New Year's Day Community Beach Clean - 1st January 2019 10am Deal Pier

Deal Cycle Forum Gathering 5th January 10:30am

Calling All Cyclists!

Cycle Friendly Deal invites you to a Gathering
of local cyclists at the Town Hall

Following Deal Town Council’s successful bid for funding from the Government’s Coastal Communities Fund, Cycle Friendly Deal is now up and running.

We are organising a Gathering for local cyclists
10.30am-12pm on Saturday 5th January
in the Chamber of Deal Town Hall.
We would be delighted if you could join us.

We would like as many local cyclists - and people who ride bikes but don’t call themselves “cyclists” - to come along to this get together on the first Saturday of 2019, as we need your help. To make this project as successful as possible we need The Knowledge. We hope that bringing local riders together will enable us to capture lots of valuable Deal cycling knowledge and an understanding of the issues Deal cyclists face.

At the Gathering, we will also share the latest project developments and be talking about ways that cyclists can directly help the project by undertaking surveys, sharing photos and videos, organising rides and events, and potentially establishing a new Deal Cycle Forum

Walmer Beach Clean 16th Dec 2018

Thank you to our 40 volunteers on today's Community Beach Clean on a glorious Walmer Seafront.

Fantastic weather and Hut 55 café looked after us very well with free teas and coffee to go with our mince pies.

We collected over 53kgs this morning with about 10kgs of recyclable bottles and cans.

The stats for this year are truly amazing: on our 15 beach cleans we have collect well over a metric ton of rubbish 1106kgs with at least some 902 volunteers who donated 1426 hours. This is more than double our 2017 figures and we thought that was our best year!

Thank you everyone who has supported the beach cleans this year - you are all awesome x

Our next community beach clean is on Tuesday 1st January 2019 at 10am meeting at Deal Pier. consider it part of your post-celebratory recovery and a great way to start the New Year.

Winter Solstice Celebration - Friday 21st December 5:30pm to 7pm

We have our end of season celebration on Friday 21st December  5:30pm to 7pm (NB: As this event in the Garden it is subject to the weather - and may be cancelled if too wet or windy)

We will have mulled music, wine, food and company to gather in celebration on all what we have done in 2018.... the idea is for everyone to bring jars and tea lights to cover the landmark garden in candle light to chase away the darkness …

Event is free …. donations and food to share is welcome. Children must be accompanied by adult.

It would be helpful to bring a mug for the mulled stuff

100 trees for Deal, Christmas and the Planet

Deal With It, Deal’s local green community group, is giving away one hundred trees this Christmas as a response to recent UN IPCC report on Climate Change.

Adrian Sullivan co-organiser of the initiative said “We wanted to do something positive and practical in response to the recent IPCC ‘life changing’ report on Climate Change.

Trees are a symbol of hope and a real investment for the future.

We see this as a first wave of this initiative and we will be looking at activities in 2019 to foster tree planting in public and private spaces.”

Sue Sullivan co-organiser of the initiative said “The trees in scheme are all native ones; Dogwood, Blackthorne, Hawthorne, Crab apple, Cherry Plum, Blind Cherry, Hazel, Spindle and Guelder Rose.

As well as locking in carbon and cleaning the air of pollution all these varieties are also beneficial to wildlife.

Trees also come with planting and care instructions.

We see this as a small first step to greening Deal, eventually creating a virtual forest in the town”

Adrian and Sue will have the trees available on Friday 14th December from 10am to 1pm at the Landmark Garden and will also be at the Deal With It ‘Winter Solstice Celebration’ on Friday 21st December between 5:30pm to 7pm.

Xmas Beach Clean - Sunday 16th December 10am

Next Gleans in East Kent ... 28/11

It's been our busiest ever gleaning year in Kent. So far we've run 25 gleans (most of which have been in the past two months) and alongside our usual public gleans, we've been working with school and educational groups to get children and young people out into the fields and undertaking classroom sessions exploring ways to reduce food waste. But we're not finished yet!


In December we'll be running more classroom sessions and our final two gleans which are listed below. If you'd like to join us on either or both of these days please sign up using the following link: https://goo.gl/forms/sii9xtgSVDQUJo3j2

28th November: 10am until 2-3pm (weather dependent) we'll be gleaning apples from a farm near Sandwich (CT13)

14th December: 11am until 2-3pm (weather dependent) we'll be gleaning potatoes (already harvested) and leafy veg from a farm near Wingham (CT3)

Children are very welcome on the apple glean but I'm afraid we're restricted to volunteers over the age of 18 on the potato and cabbage glean as we'll be using knives to cut the cabbages.

