News items originally published on
the DEAL TODAY website in 2007

BAND DATES

If you are into band music, you may want to note the 18th Charity All Stars Band Concert by former members of the Royal Marines Band Service at the Winter Gardens, Margate on Sunday, 11 March and also a concert with the Railway Swing Band, organised by the Rotary Club of Deal at the Astor Theatre, Deal on Wednesday, 21 March. For more details, see the "coming events" section of the WalmerWeb Forum.    (February 10, 2007) 

BEACH "SPRING CLEAN"

People are being invited to join in an annual community event to gather litter and tidy up Deal beach. This year's "Spring Clean" is on Sunday, 11 March - starting at 9.30am at the entrance to Deal Pier.    (March 2, 2007)  

Focus on Community Safety

There's an opportunity for people to hear about local initiatives to improve community safety and tackle anti-social behaviour when Deal Neighbourhood Forum meets on Monday, 16 July in Deal Welfare Club, Cowdray Square, Deal. Organised by the KCC and Dover Council, the meeting is at 7pm and open to the public. For more information, see www.kent.gov.uk/localboards or call Louise Bolton on ( 01622 221947.

NEW COUNTRY PARK NOW OPEN ALL WEEK

The new Fowlmead Country Park, created on land that was formerly part of the Betteshanger Colliery, is now open every day of the week. For its first few months the 120-hectare park and nature reserve was only open at weekends. Now the public can enjoy its first-class cycling and horse riding facilities and extensive landscaping with woodland, lakes, open areas and walking trails between 9am and 6pm every day.

WH SMITH HEADS FOR DEAL

National stationers and newsagent WH Smith has announced that it is planning to open a new branch in the former Currys store in Deal High Street. The company expects to be up and running by late October. (September 21, 2007)

DEAL PIER EXHIBITION

The Last Pier - an exhibition celebrating the 50 years of Deal Pier from 1957 to 2007 - is at Deal Maritime and Local History Museum, St Georges Road, Deal until Wednesday, 31 October (open Mondays-Fridays 2pm-5pm and Saturdays 11am-5pm). Admission is £2 (concessions £1).   (August 31, 2007)

YOUR VIEWS INVITED ON NEW COASTAL PLAN

Local residents are being invited to have their say on new proposals by the Environment Agency for dealing with the risks of sea flooding and erosion along the coast from Pegwell Bay to Kingsdown. The Agency's views on what needs to be done to maintain or improve sea defences are set out in a consultation document "Pegwell Bay to Kingsdown Coastal Strategy", prepared jointly with Dover District Council.

Copies can be inspected at Deal Library and obtained by logging onto the Environment Agency's website at: www.environment-agency.gov.uk/yourenv/consultations or by phoning ( 08708 506506.

There is also a public display of the proposed strategy at Deal Town Hall, High Street, Deal on Tuesday, 11 September from 2pm to 8pm.

If people wish to comment, they should write to Pegwell Bay to Kingsdown Strategy, Environment Agency, Endeavour Park, London Road, Addington, West Malling, Kent ME19 5SH by 12 October 2007.   (August 31, 2007)

HIPS UPDATE

Since our publication of the article on the introduction of Home Information Packs in DEAL TODAY magazine and on this website, the Government has made some changes to the operation of the scheme. People selling four-bedroom properties have had to provide a HIP since 1 August and those putting a three-bedroom property on the market will also have to provide a HIP from 10 September. You can read our original article here.  (August 31, 2007)

FEELING STRESSED? LEARN ABOUT TAI CHI

If you've ever wondered about Tai Chi - which its advocates suggest can boost your immune system and relieve the stress and strain of living - there's an opportunity to join a beginners' class in Deal, starting in October. "Beginners' Tai Chi Fundamentals" is a six-week course at St Andrews Church Hall, West Street, Deal, starting on Tuesday, 2 October at 8pm-9.30pm. Participants will learn how to deeply relax, improve balance and re-align the body as a preliminary to Tai Chi. The weekly fee is £5. For more details contact the organiser David Willis on ( 01304 375624.   (September 4, 2007)

LOCAL POST OFFICE BRANCHES UNDER THREAT

Two local post offices are included in the 58 branches in Kent earmarked for closure in plans announced by Royal Mail yesterday (Tuesday, 2 October). They are: Upper Deal PO at 311 London Road, Deal; and Mongeham Farm PO in Great Mongeham, Deal.

Post Offices also under threat in neighbouring areas include: The Duke of York's School PO at Guston, Dover; New Bridge PO at 15 Bench Street, Dover; and Tower Hamlets PO at 14 West Street, Dover.

They all feature in the first of 36 announcements due to be made over the next nine months that will see a total of 2,500 post offices threatened with closure. The government says cuts are needed as the current 14,000-strong network has been losing £4million a week. Six-week public consultations will be held in all affected areas before the final decisions are made, although critics are anticipating that the majority of the branches named will be axed.

