Deal Despatch Autumn / Winter 2022/2023

Autumn/Winter 2022/23 FREE Modern-day Seaside Stories

DEAL DESPATCH

ARTIST ARTHUR NEAL

Deal’s prolific colourist talks about his new show

BACK OF THE NET!

WHO KILLED MARY BAX?

A Georgian murder story to elicit Halloween chills

Taylor-Jones & Son’s classic Georgian exterior houses a wealth of contemporary art. Representing some of the best known names in photography, sculpture, painting and printmaking, the gallery sits in the heart of Deal’s thriving High Street.

Open from 10-5 Wednesday to Saturday or by appointment outside those hours.

Taylor-Jones & Son, 114 High Street, Deal, Kent, CT14 6NP www.taylorjonesandson.co.uk info@taylorjonesandson.co.uk

Editorial Editor Kathryn Reilly

Acting editor-in-chief John Murphy

Founder & Director

Clare Freeman

Co-founder & Advertising director

Jen Brammer

Design director

Lizzy Tweedale

Publishing assistant

Esther Ellard

Contributors

Writers

Jonathan Erridge

J Henceforth

Jo Holmes

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

Tom Moggach

Sharon Powell

Kathryn Reilly

Photographers

Paul Curd

Tom Moggach

Kathryn Reilly

cover image

Michelle and Darren Jenkins know their plaice (sorry). Photo by Tom Moggach

Print

Mortons Print Ltd, Morton Way, Boston Road Industrial Estate, Horncastle, LN9 6JR

♻ We print on recycled paper

Contact Website brightsidepublishing. com

Social Media @thedealdespatch

Advertising and distribution enquiries info@brightside publishing.com

From the Editor Kathryn Reilly

Autumn in Deal

Someone who has seen multiple changes in the fortune of our town is artist Arthur Neal. His new solo show at the Linden Hall Studio is imminent and his is a talent we are more than happy to celebrate (see page 20). Arthur is not born and bred but Darren Jenkins certainly is. He’s the fourth generation in his family to run the High Street’s ever-popular fishmongers. He remembers difficult days of the past and is thankful for an influx of fishlovers to the town (page 15).

If you haven’t visited the Village yet (or haven’t been for a while), it’s worth checking out in the run-up to Christmas. The ethos of the brands in this multi-business community is largely based on upcycling and making the most of things that already exist. Find out what’s available on page 29.

Contents

5 The Scoop – a round-up of the new and interesting things afoot this spring

9 What the Gubbins? – ever wondered who that blue plaque on Beach Street is for?

10 Slipping through the net – Deal’s foodbank has more people relying on it than ever before. Find out about it’s vital work

13 The shippe swallower – working with the Goodwin Sands Trust, Taylor Jones & Son have a new exhibition inspired by the Downs

15 Back of the net! not many high streets have a fishmonger any more. Thank goodness for the Jenkins family

20 Puzzling it out – Arthur Neal may have been painting for over 50 years but he’s not sure he’s cracked the secret code yet

What a peculiar year 2022 has been. And we thought the last two were as weird as things could get.

Sadly, there are many people in Deal and surrounding areas who are struggling to survive. And are having to make the decision between heating and eating. It’s hard to believe but it’s true. The housing stock is incredibly low and some have taken to camping when their landlords have unceremoniously booted them out. But Deal is famously charitable, so I have no doubt that we will all dip in our pockets to help out our local foodbank, which is seriously feeling the pressure (see page 12).

Issue five Autumn/Winter 2022/23 October to April

After a couple of years of cancelled parties and miserable lockdowns, we’re hopeful that we can at last celebrate the festive period, from Halloween onwards.

Talking of spooky goings on, a mystery surrounds a murder on the ancient highway many moons ago. Local historian Sharon Powell investigates.

Lastly (and certainly not least) we celebrate the incredible efforts of local treasure Kerry Banks. Nothing short of an inspiration, Kerry’s remarkable charity work has earned her a BEM and helped Breast Cancer Now and the Martha Trust carry on providing care. Which brings us full circle to helping others in need. It’s the best Christmas gift you can give (and get).

regulator

25 Best view in town – for those hardy enough to battle the winds to the end of the pier, a new delicious autumn menu awaits at the Pier Kitchen 29 Behind the scenes at the Village – the perfect place to start your Christmas shopping while not contributing to creating needless waste 31 Autumn/winter entertainment – discover what’s on and where from our ever-handy guide to events

36 The murder of Mary Bax – a true-life crime to send shivers down your spine 38 Sunny Dealite – has anybody in Deal raised more money for charity than Kerry Banks? 39 Instas to watch – the accounts we’ve been snooping recently

Published by Brightside Publishing Ltd © All rights reserved Copyright 2022

We are regulated by IMPRESS. If you wish to make a complaint about anything that appears in the Deal Despatch, please visit the website brightsidepublishing.com/contact

Jenkins and son are a 4th generation fishmongers situated in the heart of Deal town on the Kent Coast.

Supplying fresh fish, seafood and game to the general public and local restaurants and hotels in the area.

Fresh & Local

We try to source sustainably caught produce and keep it local wherever we can. Our day boats provide a good source of line caught fresh fish and are very popular with the locals.

Our in house chef keeps us well stocked with homemade bisques, soups, pates and our infamous various fish bakes using only top quality ingredients.

Freshly made Crab, Lobster and Salmon baguettes are available through the summer months and stews, curries and soups through the winter period.

We also o er seafood platters all year round which can be pre ordered for those special occasions including Birthdays, Valentines and the festive season.

Another popular product is our Sushi which is available at our Sushi Events held regularly throughout the year.

Our hot smoked salmon, prawns and mackerel are smoked at our shop and prove to be a customer favourite.

As Christmas is fast approaching please check our website for our fresh free range bronze turkeys, geese and locally caught game and place your order with us.

Jenkins & Son Fishmongers Ltd

118 High Street, Deal CT14 6BB – 01304 364 613

www.jenkinsandsonfishandgame.co.uk

Open 6.30am – 3.30pm – Tuesday – Saturday

@jenkinsandsonfishandgame Jenkins & Son Fishmongers

The latest news, projects and celebrations in and around Deal

All hail the Astor!

The Douglas family of Walmer and Deal are famous for their musical prowess, great sausages and ability to organise a thoroughly enthralling evening of entertainment. It’s not an experience you forget. Thankfully Deal is in for another treat, as Lord Gawain, his wife Nicky and daughter Lizzy are taking to the stage again – along with many other memorable acts – to raise money for the Astor Theatre. The concert will include young musicians, local personalities and performers in various fields, including comedy, train impersonation (this you have to see), bagpipes, drama, local history, poetry and pop (see Alice Gold, right).

Lord Gawain says, “The Astor Theatre is a focal point in Deal. It’s a performance venue for kids and students where they can experience live performance, which is so endangered now, due to lack of government support for the arts and the emergence of online streaming of shows. The Astor reflects and enhances the qualities of our town with its variety, charm and enterprise. Deal deserves the Astor and the Astor deserves Deal’s support, because without it we would be vastly the poorer. Our theatre has an interesting history, being a focal point for many sectors of society, including hosting the ACE Christmas dinners for the lonely and the Royal Marines’ pantomimes.

“The word theatre comes from the ancient Greek theatron – ‘a place

for viewing’, in turn derived from theaomai, ‘to see, to watch, to observe’. In the theatre we observe life in its myriad forms which enriches the understanding of our own lives. It is a vital flame which we must keep burning, especially now in our age of cultural and artistic decline. I urge you to come in your droves and support your local theatre, so it remains a beacon of humanity for a long time to come.”

