From the Mercury 23 December, 1998.

EXCITING ROLE FOR FORMER PUB.

By Sue Briggs.

Above shows empty pub.

A community centre is about to be created in North Deal as a result of a move to buy the empty "Jolly Gardener" pub.

The district council is on the verge of signing a contract to take over the building on the corner of Cannon Street and Golf Road.

"This is such an exciting opportunity for the community in North Deal and not it is up to the community to decide how they want to use it," said Chris Barnett, director of health and housing at the district council.

A meeting is to be called in the new year for interested people, groups and organisations to discuss matters and it is hoped to form a steering committee.

Mr. Barnett said; "Ideally a charitable trust will be set up and we desperately want the community to run the centre.

"It could be used by mother and toddler groups, a play group, an after-school club, parties or wedding receptions and by pensioners or youth groups.

Cllr. Benet Bano, a district council for North Deal, is hoping to convene the meeting and is encouraging a bumper attendance.

"The centre is going to be good news for the people of North Deal, where facilities are badly needed for all sections of the community.

"I would like to see the centre run by the community for the community," said Cllr. Bano.

Former Deal Mayor Audrey Elliott, who is due to retire from her North Deal council seat, said the "Jolly Gardener" buy was the best thing to happen since sliced bread."

She added: "There are still enough pubs in Deal to compensate for one cloing and it will be fantastic for the area to have its own community centre.

"It is so exciting for the people to get what they want."

Cllr. Mike Eddy, who represents the area on the county council, admitted there could be opposition against buying the "Jolly Gardener," but said parking or noise worries were unfounded.

He believed most people using the community centre would be walking from the local neighbourhood an not arriving by car.

"The previous use of the pub was on a daily basis, with late night openings. People who are worried about the community centre should not be."

He said North Deal had coped with so many piecemeal housing schemes which collectively increase in population.

Cllr. Eddy went on: "The people have been asking for a community centre for decades and it is about time they had one - it is going to be wonderful.

"Now it is up to the people to let us know what they want."

The date of the public meeting has yet to be announced.

From the Mercury 11 February, 1999.

COMMUNITY SCHEME FOR FORMER PUB TO BE PUT TO PUBLIC

Above photograph kindly taken and supplied by Patricia Streater 1999.

A move to open a derelict pub as a community venture took another step forward on Thursday.

The district council is buying the "Jolly Gardner" in Golf Road, Deal, and the planning committee has given the idea the go-ahead.

"This is such an exciting opportunity in North Deal and now it is up to the community to decide how they want to use it," said Chris Barnett, director of health and houseing at the district council.

He has called a public meeting for Thursday, February 23, at Sandown Primary School, at 7 pm and is hoping for a bumper attendance.

"Before the meeting, people can pop in and have a look at the "Jolly Gardener," which will be open from 5.30 pm," added Mr. Barnett.

All homes in the area will receive a leaflet advertising the public meeting and posters will also be on display in the town.

Mr. Barnett said: "It will be an open public meeting and a chance for people to be part of the exciting plans for the neighbourhood.

REALITY

"The "Jolly Gardener" is a reality and it will be a community centre. How it is run, what goes on, can be up to those living in North Deal. Playgroups, youth activities, pensioner clubs, weddings, birthday parties - the list is endless."

A community trust will be set up to manage the premises and the council hopes it will also be used as a drop-in centre for young people after their school for clinics.

Objections to the "Jolly Gardener" plan were aired at Thursday's planning committee, mainly about lack of parking at the old pub and possible noise problems.

"I have had four telephone calls from people living opposite the pub who don't have cars and who have offered the use of their parking spaces," said Cllr. Audrey Elliott.

Cllr Simon Bannister said most people using the new community centre would walk to the "Jolly Gardener."

"I can foresee no significant problems," he added.

From the East Kent Mercury 3 August 2000.

COMMUNITY CENTRE PLANS ARE APPROVED

A project to create a community centre for North Deal has moved a step nearer.

A set of plans to alter the old "Jolly Gardener" pub was approved by the district council's planning committee on Thursday.

Former Deal Mayor Audrey Elliott said when the centre was first discussed: "This idea is the best thing to happen to our community since the invention of sliced bread."

The next step is to finalise securing cash to make the community centre a reality. It could be open early next year.

Nadeem Aziz, director of planning and technical services, told councillors: "Internal changes are also proposed, but do not require planning permission."

Approval has already been given to convert the "Jolly Gardener" into a community centre. The detached building  - brought by the council for £95,000 - is on the corner of Golf Road and Cannon Street.

Changes to windows and doors, alterations to storage space and the removal of the pub signs are the latest package of proposals.

The Golf Road Community Company has been set up and is registered as a charity. Its committee includes representatives from the district council and Deal Town Council.

