insideKENT Magazine Issue 37 - April 2015 | Page 109
have featured the Becker Symphony Orchestra
playing Gilbert and Sullivan and Haydn, with
special guest Matilda Lloyd (winner of the brass
section of the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year
2014).
May is when the Deal Classic Motor Show is
on. With a vintage fun fair, an excellent market,
and activities for young and old, this is a great
day out for all the family.
The Astor Community Theatre
The Deal Festival of Music and Arts spans June
and July, and is a wonderful celebration of
composers, musicians, and artists from Deal and
around the world.
Deal, Walmer and Kingsdown Carnival and
Regatta Week dates back to 1826, when the
Naval Dockyard closed and the locals wanted to
raise the town’s spirits. This local event, held
each summer, includes competitions such as the
lorry pull and a raft race.
The Deal Festival of Music and Arts
Deal Folk by the Sea, previously known as Deal
Maritime Folk Festival, is a popular annual event
whereby visitors can enjoy workshops, choirs,
folk clubs, and even a smugglers’ concert across
the weekend.
music, theatre, literary events, art exhibitions,
films and workshops for all ages and tastes.
Originally built in 1906 for 'entertainment, meetings
and receptions', the theatre was previously known
as Stanhope Hall and later, The Winter Gardens.
In 1944, having served as a WVS canteen during
WWII, the theatre was awarded to the people of
Deal for their courage. In recognition, the theatre
was renamed The Astor Hall and continued to
serve the people of this town for the next 60
years. It wasn't until 2009 that the theatre was
rescued from further neglect and restored to the
artistic and vibrant hub it is today.
www.theastor.org
DID YOU KNOW?
TOP SPOT
Deal Folk by the Sea
The Astor Community Theatre
A multi-purpose arts centre, the Astor Community
Theatre in Deal offers a unique, eclectic mix of
109
Ian Fleming set his 1955 book, Moonraker, in
Deal. James Bond’s arch nemesis, Hugo Drax’s
Moonraker rocket was built just outside the
town, and Bond has to travel there to sort out
Drax’s shady schemes.