22 October, 8pm, tickets available from the Astor

Ambulation rather than medication

Yorkshire businesswoman Faye Smith (in blue coat) arrived in Deal in 2019 when life landed a horrific series of blows, including multiple bereavements. She joined a trauma recovery community to try to cope with the enormity of her losses. When her sixmonth recovery programme turned into two years during the pandemic, Faye discovered the healing power of nature, walking and cold-water swimming alongside women she met on the way.

With the help of the Visit Kent Experience, an ERDF-funded tourism project, she has launched her new business: Hope Walking. Faye offers modern-day pilgrimages and wellbeing walks for women experiencing times of transition and loss, while utilising all the experiences and therapeutic techniques she has gained.

There are huge health benefits to physical exercise in a natural environment to aid the processing of emotions and gradual recovery. Faye offers a high-quality guided holistic experience, one that attends to the mind, body and has an optional spiritual element.

“My sabbatical by the sea led me to re-evaluate my work and lifestyle: Hope Walking is the result,” says Faye. “Last year I took the first step in this new direction by being trained to guide pilgrimages with leading charity the British Pilgrimage Trust.”

Now Hope Walking has been selected by global travel company Walking Women to offer the Way of St Augustine in October, a 19-mile two day walk from Ramsgate to the World Heritage Site of Canterbury Cathedral. We are looking at other routes.

For more information go to hopewalking.co.uk/

A different view

For Deal publication completists, photographer Gregory Dunn’s new book Pandemic Spring is a must. “Armed with a camera, his mother’s bicycle, and a pair of Monkey Boots”, Dunn began to record the bizarre atmosphere of the first lockdown as he found himself trapped in Deal while visiting his mother. This is much more than an empty street documentary – Dunn has a particular eye which elevates his work, and his status as visitor (although he grew up here) adds another dimension. His accompanying essay (interspersed on smaller pages of yellow paper) brings it all into sharp relief. Gregory Dunn launches his new book pandemic spring on 15 October at Linden Hall Studios.

The book is available to buy at thelibraryproject.ie

Help to end our hospital hell

The Option Two Group was set up by concerned residents of the area who are convinced that East Kent is badly served by the local hospital service and believe that the current plan for a single major acute hospital for East Kent is the only way forward to provide the service residents need. Chair of the group Martin Vye says, “We set up three years ago to campaign for that hospital to be located in Canterbury. However the more important task at the moment is to ensure that the government recognises the dire situation here in East Kent, and to persuade them to provide the £460 million needed.” Concerning incidents include the recent report into QEQM’s unsafe maternity services, shocking waiting times in A&E, the Care Quality Commission calling the Trust’s finances “inadequate” (not least because 78% of the buildings do not meet modern standards of healthcare) and more. East Kent Hospital Trust does significantly worse than each of the other hospital trusts covering Kent and Medway. In February 2022

East Kent had 3,885 patients waiting more than 52 weeks for the treatment prescribed by the consultant, whereas Dartford and Gravesham had 637, Medway 114, and Maidstone and

If you’d like to get involved in calling for change, visit option2group.org.uk

No more humorists any more

J Henceforth

Ablue plaque on a house in Beach Street commemorates Nathaniel Gubbins, “The War’s Leading Humorist”.

I was surprised when I first saw this –initially by a speeding truck rounding the chicane behind the Royal Hotel, then by the fact that the war’s leading humorist was someone I had never heard of. Like a lot of people of my generation, I’m mildly obsessed by the war – not quite Channel 5 documentary commissioning editor obsessed – but definitely unduly interested. I had, at least, heard of Tommy Trinder, Will Hay, Joyce Grenfell, the Crazy Gang, Round the Horne and the rest. But of Gubbins I knew nothing. Why?

Did he die young? No, he lived until the age of 83, dying in 1976. Besides, an early death is rarely fatal for a writer’s reputation. Did he harbour extreme or unorthodox views? The author of Tarka The Otter, Henry Williamson was, by all accounts, an unreconstructed fascist. This is weird and rather shocking. It would be a bit like finding out that Beatrix Potter was anti-semitic – or that Roald Dahl wasn’t. I still haven’t fully recovered from Alice Walker picking David Icke’s Human Race Get Off Your Knees: The Lion Sleeps No More as her book on Desert Island Discs (though she may have been joking).

But Gubbins was a mainstream supporter of the post-war Labour

government of Clement Atlee. He did at one point take against the then prime minister of Iran, Mohammad Mossadegh, accusing him of looking like a parrot. This was unkind and a bit ridiculous but hardly a no-platforming offence by the standards of the time. Mossadegh was later ousted by Britain and the US in a coup orchestrated by a CIA man named Kermit and an Iranian known as Shaban the Brainless (I’m not making this up). By comparison, Gubbins’ outburst barely registers on the outrage scale.

Perhaps world wars set a low bar for humour. Arthur Askey only had to say “Hello playmates” to bring the house down. We become more affiliative when we’re stressed. Think of the nervous conviviality that comes over people waiting to go into an exam. If, at any moment, death could rain down from the sky, I guess you’d laugh at pretty much anything. I would.

Gubbins’ style was unique, even for its time. He often referred to himself as “worm” because he was, he claimed, the worm beneath his wife’s harrow. Ultimately I think his style just fell out of favour. Culturally things were moving fast in the post-war decades: in 1945 they had Gracie Fields and powdered egg; thirty years later it was all David Bowie and Vesta curry. A lot of stuff can fall off the lorry when it’s tearing along at that speed, humorists included.

Our new columnist solves the mystery of a Beach Street blue plaque

Writer

banking on you

Words & photography

Jonathan Erridge

In a cramped office on an industrial unit off Western Road in Deal, Deal Area Emergency Foodbank Project coordinator Sheila Ward sits at her desk, a phone in one hand, her head in the other and a look of concern on her face as she takes the umpteenth call of the morning. It’s a familiar sight to anyone who’s spent any time at DAEF HQ, where the phone rarely stops ringing these days.

After just a minute the call ends and Sheila takes a moment to collect herself before rising energetically from her chair, the frown quickly replaced with a bright, warm smile as she apologises for keeping me waiting.

Established in 2012 with support from its parent charity the Trussell Trust, DAEF’s primary function has

been to collect food donations for distribution to those in need in the CT14 (Deal, Walmer, Kingsdown), CT3 (Aylsham, Wingham, Hersden) and CT13 (Sandwich, Eastry) postcode areas. There are now three paid members of staff and 70 volunteers.

DAEF partners with care providers in these areas, including social workers, community wardens and school family liaison officers, to identify those in need of support and then provide them with vouchers which can be redeemed for three days’ worth of emergency food.

Currently over 2,000 people a year are being helped in this way, but demand is rising all the time, more rapidly in recent months.

We’re not talking for long before the look of concern returns as Sheila tells

me, “We’re seeing a lot more people in urgent need.” She recalls just recently sitting in the passenger seat of a client’s car as he “gripped the steering wheel so hard, trying not to cry because he felt ashamed that I was giving him some money”. Another client had been left “emaciated” after surviving for weeks on just one meal a day until someone suggested they contact their local foodbank. While another, almost unbelievably, had resorted to eating cat food as it was all they had left.

Such stories are all too common here, sadly. And with the crushing combination of high inflation and weak economic growth – if not outright recession – forecast for the foreseeable future, the situation shows signs of only deteriorating further.