Members are raising cash for the centre, which will be used as a day clinic, for mothers and toddler groups and the elderly, for computer training sessions and for meetings.

There will be toilets for the disabled and a lift for wheel-chairs.

From the East Kent Mercury 5 October 2000.

HARD CHOICES AHEAD

Some hard thinking will need to be done about plans for the community centre at the former "Jolly Gardner" pub in Deal, councillors have been told.

Director of health and housing, Chris Barnett, told members of the council's cabinet that the tenders had come in "considerably higher" than the estimates.

"Not all the funding is yet secured," he said, recommending members not to approve for a bridging loan for the project yet.

The plan to buy the former pub for conversion into a community centre was approved by the council two years ago, and the Golf Road Community Company was set up.

They now want to enter into a 25-year lease with the council.

It is proposed that the council should act as agent for the company in the building contract. The estimated cost of the building project was originally fixed at £220,763.

From the Dover Mercury 28 June 2007. Date circa 2000.

When the Jolly Gardener stocked fine Walmer Ale.

A Mercury reader from Newport, on the isle of Wight, has sent us his old picture for this week's Now and Then.

It shows the Jolly Gardener public house, on the corner of Cannon Street and Golf Road in Deal, and was taken in the 1920s, by Ray Harrington-Vail's grandparents.

He wrote: "They were visiting Ickham where my grandmother's family called Clayson, originated from."

The pub is Open 2014+ for business, and 80 years ago was selling beers from Thompson and Son Limited brewers, which was based in Dover Road, Walmer.

Behind the pub is part of the industrial site, occupied by the gas works and a section of a gasometer can just be seen on the left.

In the foreground, behind the parked truck, there is a group of people who may well have been farm workers.

The gas works site can be found on an Ordinance Survey map, dated 1871, and the land is now earmarked for development, with help from North Deal Community Partnership.

Above photo as it looked circa 2000.

From the Dover Mercury 1 May 2000.

Pub set to be knocked down.

A derelict pub in Deal is due to be knocked down and replaced by a terrace of three town houses.

The district council originally bought the "Jolly Gardener" in Golf Road to convert into a community centre.

Since the North Deal Playing Field became vacant it has been decided to build the complex on the bigger site instead.

The council's planning committee approved the demolition of the pub and the development of the site on the corner of Cannon Street.

From the Dover Mercury 28 June 2007. Report by Phil Reilly.

Landlord fined £2,OOO for screening football.

Why me? Deal landlord WiIIiam Smith. DOPJ150607. Picture by PAUL JERREAT

A DEAL pub landlord slapped with a £2,000 fine for showing Premiership football has asked: "Why me?"

William Smith, 32, who runs the Jolly Gardener pub in Golf Road, was given the fine after being caught screening games on Arabic TV channel ART.

Mr Smith was fined for breaking football governing body Uefa's rule protecting the league's exclusive deal with Sky, but the landlord insisted he had no idea he was breaking the law.

He said: "I've been showing football on that channel for about two years.

"I know there are at least three or four other pubs in Deal that use the Arabic channel, and lots more in Dover.

"It is commonplace, but I seem to be the only person around here who has been fined for it.

"I genuinely didn't think I was doing anything wrong. I pleaded guilty when it went to court because I have been showing the games and I can't deny it, but I don't feel I'm guilty because I honestly didn't know it was illegal."

Mr Smith claimed that to subscribe to Sky Sports would cost him about £500 a month, compared with the £100 for six months he pays to show ART.

He was prosecuted by Media Protection Services (MPS) on behalf of the Premier League, and pleaded guilty by letter to Folkestone Magistrates' Court earlier this month.

An MPS inspector visited the pub in November, after which Mr Smith continued to show the matches.

He said: "All he did was take my viewing card number. I didn't hear anything again until just before it went to court and because I heard nothing I assumed that I was not doing anything wrong."

He was ordered to pay a £2,000 fine, and £540 in court costs.

From the East Kent Mercury, 16 January, 2014.

PUB BOSSES PROMISE CHEAP WINE AND OFFERS.

Chris Lambert and Denise Ramsay in the refurbished "Jolly Gardener"

The Jolly Gardener in Deal has reopened under new management.

Denise Ramsay and Chris Lambert have taken over the pub, in Golf Road, after moving from London, where they ran a wine bar.

The new co-tenants have completely refurbished the building and are hoping it will be a great success.

Ms Ramsay said: “We've completely refurbished, it's very shabby chic now.

“It's nice because it had been closed for a while so now people don't have to come all the way into town for a drink, they've got their local back.

“We're going to have cheap wines and offers and a great atmosphere.”

The "Jolly Gardener" opened its doors yesterday (Wednesday) and hopes to bring in all walks of life.

Ms Ramsay added: “It's definitely still your local pub but it's different to all the others, it's more like a wine bar.”

For more information, call Denise and Chris on 01304 372943.