bowler, but has difficulty in finding the time to play these days.

Mr. White's pub life lives up to all the expected of it.

Less Cash.

"It is hard work, but it is interesting," he said. "Having dealt with the general public all my life, it is right up my alley."

In his opinion, drinking habits of the public have not changed a great deal over the years, although people did not seem to have so much money to spend on drink as they did before the war.

Thanet Times, Tuesday 17 October 1989.

Victorian hostelry plan for "Callis Court" pub.

In addition to the established Thorley Taverns in Thanet, the company has also negotiated today a long lease on the "Callis Court" pub in Broadstairs.

Plans are being prepared, sympathetic to the area, to enable the premises to be completely and tastefully revamped in the style of a traditional, Victorian hostelry.

Frank Thorley said:- "This will offer customers something totally different and will not be run on the same lines as are other outlets or anybody else's in the area.

It is intended to rename the pub the "Lanthorn" once refurbished work is finished.

From the Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, 9 June 1900. Price 1d.

Rigden and Co., brewers, Faversham, v. Beach, "Callis Court Hotel," St Peters; claim £4 9s. 7d., for discount wrongfully deducted by the defendant, and for bottles and crates not returned. Mr. L. Hill appeared for the plaintiff and Mr. Emery for the defendant. A clerk stated that discount was not allowed on accounts more than one month old, whereas those on which it had been deducted extended over three or four months. The return of the empty bottles and cases had not been advised, neither had they been received. He informed the Judge that he could not say how many empties had been received, the senders of which could not be identified, but when advised they were looked out for. He was not aware that empties had been received from Broadstairs which had not been identified. He thought the firm, on an average sent out 5,000 dozen bottles of beer per week. The Judge: What a splendid business! Mr. Emery, for the defendant, stated that the empty bottles and cases were regularly returned. The Judge said it appeared the defendant was entitled to the discount (£1 5s. 7d.) and made an order accordingly. The defendant the owner of Callis Court hotel, said the empties charged for had been returned. The railway carmen fetched them when they thought fit, but gave no receipt for them. No empties or cases were allowed to accumulate, as they would be in the way. The Judge ordered the defendant to pay the balance of £3 4s. 0d. in respect of the bottles. It was elicited by Mr. Emery that the bottles cost a little over 1d. each and that, with stoppers, the plaintiffs charge 2d. each.