Raglan 1970s - 1990s

Folkestone Herald 7-2-1976

Local News

Rumours that Whitbread Fremlins were closing pubs throughout the Folkestone area because of financial problems were denied this week. Word got round that pubs were being forced to shut after three local houses closed, changed hands or were placed on the market within a matter of weeks.

It is now believed that the Raglan in Folkestone is be­ing offered for sale as a free house, and that negotiations are in hand to open the former Fleur-de-Lis at Sandgate as a club. The Star and Garter, also in Folkestone, is now in temporary use as a social dub. But on Monday, although no official company statement was available, it was made clear that Whitbreads have no ulterior motive for these moves. Any recent closures or changes, it was said, were simply in line with the com­pany’s normal procedures. “There is nothing parti­cularly dramatic going on”, said one employee, who re­fused to be quoted as a company spokesman. “All brewers are gradually disposing of small houses, particularly those which are unsuitable for modernisation. This is really just a continuation of something that we`ve been doing since the turn of the century”. He added that the three Whitbread houses in question had all arrived on the market at the same time as “pure coincidence”. “Tenants have left or retired for various reasons and this is just a process that is going on all the time, anyway”, he said.

A spokesman for the Folkestone and District Licensed Victuallers` Association commented “We haven`t been told anything officially, but what happens to these houses is entirely up to the brewery. I believe it is what is called rationalisation. If a place is uneconomical, then when it becomes vacant the brewers are going to sell it. After all, they, like a licensee, have to make a living”.

Photo from South Kent Gazette

Folkestone Gazette 9-2-1977

Advertising Feature

Just a year ago The Raglan was just another pub on the east side of Folkestone. Walk through the doors and you wouldn`t give the place a second thought. Walking through those same doors today is a revelation. For in the past nine months it has changed beyond recognition. Extensive redecoration and new furnishings have made it one of the smartest places in town.

The change came after the old pub in Dover Road was bought from Whitbreads last year.

The present licensees, Stuart and Gilly Gresswell, took it over as a free house in March. At 23, Stuart is one of the youngest publicans in the area. But he has been in the business for five years, and was brought up in a pub – his father runs the Bourne Inn at Eastbourne. Needless to say, he has no illusions about just how tough the job is. “Making it look easy is the hardest part”, he says with a smile.

The Gresswells are particularly pleased that their revamped pub has been so readily accepted by regulars in the area. “It was very much a man`s pub before”, says Gilly. “But now we want to make it somewhere for all the family. Some of the people who come in here to play darts take a look and say “It’s a bit posh, isn’t it?” But they soon get used to it. After all, we are giving them saloon bar comfort with public bar prices and their wives seem to like the place”.

As a free house, the Rag­lan is also popular with the beer connoisseurs. At the moment they deal with three breweries, Whitbreads, Charringtons and Ind Coope. “We are keeping an eye on what people want”, said Stuart. “And we can always add a few things in the future”.

A grand official opening is planned for the pub at lunchtime on Monday. With its plush decor, choice of beers and tradi­tional pull pumps for the real draught bitter buffs, it should be quite an occasion.

South Kent Gazette 1-6-1983

Local News

Bring A Bottle Party candidate Phil Todd is a man on his own. He is party leader, Parliamentary candidate and campaign manager. Even his best friends and party supporters who helped him draw up his manifesto say they would not vote for him. But he is aiming for at least 100 votes in his vain attempt to become Folkestone and Hythe M.P. in the General Election.

He will be fighting on the slogan “Our policies reach the voters other parties cannot reach”. And he launched his manifesto at his unofficial campaign headquarters, The Raglan, in Dover Road, Folkestone. He has had almost 3,000 copies of it printed and he will be giving them away at weekends in the Guildhall Street shopping precinct, roughly halfway between the East Kent Arms and the Guildhall Hotel. Another 1,000 are being printed next week to post to potential voters. They are in the party colours, black and amber, which just happens to be the same as Folkestone Town football club`s. There are 13 points in his manifesto, but because that is an unlucky number 10 has been left out so there are only 12 policies.

There is something to appeal to everyone, whatever their political leanings. His 13 point plan is: Flexibility of pub licensing hours so that pubs can open in accordance with public demand; Establish Folkestone as a Free Port to encourage local industry and reduce unemployment; Introduction of postal vote for electors on holiday; High jackpot on pub fruit machines; Improved public transport facilities in rural areas at pub closing times; Automatic entry to Football League for Folkestone Town Football Club; Pub games to be recognised as Olympic sports; Raising of the deposit for elections to stop silly candidates standing; General Election day to be declared a Bank Holiday; Compulsory walking of dogs to pubs between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays; Guinness on the National Health; Establishment of a Hangover Research Council.

And if that fails to get him into treble figures there are rumours of alliance talks for the next election with Screaming Lord Sutch of the Monster Raving Loony Party, who will be in Folkestone to play at the Leas Cliff Hall the day after the election.