I'm away this coming weekend so travel arrangements for the 28th will be done on Monday. Do please ensure you've signed up by then if you'd like to join us as there won't be much time for me to arrange lifts and station collections upon my return. You'll get the usual call out email for the glean on 14th December nearer the time, but if you'd like to sign up early please do (it makes organising these days so much easier when we have the luxury of planning ahead).

I do hope you can join us for a final fruit or veg rescue mission in 2018!

Kind rhubarbs,

Carrie

Sandown Beach Clean 18th Nov

Over 45 volunteers braved the windy conditions to attend Sunday's Community Beach Clean from Sandown Castle

Thank you to all our Volunteers and Sandown Castle Community Garden, Deal Rotary Club for supporting and DDC for collecting the rubbish

In about 1.5hrs the volunteers collected 48kilos including 2.5kg of bottles which where recycled

The Next Deal With It Community Beach Clean is on Sunday 16th December at 10am meeting at Paddling Pool/Sea Scouts/Cafe55 area.

Full details on www.dealwithit.org.uk or on the Deal With IT Facebook page

Next Dover Repair Cafe - Monday 19th November 6:30pm

Next Community Beach Clean - 18th Nov Sandown Castle end of beach

Deal With It - November Update

• Great turnout for our Walmer Castle Beach Clean with 60+ and 89 kilos collected inc 30kilos of recycables
• Well done to the town in getting a Silver Gilt in the Britain in Bloom competition + Judges comments on how clean the beach was :)
• Congratulations to Imogen and team at the Landmark for winning a Silver award for the Kent Wildlife Trust 'Wild Gardens award'
• Deal Hop Farm has had it Oktoberfest Celebration with 160 people of its 2nd Harvest and the Bottled version of the Hopping M.A.D - Made Around Deal is appearing all around the town
• DDC should be announcing very soon the installation of new compression bins around the Pier area
• Deal Station Clean-Up Crew have meet with SE and National Rail about improving the station area

Saturday 3rd November - Seedy Saturday - Landmark Garden 11am to 1pm

As well as our usual seed and plant swap we will have our apple presses in operation making fresh apple juice from Ida apples gleaned from a farm nr Eastry.

• Please bring a cup or container to taste/take some
• We also have 20 small trees to give away a our response to the recent IPCC report on Climate Change
• We have the Landmark Ukes playing for us
• Plus usual plant/seed swap

Sunday 4th November - 1st Freewheeling Bicycle Ride Mikes Bikes/Cafe55 9am

Like Park Run for Bikes :)

Deal to Sandwich along the ancient highway for coffee and cake and back to Deal, SUNDAY 4th November. 

Meet 9am for 0915 depart from Mikes Bikes beach-hut. Café and toilets available.

The ‘Freewheeling’ idea is very simple: Guided, short, gentle, sociable group rides for people of all ages* capable of riding about 10 miles. No lycra required, any bicycle, electric or human powered suitable. Aim to be back for 1200hrs in time for Sunday lunches/family commitments, pub etc. Freewheeling rides are about ‘Smiles not Miles’, good company, a little exercise and plenty of fresh-air. It’s entirely up to us!

Coffee and cake stop at the halfway point is a must!

*Under 16’s must be accompanied by a parent.

Whilst we appreciate that this is short-notice and that November is not the best time to start cycling rides, it allows us to plant a few seed and grow a core of participants as we head towards Springtime. Hopefully the idea will flourish, and by then a regular timetable of rides, routes and leaders will have been established.

Our Vision is to start generating more cycling activities for people of all ages, fitness, and ability who are not currently catered for my more ‘regular’ cycling clubs. Maybe you want to cycle further but are worried about traffic or punctures? Maybe you’d like company rather than cycling alone? Maybe you want to build fitness stamina or distance.