“We’re all feeling extremely apprehensive,” Sheila says, describing the mood among staff and volunteers. “We have a lot of contact with people, and listening to their stories, I just don’t know how people are going to cope. I just see the need increasing horribly over the next few months, especially as the weather gets cold.”

One way to help people cope is through its government-funded Household Support Fund, with two £40,000 instalments allocated to the foodbank by Dover District Council, the first arriving in January this year, the second in July. This allows DAEF to offer help for individuals and families with utility bills, school uniforms and other essentials, going only to those in the most difficult of circumstances.

Sheila describs one recipient of HSF

funds as, “Someone who we just thought, we’ve neve seen someone in such need and distress.” A few hours after providing him with an HSF grant, she saw him again in Poundland “with a big bag full of stuff for his kitchen, you know, things we take for granted like washing up cloths and liquid. His face just beamed. He hadn’t realised that food banks could help him. And that’s the whole point. We need to get the message out. Foodbanks do help people.”

The first tranche of the HSF has already been used, however, and the second is running down rapidly, meaning it is unlikely to last long into the winter.

eating

Sheila praises the response of the local community, but pleads for people to do more, particularly stressing the need for food donations, which haven’t been keeping up with demand recently. Financial donations are also welcome.

Likewise, volunteers are always needed and there are part-time paid positions to fill from time to time. For example, a new volunteer coordinator and warehouse manager have just been added to the team, which Sheila described as “an incredibly committed and friendly bunch”. And for anyone considering getting involved, Sheila’s message – her face lights up again – is simply, “Do it!”

For more information, to volunteer or donate go to dealarea.foodbank.org.uk or call 01304 202442

Food donations can be left at Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Co-op Food and Tesco in Deal; Co-op in Sandwich; Co-op Food in Aylesham; Lidl in Whitfield. Money can be donated at the Nationwide in Deal and Sandwich

To make a quick and easy donation, text DAEF1 to 70085 to donate £1. Change number to donate more, up to £10 (DAEF10)

If you only read one article in this issue, make it this one. As we face ever more desperate times, your neighbours need your support –urgently. And if you are struggling yourself, find out how our local Foodbank can help

From left: volunteer Dave Annand, volunteer coordinator Gary Studley and project coordinator Sheila Ward of the Deal Area Emergency Foodbank

“One person resorted to

cat food – it was all they had left”

Information courtesy of the Trussell Trust

INCREASED NEED

The sharp rise in the cost of energy, food and other essentials, alongside the £20 cut to universal credit in October 2021, has meant that between April 2021 and March 2022, foodbanks in the Trussell Trust network provided more than 2.1 million parcels to people facing financial hardship. This is the first time since the height of the pandemic that foodbanks in the Trussell Trust’s network have provided more than 2 million parcels. As the cost of living continues to soar, foodbank managers in our network are warning of an accelerated crisis across the UK, with more families being forced to the doors of foodbanks in need of emergency food. One manager commented: “The people who come in are telling me they’re scared. People are beside themselves about what the next six months will bring.”

NEEDING TO PURCHASE FOOD

“Our supporters continue to generously donate so our network can continue supporting people facing hardship, but these donations are not currently keeping pace with the increased need. This means that foodbanks are having to purchase food and other essentials to supplement what would usually be provided by donations. With the rising cost of food, this will place an increased financial toll on individual food banks.

“Due to the escalating need for emergency food parcels in our region, we have been spending up to £1,000 a week to buy food to make up for the shortfall in essential items for our food parcels. Whilst kind donations of food continue, in order to meet the increase in demand we will have to purchase even more and, with grocery prices spiralling, this is going to cost the foodbank.”

INCREASED RUNNING COSTS

Foodbanks will also need to meet the rising costs of energy and fuel bills which keep warehouses, vehicles and distribution centres running.

“Our running costs to heat and light our warehouses and distribution centres have increased, along with fuel costs to run our vans used to deliver food parcels.”

Kathleen Neilly, General Manager, West Lothian Foodbank

NEED FOR COLD FOOD PACKS

“As people feel the impact of the cost of living crisis and look to make savings, foodbanks are seeing an increase in need for ‘cold food packs’. This is food that can be eaten without the need for high-energy and high-cost appliances.

“We are having more and more people come to us to say that although they have a cooker or fridge that they are not turning them on as they do not have the money for the meter and so are requesting items to eat that need no cooking at all.”

Pete Criddle, Trustee and Volunteer Bradford North Foodbank

EXTENDED OPENING HOURS

“Because everyone is feeling the squeeze of the cost of living crisis, more foodbanks are seeing an increase in people in work coming to their doors. Due to this, foodbanks are needing to change or extend their opening hours so people can pick up an emergency food parcel on their way to or from work.

“We have to open our foodbank earlier in the day at 8am so working people can pick up their parcels on the way to work. Although we have a large proportion of people referred to us who are on benefits,

we are seeing more and more people who are working, but whose wages have not increased in line with the rise in the cost of food, fuel and other items needed for a basic living standard.”

Gill Fourie, Operational Manager Blackburn Foodbank

No-one should have to turn to a charity for something as essential as food. If people are to have enough money to live with dignity, we need our social security system strengthened so that it acts as an effective lifeline for whenever any of us need support.

Should you agree everyone in our community should be able to afford life’s essentials, go to action. trusselltrust.org to join the campaign which asks MPs to call for a stronger social security system that supports people every day, not just in times of national crisis.

If you need support, or wish to donate to the charity, visit the Trussell Trust website to find your local food bank: trusselltrust.org

Lorraine Schulze, Project Manager Medway Foodbank

The high cost of living is leading to increased need and rising costs for foodbanks. Here are five ways that foodbanks are being impacted

©Providence Doucet, Unsplash

the art of the shippe swallower

A new exhibition celebrates the dangerous Goodwin Sands and their delicate ecological balance

Just four miles off the coast of Deal lies a place of treachery – a mythical place with a dark and stormy history that has claimed countless lives and inspired myriad stories. This place, the Goodwin Sands, is a huge, ever-shifting sandbank hidden just below breaking waves at high tide. It has become, over the centuries, the final watery resting place of some 2,000 ships and 50,000 unfortunate souls.

This autumn, Taylor-Jones & Son has teamed up with the Goodwin Sands Conservation Trust to launch an exhibition, Dark and Stormy, dedicated to these infamous sands, their wrecks, wildlife and heritage. Launching on Saturday 22 October, the exhibition explores the reality of the Sands, named after Godwin, 11thcentury Earl of Wessex, and also takes a brand new look at them through the eyes of the gallery artists.

In the gallery’s Georgian wine vaults beneath the high street, visitors can take a trip back in time. With a Tudor iron swivel gun eroded by sand and sea, cannon balls and East India Company tokens and so much more, the exhibition will reveal a wealth of artefacts hidden beneath the sea for centuries.

The Goodwin Sands Conservation Trust was created in 2018 to “conserve and protect the natural and historical environment of the Goodwin Sands”. The charity works tirelessly to raise public awareness of the importance of the Sands, not only as part of our national maritime heritage and marine environment but also as a natural sea defence for this stretch of coast. They are also campaigning to introduce effective legislation that will protect this unique area, which is under threat from dredging and aggregate extraction.

Jo Thomson of the Goodwin Sands Conservation Trust says, “Teaming up with Taylor-Jones & Son is the perfect

opportunity to show the town’s visitors and residents the wealth of history the Sands offer alongside their impact on the local environment and culture.”

