From the Dover Mercury, 2 September 2004.

Regulars give up smoking.

SMOKE-FREE: Tony Wellard and Sue Ralph throw out the ashtrays from The Hare and Hounds pub in Northbourne.

THE smoking ban at the Hare and Hounds has been a “brilliant success”, according to the pub’s owner, Sue Ralph.

“It’s gone amazingly well and we are so busy,” she said.

“So many people have come in and said that it is fantastic - now they can bring family members who have breathing difficulties or asthma. We have people eating here three or four times a week who couldn’t do so before.

“It is a pleasure to work in the environment now and our business has gone through the roof.”

Since June, smoking had only been allowed after 10pm in the comer of the pub if everyone had stopped eating. As of yesterday (Wednesday), it is now banned completely, although it will still be possible outside.

“About 10 of our regular customers have given up - they are not tempted to light up as no one else is smoking,” Mrs Ralph continued.

“We have had people coming from Hythe, Folkestone, Birchington and Canterbury to show their support and we would like to thank everyone who has supported us in this.

She added: “One of our customers has stopped coming here since the ban was introduced, and it’s not something that would suit every pub. “But for us it has been absolutely fantastic. It’s non-smoking forever here now.”

From the East Kent Mercury, 18 November 2011.

OLD PUB REOPENS

PRESERVING old English pubs is a must in the eyes of Melissa Osbourne, the new landlady of the "Hare and Hounds" at Northbourne.

The area's newest publican has added her voice to those of some of the town's landlords who are against big chain pubs like Wetherspoon's moving to Deal and selling cheap beer.

"We can't lose these traditional English pubs," she said.

"They're becoming extinct and it's such a shame."

She said the big brands like Wethspoon's and supermarkets like Tesco were "taking over the country."

It's such a shame because people work so hard to keep individual pubs alive and they're coming and trampling on everything," she added.

The "Hare and Hounds" is open again after closing its doors for one week while Miss Osbourne moved to the village from Essex.

Miss Osbourne studied forensic biology at Canterbury but said: "I couldn't work in a lab now. I have to have a conversation with people.

"Luckily the "Hare and Hounds" has always had a fantastic reputation.

"All I need if for people to know we're open again," she said.

From the East Kent Mercury, 10 November, 2011.

From the Dover Mercury, 12 January, 2012. 80p

RETURN OF POPULAR PUB PANTO

ON STAGE: Floyd Toulet will play a henchman in Snowy White and the Seven Broads at Northbourne

Picture: Martin Apps PD1975512

FACTFILE

Snowy White and the Seven Broads can be seen from 7.30pm at Northbourne Parish Hall on Friday and Saturday, January 20 and 21, and also on Sunday, January 22, from 3.30pm. Tickets cost £6.50 for adults and £3.50 for children from the "Hare and Hounds" in Northbourne, or by calling 01304 369188. Profits go to the League of Friends at the qEQM Hospital, Margate, and the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

CHANCE conversations in a village pub proved to be a springboard for a lot of fun at Northbourne, as well as a chance to raise cash for Help for Heroes.

The chats led to a charity panto last year, which was such a success that the "Hare and Hounds" Players was later formed and a second production will take to the stage this month.

Floyd Toulet, who was an Ugly Sister for Cinderella last year, is back in the cast as Trickey, an incompetent gangster henchman in Snowy White and the Seven Broads, which will open on January 20.

Floyd, 48, a freelance writer, of Deal Road, Northbourne, said: “It was originally going to be a one-off production and then we wanted to raise money for Sam Morgan at the same time.”

Sam, the son of Northbourne Parish Council chairman Steve Morgan, was injured while serving in Afghanistan and the villagers wanted to raise money for Help for Heroes. About three months ago, when regulars at the pub were remembering the fun of creating Cinderella, it was decided to form the "Hare and Hounds" Players.

Floyd said: “Throughout the run-up to last year's panto we got on so well. Northbourne is a lovely little village and the community combined for the performance last year. It created tremendous unity and we so enjoyed it.”

