Folkestone Herald 31 July 1987.

Local News.

Folkestone now has two Guildhalls. One, the historic former Town Hall – the other, the town's newest pub. The Globe public house in The Bayle has been renamed The Guildhall. In a brief and very damp xceremony the Mayor, Kelland Bowden, unveiled the new Guildhall sign to the cheers of revellers and a trumpeter, before going upstairs to make a closer inspection of the sign.

The mother of landlady Eileen Lewis, Maud, used to run the old Guildhall pub, in Guildhall Street, which is now a Pizza Hut restaurant.

Mr. Bowden said “I think it is appropriate that the name of the old pub should follow Eileen. I used to use the old pub when I was young”.

Landlady Eileen said “It's a dream come true to have the Guildhall back. I'm just pleased the opening went without a hitch. I was sure that the curtain was going to get stuck on the sign”.

Local News.

An application has been put forward for a restaurant licence by the management of the Victoria Hotel, in Middelburg Square.
 

Folkestone Herald 7 August 1987.

Letter.

I was most interested to read your report on the renaming of the Globe, and in particular reference to “the town's newest pub”.

Whilst I appreciate Eileen Lewis' nostalgia for the old Guildhall which she and her mother ran admirably for many years, I do feel that the end result is wrong. I, like many others, regret the passing of the Guildhall, but cannot help but feel that it would be better to have put the Globe on the map, so to speak, which I am sure Eileen was capable of. Call it what you will, it will always be the Globe, a much older “house” than the Guildhall was, and can never be the Guildhall.

The earliest reference to the Guildhall is in August, 1870, when the then occupant Mr. Andrews applied for a spirit licence, and it was quoted in evidence that he had occupied the house for two years without complaint, thus giving us 1868 as the earliest known date for the Guildhall. The Globe, however, could boast a much older history. The earliest reference to it is in 1855, and two years later there is reference to the licence being transferred to Sarah Hambrook from Thomas Maycock. This Mr. Maycock ran the Globe as a wine and spirit merchant, but had a room referred to as the public room, where drink could be consumed on the premises (this can be verified), and there is evidence that he had done so since 1848, when the premises were erected. Incidentally, there are still descendants of Mr. Maycock living in Folkestone today. Indeed, Dr. C.H. Bishop states that the Globe is probably built on the site of a much older inn.

So, to quote a reference elsewhere, it was felt by Eileen’s “locals” that “a slice of history” had been lost with the closure of the Guildhall, a much older “slice of history” has been lost with the passing of the name of the Globe.

E. D. Rooney,

Mead Road,

Folkestone.

Folkestone Herald 28 August 1987.

Local News.

The recent renaming of the Globe public house in Folkestone has roused a host of fond memories for one woman – she was born there. Joan Mann, of Stanley Road, Cheriton, came kicking and screaming into the world shortly after the First World War.

Her grandfather, Alfred Fox, was the licensee of the 19th Century pub, now named the Guildhall, shortly after the turn of the century, and remained the pub’s landlord through the First World War. Mrs. Mann said “I remember my grandfather as a jolly old man, and very popular in the pub. He was a teetotaller and it was only after his retirement in the early 20’s that he touched a drop or two of brandy. Mrs. Mann supplied us with the photograph showing regulars and staff outside the old pub and what a smart lot they are. Eagle-eyed readers might spot the little white dog in the background.

Folkestone Herald 20 November 1987.

Local News.

Beer drinkers in Folkestone have passed a bitter milestone in pint prices. This week the Good Pub Guide book was frothed up over Kent regulars digging deeper into their pockets than most of Britain's pub-goers. The guide criticises a one third increase in Surrey, Sussex and Kent during the year “pressing towards the £1-a-pint barrier which London has passed”. But some pubs in Folkestone broke the barrier up to two years ago and finding a brew in the area for less is a problem.

Folkestone landlords this week criticised the guide for being out of touch and blamed high rates plus brewery increases for the pricey cost of their pints.

