Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald 19 June 1897.

MARGATE. CINQUE PORTS PETTY SESSIONS.

DRUNKENNESS AT WESTGATE-ON-SEA.

John Hooper Davies, of the "Nottingham Castle Hotel," Westgate-on-Sea, was summoned for having been drunk on his licensed premises on the 28th ult.

P.C. Fowle said he was called to a disturbance at the "Nottingham Castle," and there found the defendant in his bar, rolling about in a "beastly state of drunkenness." The defendant ordered him out of the house, and said he did not care, as he could not injure him. Dennis O'Brien, a boatman, was present, and said the defendant had been drunk three days, and he did not deny it. He had had complaints of the management of the house. The defendant was so drunk that he could hardly speak.

In cross examination, he said the disturbance was between defendant and his barmaid, who had been ordered by him to leave the house at a minute's notice.

P.C. Bateman and Dennis O'Brien corroborated.

Mr. Shea said an undesirable customer was in the house and the defendant was excited in consequence of a dispute with him and also with his barmaid. What the defendant was suffering from was not drink but excitement.

The defendant, who it was stated by Sergt. Hoare, was fined in January, was now fine 20s. and 17s. costs.

The defendant said there had been a great deal of spite against him.

An application was made, prior to the hearing of the case, for the transfer of the licence; but the magistrates referred the applicant to the Dover justices.

Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, Saturday 23 April 1898.

WESTGATE-ON-SEA. FATAL ACCIDENT.

On Thursday afternoon, an inquest was held by Mr. Coroner S. Payn and a jury of which Mr. John Healing was foreman, at the "Nottingham Castle," Westgate, on the body of William Henry Walker, of Birchington, who met with a fatal accident on the previous day.

William Henry Walker, 'bus driver, 1, St. James’ Terrace, Birchington, identified the body as that of his father, a naval pensioner and painter, aged 61, lately working for Messrs. Lockwood, of Westgate. He had had good health and had not suffered from fits. He was very good for ladder work.

Frederick Allen, house-painter, in the same employ, said the deceased was sober and well when he went to work at 8.30 on Wednesday. At 11.40, while he was at the foot of his ladder, he saw the deceased at work on the veranda of the house. The deceased was holding the gutter board, and was at the top of the ladder, 52 rungs, and steadying another ladder which was on the roof, but which did not press against the deceased. Another man was working on the upper ladder. He (witness) saw the deceased as he was falling from his ladder. He went to him at once, but the deceased was unconscious. He and others rendered assistance, and sent for a doctor. He was certain neither ladder slipped, and so caused the accident. They were properly put up, the bottom being 6 ft. or 8 ft. from the front of the house. The deceased always liked to do the top ladder work, and was very good at it.

The Coroner thought a man who was 61 years old, was better fitted to be on the ground than on the top of a ladder; but the witness said the deceased had been a coastguardsman and liked ladder work.

George Ashford, naval pensioner, Byron-road, Margate, said be was working on the roof, painting the donners with the deceased. He (witness) had to lie down on a small ladder to paint the sides. It rested against a soft bag on the roof, against the large ladder, on which the deceased was standing.

He (deceased) held on to the gutter to prevent the small ladder pressing against the long one. The ladders were perfectly safe. He did not feel any jerking, or see the deceased fall. The first he know of the accident was the noise in the street. Ha (witness) got through the window and came down inside the house. He was sure neither ladder moved. He thought the deceased must have fainted before he fell. He was perfectly satisfied with the appliances for the work.

Dr. Arthur Flint said he was called to the deceased, and found him lying on the pavement. He was unconscious. He found a large bruise on the right-hand side of the forehead, about 3 inches in diameter, underneath which one could feel considerable fracture of the skull. He bled from the month, throat, and left ear; and was evidently dying. He, also had a fracture of the left thigh bone, and the right leg just below the knee. The deceased was taken on the ambulance litter, under his superintendence, to the coastguard station; and he died half-an-hour afterwards. The injuries to the head and fracture of the base of the skull were the cause of death.

The Coroner summed up, and the jury found a verdict of "Accidental Death."

Thanet Times, Tuesday 3 October 1972.

PUB THEFT.

Detectives are investigation the theft of £160 watch, 1,600 cigarettes, a quantity of spirits and two suitcases of women's clothing from the "Nottingham Castle" public house, beach Road, Westgate, in the early hours of Sunday. The property belongs to licensee, Mr. Peter Lawrence Elliott, who is leaving Thanet this morning for South Africa.

Thanet Times, Tuesday 21 September 1976.

When a writer returns to a Westgate pub.