So when someone suggested at the pub that it would be fun to do it again, it was quickly agreed. Former villager Glenn Swanborough, now living in Wales, was invited to write the script and Snowy White and the Seven Broads was born. Floyd said: “It is fantastic and described as a jazz age gangster-mime. Rehearsals are going very well. We have reached a point of slight hysteria and have turned the whole hall into a theatre. I have spent my life trying to be professional and terribly important, so to be silly is completely different - it is a release.”

Floyd was born in South Africa and has been in England since the early 1980s.

From the Dover Mercury, 14 June, 2012. 80p

HARE AND HOUNDS' PLAY RAISES A SMILE AND MORE

Members of the "Hare and Hounds" Players at Northbourne present the QEQM League of Friends and the south east branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society with money raised from performances of their pantomime Snowy White and the Seven Broads.

TWO charities have received more than £2,000 to boost their fund thanks to the theatrical talents of villagers in Northbourne and surrounding parishes.

Members of the "Hare and Hounds" Players handed over £1,100 each to the south east branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the QEOM League of Friends.

Money was raised from performances of the pantomime Snowy White and the Seven Broads earlier this year.

The charities chosen held special significance for two members of the cast, Tracey Doodney and Michelle Doms.

Both Tracey and Michelle have benefited from the care and support of the QEOM hospital and Michelle, who has multiple sclerosis, has been helped by the society.

Yolanda Baker from the Multiple Sclerosis Society said: "Donations like this are so important to us and will enable us to increase awareness and reach more people."

QEOM League of Friends chairman Jeremy Voizey said the friends were delighted that the Hare and Hounds Players had raised this money for their organisation.

"Donations just like this one have helped to buy £80,000 worth of vital medical equipment recently and this money will go towards the next project," he added.

From the Dover Mercury, 4 February 2016.

A little drama helps breathe new life into the village pub.

A pantomime and the arrival of a pub landlord and his wife have brought the community back together in Northbourne.

Ryan and Georgia Lynch took over the Hare and Hounds in the village in November and, thanks to the am-dram group meeting there on rehearsal nights, the village feel is well and truly restored.

“Without them, this pub wouldn’t be open,” said Ryan, 32.

He and Georgia moved to the area from Bexley with their children, Bartholomew, three, and Lueila, two.

Ex-city worker Ryan left the financial sector and gained four years’ experience managing pubs but he became disillusioned by their ethos and set out on his own with support from his father.

He now wants to make his ventures a top-notch experience for customers and diners and his big aim is to have 10 pubs and eateries around the coast.

He has already branched out from Northbourne into Deal itself.

On New Year’s Eve he took on the lease for the "Jolly Gardener" in Golf Road.

Already he has invested in the North Deal complex’s latest eaterie, a pizzeria, and he flew over a specialist oven from Italy.

His vision includes a clientele of men stopping off after work for a drink, and ladies drinking prosecco and eating pizza.

Back at the Hare and Hounds he has invested in contemporary branding and an Italian menu is sure to offer an alternative for relaxing nights dining out and special occasions.

“I might be biased but our Sunday roast is something special too,” he said.

It’s a tribute to the Hare and Hound players for coming back to their old haunt, which is also their namesake.

They meet there before and after rehearsals in the village hall, having migrated to the "Crown" at Finglesham for rehearsals in the past.

“Now they come here again, which is nice because they are named after the pub after all.” In keeping with the village feel, Ryan and Georgia, 28, have bigger plans.

“We’re looking forward to the summer. There will be a three-day event on one of the May bank holidays with live music, like a little festival in the garden.”

The event is a fundraiser in support of a friend, whose child was born with a life-limiting illness but sadly died.

More details will be published when available but in the meantime Ryan and Georgia are working on building up the Hare and Hounds and the "Jolly Gardener."

“We’re planning on putting this place back on the map,” he said.