Geoff Gosford, landlord of the Lifeboat in The Durlocks, said “Prices are quite high, but so are the overheads. Folkestone rates are the same as some London boroughs. Our beers can be expensive, but it is all real ale. We recently had the legendary Conqueror here as a guest ale. It was £1.28 a pint but three pints of that beer was worth nine of any other. I haven't had one complaint about my prices”.

Eileen Lewis, landlady of the Guildhall on The Bayle (£1 a pint) said “Some pubs may take advantage and raise prices higher. But the majority are very conscious of the cost of beer to their customers. It is not publicans clamouring for expensive beer, it is breweries”.

Ken Holletts, landlord of the British Lion (£1 a pint) said “I have not raised the price of beer since becoming the landlord. All increases have been imposed by the brewery. Our prices are reasonable, and as cheap as you'll find in the town centre”.

Black Bull landlady Maureen Coles in Canterbury Road (prices again in the £1 range) said “Rates and electricity and so on are all expensive and brewery increases take their toll”.

A spokesman for Whitbread, a major brewery supplying Folkestone, said “Beer prices are cheaper in other parts of the country, but Folkestone is no different, really, to most other parts of the South East”.

Folkestone Herald 15 July 1988.

Local News.

Thirsty summer drinkers in Shepway will have to wait for all-day pub openings because of a Whitehall glitch. The Government has been forced to delay the controversial new licensing laws until September 1. This has been caused by a technical problem at the Home Office which means present “last orders” for another two months. Then pubs will be able to serve alcohol from 11a.m. to 11p.m. all week. But not all Shepway landlords reckon it will be worth the bother.

Horace Brickell from the East Cliff Tavern said “It’s a great idea for some pubs, but for the ones in restricted areas, like us, it’s not much good.

here we are placed, it won’t make any difference and it will be a waste of time staying open”.

William Taylor, landlord of the Pullman Wine Bar and chairman of the Folkestone and District Licensed Victuallers Association, said "There is some confusion, but no-one is forced to stay open. They will be able to choose the hours that suit them.” Mr. Taylor said there were mixed feelings about the changes. “Pubs in busy areas are welcoming them but small, rural or out-of-the-way places are indifferent. Personally, I’m in favour. I think it will give flexibility to the licensee and the public. I don’t think it will cause more drunkenness because people only have a certain amount of money to spend each week. And I don’t mind the extra hours involved because we will get extra staff which will help the dole queue”.

Barry Chamberlain from the White Lion in Cheriton agrees. He said “I think it’s about time change was made. Pubs will become much more suitable for families, and will be more like restaurants. We will try to stay open all day. We are just about to redecorate the pub with the new freedom in mind”.

Michael Norris from the East Kent Arms told us “I’ve accepted that the new laws are coming, although I have mixed feelings about them. I think it’s a shame we are not being allowed to stay open later at night rather than all afternoon. Of course we will be making full use of the new hours and will try to serve food all day. It’s all right for us because we are so centrally placed”.

Eileen Lewis from The Guildhall in The Bayle summed up the feelings of most landlords when she said “If I’m making money, I’ll stay open”. She added “It’s all right for more central pubs, but I can’t see us staying open in winter. The brewery has asked us to give it a three-month trial period. Like other pubs, we’ll just have to feel our way when the change comes”.

Folkestone Herald 26 August 1988.

Local News.

Pubs in Folkestone, Hythe and Romney Marsh will continue with the time-honoured cry “Time, please” despite the big shake-up in pub hours this week.

Some will “test the beer” with all-day opening, but most landlords contacted by the Herald felt there wasn’t the demand, and that they would be out-of-pocket if they had to pay staff to man empty bars.

Martin Foulkes, landlord of the Clarendon, Tontine Street, Folkestone, said “I run a night pub really. I do not have enough customers during the day to keep it open. It just would not make sense. On Fridays and Saturdays I might stay open in the afternoon; it depends on how many people we have in”.

At the Guildhall, The Bayle, Folkestone, landlady Eileen Lewis said “I am waiting to see how it goes. I might stay open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but only if we are busy”.

The White Lion, Cheriton, is going to be open all day, every day except Tuesdays and Sundays. “There are plenty of workers who finish their shifts in the afternoon who will come here for a drink”, said the landlord.

