The Mariner

Bear Incident File No. 009

Location	16 The Stade, Folkestone Harbour
Approx. incident date	Exterior and Trad Folk Night sequences; dates not entered
Barred status	ASKED TO LEAVE

File note. Full-flash exterior and phone-recorded interior sequences. Both are identified as the Mariner.

THE STADE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHS

The Bear and portable Horse ring outside the Mariner — The Mariner, the Stade. The Bear has brought the complete ring but no corresponding booking.

The Bear in the portable ring near Folkestone harbour — Harbour-facing copy. Pier lights are visible beyond the Horse.

The Bear outside shuttered premises near the Mariner — Rear elevation copy, usually filed under “second entrance.”

The Bear at the corner near the Mariner — Final exposure at the double yellow lines. No encore followed.

Trad Folk Night Gatecrash

The interior material records a later appearance during Trad Folk Night at the Mariner. The Bear entered with the portable ring and the Horse, despite having no place on the programme.

He moved through the musicians and audience, treated the microphone as part of his own act, and turned the narrow performance area into a small, crowded procession. The regular participants continued where possible. Staff eventually asked the Bear to leave and the ring was taken out with him.

TRAD FOLK NIGHT: PHONE RECORDING

Phone recording from Trad Folk Night. The Bear and Horse enter the musicians' area as the room becomes increasingly difficult to manage.

THE MARINER INTERIOR SEQUENCE

The Bear beside a pub patron at the bar inside the Mariner — Interior bar copy from the Mariner. The Bear has crossed from the performance area into the bar, where the evening continued without a corresponding booking.

The Bear and Horse beside the microphone during Trad Folk Night at the Mariner — The Bear and Horse at the edge of the musicians' area. The microphone was not part of the original set-up.

The Bear seated beside a table at the Mariner during Trad Folk Night — Between numbers, the Bear took a table beside the ring and treated the evening as a residency.

A Trad Folk Night participant holding the Horse microphone beside the Bear — One participant attempts to keep the microphone clear while the Bear remains in the performance space.

The Bear and Horse surrounded by audience members at the Mariner — The portable ring, Horse and audience converge near the tables. This is the point at which staff asked the Bear to leave.

Close view of the Horse microphone and blue rosette at the Mariner — Close view of the Horse microphone and blue rosette during the interrupted set.

Historical Background

The Dover-Kent list places the Mariner at 16 The Stade. It records the name from 2000, following the Carpenters, which occupied the address from 1988. The archive marks the Mariner open again from 5 December 2024.

Record note: Dover-Kent Folkestone licensed-premises list.

Bear Incident File

The Bear arrived after the entertainment had ended, wearing the portable ring and leading the Horse by means of remaining inside it. He claimed this constituted a complete touring company and asked for two dressing rooms.

Refused entry, he conducted the publicity photographs outside. Each flash was interpreted as applause. The Bear therefore completed a slow circuit of the Stade and presented the Horse to the harbour.

Disposition

Not admitted. The Bear later claimed he had played the exterior of the Mariner to a capacity audience consisting of one parked car and the pier.

CCTV / Lost Tape Note

A doorway camera should contain the arrival. Its clock was still on summer time and the exported sequence was overwritten before the time could be agreed.