Interviewed by The Daily Telegraph, Mr Chris Saville, the sub-post master at Great Mongeham, admitted that his post office lost money. He said: “The nearest post office is over a mile away in Mill Hill. And there is not a direct bus connection. The pensioners in the village will suffer.” (October 3, 2007)

HALF TERM ACTIVITIES AT FOWLMEAD

Fowlmead Country Park near Sholden is organising a programme of activities for nine- to 13-year-olds in the half term holidays. Under the watchful eyes of trained and accredited youth leaders, participants will be able to enjoy a wide range of activities including bushcraft, archery, scavenger hunts, nature exploration and fun games.

The sessions are from Monday, 22 to Friday, 26 October and cost £20 a day which includes a bacon roll breakfast. Youngsters can take part on any or all of the five days. Parents need to drop off children between 8.30am and 9am and collect them at 5.30pm. For more details and to book, see www.fowlmead.co.uk. (October 11, 2007)

FREE PARKING FOR "CHRISTMAS SHOPPERS" IS AXED

Dover District Council is abandoning this year's pre-Christmas free parking scheme in Deal. For several years past, motorists have been able to park free of charge in a number of on-street and off-street car parking areas on three days before Christmas. The scheme was meant to boost local shopping but, according to the council, most traders felt it made no difference. There was also confusion that the free parking didn't operate in the Sainsbury carpark in West Street. (October 11, 2007)

CENTRAL BAND OF ROYAL BRITISH LEGION IN CONCERT

The Central Band of the Royal British Legion will be appearing at the Winter Gardens, Margate on Sunday, 4 November at 7.30pm. In what will be their first concert in Margate, the band will be under the baton of Captain David Cole who is a former Director of Music of the Band of HM Royal Marines, Portsmouth and now lives in Kingsdown.

REGISTERED TO VOTE?

Householders who have not returned their electoral registration forms could be left off the next Register of Electors due to be published on 1 December. Apart from it being a legal requirement for most people to provide their details, not being on the register means they cannot vote in any elections. For more details and online registration see the Dover Council website or call ( 01304 872344.   (October 30, 2007)

DEAL'S CINEMA MIGHT CLOSE

Deal's "Flicks" cinema could be under threat of closure according to reports in the East Kent Mercury local newspaper. The owners of the building, FS Leisure are reported as saying that the cinema has been trading at a loss but, despite this, it could have a future. Staff at the cinema have organised a "save our cinema" petition and claim to have gathered over 1,000 signatures already.   (October 30, 2007)

COUNTRY PARK'S WINTER OPENING TIMES

Fowlmead Country Park - the 120-hectare leisure area and nature reserve off the A258 Deal-Sandwich road, a mile north of Deal - has announced its winter opening times. From Sunday, 28 October 2007 to Saturday, 29 March 2008, they are 9am to 4.30pm every day. For more details see www.fowlmead.co.uk.   (October 30, 2007)

FESTIVE LIGHTS, PHOTOS AND FIREWORKS

There are at least three good reasons to be in Deal on Thursday, 22 November. On Deal Pier there's a Photographic Display from 9am to 5pm in celebration of the pier's Golden Anniversary. From 4pm, Deal High Street is the place to be... with street entertainment from 4pm, culminating in the Christmas Lights Switch-on Ceremony, outside St George's Church at 7.30pm. Among those present will be the stars from this year's Marlow Theatre pantomime - Shaun Williamson, Stephen Mulhern, Hilary O'Neil and Dave Lee. The day rounds off with a Fireworks Display marking Deal Pier's 50th Anniversary on Deal seafront (near the Pier) at 8pm. All the events are free. (November 15, 2007)

NORTH DEAL GROUP SEEKS MORE LOCAL INVOLVEMENT

Members of the North Deal Community Partnership are holding an Open Evening at Sandown School on Saturday, 29 November. They say it will be an opportunity for local residents to learn about plans for improving the quality of life in the north Deal area and, hopefully, think about ways in which they might become involved. As well as a short presentation on the work and future plans of the Partnership, there will be a display of initial designs for a children's play area on the North Deal Playing Field. For more details, call Sue Beer on ( 01304 381110 or    (November 15, 2007)

LOCAL WRITERS IN PRINT

"View from the Pier" is the first anthology of work by Deal Writers, the collective name of a group of writers living in and around Deal. The anthology is a mix of poetry and prose, fact and fiction, and includes romance, drama, horror, humour and even a little tragedy. In short, there’s something for everyone with 37 contributions from fourteen local authors.

"View from the Pier" is available at £3.50 from local bookshops or direct from Deal Writers via their website www.dealwriters.co.uk or contact the group’s chairman Paul Curd by   (December 4, 2007)

Details have been announced of the post offices that will close next year. Following publication in October of a list of 58 post offices in Kent facing closure and a public consultation period, only two have been spared. They are at Hawkhurst and Cliff’s End near Ramsgate.

Both the branches in the Deal area that were on the hit list will go. They are: Great Mongeham and Upper Deal. Three branches in Dover are also to close: the Duke of York’s School, New Bridge and Tower Hamlets.  (December 8, 2007)