This steam ‘locomotive’ dray was made by Burrells of Thetford in 1912 as works number 3424, and was the first of two purchased by Bushell Watkins and Smith for deliveries of beer to their tied-houses around west Kent. It would have been slow going at 12 miles an hour, but marginally faster than its horse-drawn ...
Reference: WH0183
This purpose-built motor dray from commercial vehicle manufacturers Hallfords of Dartford was registered on 2nd June 1916 as KT 8164. The company was actually J & E Hall who between 1906 and 1926 produced London and country buses, haulage vehicles and lorries deployed with the British Army during WWI. The name ‘Hallfords’ was coined from ...
Reference: WH0184
Driven in the first ever Gala in 1937, the theme of this float was ‘Ancient and Modern’. The driver is probably Ted Boakes.
Reference: WH0185
The Albion dray shown in the procession in 1953 was newly purchased by Bushell Watkins and Smith in 1951. Don Adams worked for the brewery as a driver “…I went all over the place for them, and it was one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. We covered a huge area, If you started at ...
Reference: WH0245
A painting dated 1920 from local artist and photographer Frederick Benson exists and is captioned ‘The first brewery built in Westerham 1730’. Acceptance of this date seems to have been based on the fact that it was carved into a keystone forming part of a building which was then in use as a boilerhouse. Bottle labels ...
Reference: WH0210
This is an example of keeping all facets of an industry local – the beer bottle labels were printed by Hooker Bros. at the ‘Herald Steam Printing Works’ in the High Street.
Reference: WH0241
The Black Eagle Brewery and Brewery House can be seen in the centre at the bottom of this photograph. Curiously, it looks like the brewery building has snow on the roof, but this was not the case, its actually whitewash! Young apprentice boys were sent up to whitewash the roof in the summer to keep ...
Reference: WH0257
Brewery House provided living accommodation for Ben Bushell and office accommodation for senior managers.
Reference: WH0211
The 1899 frontage of the Black Eagle Brewery offices incorporates the name of Ind Coope above the doorway. When the brewery ceased brewing, Ind Coope used the buildings as a bottling plant.
Reference: WH0212
There was a door from the brewery that went into the garden of the brewer’s house ‘Spring Ardens’ next to the General Wolfe Pub
Reference: WH0219
The only person identified in this photograph is Reginald Ellis Bushell (nephew of Benjamin Bushell) at the back on the right wearing a trilby hat.
Reference: WH0213
Back row all unknown Middle row Reginald Ellis Bushell, unknown, Topper Richardson, Bill Sales Front row unknown, Bill Richardson, Bernard Chilman, Frank Cosgrove
Reference: WH0214
Some people have been identified (20 Feb 2018) Back row unknown, Thomas Rushson, 2x unknown, Tom Webb, Reginald Bushell Middle row Fred Anscombe, Frank Cosgrove, unknown, Peter Richardson Front row Bill ‘Beazle’ Richardson, Bernard Chilman, Benny Barnes
Reference: WH0215
Back row L-R Bill Sales, Eddie Purslow, Sid Williams, Bill Coscrow, Reginald Ellis Bushell Middle row Jack Funnell, Tom Webb, Thomas Rushson, Peter Richardson, Fred Anscombe, Topper Richardson Front row Frank Cosgrove, Joe Miles, Bill ‘Beazle’ Richardson, Benny Barnes, Bill Godfrey
Reference: WH0244
The ‘Secs. – Pal’ Club Book was a generic offering available for Football, Hockey and Lacrosse clubs, providing printed columns for fixtures and dates, player position entries, financial transactions and minute-book pages.
Reference: WH0209