Following in the tradition of the Goodwin Sands as a muse for artists, nine of the artists represented by the gallery have created work inspired by the Sands. The intrepid painters and photographers explored the Goodwins by helicopter and boat, soaking up their ambience both visually and atmospherically to make brand new pieces especially for the exhibition. For Richard Taylor-Jones, the helicopter trip over the Sands was a real adventure. With the doors open and wind buffeting him at 500 feet above ground, the shoot was exhilarating and ever so slightly nerve-wracking. “I’ve been fascinated by the Goodwin Sands for as long as I can remember,” he explains. “As a child I used to see the masts of wrecks as I played on the beach. I first visited them when I was making a BBC film about the seal colony on the Sands, but this time, getting to them by both helicopter and boat has given me the chance to look at them from an artistic, rather than an informative perspective.”

Richard’s photography created for the exhibition is a mix of aerial shots taken on the helicopter expedition and something new and exciting he will unveil on the opening night.

Two other photographers, Rachael Talibart and Michele Turriani, have created work in their own inimitable style for the exhibition. Rachael, a world-renowned ocean photographer, has focused on the Sands themselves, while Michele has photographed his signature gloriously blowsy blooms arranged in a vessel rescued from the Goodwins.

Richard Whadcock, Christine Hodson and Richard Friend have painted their own interpretations

for both of them.

Richard Whadcock’s atmospheric landscape style lends itself perfectly to summing up the eerie reputation of the treacherous sandbank. His painting will let viewers interpret the content in their own way, picking out new details each time they look at the canvas.

Legend has it that the Lady Lovibond, a schooner wrecked in 1748, appears in chilling spectral form every fifty years. Loren Beven has created a screen print, complete with glow-inthe-dark rigging, of this apparition (see above), along with a series of imagined portraits of ship’s captains from the wrecks that now languish on the Sands.

The undulating ripples in the sand fascinated David Hunt on his trip, this multidisciplinary artist has made an oak carving of these patterns alongside an oil seascape. The Goodwin Sands are

also home to a thriving seal, colony and

Binder has cast a seal in

in their honour. All these works will be on display for the very first time at the launch of the exhibition and a percentage of the proceeds of sales on the opening night will be donated to the Goodwin Sands Conservation Trust.

the

Looking out to sea from Deal Beach, many will see white horses breaking over the Goodwin Sands but be unaware of what lies beneath the waves. Melding the history and present day life of the Goodwins with contemporary art to reveal its secrets makes for a fascinating exhibition for anyone with a passing interest in what the sea is hiding just off our coast.

Dark and Stormy

22 October to 19 November, Taylor-Jones & Son, is open from 10am to 5pm, Wednesday to Saturday. For more info visit the website taylorjonesandson.co.uk

of the Sands. Christine is known for her paintings of the white cliffs and Richard Friend for his forest and street scenes, so the Goodwins were a new departure

sculptor Adam

bronze for

gallery

Images courtesy of Taylor Jones & Son

back of the net!

“

It was banging in the 80s and 90s,” recalls Darren Jenkins. As a young boy, he remembers the fishing boats stretching from Deal Pier right up to the sailing club in Walmer –a thriving industry now in decline.

Darren, 40, is a fourth-generation fishmonger. In his hands, Jenkins and Son has moved deftly with the times: diversifying into prepared meals, an online shop, home deliveries, a buzzing wholesale trade and hatching imminent plans to expand. His muchloved shop was recently rated one of the ten best fishmongers in Britain.

But fishmongery is a tough job – by anyone’s reckoning. Darren typically starts at 4am, hauling up the shutters then checking the answerphone for overnight orders from chefs and restaurants. Locally caught wet fish arrives from the few remaining fishermen working out of Ramsgate, Folkestone, Whitstable, Dover and Brighton. “They all know me as I’ve been in the game so long,” Darren says. There’s skipper Steve Barratt on the Razorbill out of Ramsgate, for example; Malcolm Spence on the Mariner in Dover. Darren is often the first person they ring once they bring in the catch.

“I got a call yesterday and took it all: lobster, crabs, skate, seabass, dogfish,” he elaborates. “What worries me is what happens when this generation is gone – these guys are in their fifties. Their children are not going to take it on.” Darren also sources seafood from fish auctions across Britain; calling suppliers as far afield as the Shetland Islands.

Before the shop opens, he scales, trims and portions up fillets for the chefs he serves in East Kent. They are a lazy bunch, he jokes, who now want every bit of fish looking like a rectangle. The three-story building on the High Street was in a shocking state when he took over from his dad. Darren has installed a kitchen upstairs where chef Peter ►

One of the jewels of the High Street, our family fishmonger has moved with the times to huge success, as Tom Moggach discovers

Keyes, formerly of Dunkerleys, prepares dishes such as a crab bisque or monkfish curry, which are sold frozen.

But dive a bit deeper and the Jenkins story, like any family, has its tragedies, twists and turns – knotted closely to the fortunes of the fishing trade along the Kent coast.

The family fish business started during the second world war. The first Charlie Jenkins (who also named his son Charlie) lost an eye working for Dover Harbour Board. “That’s why he ended up being a fish hawker… there was bugger else he could do.” Back then, meat was strictly rationed but fish was exempt. “There was more fish in the sea than you could imagine,” Darren says. “Everyone was desperate for food.”

Charlie enjoyed brisk business from his horse and cart, but died suddenly from a heart attack, aged 65, as he sat in his chair before work. His son Charlie, who took over, had been working as head butcher in one of the

early Co-op supermarkets in Dover, and has the claim to fame of introducing the concept of vac-pack sliced meats to the nation.

His first fish shop was on Queen Street – currently the site of the Lane Bakery; he later bought the current premises on the High Street in Deal for £4,000 from a fishmonger called Ernie Seath, before handing it to his son Steve. Fast-forward a few decades and Darren joined Steve straight out of school, aged 16. Steve, who died in 2013, was not his biological father. (“But he is dad to me,” explains Darren.) Darren and his sister Michelle, who works alongside him, have different fathers and were adopted, aged five and three, by Steve Jenkins when he married their mother.

As they grew up, the fishing industry in Deal was still lively. “It was really exciting – we had fishing boats coming and going,” Darren remembers. Twenty boats might land their catch in a single day. The fishermen would gossip in a ►

▲ Kitty and Charlie Jenkins with their son, Stephen ▼ Red gurnard

café who many will remember as the Lobster Pot – now the restaurant 81 Beach Street.

But once Darren started working alongside his father, their relationship came under increasing strain. A 60-hour week was typical; Darren got one week’s holiday per year. Steve Jenkins liked to be firmly in control. “Big arguments –we didn’t always see eye to eye,” Darren admits. “It was the old and new battling it out.” As a young man, Darren was keen to leave Kent and see the world. Steve point-blank refused. Matters reached a head one Christmas Eve, when his father sacked him outright. Darren set off on an adventure that took in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Cambodia, Thailand, America and Mexico.

Jenkins and Son is doing well these days. Darren and Steve reconciled

during a phone call when he was away – prompted by the death of the family dog. (“He was three hours on the phone apologising,” recalls Darren. “When he was dying, bless him, he said he wished we would have had more holidays.”)

Steve died in 2013, aged just 52. His father, Charlie Jenkins, passed away in 2021 at the ripe age of 89. “It’s because of those two that I am focussed to succeed. I feel like I have them sitting on my shoulders,” Darren confides.

Deal has changed hugely in recent years, he reflects, which has been a great help. It was quite rough when he was a kid – a mining and marines town – but is now a fashionable place with a fish-savvy clientele that includes doctors, lawyers and judges.

Even bigger changes have taken place out at sea. Strict quotas squeeze the fishermen’s ability to make a living. Rules such as a discarding bycatch – throwing back fish – are insane and upsetting. The fishing industry, claims Darren, is far more tightly policed here than on the continent – which is grossly unfair.