Tuesday 6th November - Deal Station Garden 11am-1pm 

Giving our planters some love to see them thru the winter

Tuesday 6th November - Plastic Free Deal meeting 6pm Dealability

Steering group meeting taking the campaign forward

Thursday 8th November - Deal Station Clean Up Crew 2pm to 4pm

Tidy up of Station and surrounding areas

Tuesday 13th November - Deal Station Garden group meetup - Salvation Bar (Landmark) 5pm

To discuss plans for planting 2019

Thursday 15th - Captain's Garden Group Meet up and supper 6:30pm

Chat about our first season and plans for next year - Gladstone Rd please email info@dealwithit.org.uk for details

Sunday 18th November - Beach Clean 9:30am Sandown Castle end of Beach

Equipment Supplied please dress for weather :)

Monday 19th November - Dover Repair Café Biggin Hall, Biggin St Dover 6:30pm
Monday 19th November - Deal With It Organisation meetp 5:30pm Salvation Bar Landmark - All welcome

Sunday 12th December - Xmas Beach Clean 10am Meet at Café 55 / Sea Scouts between Deal Castle and Paddling Pool

Xmas hats welcome  at our last community beach clean of 2018 Plus a free mince pies ….

Friday 21st December - Winter Solstice Celebration - Landmark Garden 5:30pm to 7pm

Mulled music, drink, food and company to celebrate what we have done and chase away the longest night 

We will decorate the garden with tea lights so please collect your spare jars

Tuesday 1st January - New Years Day Beach Clean 10:30am Deal Pier

Great way to start 2019 and apparently a great hang-over cure :)

Deal Seedy Saturday - Applefest! 3rd Nov from 11am

We have a lot of Ida Apples (old english variety) from the Glean last monday at Farm near Eastry as part of Feedback food charity National gleans ... You are very welcome to come down to make or try some real apple juice

Plus we are giving away a number of small trees as a small practical step to address the IPCC report on Climate Change.  We have about 20 small trees: hawthorn, cobnut, ash, dogwood to give away all suitable for small gardens

We will have our usual Seed and Plant swap; So please bring something  to swap :)

We will also have the Landmark Uke Club playing for us

Please bring a cup or container for sampling the apple juice :)

Park Run for Bikes - The Sunday ‘DEAL FREEWHEELING RIDE’ trial run!

The Sunday ‘DEAL FREEWHEELING RIDE’ trial run!

Deal to Sandwich along the ancient highway for coffee and cake and back to Deal, SUNDAY 4th November. Meet 9am for 0915 depart from Mikes Bikes beach-hut. Café and toilets available.

In association with Mikes Bikes I would like to invite you to the prototype of our Sunday Morning Social ‘Freewheeling’ Rides.

The ‘Freewheeling’ idea is very simple: Guided, short, gentle, sociable group rides for people of all ages* capable of riding about 10 miles. No lycra required, any bicycle, electric or human powered suitable. Aim to be back for 1200hrs in time for Sunday lunches/family commitments, pub etc. Freewheeling rides are about ‘Smiles not Miles’, good company, a little exercise and plenty of fresh-air. It’s entirely up to us!

Coffee and cake stop at the halfway point is a must!

*Under 16’s must be accompanied by a parent.

Whilst we appreciate that this is short-notice and that November is not the best time to start cycling rides, it allows us to plant a few seed and grow a core of participants as we head towards Springtime. Hopefully the idea will flourish, and by then a regular timetable of rides, routes and leaders will have been established.

Our Vision is to start generating more cycling activities for people of all ages, fitness, and ability who are not currently catered for my more ‘regular’ cycling clubs. Maybe you want to cycle further but are worried about traffic or punctures? Maybe you’d like company rather than cycling alone? Maybe you want to build fitness stamina or distance.

If this appeals to you and any friends, it would be great to meet you on Sunday morning, and we’ll see how it goes! Any thoughts, questions or ideas, please post them on Mikes Bikes fb page.

Freewheeling – it’s all about people.

Gleaning near Sandwich

Please share far and wide! We’ve just discovered a HUGE amount of apples going to waste on 2 farms in Kent. This fruit are perfectly delicious and nutritious, so we're setting out to save as many as possible – and we NEED YOUR HELP. The more volunteers we have, the more food we can save!

On Monday 29th of October, 11am-4pm we’re inviting volunteers to a farm near Sandwich to harvest delicious Ida Red and Golden Delicious apples. On Wednesday 7th November we're heading to a farm near Canterbury to glean several varieties of apple. All of these fruits will then be donated to charities such as supply excellent charities such as FareShare and The Felix  with much-needed food.

