Nailbox, Coolinge Lane 1971 - Present

The Nailbox, 1978

The Nailbox, May 2012

 

 Watercolour by Stuart Gresswell (ex Raglan and Guildhall) 

 

Nailbox, 2010. Credit David Anstiss (from http://www.dover-kent.com/Nail-Box-Cheriton.html)

 

Licensees
Bryan Langston 1971 1972
John Drummings 1972 1976
Robert Ginsberg 1976 1977
Peter Gavrilovic 1977 1978
Christopher Anderson 1978 1979
Lionel Mitchell 1979 1988
Raymond Marsh 1988 1993
Anthony Watts and Lynn Watts 1993 1997
Darryl Cooper and Debra Cooper 1997 1998 Ex Master Brewer. To Master Brewer
David Sadler and Jaqueline Sadler 1998 2004 From Jester. To Park Inn Hotel
Neil Simpson and Lynn Simpson 2004 2004 +

Folkestone Herald 29-5-1971

 

Local News

The old Railway Hotel at the corner of Shorncliffe Road and Coolinge Lane, Folkestone, was officially re-opened with a new name - The Nailbox – on Thursday.

Inspecting the new pub sign is the licensee, Mr. Bryan Langston. Mr. Langston took over the licence just a year ago on Wednesday after moving to Folkestone from Paign­ton, Devon, where he was a hotel owner. Mr. Langston explained the story behind the pub's new name “Years ago carpenters working at the nearby firm of Hay­ward and Paramour Limited would deliberately use up nails quickly, or even throw them away, so that they would have to get new supplies from a nail box in an adjacent store. In fact it was an excuse to visit the pub for a quick pint. If they were missed, their workmates would explain, tongue in cheek, that they were at the “nail box” - the carpenters’ name for the pub”.

Photo from Folkestone Herald

 

Folkestone Herald 12-8-1972

Local News

A collection of half-pennies at the Nailbox public house, Shorncliffe Road, Folkestone, has raised more than £10 for Folke­stone, Hvthe and district Society for Mentally Handi­capped Children.

The idea for the collection was thought up nine months ago when the society’s secre­tary. Mr. H. Harrison, sug­gested a bottle should be placed on the bar in which people could put their odd halfpennies. This week the bottle was finally filled, and on Tuesday Mr. Harrison went to the pub to count the money. It was opened and con­tained 2,024 coins - £10.12.

 

Folkestone Herald 12-7-1975

Local News

Police blundered over late night opening times at Folkestone pubs, it was claimed this week.

 

Two pubs were warned by police about after-hours drinking^- on Wed­nesday - but the warn­ings came several minutes before the sum­mer closing time of 11 p.m. At The Fleur de Lis in Sandgate High Street landlord Jack Fieldsend said the officer had thought closing time was 10.30. At the other pub, The Nail Box in Coolinge Lane, manager John Drummings said a police­man told him he thought permission for the later summer closing time had been rescinded.

Secretary of the Folke­stone Licensed Victual­lers’ Association. Mr. Frank Nicholls, said on Thursday “I see this as a bit of a boob on the part of the police. As this is the first year the summer hours have been in operation in Folkestone, for a while, it was obvious that these coppers just didn’t realise there had been a change.

However, a senior police officer said the offi­cers were fully aware of the licensing: hours but were acting on an anony­mous call about after hours drinking.

South Kent Gazette 22-11-1978

Local News

Empty tankards brought few cheers at four Folkestone pubs when beer kegs and bottles ran dry. Regulars had to make do with fruit juice and spirits as a result of a brewery workers` strike at Ind Coope. The brewery supplies local pubs including the Black Bull, Nailbox, Morehall and Railway Bell from its Aylesham depot. After missing three deliveries, pub supplies dwindled last week to nothing.

One landlord said his trade had been cut by 50 per cent, and another claimed his darts league and pool players had turned to lemonade and Coke.

Now customers will be finding what their right arms are for again. The 14 workers at Aylesham agreed to return to work yesterday. A spokesman for the brewery said the strike by a total of 1,750 production and distribution employees was over a pay claim. Most of the other workers agreed to return to work on Monday.

South Kent Gazette 28-3-1979

Local News

Police are hunting several men who attacked a barman in Cheriton on Saturday night. But fears that workmen from the M20 motorway construction site could be responsible have been scotched by both police and local landlords. The incident happened at 11.10 p.m. in the Victoria public house, Risborough Lane, when barman Brian Brown told customers it was time to leave.

A police spokesman said that Mr. Brown, who lives in Christchurch Road, Folke­stone, received a bleeding nose, cut gums and facial bruising. “Navvies” from the Danton Lane, Cheriton, motor­way site were blamed for the assault because the assail­ants had not been identified and one spoke with an Irish accent.

However, Police Inspector Peter Ford told the Gazette “We’ve had no trouble at all from the site. If the situation with site workers continues as it is then we shall be perfectly happy”.

Mr. Brown was unavail­able for comment at the time of going to press but the Victoria’s landlord said “This is the first time we’ve had trouble in the pub since I came here three years ago”.

Speculation that motorway workers could be a possible source of violence was scotched by landlords at: The White Lion in Cheriton High Street - “So far they’ve been perfectly well behaved in here”.; The Morehall, Cheriton Road “Nice lads ... no trouble whatsoever”.; The Nailbox, Shorncliffe Road – “A bit noisy, that`s all”.; The Cherry Pickers, Ashley Avenue, Cheriton – “We`ve had a few in, but they`ve been perfectly O.K.”.

Folkestone Herald 26-4-1980

Stroller

Customers at the Nailbox pub in Folkestone have scored a hat-trick. For the third time in a year one of the pub`s regulars has won £1,000. Mr. Michael Lowe, of Coolinge Road, Folkestone, won a competition run by Kent County Cricket Club. Only minutes before a woman refused to take the winning ticket because it was torn. But Mr. Lowe, a local bus driver, did not let the slight tear worry him and came up trumps. A married man with a 12-year-old daughter, he is to use the money for a good holiday this year. On Thursday he was congratulated on his windfall by the cricket club`s ticket promoter, Mr. Peter Foster, at the Nailbox. The first jackpot was last year on Shepway Football Club`s Goldliner tickets. Number two was on Canterbury Football Club`s Astra fundraising tickets in January. A special souvenir cheque, showing a photograph of Kent`s cricket team, was handed to the Mitchells by Mr. Foster. This will be framed and hung in the bar. Mr. Mitchell was delighted with the pub`s run of luck and hopes to get a fourth jackpot winner soon!

Folkestone Herald 26-4-1985

Local News

Members of the British Heart Foundation were so impressed with Mitch and Rita Mitchell’s fund-raising efforts they decided to make a presentation to them! On Friday night Bill Bliss, chairman of the char­ity’s Folkestone and district committee, presented the couple with a thank you scroll. The presentation took place at the Mitchell’s pub, The Nailbox, in Coolinge Lane, Folkestone. Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell, with the generous help of their customers, have raised more than £500 for the foundation appeal in less than a year. As well as putting contri­butions in collecting boxes, a number of regulars have run sponsored races. 

Folkestone Herald 20-7-1990

Local News

Shepherd Neame has bought four pubs in Shepway from Ind Coope. It was part of a £5.85 million deal for 33 public houses in Kent, London and the south east. The pubs taken over in Shepway are: Britannia Inn, Shorncliffe; Harvey Hotel (sic), Folkestone; the Nailbox, Shorncliffe; and the Princess Royal, Folkestone.

Note: It was Railway Bell and not Harvey Hotel.