So next time you step into Jenkins and Son, spare a thought for the generations of hard graft that is the foundation of this fantastic fishmonger. “If you stand still you get left behind – I’m a great believer in that,” concludes Darren.

118 High Street, CT14 6BB 01304 364613

jenkinsandsonfishandgame.co.uk

▼ Charlie Jenkins in the shop in the 1960s

“It’s because of those two that I’m focused to succeed. I feel like they’re standing on my shoulders”

puzzling it out

Words & photography

Kathryn Reilly

For a man so unassuming, Arthur Neal sure knows how to tell a good story. During our interview (ostensibly about his work, inspiration and practices), we tangentially touched on a coal pit visit in the 1980s, an outraged portrait sitter, Deal’s floods and emptying bins in Green Park. A youthful 70 years of age, Arthur has lived an interesting life – 45 years of which have been here in Deal. “I’m still a DFL,” he smiles. The town has “a reassuring sense of impermanence,” he says.

The New English Art Club website claims “Arthur’s method of working is prolonged, procrastinated messy chaos, occasionally organised chaos.” A sentence which sounds very much like Arthur speaking. He claims to only have been satisfied with two paintings during his entire career – and you believe him. He is as mystified by the process now as when he began art school in the late 1960s.

“I chose Camberwell because it’s emphasis was figurative and I was painting abstracts at the time – I thought it would be a challenge. I was certainly challenged. And maybe even flattened,” he laughs. Provocative and conflicting criticism left him confused and frustrated. So he became a farm hand for six years years. “I’d had enough – I couldn’t solve the problem. I was trying to paint like de Kooning. I couldn’t finish anything.” The art only started up again when he illustrated, printed and bound a book of Edward Thomas’s poetry. The limited run was snapped up and a second one was commissioned.

He then began teaching – firstly at the Metropole Art Centre at Folkestone and then at Maidstone College of Art. “I was quite stroppy,” he admits. “It was serious stuff, no talking in class – that’s how Euan Uglow taught me.”

You can tell an Arthur Neal when you see one. His work possesses a mesmerising balance of colour and form – something difficult to define and even more difficult to achieve.

“There are artists that do accumulative pictures – they know what they want to achieve and it has a beginning, a middle and an end,” he says. “Whereas mine can start off as a still life, then it could have four people in it – it will evolve, I respond to what happens on the board, really. Even figuration to me is abstract. It’s all about structure ►

On the eve of a major solo show at Linden Hall Studio, Arthur Neal talks about the “madness” behind his methods

– it’s like a Rubik’s cube, you have to solve the problem.” Crucially, he works on board so that he can scrape paint away –as is evidenced by his sculptural easel, a work of art in itself.

One of his favourite subjects is the view from his studio, at the end of the garden, which he’s painted well over 30 times: “Reinventing it – it’s the sense you have not done it yet. That’s my inspiration.” He mentions Philip Guston’s quote about all outwardly things disappearing until you do yourself (“One by one if you’re really painting, they walk out. And if you’re really painting YOU walk out.”) “There’s a point when you’re not making judgements,” he says. “You see it in sport. Tim Henman’s the classic example – you watch this naturally gifted player and you can see the moment he realises he’s playing well. And then it just goes out the window.”

Arthur often has 40 to 50 paintings on the go. So when does he deem them fit to fly the nest? “They have to go through the process,” he says. “First they go out on to the patio. Sometimes I immediately think ‘you’re joking’ and they come back in. But sometimes they go into the house, first above the telly, then on another wall. Then I can catch it unawares; come to it fresh. If it gets that far, I put some battening around it to separate it from the wall. I might continue working on it – I sometimes do that even when they’re framed.”

Recently inspired by a performance at St George’s during the Deal Festival by pianist Dinara Klinton, from which several paintings have sprung, he says he is trying to “understand red”. His is a process of continual change, including turning paintings upside down: “It’s good to get frustrated with a piece because you’re reacting to it.” Most paintings conclude by accident, he believes.“What are the rules?” he ponders, rhetorically. “The danger is you end up ‘tidying up’.” Although he’s more relaxed about his work now, he’s still almost as anxious about it, and invariably self-effacing.

Asked what his plans for the future are, he quips, “Well time’s running out, which is why diving boards are appearing in so many of my works!” And he’s still trying to crack the code: “What’s colour for, does it have a function? It’s a kind of language. The early painters had much greyer palettes, which I love. Why aren’t I doing that, why is that in my paintings? So I’ll attempt to work that one out. It goes beyond subject matter.”

For now, his biggest solo exhibition so far means there’s a little more space in his studio. But not for long, I’ll wager.

70+ A retrospective 5 to 26 November, Linden Hall Studio

“Time’s running out, which is why diving boards are appearing in so many of my works!”

FRAMING & PRINTING

Contemporary

Artists exhibit smallscale, original work, ready to hang: paintings, prints, textiles, photography, glass and mosaics. A great opportunity to buy some original art for yourself or family and friends for Christmas. All work priced at £25. Entry Free. Disabled access. Refreshments available. Parking nearby.

19 November 2022 10am-4pm St George’s Parish Hall, High Street, Deal CT14 6EG

Best view in town

Writer

Kathryn Reilly

Images courtesy of Deal Pier Kitchen

When the empty space at the end of the pier was transformed by Tim Bigg from greasy spoon to swanky destination eaterie in 2019, the queues began forming (and as anyone who lives in Deal knows, that can be an intrepid endeavour in itself, especially in a northeasterly wind). Now Deal Pier Kitchen is firmly entrenched in the Deal food scene and is almost always a port of call on visitors’ first foray into our town.

But what have they got planned this festive season? “Every year we put some decorations up around Halloween and Christmas to get into the spirit of things,” general manager Ella White explains. “And we usually have some hot drinks that are themed – like pumpkin-spiced lattes, for instance. We keep the staples on the menu but update breakfast, brunch and lunch items around four times a year. Our next menu change just happened at the end of September.”

But how on earth do they keep stocked up with fresh ingredients at the end of a pier with no traffic access? “All deliveries come during the day and most of the vans can be backed up onto the pier during non-peak times. We get roughly six or seven deliveries a week, so 24 or 28 per month, 288 to 336 deliveries per year. That includes boxes of 180 eggs, which we go through at a rate of knots! During busy summer days, we can go through about five trays of eggs, so 160 eggs in one day. We get our delicious cakes from Eat & Mess and our cinnamon Swedish buns from Bygga Bo Bakery.

“We have quite a few private hires of big birthday parties, or wedding receptions,” Ella continues. “People can rent out the building for the evening and set up the room however they want – for example, with a dance floor, colourful lights, a DJ etcetera. This means that staff get to see some very funny dance ►

The end of the pier isn’t a summer-only temptation. We find out about new dishes, some exceptional doggy visitors and how many eggs the kitchen uses on a busy day…

moves, which is always good fun! We really appreciate the support of our regulars who come during the day or for our steak and lobster evenings held every Friday and Saturday, which are very popular.

“Winter at the end of the pier is quite a different experience from the touristluring balmy summer days. But fighting the blustery winds really does work up

an appetite and the view of the town’s seafront lit up like a twinkly Christmas card is quite a sight to behold. The pier can be closed on days when the wind picks up, usually above 70mph. You can feel like the wind will sweep you up so it’s for everyone’s safety!

