Thanet Advertiser. Saturday 2 October 1880.

Railway Hotel, Westgate.

George Robert Parkinson, of 1, Norman Lane, Crown Road, Fulham, applied for a full licence to sell intoxicating liquors at the "Railway Hotel," Westgate-on-Sea, in the parish of a Acol.

George Gore, assistant overseer, proved the service of the formal notices. In doing so he stated that he affixed one notice on the notice board close to the church door.

The Clerk said that was not in accordance with the Act of Parliament; and Mr. Mercer who opposed the application on behalf of Mr. Dyson, of the "Nottingham Castle," said it was for their worships to say if the notice was sufficient. He had an application to make that morning and his notice was similarly posted, he thought it only fair to state that when he was opposing a licence 2 years ago and took the same objections, their worships overruled it.

Mr. Sparks said the notice was posted in the usual place, and the bench submitted the notice to have been sufficient. Mr. Sparks, in addressing the Bench, said the application came before them at the annual licence in meeting for the district of Ramsgate. But owing to their notices having been served within the statutory time, it was not entertained. This was really a transfer of the licence from the "Southampton Arms" to the "Railway Hotel," but owing to the houses, which were not far apart, being, the former, within the jurisdiction of Dover, and the latter within the jurisdiction of Ramsgate, they could not apply for a transfer of the licence of the new one to the other, and were obliged to ask for a new licence for the "Railway Hotel." There was an agreement between Mr. E. F. Davis, the owner of the "Southampton Arms," and the present applicant, which was in effect that he Mr. Davies would hand over the licence for the old house if that for the new one was granted. Therefore, there Worships, if they thought proper to grant this application, would not increase the number of licensed houses in the locality. The "Southampton Arms" was in a very dilapidated condition, and he thought the Bench were desirous of granting licences for premises which would not be a disgrace to the place, but a credit such as the "Railway Hotel, would be. It was a larger and more convenient building, let at £150 per annum, and the rateable value being also £150. The opposition brought again the application was merely a trade opposition, and he had only been applying for a transfer instead of a new licence it would have been entirely at the discretion of the Bench whether they would allow it or not.

He then called applicant who, said he intended carrying on business at the "Railway Hotel," which is rented from William Parkinson.

William Parkinson said he was a builder and contractor and had recently completed the "Railway Hotel," at Westgate-on-Sea from the plans produced. It was worth £200 per annum, but he had left it at £150 for the first year. It was 775 yards from the "Nottingham Castle," and contained about 16 rooms for the use of the public. Mr. E. F. Davis had entered into an agreement with him to close the "Southampton Arms" if the present application was granted.

John Henderson, manager of the "Granville Hotel" and "Beach House Hotel," corroborated, and said he produced the license of the "Southampton Arms," which he was prepared to give up.

Supt. Kewell said the hotel was a very superior building, and he was satisfied that if a licence was granted it would add much to the public comfort and improve the morality of the place.

Mr. Mercer said his clients Mr. Dyson have recently been induced to take a 14 years lease of Mr. Davis for the "Nottingham Castle," and when he made his negotiations he never understood that another licence house was going to be opened in the immediate neighbourhood, but directly he had taken the lease Mr. Davies ran up this "Railway Hotel." He read a memorial against the granting of the licence, which influentially signed. The grounds upon which the memorialists opposed the application were: that there are four licence houses in Westgate-on-Sea, and addition to which there are two clubs where all intoxicating liquors are sold, and if this additional licence was required it would only be for travellers, and these would be provided for by Messrs. Spiers and Pond; and further, that the visitors to Westgate-on-Sea were of a superior character, and were not likely to frequent public houses. Mr. Sparks said they were only really 3 licensed houses and not 4 as stated in the memorial. With regard to Mr. Dyson not knowing when he took the lease that an hotel was likely to be erected, a property sale took place at his house on September 27th, 1878, and one of the lots was particularised has been sold for the erection of an hotel. He could not say no he did not know the hotel was likely to be built, because that was a long time before he took the lease.

The Bench retired, and on their return into court the Chairman said the licence will be granted, subject to the conditions of the licence of the "Southampton Arms" being surrendered to the Clerk to the licensing Justice's for the district of Dover, who shall certify to the confirming Justice is that it has been forfeited.