The Deal Hoodeners play traditional English music around the streets of Deal collecting money for local charities, the earliest recollection of Hoodeners in Deal was approx 1850 although other villages surrounding Deal were all active Hoodeners at this time.

The current crew are based on the Deal Hoodeners of Percy Maylem's time (1905) when he wrote about three breakaway members of the 'Skardon Band" and their musical exploits around the Deal area. The Grandson of Robert Skardon (Jim) has provided extremely useful information to allow the reformation of the Deal Hoodeners to be as accurate as possible. The Skardon Band themselves were strongly involved in Hoodening at the end of the 19th Century. A collection of instruments played by the 1905 Hoodeners is to be found at the Deal Maritime Museum, along with two Walmer Hooden Horses, well worth a visit.

The reformation began in 1997, the brainwave of Gillian Nixon who worked as a local librarian, she and her husband Chris called a few interested people together and the group was formed. Gill & Chris moved away shortly afterwards but the group just goes from strength to strength,  remaining at around 12 strong as people move on and new members join. The longest serving Hoodeners still with the group are  Pat & Steve Grayland closely followed by Steve Piper. Membership remains by way of invitation although we can't recall turning anybody away. The act of 'Hoodening' remains paramount in our activities and deviations from this aim are small although raising money for charitable causes by way of ceilidhs, fetes and festivals keeps us very well occupied during the summer months.