“It can be challenging with the weather but it is incredible to watch the rain and stormy seas – the views never disappoint. We provide umbrellas on stormy days for people waiting in the queue and have lovely heated floors that keep everyone warm, especially dogs who love lounging out during the winter. We allow dogs of all shapes and sizes into the restaurant, from little sausage dogs to two large great danes that came in with a family of four. Everybody stopped to take photos and stroke the two as they walked in, towering above a lot of the tables as they walked past. We always like to give dogs a water bowl and a treat, and they’re usually always well behaved and like to show off their tricks!”

The winter menu at the Deal Pier Kitchen includes sweet potato shakshuka (right), mushrooms with brie on toast (above) and sizzling king prawns (previous page). Form an orderly queue!

Linden Hall Studio Deal, Kent October 27th-30th Thu.-Sat.10am-4pm Sun.11am-2pm

Alison Boyce

Shelby Fitzpatrick Sabine König

Polly Gasston

Olivia Schlevogt

Joan MacKarell

Hidemi Asano

exhibiting at

Ulla Hörnfeldt

Behind the scenes at the Village

Jo Holmes of Take a Seat shares the latest news from Deal’s multi-business creative hothouse

Wander down the southern end of town and you will find the the Village, an indoor market offering a collection of vintage wares, handmade products, unique lamps and upholstery. And everything is sold by those making, creating and curating.

The Village opened its doors in April 2019 and, as with many markets, businesses have come and gone. But there are newcomers who have joined the diehards who made it through the pandemic. There are some incredible arts and crafts people here, many of whom are working to reuse what we already have – which helps us all with our eco and environmental ambitions – while creating one-off gifts and items for the home.

The collection of local independent businesses reflects the many avenues taken by people who have refocused and reshaped their lives to draw on their own creative skills while meeting local needs and aspirations. A mirror of Deal’s own eclectic make up –Born and Breds (B and Bs), Back from Londons (BFLs) and down from Londons (DFLs) – we’re united by a love of our town and a burning desire to make things. So here’s who you’ll meet if you pop in to our happy hub…

Old & Gorgeous!

The Village has just welcomed a new duo. They are Monty and Michael, who will be selling what they call “a reflection of us”. They’re both committed to the art of repurposing – breathing new life into once-loved, much-cherished things rather than adding to the ever-growing plastic mountain and landfill. Monty and Michael have clocked up 43 years in Deal between them. From different career paths (theatre for Michael, modelling and retail for Monty), they have a lot in common, including a shared background of expat living and an exposure to many different cultures and lifestyles. The eclectic mixes on offer range from antique Indian throws to retro clothing and decorative items. “I don’t believe in buying new if I can help it,” says Michael. “If something has been loved and lived with, we should pass on that vibe!”

Mrs Mackenzie Presents

Rosemary, a former casting agent, has turned her hand to creating the most marvellous, award-winning marmalades, chutneys and curds. Her wares are highly sought after and she stocks many local hotels and B&Bs. Her delicious grapefruit marmalade is highly recommended.

Lola Bee and ART Treasures

Dani and Tammy are great friends who have recently joined the Village to bring their treasures to market. Lola Bee, founded by Dani, sells handcrafted jewellery made from ethically sourced sterling silver, 24-carat gold, silver, platinum and rhodium-plated brass. Pieces include semi-precious stones and crystals, natural shells and sea glass.

ART Treasures is a family business which makes anything from Scrabble frames to bracelets, scrunchies to keyrings. Great for a unique gift experience. Bring your own treasures and Tammy will work with you create something special.

Take A Seat

Upholstery

I set up Take A Seat in 2019 and run a regular chair clinic at the market. The interest from local people to work with what they have, or source vintage pieces for re-upholstery or refinishing, is incredible. The Village is great space to chat with clients who want to discuss the design of their pieces. Demand has been so high that I’ve been able to offer local people opportunities for work in the business. I’ve also worked with local businesses to build and upholster bespoke restaurant seating (see Margherita’s bench seating and the Lady Luck bar in Canterbury). I’ve extended the business, due to demand, to refinish furniture using wood finishing techniques or painting, using fusion mineral paint.

Beadlehouse Designs

A recent newcomer to The Village, Suzanne is a B and B who took early retirement with the aim of tapping into her creativity. On her journey she discovered a wonderful environmentally friendly product called Jesmonite, a composite material used in fine arts, crafts and construction. It consists of a gypsum-based material in an acrylic resin. She creates an array of colours and detailed finishes like terrazzo and marble effects, using Jesmonite to hand cast and create homewares and decorative pieces, from candle holders to lamps, and continually learns new techniques to create different artefacts.

Fiona Bradshaw Designs

Fiona was educated at the Royal College of Art and Slade school of Fine Art. In her early career she was commissioned through the Arts Council for many regeneration projects across the country. In recent years she has focused on sculpting reclaimed vintage items into incredible lamps. Some of her commissions can be seen in boutique hotels across the UK. She also offers a chandelier restoration service.

The Village is on Sondes Road and is open every Saturday from 10am until 4pm. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook

22 OCTOBER

Kingsdown Pre-School’s Oktoberfest

We applaud the bright spark who came up with combining a school fundraising event with loads of beer. Could you come and join our parents’ group please? While the main attraction of Kingsdown PreSchool’s Oktoberfest is the promised array of fine German beers, also on offer is heaps of traditional German food, a prize raffle, fancy dress (time to dig out those comedy lederhosen) and suitably rowdy entertainment via the Bettesteiner Footstompers.

7.30 to 11.30pm

Suggested donation of £25 (includes all food, drink and entertainment)

Email lisa.dennison@btinternet.com to book

Kingsdown School, Kingsdown

23 OCTOBER

Nick Sharratt’s Halloween Drawalong

You may not know Nick Sharratt’s face, but you’ll be familiar with how he draws other people’s. A superstar of children’s literature, Sharratt is the award-winning illustrator of over 300 books, stamped with his deceptively simple style. Though he’s worked with Julia Donaldson and Michael Rosen, he’s mainly known for his long-term collaboration with writer Jacqueline Wilson. We’re guessing junior fans will be bringing a few of those along for him to sign when he hits Deal for this special Drawalong event.

For Halloween, Nick will be sketching “gently spooky” characters from his books, including You Choose, Shark in the Park and his massively popular Pants series. And you can draw along too! Bring pencils, paper and something to lean on.

Astor Community Theatre, Stanhope Road, CT14 6AB theastor.co.uk

Autumn/winter entertainment

Compiled by Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

28 OCTOBER, 25 AND 31 DECEMBER

There’s loads going on at the Lantern Inn: none of it what you’d expect from what looks like just your regular (albeit absolutely lovely) country pub. “Gentle subversion” is the self-declared mission of co-owner Andy Blake, a former costume stylist for acts like Placebo, Gwen Stefani and Robbie Williams. And his outrageous cabaret nights, held on the last Saturday of every month, are fast becoming the stuff of local legend. The 2022 New Year’s Eve show included an 85-year-old Marlene Dietrich impersonator (above), who will be back again this year as part of the Mick P Presents the Guinea Club showcase, while this year’s Cabaret With Claws on 28 October has been described as “the least woke show since Jerry Springer the Opera” by the Daily Mail. Lord knows what they’ll all get up to on Valentine’s Day! Though we do know they will be open on Christmas Day for drinks and a full-on lunch, if Santa fancies popping

by to rest his boots. Christmas party bookings are available.

And if you missed out on the extraordinary Sushi night on 12 October, do not despair. Takuji Mitzutani, a grand master chef who has worked at Nobu and Mayfair’s Cube, will be returning with another exotic five-course banquet soon. Check socials @thelanterninn for details.