So please join us for one or both of these rewarding and sociable days in the orchard. We’re especially welcoming 18-24 year olds to get out in the fields gleaning, though people of all ages are warming invited.

We cover travel expenses up to £12 per volunteer from Maidstone, Canterbury, Dover, and anywhere in between!

To join either of these gleans please sign up here: https://goo.gl/forms/g37LBTCzYj9dazwE3
You will then be sent more info about the gleaning day, closer to the time.

If you can't join us for these events, please do sign up to our gleaning list so we can let you know when gleaning days are coming up near you: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/join-us-in-the-fields-its-time-to-get-your-hands-dirty/
‪
If you'd like to know more about gleaning please contact kent@feedbackglobal.org (for Kent gleaning) or James@feedbackglobal.org (for UK wide gleaning).
#‎gleaning‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ ‪#‎foodwaste‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
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* From Farm to Fork is an exciting collaboration between Feedback and FoodCycle, which will train more than 4,000 young people (18-24) to reclaim unharvested fruits and vegetables through gleaning, and to turn surplus food into delicious, nutritious three-course meals to be shared with vulnerable people. It is part of the Our Bright Future programme. The Gleaning Network is a Feedback campaign.

Next Dover Repairs Cafe 22nd Oct

Deal Seedy Saturday 3rd Nov 10:30 to 12:30

Our next Seedy Saturday at the Landmark Garden on Sat 3rd Nov will have a Autumnal feel to it.

As well as our usual plant and seed swap we with have our apple in working order (so please bring down some windfall apples and a container if you want to have a go) and Sue is arranging for some small trees (like hawthorne) to give away … fantastic idea as a response to the recent IPCC report on Climate Change.

We will also have the Landmark Uke Club there to supply some music

all welcome and event is free

Walmer Castle Beach Clean 14th October 2018

Thank you to our 60+ volunteers on today's Walmer Castle Beach Clean. 

20 bags/89kilos collected with over a 1/3 recycleables inc 38 single use plastic bottles!

Todays top finds 2xTents, 1xflipper and part of 1940 invasion defenses (now at Deal Maritime and Local History Museum)

Our next Beach Clean is on Sunday 18th November at 9.30am meeting at Sandown Castle Community Garden

Deal With It October Update

Another great turn out for our #GreatBritishBeachClean on the 16^th September but will so many other local cleans happening at the same time Samphire Hoe, Dover, St Margarets, Kingsdown and Pegwell Bay.

Deal has won Gold award again for SE in Bloom town award which our gardening projects and cleans support.

Deal Station Gardeners and Clean Up Crew. The monthly clean ups have been scheduled thru to next March. Good meeting with South Eastern and National Rail on a number of issues relating to the garden and rubbish at the station station@dealwithit.org.uk

Plastic Free Deal news … Walmer Parish Council have agreed to support. We are currently arranging a Steering Group Meeting at end of October. Contact PlasticFreeDeal@gmail.com if you want to get involved or your business would like to support

Refill East Kent. Discussions started with DDC to support the campaign. Up to 50 local refill stations. RefillEastKent@gmail.com

Deal Hop Farm – Another amazing year with 178 kilos of hops harvested over 4 days in September with some 350 people involved locally in the project. The Green Hop ‘Hopping M.A.D – Made Around Deal’ is local pubs now (Berry, Lighthouse, Freedman, Just Reproach). As the group have also dried some hops this year there will be a 2^nd beer in December. DHF has its Oktoberfest on the 27^th Oct. info@dealhopfarm.org.uk

Landmark Garden – A lot of awards this year: The highest level in the RHS ‘In Your Neighbourhood’, we came second in the Kent Life Community Garden awards and won a Silver in the Kent Wildlife Trust ‘Wild Gardens’.