SEVEN months after being barred from a Westgate public house, a Woodchurch writer returned there twice in one day, first threatening the licensee and then damaging his car. Margate magistrates were told on Thursday.

John Henry Buckley (31), of Woodchurch Cottages, Woodchurch, admitted using threatening and abusive words and also damaging a car belonging to Eric Langlay, both on 27 July, and was fined £20 and £30 respectively.

Dismissed.

He was also conditionally discharged for a year, for failing to produce insurance and test certificates and failing to provide his date of birth to a police officer, and fined £10 and £5 respectively for having no test certificate and no driving licence, all on 9 March.

Buckley admitted all the offences besides careless driving, having no insurance and no driving licence, all on 15 August, and was fined £25, £40 and £5 respectively.

No evidence was offered on three other summonses — which Buckley denied — of having no insurance and falling to produce his driving licence, both on 9 March, and having no test certificate on 15 August. These were dismissed.

Buckley, whose fines totalled £135, was also ordered to pay £36.72 compensation and £10 costs, all payable at £7 a week.

Mr. Douglas Wood, prosecuting, said that Mr. Langley was the licensee of the "Nottingham Castle" public house, Westgate, and around last Christmas he barred Buckley from the premises.
At 3.15 p.m. on 27 July, however, he saw defendant standing in the foyer and asked him to leave. Buckley said, "Come on, put me out." and swung a fist which Mr. Langley dodged.

Buckley, who was using obscene phrases, was ultimately restrained, but he continued to shout and the police were called.

When Buckley left the police station at 5.45 p.m. that evening he returned to the "Nottingham Castle" and threatened Mr. Langley before finally being persuaded to leave.

Shortly afterwards Mr. Langley saw him drive away but as he drew level with the licensee's parked car he collided with the rear, reversed and parked.

On 9th March. Mr. Wood continued, defendant was involved in an accident in Northdown Road, Margate, at the junction with Northumberland Avenue and refused to give his date of birth to police. He also failed to produce certain necessary documents.

The other road traffic offences occurred at 7.40 p.m. on 15 August at Grotto Hill, Margate.

Explaining his "erratic behaviour" at the "Nottingham Castle," Mr. Christopher Cagney, defending, said that Buckley was unemployed at the time and his way of life was slightly inconsistent with the normal pattern.

Thanet Times, Wednesday 6 May 1987.

FUND PACKS A PUNCH.

Picture by John Glanvill.

Westgate publican Mr. Glyn Evans, of the "Nottingham Castle," gives Mr. Bob Beaded a friendly punch as he hands over a cheque for £750 for the Zeebrngge ferry disaster fund. Also in the picture is Mr. Mark Tournay. The money was raised by auctioning boxing gloves signed by frank Bruno and his manager. Terry Lawless.

Thanet Times, Tuesday 24 January 1989.

PUB PROVES APPEAL OF LIVE MUSIC CAMPAIGN.

Landlord Glyn Evans with his father-in-law Ray Withers and the medley of musicians who joined them for a night of live music at the "Nottingham Castle" pub, Westgate.

THE "Nottingham Castle" pub, Westgate, is a no-nonsense venue and the wealth of east Kent bands that converged on it on Wednesday were no-nonsense bands.

There were no prima donnas, no flashy superstars — just good solid rhythms and enough atmosphere to fill Wembley.

The air was heavy with smoke, the crowds jostled for the best position and the heat was oppressive. But no one minded because the sound was electric.

It was grass roots music. Old pros and new blood shared the same stage and proved that live music is still very much in demand.

To hear decent rock 'n' roll after being bombarded by the latest pop crazes was like giving a parched man a glass of water.

The pub’s motto is "Keep Music Live" and it certainly was that. To see fans in their 50s dancing on chairs proves that music breaks all barriers!

Landlord Glyn Evans organized the gig to celebrate his and his wife Lynn's fourth anniversary at the pub.

"I don’t think I have ever seen so much talent under one roof," he said.

The evening was such a success he is already considering another one.

When Rusty Ford and the Classics got on stage the gig became a spontaneous party with young and old twisting in unison.

Another band to receive a rapturous welcome were Catch 22, who have established quite a following since they first appeared at the pub last March.

Surprise of the night came from Glyn's father-in-law, Ray Withers, who did it his way with the Frank Sinatra classic "My Way".

Les Feast, a favourite with regulars at the pub, dashed from the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, where he is performing in a panto, to astound the audience with his aggressive drum playing.

But it was professional musician Terry Benson who started the live music tradition at the pub with his excellent skill on the keyboard.