Somerset Guardian and Radstock Observer - 11 March 1938
TEMPLE CLOUD
APPLICATION REFUSED
HALLATROW INN NOT TO LOSE FULL LICENSE
Temple Cloud licensing justices at their adjourned session on Tuesday, Lord Strachie in the chair, refused an application by Clifford Kingman, of the Miners' Arms, Farrington Gurney, for the removal of the full license of the Hallatrow Inn to the Miners' Arms.
The hearing lasted over an hour and a half.
Mr. R. J. Lyne, barrister (instructed by Messrs. Burgess, Ware and Scammell), of Bristol, opposed the application on behalf of Mr. F. C. Penney, the leaseholder, and Mr. Stanley Penney, the licensee of the Farrington Gurney Inn, while Mr. A. P. Ames, of Frome, appeared for the applicant.
Mr. Ames said the application was for the ordinary removal of the license of the Hallatrow Inn to the Miners' Arms at Farrington Gurney. The licensee of the Miners' Arms was Mr. Clifford Kingman, and Messrs. Georges Breweries Co., Ltd., of Bristol, were the owners of both the Miners' Arms and the Hallatrow Inn. At present the Miners' Arms was only a beer house with six days' license, whereas the Hallatrow Inn was a fully licensed house with a seven days' license, and the effect of the application, if granted, would be that the Miners' Arms would have a seven days' license, fully licensed, and the Hallatrow Inn would be shut up.
The Miners' Arms had been licensed as a beer-house for close on 70 years, but during recent years, as they would all appreciate, the house had become unsuitable to meet modern requirements. The habits and customs of the people had changed a good deal, and the Miners' Arms had become quite unsuitable to meet the changed requirements of the people.
IN MOST POPULOUS PART.
At Farrington Gurney there was another fully licensed house situated on the main Bristol-Wells road some distance away from the Miners' Arms and kept by Mr. Penney, while the nearest fully-licensed house in the opposite direction was at the Stones Cross, Midsomer Norton, some two miles away. The Miners' Arms was in the most populous part of Farrington Gurney, the licensee, Mr. Clifford Kingman, was very popular among his customers, and the house was well and properly kept. As a result the trade of the house had increased a good deal, and it was not an unnatural desire on the part of the customers that they should prefer to come to the Miners' Arms on a Sunday to have refreshment in the pleasing company of Mr. Kingman, the licensee.
Apart from it being the most populous part of the village, a good number of new Council houses had been erected in the neighbourhood in recent years, and again there was a halt of the Great Western Railway near the Miners' Arms, and this was used a good deal, while there was a good deal of passing traffic.
He submitted that, owing to the changed circumstances, the house was at present quite unsuitable to meet modern requirements, and there was a real need for the Miners' Arms to have the full license.
Messrs. Georges Breweries Co., Ltd., the owners, were supporting the application, and if granted, the company were prepared to surrender, upon compensation to the existing licensees, not only the license of the Hallatrow Inn for transfer to the Miners' Arms. but also the license of the Jolly Colliers Inn, Clutton, the license of the Rose and Crown Inn, Paulton, and also an off-license at High Littleton. The terms of compensation had already been agreed upon between the company and the present licensees of the houses mentioned.
A PETITION.
Clifford Kingman, licensee of the Miners' Arms, Farrington Gurney, said he had held the license for eight years. During that time the trade of the house had increased very much. The increase was due to many causes, including the new skittle alley and the erection of new houses in the neighbourhood. On Saturday nights he had usually 50 to 60 people in the house, which he had always had kept clean and well conducted, and he considered he was always most obliging to his customers.
He understood there were still more houses to go up in the neighbourhood. He often had people calling at his house on Sundays, but was unable to serve them, as it had only a six days' license, and he was also often asked for wines and spirits, which he had to refuse.
He handed in a petition signed by 143 people, many of whom were customers of his house, supporting the application.
Evidence in support of the application was given by Charles Webb, of Farrington Gurney, who said he was formerly the licensee for 15 years of the Royal Oak, Old Mills, Paulton, some short distance away from the Miners' Arms. The house was clean and properly kept, and he considered a full seven-day license was necessary to meet the requirements of the neighbourhood.
Similar support was given by Reuben Clarke, of Farrington Gurney.
Norman Hartnell Withers, the licensee of the Hallatrow Inn, also supported the application, and said he had agreed to go out of the Hallatrow Inn on compensation terms with the owners, who also agreed to find him another house.
MORE BEER-DRINKERS WANTED.
Frederick William Biggs, outside manager of Messrs. Georges Breweries Co., Ltd., supported the application on behalf of his company. The Miners Arms, he said, was in a populous part of Farrington Gurney, and the trade of the house had increased in the past 12 months by 22 barrels of beer, which was equivalent to 792 gallons or 6,336 pints.
He observed that they did not want the people to drink more beer, but they wanted more people to drink beer (laughter).
He was satisfied that a seven-days license was necessary at the Miners' Arms, and if he had his way every licensed house would have a seven days' and full license, so that the people could have wines or spirits as well as beer, or a cup of tea or coffee if they wanted it. There was quite a lot of traffic passing the Miners' Arms on Sundays. Mr. Kingman was a fine tenant and they would like to do all they could to help him in every way.
On behalf of those opposing the application, Mr. Lyne pointed out that their Worships had refused only last year an application for a seven days' license for the Miners' Arms, as a beer house only. The circumstances had not, he submitted, appreciably changed since then, and he asked their Worships to hesitate before granting an application which was more ambitious than the one they turned down last year.
The application was also opposed by the Rev. John Eagle (Methodist Circuit Minister), of Paulton, who appeared on behalf of the Methodist Church at Farrington Gurney. He contended that the neighbourhood was very well provided for, and appealed to their Worships not to grant additional facilities for the sale of intoxicating liquors on Sundays.
The Bench conferred in private for some time before announcing their decision to refuse the application.
APPLICATIONS GRANTED.
An application was made by Wallace Sennington Weymouth, licensee of the New Inn, Farmborough, for a special removal of the license of that inn, to new premises proposed to be erected on a site some 200 yards away from the existing premises.
Mr. Addleshaw, of Shepton Mallet appeared for the applicant, and for the Oakhill Brewery Co., Ltd., owners of the New Inn, and produced plans of the proposed new structure. He pointed out that the existing buildings were quite unsuitable to meet modern requirements, and if the order was approved and confirmed, the proposed new buildings would be modern in every respect.
After an inspection of the plans Bench granted the application.
The magistrates also approved of the plans submitted by Mr. R. F. Lyne, on behalf of Mr. Hunt, respecting proposed alterations to the Old Down Inn, Ston Easton.
An application by Mrs. Rowlands, who appeared for her husband, Sidney George Rowlands, of the High Littleton Inn, was granted for an occasional license for the sale of intoxicants at the High Littleton Working Men's Club from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the annual club dinner.
The magistrates were Lord Strachie (in the chair). Major E. H. B. Usher, Mr. J. G. Norman. Mr J. H.. Tovey. Mr. Rendle Drew and Miss C. M. Rees- Moog.