Captain’s Garden Deal Castle – Weekly sessions at the garden on Tues and Thurs from about 10.15ish to 12ish. Projects extending the hop garden, rebuilding shed, setting up composting bins as well as gardening 😊

Beginners’ Beekeeping Course 2019

This is a course of six two hour theory sessions starting February 11^th 2019 at 7.00pm. (Flyer enclosed)

We are working dates for seedy Saturday + next DWI organising/social dates … watch this space

Diary of Events

Thursday 11^th October – Deal Rail Station Clean up Crew 16:30pm

Sunday 14^th October – Walmer Castle Beach Clean 9.30am

Monday 22^nd October – Dover Repairs Café 18:30pm Biggin Hall (organised by Transition Dover)

Thursday 6^th November  – Deal Rail Station Planter Maintenance day 11am

Thursday 8^th November – Deal Rail Station Clean up Crew 14:00pm

Sunday 18^th November – Sandown Beach Clean 9:30am

Monday 19th – Dover Repairs Café 18:30pm Biggin Hall (organised by Transition Dover)

Thursday 6^th December  – Deal Rail Station Clean up Crew 14:00pm

Sunday 16^th December Deal Xmas  Beach Clean – Deal Pier 10am

Thursday 10^th January 2019  – Deal Rail Station Clean up Crew 14:00pm

Walmer Castle Beach Clean 14th October 9:30am

Deal Rail Station Clean-Up Crew meet local rail bosses

The Deal Rail Station Garden's Clean-Up Crew as well as giving the station area a good clean on Thursday also meet with local representatives from both National Rail, South Eastern and Salisbury's.

The Clean-Up Crew is a spin off from the Deal Station Garden which manages the edible garden on the Platforms since 2012 has come together now 4 times over the last three months to blitz rubbish and the 'unloved' feel of the station.

The Station is increasingly the town's gateway and the first impression of the town is not always good

The key areas of concern raised at a positive meeting:

• Rubbish on the tracks. National Rail only clean the tracks twice a year. Next one is due on 9/11. We have pointed out they have closed the lines several times in the last month and could have used the opportunity to clear the tracks.
• Bins at the Station. SouthEastern have promised to look at putting more sea-gull proof into the station and increasing the number/location of them. They will also look for more cigarette bins by the entrances 
• Lighting on the Ramsgate side to London Rd. Both are going to look at options for this, as several passengers have reported to us how unsafe they feel now its getting darker in the evenings
• The Tri-angle of scrub (The Old Station Masters House location) to bridge/London Rd. This is becoming a rubbish magnet as well as the overgrown brambles effecting the platforms/walk way
• Water points on the Ramsgate side so we could expand the gardening options there.
• Anti-Social Behaviour at the Station
• Supporting the bid to Upgrade the track bridge to a full disabled access one
• Upgrading the Station Status as this has a impact on staffing levels & coverage times

We have started to tidy up the meadow area - this should be completed in the next two weeks and we will be painting the planters  in October.

Next Deal Station Clean up is on the 11th October.

We are also meeting for a drink & chat in The Bar on 8th October at 7:30pm - All Welcome

Dover Bee keeping course feb 2019

What to get started in bee keeping well Dover Beekeepers have a introduction course starting in Feb 2019.

Beginners’ Beekeeping Course 2019

1 Pond End Cottages, London Road, Temple Ewell, Dover CT16 3DQ

This is a course of six two hour theory sessions starting February 11th 2019 at 7.00pm.

It is for people who have just started beekeeping or who want to find out more before getting their own bees. Topics covered will include equipment, siting your apiary, the life of a colony, the beekeeper’s year and pest and disease control and prevention.

Students will be encouraged to join their own beekeeping branch/association.

Tutor: Rob Philpott robphilpott@sky.com
01304 820371 / 07545127604

Fee £50

Timetable
Subject Topics

Feb 11th Equipment Parts of a hive
Bee space
Tools and clothing
Natural history Queens, workers and drones
Individual life cycles

Basic anatomy
Function of queen, drones and workers
Age related duties of workers


Feb 18th Beekeeping year March, April, May
Golden rules of colony inspection
Swarms Reasons for swarms
Swarm prevention
Swarm control
Swarm collection
Bee dances


Feb 25th Extraction of honey Types of extractor
Clearing supers
Making frames


Mar 4th Diseases Hygiene
Brood diseases and their control
Varroosis
Adult diseases
Statutory requirements
Pests
Good apiary practice

Mar 11th Beekeeping year June to February
Summer extraction
Feeding for winter
Dealing with varroa and pests


Mar 18th Obtaining bees Use of smoker
Opening a hive
Use of hive tool
Setting up the apiary Handling frames
Monitoring the conditions
Identifying eggs, larvae, sealed brood
Recognising healthy brood
Uniting colonies Closing a hive
Making a nucleus