Walmer

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Deal High Street - the other end!

I spent my youth with my family "above the shop" in Deal High Street.  My father, Morris Orchard, first worked in, then inherited, the family shoe shop, which had been in business since my great grandfather's time.  In those days it was F. H. Orchard and Son, Bespoke Bootmaker - we still had stationery lying around with his name on it, and out the back we had the workshop, still with old tools, bits of leather and so on. It passed to my grandfather, M. H. Orchard, whom I remember as a very gruff, frightening old man, who had been injured in the First World War and only got around with difficulty. My father Morris lived his whole life over the ...read more here
A memory of Deal contributed by Cherry Robinson

Regent Cinema

My family were Skinners of Deal.  My mum Sheila used to work at the Regent cinema on the sea-front.  I used to love being able to go & see films over & over when she as working there, (I remember seeing "The Music Man" 7 times!).  Does anyone remember the little pony & trap that used to give rides to the children?  It used to leave from round the entrance to the pier & go along the sea-front and back - a treat indeed for us kids.  There also used to be a photographer who used to stand by the pier & take day-tripper's photos.  Does anyone remember the old man (or so he seemed to me as a child), who ...read more here
A memory of Deal contributed by Margaret Geoge

Piddock and Smiths

My gt. grandfathers married sisters named Brothers. The three familes have been in and around Deal for centuries Gt. grandfather Maxwell was a Royal Marine, as was grandfather Piddock.  My father 'Phys' Pidddock was welterweight boxing champ RM in 1925. Smiths were in the fish trade. Ted Smith had the first Fish and Shop in Deal [North side of Alfred Square] well before WW1. Grandfather Piddock had sweet shop in London Road opp. the Parochial School. I worked at Lamberts Laundries and left Deal 1964 to enter legal profession. I recall the summer days swimming, the boatmen, the outbreak of war, evacuation to South Wales, our return to the damaged town we loved, the decline of the laundry trade [we once ...read more here
A memory of Deal contributed by Herbert Piddock

Shelter

How could I forget these shelters (there were two of them)? We moved to North Deal in 1954 when I was 10. The shelter at the top of Farrier Street was nearest to me - a place to stand in a storm, I practised hitting hockey balls against the concrete steps, my beloved Granny used to sit on one side and watch the sea, our tenant, in Indian Army officer (retired and without much money) used to sit in the shelter too, very lonely I think, remembering better times. They were the refuge of lovers at night, of fishermen at dawn, of mothers with prams and toddlers on hot summer days. Last time I was in Deal (2007) 'my' shelter ...read more here
A memory of Deal contributed by William Horwood