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News Lost pub lives on in painting


THIS historic watercolour picture of a tranquil pub in Hollingbourne is being auctioned with a guide price of £15,000.


The high value of the drawing of


the former Six Bells Inn in Upper Street is due toits famous artist, Helen Allingham, not being associ- ated with Kent. Derbyshire-born Ms Allingham,


who died aged 78,was a renowned Victorian painter who, in 1890, be- came the firstwoman accepted into the RoyalWatercolour Society. The picture is thought to date


back to the last decade of the 19th century. It is marketed as being of a rural scene in Bearsted, but a Downs Mail investigation has un- earthed that its location was actu- ally the neighbouring village of Hollingbourne. It is thought the pubwas built in


the 1600s, but it burned down in the 20th century and was replaced with Six Bells Cottage, a home that last changed hands in March 2007, for £415,000. Posting on www.fromold- books.org, Rod Holt wrote: “At the time the picturewas painted itwas a pub called the Six Bells ... you can see the sign over the two figures in the doorway. “The building is considerably smaller now (after a fire) and the exposed timbers have been plas- tered over in the last 100 years. I know this because 50 years ago I was born in this house, and spent the first five years of my life there.” The painting will be auctioned at John Nicholson's Fine Art Auction-


eers andValuers in Fernhurst,West Sussex on September 24. Buffy Parker, head of painting at


John Nicholson’s, said: “Alling- ham’swork is not generally associ- ated with Kent which makes this quite a rare work. She is most fa- mous for her depictions of tradi- tional architecture, notably old thatched cottages and farmhouses and in this case, an inn. “As with all of her paintings, it is historically important. The build- ings she paintedwere on the verge of being demolished as the Victo- rian railways cut swathes through the countryside of the Home Counties. “Some critics say that, far from being simple picturesque scenes,


Manager Andrew retires aer 46 years with Boots


ANDREW Simms may have mem- ories of holding a duster on his first day at Boots, but his love of retail- ing saw him rise to area manager for the company that was his boss for 46 years.


Speaking from


his home inWood- lands, Maidstone, Andrew said he joined the phar- macy in Harlow in Essex in 1968, when hewas 16. He said: “ I re-


member spending the day dusting things. That stayed with me and I always made a point of ensuring new staff got a warm welcome on their first day.” These management skills were


soon recognised and after the com- pany dropped its policy of only making qualified pharmacists store managers, his career pathwas set. Andrew managed Boots in The Mall for 12 years from 2002, while


working as a group manager, with responsibility for stores in Week Street, Tenterden and Ashford. Six years ago he took on the role of West Kent area manager, with 12 large stores in his care. Only for the past 12 months did he return to Maidstone, ahead of his retirement. He said: “Boots has been a great company to work for. Even to this day, retailing is one of the few in- dustries able to reward people on merit, on what they achieve, rather than what they did at school.” He now intends to devote more


time to the Town Team, which is partnered with the borough coun- cil, and the Town Centre Manage- ment team, of which he is company secretary. He is also looking forward to spending more time with his fam- ily: his daughter Rebecca, grandson Henry, son Matthew who gets mar- ried this month – and, of course, his wife Julia, who stillworks for Boots in Rainham.


Helen Alllingham’s picture of the Six Bells Inn in Hollingbourne, left, in the 1890s, and above, Six Bells Cottage which replaced it after a fire


her paintings show signs of eco- nomic dislocation at a time when tremendous change was taking place. “Although this watercolour


shows two children on a path with ducks approaching, the characters by the inn door have been inter- preted as a couple begging due to a lack of work in the countryside. “This beautiful old specimen of a timbered housewas discovered by the artist by accident while staying with some artistic friends at Bearsted. “Although the weather was very


cold and the season late, she lost no time in painting it, as its inmates said it would be pulled down di- rectly after the death of its owner,


an old lady of 92 who was very ill. “Having spent a long day ab- sorbed in putting down on paper its intricate details, she went into the house for a little warmth and a cup of tea, only to find a single fire, by which sat a labourer with his pot of warmed ale on the hob. “Asking whether she could not


go to some other fire, she was as- sured that nowhere else in the house could one be lit, aswater lay below all the floors, and a fire caused this to evaporate and fill the rooms with steam.”  Do you have any information about the Six Bells Inn or the era in which it was painted? Call us on 01622 734735 or email stephen@downsmail.co.uk


Discount for bus pass holders


STAGECOACH and Arriva will offer holders of the new young person’s travel pass the chance to take the bus in the evening and at weekends for just £1 per journey. The discount is for to 11- to 16- year-olds travelling by bus out of school time and in the holidays. It will soften the changeswhich


take effect from September 1, lim- iting use of the £200 pass to week- days before 7pm. KCCcabinet member for trans-


port David Brazier said changes to the travel scheme were neces- sary to meet savings targets. He added: “Research showed


MEMBERS at a meeting of Maid- stone’s Older People’s Forum were warned about scams and fraudulent activities targetting elderly and vul- nerable people. Mark Craig, of at-home care providerHomeInstead Senior Care, advised on how to spot a scam. The event at the Hazlitt Theatre,


that 75-78% of all journeys are made between home and school, so we focused our limited fund- ing on that element. “Now children will be able to


enjoy even wider travel choices on their routes.” Arriva publicity manager Richard Lewis said: “The previ- ous Kent FreedomPass, which al- lowed free travel throughout Kent was very popular and we want to encourage youngsters to continue using bus services.” Stagecoach is also offering


YPTP holders an off-peak season ticket costing £50 for the year.


Scam warning for older people


Maidstone,was also attended by or- ganisations including Macmillan, representatives from Time for Change, who promote more open discussion around mental health is- sues, solicitors and Kent Police. For a free protection kit, go to


www.homeinstead.co.uk/maid- stone.


Maidstone East September 2014 31


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