Saturday 5th July 2025

I get weekly mails from Dover District Council about events and things we might like to see over the forthcoming week.

This week there is a folk and ale weekend in Sandwich and Deal Music and Arts Festival, and on Saturday there was the promise of many pop-up arty things.

Which is why I got up at six before going to Tesco first thing for supplies for my adventure next week.

More of that another time.

So I got rolls, corned beef, branston and crisps.

Then back home for breakfast of fruit and coffee.

And out again to get a parking space in Deal, despite the event not starting until half ten, the town is packed on a normal day, so would be crazy today.

There was no traffic through Walmer and into Deal, and plenty of spaces in the main car park. We paid for three hours, meaning we had to twenty past eleven to see some art.

What to do in the meantime?

Walk along the pier? Which we have not been on for some time, so it was agreed.

It was a grey by still morning, so we ambled along the pier to find the café would open in five minutes at nine, so we would have a good second breakfast like all good hobbits do.

When I came down to Kent, the café was a prefab wreck, which was soon replaced by the current modern structure.

Now it offers good food, in light and airy conditions. Service is excellent too.

I order a bacon and sausage sarnie, which Jools had pan friend scallops and pancetta on toast. Jools said it was fabulous, mine was good too.

We lollygagged for an extra twenty minutes once we had eaten before paying and then walking back to land.

It was now Half ten, or just gone. And there should have been pop-up arty stuff all over.

We saw none.

So we walked past the chippy down to the High Street, turning right towards the church. We heard drums.

Lots of drums.

A mixed group of people, all dressed in pink and blue were all playing percussion instruments of all kinds, creating a groovy, funky tune, and they marched/shuffled up and down while playing.

And all played with huge smiles on their faces. They were really good, but no idea what they were called.

We had twenty minutes before our parking ran out. We could have paid for extra, but it was getting very peoply.

So we walked back to the car, through several cars that were cruising round and round now looking for parking spaces.

We climbed in and drove off. Then inched our way along The Stand in Walmer, with people cruising at 10mph looking for parking spaces that were all full.

We made it back home just before midday, so I make a brew which we dunk ginger nuts into.

Because we can.

Lunch was rhubarb crumble and custard. Sadly both shop bought, but just what I fancied when hunting and gathering earlier in Tesco.

We lollygagged some more through the afternoon, until the women's football was due to start.

Whilst watching Netherlands v Wales (ended 3-0), I made chorizo hash, served with ice cold beer/cider.

Before settling down to watch England v France, which ended 1-2, but France could and should scored many more.

Ho hum.