BERWICK PETTY SESSIONS

ANNUAL LICENSING SESSIONS

Dates for Transfer Sessions were arranged as follows:- Thursdays, 23^rd March, 11 May, 22^nd June, 3^rd August, 28^th September, 9^th November, 21^st December, and 25^th January, 1923.

A plan from Messrs Johnson and Darling for alterations at the Corporation Arms was approved by the bench, the police having no objections.

Mr H. R. Peters made an application for a transfer of the license of the Salmon Hotel, High Street, Berwick, from Mr John Evans, the present owner, to Mr John Sharp, 26 Station Road, Whitley Bay, Granted.

Supt. Halliday’s annual report was as follows:- There are in the Borough, 44 full licenses, 1 beer on, 4 beer and wine off, and 2 beer off; making a total of 51, and showing an average of one license to about 255 inhabitants- the population (1921Census) of the borough being 12,994. On full licensed house was closed during the year 1921, viz.:- The Sun Inn, Woolmarket, having been found to be structurally deficient and unsuitable. There are four registered Clubs in the Borough with a membership ranging from 108 to 250. During the year 1921, proceedings for drunkenness were taken in 121 cases and 117 convictions resulted, being an increase of eight proceedings and thirteen convictions when compared with the number similarly dealt with during the year 1920. The figures for 1921 are equivalent to 9 convictions per 1000 population as compared with 7.95 convictions per 1000 in 1920. Since last Brewster Sessions one license holder was proceeded against and the case was dismissed on payment of costs. I have served notices of objection on the licensees of the Free Trade Inn, Castlegate, the Old Angel Inn, Marygate, the Brewers Arms, Marygate, and the Berwick Arms, Marygate. These premises I consider are structurally deficient and unsuitable for licensed premises. There are noapplications for new licenses.

FREE TRADE INN – Supt. Halliday said the bar was 35ft by 12ft, a sitting room 15ft x 12ft, upstairs sitting room 12x 12. Inside the house there was a urinal and a W.C. near to the sitting room door. There was a very objectionable smell, especially in the summer time. The ceilings of the house are low and with a crowded house objectionable.

OLD ANGEL INN – Supt. Halliday said the bar was 12 x 15, sitting room 5 ½ x9, both with low ceilings. The building was old, damp and bad repair. There was also an outside passage with a side entrance in to the public house, which was an objection, as it facilitated secret drinking, especially amongst women. The outside passage was dark and not lit at nights. The accommodation was altogether inadequate, the bar, and one small sitting room being all there was. The place was called an inn, and therefore was supposed to accommodate travellers. There was no accommodation of that sort.

BREWER’S ARMS, MARYGATE- Supt. Halliday said the bar was 15^th x21ft, sitting room 9f x 8ft, and another sitting room 21ft x 12ft. It was an old building and in very bad repair. The ceilings of the rooms were low. There was an outside passage with a side entrance, which encouraged secret drinking amongst women. There was no dwelling house in connection with this house.

BERWICK ARMS, MARYGATE – Supt. Halliday said the bar was 15ft by 12ft, and had a large window. There was a sitting room 15ft. by 12ft., and a kitchen 9ft by 12ft, which was sometimes used for drinking purposes. There was also a sitting room upstairs, 15ft by 12ft., also sometimes used for drinking purposes. The building was old, damp, and in very bad repair. There was an outside passage with a side entrance.

By Mr Henderson – There were no complaints against the conduct of the house. He thought Mr Wheeler did his best, but a side entrance was against proper supervision. Sometimes things were done in these dark passages which neither Mr Wheeler nor anyone else could see.

THE CASE FOR THE DEFENCE

Regarding the Free Trade Inn, Mr Steven, of the Border Brewery, in answer to Mr Henderson, said this was believed to be ante-1869 license. Alterations (including convenience) were made in 1904 to meet the wishes of the magistrates. The Border Brewery did not consider any further alterations necessary. They had had no objections from the tenant or his customers.

Mr Henderson said that, if the objection was upheld, this being an ante-1869 license, must be referred for compensation. If the house had a later license, and was objected to as structurally unsound, it could be closed without compensation.

In regard to the Old Angel Inn, Mr Henderson said Messrs Johnson & Darling would do their best to meet the wishes of the Superintendent. The plan handed in related to alterations passed by the Justices in 1920, but was not now approved by Supt. Halliday. That could be altered if the Justices thought necessary.

Mr Henderson, in connection with the Brewers’ Arms, appeared for Mrs Renton, the present owner. The conveyance to Messrs T. & J. Bernard, the recent purchasers, was not yet complete, and so legally they had no locus standi. The house was sols as an ante-1869 beer house, and he believed that that was the case, but the vendor had not yet had time to produce evidence to the Magistrates, and there seemed to be no Justices’ register available. The new owners when they bought the house intended to make a thoroughly respectable place of it, and they held to that intention.

The Berwick Arms, said Mr Henderson, was in the occupation of Mrs Howe, who was a life tenant, and Messrs Johnson & Darling leased from her. Mrs Howe had just had the notice served on her and had not had time to come to any decisions.

The Magistrates retired, and when they came back the Mayor announced that they had decided to adjourn the consideration of the four cases till Thursday, March 2^nd.