Kent’s biggest brewery, Shepherd Neame, welcomed tie change. Chairman Robert Neame said “It is a victory for common sense. The new laws provide licensees with an opportunity to improve their trading”.

Folkestone Herald 23 February 1990.

Local News.

Landlord and lady Peter and Marie Hayes have taken over The Guildhall pub on The Bayle, at Folkestone. The couple have managed the Park Inn, Folkestone, for the last three and a half years. Now they are becoming their own bosses by taking up a tenancy at the Guildhall.

Peter and Marie have become well-known for their friendly service and hope regulars at the Guildhall will get to know them as well as their customers at the Park Inn did. Marie said “We really want to say a big “Thank you” to our old customers. We hope they will come and see us at The Guildhall”. Peter added “There will be a big welcome for customers old and new when they come here. It will be great to be my own boss; I'm looking forward to the challenge”.

The present Guildhall pub used to be The Globe. The old Guildhall has been replaced by Folkestone's Pizza Hut. The Globe was renamed when the landlady of The Guildhall moved there several years ago. The landlady was Eileen Lewis, whose mother had run the old Guildhall for 40 years. Eileen ran the Guildhall until her death last year.

Peter is from Northampton and Marie from Sheffield. Peter said “We may have been here just a few years, but we have both known the area for 15 years. We used to visit it quite a lot”.

Folkestone Herald 6 July 1990.

Local News.

Members of the Folkestone pub trade held a minute's silence in memory of one of the town's best-loved landladies. They got together to unveil a new bench in The Bayle dedicated to Eileen Lewis, who died at the end of last year. Eileen, 58, ran The Guildhall in Folkestone. She was Chairman of the women's Licensed Victuallers' Association, and did a lot of work for local charities.

Doreen Everson from the Brewery Tap said “A lot of people thought a lot of Eileen – she is very sadly missed”.

Folkestone Herald 6 September 1991.

Local News.

Pub burglars stole £3,300 in cash and cigarettes when they broke into a vending machine, juke box, charity box and fruit machine. They also caused £2,500 damage at the Guildhall, in The Bayle, Folkestone.

From the Folkestone Herald online, 10 October 2013. By Dean Kilpatrick

PUB BOSS IF RECOGNISED FOR HIS GOOD SERVICES TO "GOOD BEER"

A MARRIED couple who run a Folkestone pub are enjoying the taste of success once again thanks to their twelfth consecutive entry in Camra's annual Good Beer Guide.

Stuart and Gilly Gresswell, proprietors at The "Guildhall" in Bayle Street, said they were pleased their selection of ales had been recognised by Campaign for Real Ale reviewers, who also listed The "Pullman" and The "East Cliff Tavern" in this year's selection.

And Mr Gresswell said the inclusion was a major boost to the pub, as real ale enthusiasts tend to be keen followers of the guide's recommendations.

The 60-year-old said: “If ever I go anywhere, it is the first thing I look at to see who serves good real ale, and I think a lot of our customers do the same.

“A good beer has to look good, taste good and different in all kinds of ways.

‘it's got a different character about it and a lot of people are deciding to give it a go.

Factor

“The price is also a factor.”

The father-of-two, who has a run a number of pubs in Folkestone over the past 40 years, added that the Camra award helped pubs like The Guildhall “stand out from a competitive crowd”.

In the guide, Camra said: “The Guildhall is a welcoming, traditional single-bar pub, close to the town centre.

“Large windows give the interior a light, airy feel.

“This is an ideal place to take a break from the hustle and bustle and enjoy good beer.”

Gilly, his wife of 38 years, added: “You can't pay to be in the Good Beer Guide and there are a lot of recommendations out there that charge you to enter these things.”

“Beer has always been Stuart's thing. It used to be beer first and me second!”, she joked.

The Camra guide reviewers described The "East Cliff Tavern" as a “friendly terraced back-street pub, near a footpath across the railway line, a short walk from the harbour.”

They add: “The Pullman is a comfortable pub with background classical music, near the town centre shopping area."