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The Elham Valley Mail Coach. "A familiar sight on the old Watling Street in the 1890s was the dashing "Sporting Times" coach with its spanking teams driven by Mr Scott, 'Scotty' as he was generally called, proprietor of the East Kent Arms, Folkestone. 'Scotty' drove from Folkestone to Canterbury and back daily in the summer months with the red-coated Ben Goddard as guard gaily tootling on his horn. Alas! while negotiating a sharp bend in the road near the Red House, Barham, one fine day the coach overturned and poor 'Scotty', terribly injured, was tenderly bourne to the Red House at the insistance of its kindly owner Mrs Yorke, where after lingering a few painful days he died." - Extract from Sir Charles Igglesden. |
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| The No 17 Bus Route from Canterbury to Folkestone | |
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The present No 17 bus service was started in 1921 and ran
twice daily in each direction. It was first used more for
pleasure than for business and the buses were, at that time, considered a luxurious type of
char-a-banc with individual bucket seats - quite a change from today.
Later came the East Kent buses in their distinctive scarlet and cream livery, common over the area. Just after World War II there were 14 buses on ALL days of the week. Today these the comfortable East Kent buses have been replaced by ubiquitous Stagecoach ones - devoid of any real local association - being operated by a company with its headquarters 400 miles away in Scotland. Such is progress that there are now only 13 journeys on weekdays and 6 on Sundays. |
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