Photo from South Kent Gazette

 

 

Folkestone Herald 11-4-1986

Local News

Raglan pub landlords Gilly and Stuart Gresswell celebrate ten years at the Harbour Way hostelry. But there was no fooling on their April 1 celebration as they were joined by friends, regulars and fellow licensees for a champagne buffet. “We were just babies ourselves when we came here and intended to stay just one year”, said Gilly, 29, who is now proud mum of Tommy, 4, and Ian, 2. She and her husband like Folkestone so much they might stay on another ten years, she said. Folkestone and District Ladies Auxiliary, the landlady charity group, raised well over £100 with a three-legged-race round town centre pubs on Sunday. Cash raised from their fundraising events will be distributed to local charities at the Jue annual general meeting, said Gilly.

Photo from Folkestone Herald

 

Folkestone Herald 29-4-1993

Local News

Builder Paul Watkinson had his thick curly hair and bushy beard shaved to raise £250 for the South East Kent Special Olympics group. Customers at his local, The Raglan, in Dover Road, Folkestone, were charged 50p for a snip. Paul, of The Tram Road, Folkestone, said “It feels very strange without all that hair”.

Folkestone Herald 28-8-1997

Canterbury Crown Court

A pool match at a Folkestone pub between rival teams erupted into violence after two players clashed, a court heard. It ended with one of them being punched in the face and suffering a serious eye injury. The game between the Raglan pub in Folkestone and Portex Social Club from Hythe was then abandoned.

Canterbury Crown Court heard that the Harvey Division 1 match at the Dover Road pub on December 23 last year was at 3-0 in the best-of-nine contest when trouble flared.

Portex player Simon Oakland said there had been a normal jovial pub atmosphere when he reached an important game. “Balls were going to and fro, and I got snookered”, he told the jury. “I went to play a shot and someone shouted out. It put me off and I missed”. Mr. Oakland said Raglan player Toman Wooding, 21, had been noisy, and he was told to be quiet by the referee. “He walked to the bar and I called to him “Can you shut up, you w****r; we`re trying to play pool here”, said Mr. Oakland. “I didn`t see him walk round the pool table, but the next thing he was in front of me and he hit me in the face. I was just stunned. I wasn`t knocked out. My eye started to swell up and felt very munb”. Mr. Oakland, who said the Social Club now plays in a different league, suffered a fractured eye-socket and still has numbness to his gums and the left side of his face. Mr. Oakland said the Social Club`s president, John Wise, called off the match, and the team packed up and left.

Mr. Wise said Wooding inflicted a “vicious blow”, which he thought was unprovoked.

Referee Phillip Rose said there had been illegal coaching during the match, and then Mr. Oakland was hit. “There were two blows in fairly quick succession”, he said. “They were gut-wrenching, hard and sickening. Simon hadn`t acted aggressively”.

Wooding, of Martello Road, Folkestone, denied inflicting grievous bodily harm, claiming he acted in self-defence when he thought he was going to be attacked. “He was going to hit me, so I hit him first”, he said. “I suppose I did lose my rag for a split second. I should not have whacked him”.

Wooding was convicted of the charge on a 10-2 majority verdict.

Nigel De Bijl, prosecuting, said Wooding had previous convictions for threatening behaviour and assault causing actual bodily harm.

James Lloyd, defending, asked for a pre-sentencing report, and added that Wooding had been in a psychiatric hospital some time ago.

Remanding him on bail until September 18 and banning him from pubs in the meantime,, Judge Jonathan Langdon said although it was a serious offence, it was at the bottom end of the scale. “There was probably one blow under considerable provocation – a public insult”, he said. “Although all options are open, it may be that some sort of disposal in the community may be possible”. He added “Normally people who are convicted of this sort of offence face a custodial sentence. All options remain open”.

Folkestone Herald 20-11-1997

Canterbury Crown Court

A Folkestone man, whose aggressive behaviour was blamed on drug and alcohol abuse, has been jailed for six months. Toman Patrick Wooding was told by Judge Jonathan Langdon that he couldn`t hide behind a medical condition which resulted from his long-term abuse and custody was the only answer.

Wooding, 21, of Martello Road, was at Canterbury Crown Court for sentence on Tuesday, following his conviction earlier of wounding Simon Oakland, causing grievous bodily harm. Mr. Oakland suffered a broken cheekbone after being hit by Wooding following a dispute during a pool game.

Mr. Oakland was a member of the away team playing Wooding`s team at the Raglan pub on December 23. Things started pleasantly, but as the evening wore on some barracking and jeering developed. At 9.30 Wooding had finished playing a game and was still by the pool table when the next game started, and he began giving tips, which isn`t allowed. Mr. Oakland told him to shut up in an insulting manner. Wooding squared up to him and invited him outside, but Mr. Oakland refused and Wooding suddenly punched him in the face, causing the fracture.

At the sentencing hearing, Michael O`Sullivan, for Wooding, said he had been in hospital for detoxification, which had jolted him. His stepfather, with whom he lived, was having a steadying influence and if Wooding kept off non-prescribed drugs the risk of offending was reduced.

Jailing Wooding, Judge Langdon said although there was an element of provocation, the incident resulted from Wooding`s irritating behaviour. It was his third conviction for violence and his violent outbursts resulted partly from his long-term abuse of drugs and alcohol. “You cannot hide behind a medical condition which is partly brought on by your abuse”, he said.

 

Watercolour by Stuart Gresswell (ex Raglan and Guildhall)