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Seaside town dubbed 'Hackney-on-Sea' would be 'dead as Dover' without London influx

The former fishing, mining and garrison town of Deal in Kent has become a hotspot for DFLs - people moving 'Down from London' - and locals say they have perked the town up

[The former fishing, mining and garrison town of Deal in Kent has become a hotspot for DFLs]

The former fishing, mining and garrison town of Deal in Kent has become a hotspot for DFLs(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Get ready to hit the waves in the seaside gem that's been dubbed Hackney-on-Sea, where locals are giving a big thumbs up to Londoners for keeping their businesses booming.

Deal, nestled in Kent, a former fishing, mining and military hub, is now the go to resort for DFLs (people heading "Down from London"). While some spots might give these city dwellers the cold shoulder, Deal folks reckon the influx has brought nothing but positivity, claiming their streets would be ghost towns without them.

In fact, back in summer, Which? revealed the UK seaside towns that were the most "drab" and "depressing, according to holidaymakers.

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The story also comes as the magazine recently shared Spain's "worst seaside town" which still attracts nearly a million Brits each year.

[Businesses in Deal High Street are boosted by Londoners]

Businesses in Deal High Street are 'boosted by Londoners'(Image: KMG / SWNS)

Back in Deal, Coco Walsh, who works at the Yellow Giraffe cafe, is all for the Big Smoke crowd. She reckons they're the heroes keeping Deal hopping, especially compared to their coastal neighbours.

She said: "Deal has changed because of them, such as with the diversity. Without them, this town would be totally dead. I know the locals don't always like them but they always say how terrible Dover is.

"Without the Londoners, Deal would be as bad as Dover. They have kept up Deal's businesses, especially its public houses and its live music.

[Aerial view of Deal]

Aerial view of Deal(Image: Getty Images)

"Without all the Londoners and the holidaymakers, that would go because they're the people that spend the money."

East Londoner-turned-Deal dweller David Beamish is delighted with the DFL influence, having claimed his piece of coastal bliss four years ago.

He said: "I welcome the DFLs, especially at the weekends.

"Their presence reverberates around the town, and it makes it a little bit more upmarket. It livens up the town, as far as I can see."

[David Beamish]

David Beamish said DFLs make Deal 'more upmarket'(Image: KMG / SWNS)

Beamish, once a resident of Dagenham and Romford, couldn't be happier now he's set up shop on the coast

The new local continued: "I enjoy having a cup of coffee in town and going to the beach in the summer and the grandkids come down."

Another resident, Andrew, who preferred not to share his surname, doesn't reckon Deal is anything like London - but he's all for Londoners popping by.

He said: "I think this town is definitely split about DFLs. Some people like them and others despise them. Personally I think they are good for this town because they have raised it up, brought money in and made it more sophisticated and classy. You used to have a lot of greasy spoon cafs in the town and you'd be guaranteed a fight in the town centre."

[Deals beach and its pier]

Deals beach and its pier(Image: KMG / SWNS)

However, not everyone's chuffed with the influx of Londoners.

Alan Ross, a Tankerton local who's worked in Deal's cafs and shops for years and still visits regularly, said: "I've noticed over the last five years the London brigade have come down, though not so much in this neck of the wood as in other seaside towns. I don't mind them visiting here but not moving here. I think they push up house prices and the locals are pushed out. And they think this is London-on-Sea but we are not a London borough."

[The Hackney Empire theatre]

The Hackney Empire theatre(Image: Google Maps / SWNS)

Rightmove stats reveal that properties in Deal cost an average of 339,535 over the last year, compared to 255,032 in neighbouring Dover- perhaps suggesting Londoners have indeed bumped up prices.

A recent Financial Times article dubbed Deal as "Hackney-on-sea", identifying it as a hotspot for DFL'S.

Deal's trendy transformation has even caught the attention of local newcomer Ruth Leigh, daughter of London chef Rowley Leigh. She told the paper: "Fifteen years ago, there wasn't a deli with great coffee or a nice cocktail bar. Now it's a tiny bit Hackney-on-Sea, but with its own identity."

[Mick Morgan says Hackney is cosmopolitan, lively, and energetic]

Mick Morgan says Hackney is cosmopolitan, lively, and energetic(Image: KMG / SWNS)

Known for a past marred by crime and poverty, Hackney itself has since undergone a metamorphosis; it's now coined by the Michelin Guide as "London's Hipster Paradise".

Visitor Mick Morgan from Essex, originally a Dagenham lad, swung by Deal last week.

Having experienced working in Hackney, he described it as a "cosmopolitan, lively, energetic place with lots of going on and diverse communities".

While he did mention there were "rough estates", he did point out that spots like Dalston have seen a rise in gentrification.

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