The Lantern Inn, The Street, Martin, Dover CT15 5JL

lanterninn.co.uk

HALLOWEEN

28 TO 31 OCTOBER

Nasty old Covid effectively cancelled Halloween for the last two years (boooo!), but now the ’ween is back and more wicked than ever. On Friday 28 October the Lighthouse will be raising the roof with its free entry Halloween Hootenanny. Brace yourself for a special scary night of live music, projections and guest DJs, featuring members of Moron Butler (featuring Troy, below), Clusters of Eyes (who are supporting the Utopia Strong at the Lighthouse on 26 October), Molly’s Lips and the Hellfire Orchestra, with the legendary house band performing the music of Joy Division.

On Saturday Cin Cin is hosting its Your House Or Mine Halloween party special. The team from YHOM are back with another spooky extravaganza of house music and guest DJs. Full-on frightening decor means this is always one of the biggest nights in the Cin Cin calendar. Fancy dress is strongly encouraged.

For a more genteel take on Halloween we recommended the Spooky Woodland Walk through the gloriously atmospheric grounds of Walmer Castle (28, 29 and 30 October). Costumed entertainers will regale you with all the horrible histories your kids could wish for during a 45-minute guided ghost hunt. Suitable for adults only, too. If your children are desperate to trick or treat, but the whole “knocking on random strangers doors” thing gives you nightmares, why not join the Kingsdown Halloween Trail on 31 October? Follow a map through Kingsdown to find approved local “haunted” houses who have presumably stockpiled weeks’ worth of Haribo. Maps (price £1 – funds raised will go to the pre-school) available at Ringwould and Kingsdown Primary School, 6pm-7.30pm.

11 NOVEMBER

Deal’s military heritage ensures that Remembrance Day is always dutifully observed by the town. This year there will be an Armistice Day parade and service in Deal Cemetery on Hamilton Road. Attendees are asked to assemble by the Cross of Sacrifice War Memorial by 10.30am ahead of the silence at 11am. There will also be a Deal Remembrance Day parade and service at the War Memorial, Deal Hospital forecourt, London Road. Again, it’s requested that the public assemble by 10.30am. Wreaths will be laid by local civic and community representatives.

22 AND 26 DECEMBER

Don’t have an office party to go to? Never mind, because everyone’s invited to Cin Cin’s Christmas party on Thursday 22 December. It’s a chance to catch a limited set by the Zootz, a four piece, Kent-based party band who specialise in classic hits with a swing-style twist. Frontman Jeff is a true showman, known for leaving smiles on faces and footprints on the bar (yes, we do mean he climbs on the bar) and singing along is a must. Buffet provided and a welcome glass of fizz with 50% of the £5 entry going to the local foodbank. And if that rocks your sleigh, come back for more on Boxing Day with the Cin Cin MashUp from 4pm. A chance to dance off some of those Christmas Day calories. Free entry with a donations box on the bar and again, 50% goes to the foodbank.

Cin Cin Bar, 15A South Court, CT14 7AF

17, 18 AND 24 DECEMBER

Fancy a bit of carol singing? Then mark 18 December in your diaries. As far as church services go we’ve heard about a 10.30am service at Walmer Baptist Church on Kelvedon Road in Walmer; 4pm at St John’s Church, off Upper Street in Kingsdown; 6pm at St Savior’s Church, the Strand in Walmer; 6pm St Andrew’s Church, West Street in Deal; 6pm St Nicholas Church, Church Lane in Ringwould; 7pm St George’s Church, High Street in Deal. For a more frosty, al fresco experience there are Carols On The Green, 5pm on 17 December at Walmer Green. There’s also likely to be carolling at the Deal Christmas market, located at the north end of the high street. Open from 9am to 2pm on Christmas Eve, it’s likely to be a convivial last-minute, gift-buying, choice comestible, stock-piling frenzy.

20 TO 24 DECEMBER AND

5 TO 13 JANUARY

It’s that time again (oh no it isn’t!). Yes, there’s no hiding come December. Festive cheer is blinking everywhere and Gary Starr Pantomimes are back in town from 20 to 24 December with family fave

The Wizard Of Oz. The company’s biggest production to date, it promises all the panto-wonderfulness you’d wish for: an enchanting tale, a crackingly good cast, groan-worthy gags, baddies to boo, songs to singalong to and heaps of joining-in silliness. At only £50 for a family-of-four ticket, it’s great value too.

But best leave the munchkins at home for the Marine’s notorious annual charity panto (5 to 13 January). Held over from 2022 due to Covid, the outrageous new show It Is Quite Hot, Mother boasts adult themes, childish humour and proudly under-rehearsed marines. Shockingly un-PC, it’s definitely not one for the snowflake brigade.

The Astor Community Theatre, Stanhope Road, CT14 6AB

theastor.co.uk

©Karsten Winegart, Unsplash

©Jonny Gios, Unsplash

24 FEBRUARY

We can all do with a laugh come the dark days of winter. Thankfully the Astor has booked a proper funny chap to give us a giggle. You may remember Justin Moorhouse as Young Kenny in Phoenix Nights or from his BBC Radio 4 sitcom, Everyone Quite Likes Justin If not, here’s a chance to make his acquaintance with a brand new show that may contain such contentious topics as getting older, Madonna, labradoodles, middle-aged cyclists, the menopause and whether tapas is a rip off or not…

The Astor Community Theatre, Stanhope Road, CT14 6AB theastor.co.uk

9 MARCH

Since winning the 2018 Young Jazz Musician of the Year, Xhosa Cole (left) has headlined London’s biggest jazz venues. All mere preparation, obviously, for his debut gig at the Lighthouse! Born and raised in Birmingham, Xhosa has now established himself among the long legacy of Brummie saxophonists including Soweto Kinch and Shabaka Hutchings. Xhosa’s early musical life was shaped by a number of musical mentors including the likes of Sid Peacock, Jean Toussaint, Mike Williams, John Ruddick and Percy Purseglove, giving him a rich and broad outlook on the lineage and tradition of jazz music. Check out his debut album K(no)w Them, K(no)w Us to get yourself in the groove.

The Lighthouse, 50 The Strand, CT14 7DX

thelighthousedeal.co.uk

The murder of Mary Bax

As winter looms, the nights draw in and the traditions of Halloween begin, our thoughts turn to stories of the dark. The tale of a local woman attacked on a lonely road at the end of the 18th century by a wayward sailor is one that has been retold many times on a cold, dark night in front of a blazing fire.

The name Mary Bax is recognised by the many people in Deal who have stumbled across her memorial stone on the ancient highway towards Sandwich. And the crime has been written about many times, often with conflicting details. Some of these versions are more like works of fiction – all Victorian melodrama blended with local folklore. But, of course, there is a true story to be found among the differing versions, although it’s now impossible to prove definitively what that was.

When Victorian culture was at its height and the likes of Wilkie Collins published popular novels such as The Moonstone and The Woman in White, to sit alongside Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol, the old tale of the murder of a young woman by a penniless sailor on a desolate highway must have really got the creative juices flowing. The story was already passing out of living memory, and so it began to transition from true crime to work of fiction.

The author Michael Ballantyne in his 1864 novel The Lifeboat has a murder

taking place on “the bleak Sandhills” one evening, with Mary being accosted and then murdered by a “brutal foreign seaman” who had deserted his post. A similar work of fiction, Mary Bax: A Tale Founded on Fact, was written by Thomas Mills and published in 1850 by the Penny Illustrated News. It tells a similar tale, reminiscent of a torrid Victorian love story involving Mary and some hopeful young man hoping to win her hand.

