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163 Folkestone Road
Dover
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Captain Webbs 2003. |
Part of Webbs Hotel was utilised to provide the town with a new pub which
opened on Wednesday 12 July 1989. The owners were Elefttherios Elefteriades,
(Terry), and his wife Jean.
It featured a mock raftered ceiling, centrally cited heating arrangements
with a hooded flue and the large front window incorporated two circular
sections which depicted Dover castle and the white cliffs. I suspect the
admirable seating would have been looked on with envy by some of the other
pubs.
The title commemorates Matthew Webb who swam the Dover Strait in twenty
two hours in 1875. He lost his life eight years later when attempting to
swim the Niagara rapids.
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WHEN Eleftherios Eleftheriades (known to his friends
simply as Terry) and his wife Jean became the owners of Webbs Hotel in
Folkestone Road, Dover, four years ago (1985) they knew they would have
to add to its attractions if they were going to make it pay.
As Terry explained:
"We had to think of a way of attracting more business because for much
of the time the hotel is not full.
"Our first idea was the banqueting
hall which we had built within a year. But even as that was being built
we were thinking about building a
pub. It was just a matter of making sure we could afford it."
Now, three years on and well over £100,000 later, the Captain Webb is open.
Next to the hotel, where two derelict flats stood only months ago, the pub
looks as though it has been there for years - a natural addition to the
attractive white hotel.
Terry is confident that the Captain Webb will be a success.
He said: "There are something like 800 beds in the various
hotels along Folkestone Road - we only need to attract a fraction of
those people to succeed and they're starting to come already.
"As for lunchtimes, we hope to attract the business community in the
town."
People will have trouble keeping away. The pub is traditionally
decorated with a central copper fireplace.
Even in its present new state the place exudes charm from the luxurious
pile carpet to the two massive windows looking out onto Folkestone Road,
one with an impressive engraving of the castle, the other depicting
Captain Matthew Webb's historic first swim of the English Channel.
With Terry's continuing success comes a boost for other people too.
The pub will push the number of permanent staff at the hotel up six to
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The photos above and below show Captain Webb pub in 1989. |
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From the Dover Express and East Kent News. 22 October, 1965.
Shown above, a pre-Captain Webbs advert for the Webbs Hotel, 1965.
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From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 19
February, 1971.
After more than 19 years' experience, catering for a wedding
reception is a smoothly organised business for Mr. and Mrs. Frederick
Dolbear, of Webb's Hotel, Folkestone Road. They are well aware of the
little snags that have to be avoided and their advice to wedding couples
is: "Seek expert catering advice."
RECEPTION WORRIES CONSULT AN EXPERT
The wedding reception is of course one of the major events of the day
and says Mrs. Julienne Dolbear of the Webbs Hotel, Folkestone Road. "I
would advice to seek expert advice on the catering.
Webbs Hotel is in a good position to offer that advice for it is now
preparing receptions for the daughters of the couples catered for over
19 years.
"Everybody loves a wedding," says Mrs. Dolbear, and I'm no exception.
I really enjoy preparing the food, making fillings cutting sandwiches
and decorating the cakes.
Mrs. Dolbear does all the cooking with the help of six to eight
helpers, depending on the size of the wedding and as well as catering
they decorate the reception room with floral arrangements.
A common mistake that people make, says Mrs. Dolbear, is forgetting
the ornamental tops for the wedding cake. But nobody need worry for Mrs.
Dolbear has spare ornaments which she uses in case of emergency.
The survice business like Webbs Hotel offer starts as soon as the
wedding guests arrive at the hotel. After they have parked their cars
(the car park holds up to 30 cars) the bride and groom are escorted to
the reception room where everything is in readiness.
There is a record player, a loud speaker for announcements and a
stage to spotlight the cake. The hotel will cater for any number of
people from ten to a hundred and prices for a buffet or a sit-down meal
are from 75p per head to £1.25.
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From an email received 12 June 2013.
My niece forwarded me this
interesting piece about Graham Webb Hotel. My mother was the original
owner of 163 Folkestone Road, she and my dad bought the property and
converted it to Webb's hotel, a few years later they purchased 165 also,
I helped in the hotel with my parents whilst still at school and then
full time when I finished, I worked on and off for my mother in between
Bobby's department store in Folkestone and the telephone exchange.
My mother had some wonderful people that helped her, and yes, as the
article states, mom was a great cook, as the article says. I now live
with my husband in North Carolina, USA (I met him when he stayed at my
mother's hotel, 53 years ago).
Julienne Ratcliff
Julienne has kindly sent me some old
photographs of the inside and outside of the hotel.
"Click here"
to view them. Paul Skelton.
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Above image from Google July 2009, showing the site of Captain Webbs. |
LICENSEE LIST
Webbs Hotel
WEBSTER Mrs Julienne 1952-64
DOLBEAR Mrs Julienne 1964-71 end
DOLBEAR Frederick W 1971-72
CAWDRON Terence and BERYL Lorraine 1972-73
Granham Webb Hotel
CAWDRON Terence and BERYL Lorraine 1973-78
CAWDRON Roy Norman David 1985
ELEFTHERIADES Eleftherios 1985
Captain Webb
ELEFTHERIADES Eleftherios 1989
Library archives 1974
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