Another in my series documenting Gravesend pubs that have recently closed. I’ve generally been trying to photograph the pubs at night, that seems the time when a pub should look most alive, highlighting those that are no longer. But a found myself walking past The Old Sun camera in hand, and it seemed too good an opportunity to miss. I might still come back one evening.

The New Inn can be traced back to 1780. The pub with the shops adjoining had previously been the home of the Holker family where, in April 1734, Dr Holker entertained the Prince and Princess of Orange (daughter of George II) after their marriage when they were weather-bound on their return to Holland.

On Thursday last, four well-dressed men arrived at the Globe Tavern, Gravesend, by a London Steam Packet. At their request they were accommodated with a bedroom and a sumptuous dinner, for which they paid and left for London the same afternoon. After they were gone, Mr. Lott, the proprietor, discovered that his bedroom had been broken into, and the bureau plundered of a pocket book containing £160.

The Call Boy was built in 1953, replacing the demolished Assembly Rooms pub that was on this site before it. In 2008 the brewery Shepherd Neame closed The Call Boy along with many other pubs in the area.

There have, at some time, been sixteen pubs in Gravesend with the suffix ‘Shades’ to their name. Manor Shades was the last when it closed on 31st December 2012. There were also ‘Shades’ pubs across south-east London and Kent.

The Railway Tavern opened in 1881 and was tied to the Meux’s Brewery, it still features the original Meux glazed tiles. After 129 years of trading, it closed in 2010 and then reopened in 2011 as D-Ream. D-Ream lasted just over a year, closing in October 2012.

The Terrace Tavern and Hotel was present in records from 1837. It was tied to the Russell’s Brewery of Gravesend and the exterior of the still features the beautiful green tiles advertising Russell’s ‘Shrimp Brand’ beers, dating from around 1913. At one time the pub had its own football team, indoor cricket team, darts and pool teams; a real community hub.

The building that was once the City of London is in a great location high above the river Thames. The original pub was founded here in 1839. Unfortunately, that building was destroyed by fire in 1893. The rebuilt City of London traded until 2002, in 2009 it was converted to a b&b.

In 2012 when The Pilot Tavern closed the Gravesend Messenger reported: Its former landlady Susan Newman remained there and rather than tear it down is now hoping to bring the building, which is in dire need of some repair, back to its former glory.

The Bricklayers Arms opened in 1851 and closed in 1910. It reopened as The Station Hotel in 1914 which closed in 2002. Reopening later as Bar24 and then The Bridge Bar, which finally closed in 2017.

The Public House, the pub, with maybe the church, was once at the centre of every English community. In my parent’s generation most men, and sometimes women, would have ‘a local’ a place to go and chat with friends about their lives, their troubles, or at least how poorly their football team were playing that week.

“Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, come to the community and share the gospel”. I’m sitting in the small very busy office at Sanctuary, the night shelter for the homeless in Gravesend, talking to Steve Nolan. Steve and his wife Lorna are the unpaid Project Managers for Sanctuary.

I’m not sure what I expected but it wasn’t this.

Steve Nolan is showing me around Sanctuary, a night shelter for the homeless. He and his wife Lorna are the full-time Project Managers for the shelter.

I had a great couple of hour shooting some street portraits in Gravesend last Sunday. I took the opportunity to hand out some of my 'We Are Gravesend' flyers, hopefully, I contacted with some interested participants.

It's such a great feeling to have finally started my personal project about my home town, Gravesend, Kent. Yesterday I had the privilege of shooting and interviewing Genevieve 'Genny' Jones, an inspirational woman and one of the real life-bloods of our community. If there's a community event in Gravesend it's likely somewhere behind it will be Genny Jones - The Confident Queen.