Clement William Scott also wrote about Mary’s death in his 1874 book Round About the Islands, or Sunny Spots Near Home in a piece dripping with exaggeration. But moving away from Victorian melodrama, embellishment and darkness, we have a parallel, believable story reported in the Illustrated Police News of 18 November 1882, almost a century after the murder. The article also carries a confession from the murderer.

From this, we can deduce that the day she was murdered – 25 August 1793 – Mary, who was 23 years old from a “respectable” home, was walking from Deal to Sandwich along the ancient highway. Today this road runs parallel with, and close to, the coastline between Deal and Sandwich, passing between farmland and Royal Cinque Ports Golf course. In the late 1700s it was known as the Sandhills and was rough and desolate, a mixture of pasture land and boggy marshes with streams and muddy dykes.

Mary’s brutal murder was witnessed by a shepherd’s son named Rogers, who was around eleven or twelve years old. There is an old picture showing a cottage in the area (see over) which had some foundations going back to the 17th century, so it’s possible that this could have been the cottage from where the young lad witnessed Mary’s murder.

As a witness in court, Rogers stated ►

Words & imagery courtesy of Sharon Powell

▲ The modern road just off the ancient highway ▼ Mary Bax’s “murder stone” on the site she was killed

It’s the time of year for spooky stories – and this one is local and legendary. But what really happened?

that Mary walked past him carrying a bundle or package and she had just passed the Halfway House (now known as the Chequers) when a man who was about 27 years of age, dressed in a white waistcoat and long stockings and carrying his boots under his arm, approached her and engaged her in conversation. This man was Martin Laas, who was born at Bergen, in Norway. He was a sea-faring man and came to England as a boy on a Danish trading ship. From there he joined the British fleet, and had served as an able seaman for several years.

In his later confession, Martin admitted to asking Mary for money and, when she didn’t give him as much as he wanted, he asked for her clothes. He then tried to strangle her but changed his mind, threw her into the nearby dyke and stood on her until she was dead. Wet and muddy, he made off across the marshes. The boy Rogers ran into Deal town and raised the alarm but, sadly, it was too late to save Mary and they focused their attention on finding her murderer. Having a good idea that he had gone in the direction of Dover, they put a watch on the town and soon found a man matching the description in a public house and arrested him. The report states that his conduct was “violent and rough in the extreme and he showed no compunction”.

He was taken away and committed to St Dunstan’s Gaol in Canterbury to await his trial at the next Maidstone Assizes. It appears Martin’s behaviour didn’t improve during his confinement and, at his trial on 20 March 1784, records

show he seemed cheerful, mocked the court and insulted the witnesses.

In his own defence, Martin Laas could only say, “I was destined to commit the murder and I was told I should do it by an old Spanish sailor who foretold my destiny. I was destined to do it and was impelled to do it; therefore, I should not be hung.” This didn’t hold much sway with the judge and, when he announced the guilty verdict, Martin – undeterred – gave three loud cheers. On sentencing him to death by hanging, the judge ordered that, as his behaviour was so defiant, he should be chained to the floor in his cell.

It is reported that at his execution on Gallows Hill, Penenden Heath, just outside of Maidstone, he arrived, “quite willing to die and quickly mounted the ladder and in another moment or two paid the penalty for his crime”.

So what of poor Mary Bax? It is said that her friends and family raised the money for the memorial stone that stands where her murder took place and she is buried in a now unmarked grave in St Peter’s Churchyard, Sandwich. Herein lies yet another contradiction in this story, as the burial register shows the entry as 1783 but the stone and plaque say 1782.

It would be safer to go with the church burial record and the contemporary reports to ascertain the correct date, but this goes to show how, through the passage of time, local folklore, mistakes in documenting and works of fiction blending with fact, the truth behind the brutal murder of Mary Bax will always be clouded in mystery.

▼ The old house near what is now the Chequers ► A later illustration of Mary’s murderer

A Sunny Dealite

Deal’s most industrious fundraiser started by volunteering when her friend became ill. Now she does it professionally…

Anyone who has met Kerry Banks will confirm that she radiates positivity. A veritable bundle of smiling energy, she has progressed from voluntary fundraising to carving out a career in the charity sector. In the process, she has raised £265,000 for Breast Cancer Now, changed many lives and continues to ensure that the Martha Trust is never far from local people’s minds.

“I undertook various challenges for a number of charities over the years but when my friend Julie was diagnosed again with Breast Cancer in 2006, I started fundraising for Breakthrough Breast Cancer (now known as Breast Cancer Now),” says Kerry. “I organised my first sponsored “Crocus Walk” for the charity – 53 people turned up and we raised over £3,000! This was a light bulb moment for me and I realised that this was what I was supposed to do in my life.

“A few years after being made redundant, I was fortunate to land a role as fundraising and events officer for the Martha Trust, who support young people and adults with profound disabilities in Kent and Sussex. They provide a home for life for our very special residents who inspire me every day.

With my friend Chrissi Dunn, I started a project in lockdown 2020 to

provide recycled, nearly new and new gifts to refuges and families in need at Christmas, which has turned into an ongoing project. In 2020’s New Years Honours List, she was awarded a BEM for Services to Breast Cancer.

Having struggled with mental health issues over the years, Kerry has found that her voluntary and paid charity work make a huge difference to how she copes. “The message I would like to leave you with,” says Kerry, “is that we are all good enough and all capable of achieving anything we set our minds too. If you doubt yourself, always make sure you have someone to talk to and know that there is always help out there – our lives are not a dress rehearsal and we cannot come back to have another go at it, so we just need to live it to the best of our abilities.”

Nominated by Jill Burford

Photography Paul Curd

Kerry at Buckingham Palace and raising funds in Petra

Inspiring (autumn) Instas

DEAL DOGGIES BAKEHOUSE are a local family run company in Deal Kent, specialising in personalised natural dog treats. Each order is handmade personally for your doggie, and can be adapted to suit any requirements. We have a wide range of tasty products using only natural and doggie safe ingredients. Place your order online to collect or for free local delivery.

W: dealdoggiesbakehouse.co.uk

E: orders@dealdoggiesbake house.co.uk

IG: @deal_doggies_bake_house

From £35 per hour

URBAN CHIC is a vintage inspired boutique which stocks a range of thoughtfully selected women’s clothing, accessories, beauty and gifts.

The store appeals to women of all ages and styles; with a number of brands to choose from, including many independent fashion labels not widely available in the local area, as well as some larger fashion brands.

The Urban Chic sisters, Claire and Dawn, curate a bespoke collection of high quality basics alongside more unique pieces with the aim to help the wearer stand out from the crowd.

W: urbanchicltd.co.uk

A: 67 High Street, Deal, CT146EH

E: shop@urbanchicltd.co.uk

THE PALACE CINEMA BROADSTAIRS Join us for the best new independent films from around the world plus classics, holiday fun and special events.

A: Harbour St, Broadstairs CT10 IET W: thepalacecinema.co.uk

IG: @thepalacecinema

FB: @PalaceCinemaBroadstairs

PIE FACTORY is a unique art space located in an historic building in Margate Old Town. With a weekly schedule of diverse exhibitions, the gallery offers something special for both visitors and artists. Now taking bookings for 2023.

IG: @piefactorymargate

FB: Pie Factory Margate

W: piefactorymargate.co.uk

love local love local love local love local love local

Subscribe

@emma.elizabeth.owen/

Talented artist Emma helps run Deal’s hugely popular life drawing club

@Stephenwakeford

Jim (the man with the van)