We Are
Friends of Dover Castle
FRIENDS now have regular Monthly Meetings
Yes Friends, we have now set up to have regular monthly meetings – the second Monday of each month! Each month will have a theme and all members are welcome but you must let us know as we are limited to how many of us can turn up. We held our first one last Monday at short notice but Chair Graham, vice chair Mark and vice president Wendi turned up to discuss lots of issues and start sorting out the office.
Next Month, Monday July 10th is Marigold Monday – not because of the lovely colourful marigold flowers in the Kitchen Garden but due to the idea we are having a clean up so rubber gloves “Marigolds” are required.
Come and help us clean and scrub and generally smarten our accommodation up and have a coffee and a chat at the same time.
We will also finalise things for the AGM on 22nd July 2023
Monday 10th July 7-9pm Marigolds
Monday 14th August 7-9pm tbc
Monday 11th September 7-9 pm – wine cheese and talks
Monday 9th October 7-9 pm Witches & Ghosts
Monday 13th November 7-9 pm Talk tbc
Monday 11th December 7-9 pm Wine and Wisdom
WW2 Weekend Open Days Dig for Victory
AMAZING SUCCEsS
English Heritage report over 9200 visitors attended the Castle’s WW2 Weekend over the public holiday weekend and regard it as a commercial success.
We rough counted between 500 and 600 people visited us during that weekend. Grateful thanks to Mark and Pauline who not only run the Kitchen Garden Project but were also in attendance all three days. Chairman Graham attended 2 out of the 3 days, keen to show off his new “period” Webley pistol ! Other volunteers included John Moat and Sarah Hooper. Thanks also to members Janet & Chris who were very effective “sales” personnel !
The Garden shows real signs of the work that Mark and Pauline, John and Sarah have put in for a long time now and well worth the expenditure put in which includes the Jubilee Arbour and Potting Shed.
SEE YOU JUNE 24th and 25th – come see what we are all about!
Success Stories
The Friends of Dover Castle are supporting the Castle’s main event of the year – the WW2 Weekend . Our volunteers have chosen an ongoing theme for this year “Dig For Victory” and we have obtained authentic props from the era as well as posters of the time. Mark is donning authentic army uniform and Pauline has become a Land Girl . If you are visiting the Castle this weekend for their spectacular WW2 event please come and visit us in Constables Garden which we have transformed back to how it once was, a thriving, self sustaining, fit for purpose garden.
Come and learn about the Friends, and if you like us, why not join
The aims and objectives are to support and promote Dover Castle.
Here seated in our new Jubilee Arbour is vice Chairman Mark Danson and Chairman Graham Hutchison (dressed in his Volunteer re-enactment WW1 Gunner uniform).
The Friends of Dover Castle Dover Community Time Capsule Project
Graham Hutchison, the Chairman, pictured here with Chairman of Dover District Council, Mike Connolly, Maison Dieu Project Development Officer Martin Crowther, and Mayor of Dover
Gordon Cowan at the official launch.
The Time Capsule was Graham’s idea as he felt Dover District had so much going for it we needed something positive to do coming out of the pandemic. Local residents were able to make suggestions and donate items to go into the Capsule so it became a whole community project.
The capsule was buried on 9th November 2022 and a reception was held in the Riverside Community Hub.
As a member of the Friends you get to go places and see things other people do not!
We organise regular tours, such as DUMPY, The lower level of the underground tunnels where the Regional Centre of Government would be sited in the event of a Nuclear War. The Cold War was at it’s height between the 1950’s and late 1980’s. We also do a range of other tours and events – Behind Locked Doors; Stone Hut; Hudson’s Passage and East Demi Bastion; Officer’s New Barracks; Constables Tower; Debtors Prison. Last year we also did a unique special called Invisible Castle which gave us a view of what the Castle was like in Medieval times. We also hold talks and a regular Carol Concert in ST Mary-in-Castro Church. This year I am organising a really special talk by the Company who advise film makers on filming in Scheduled Ancient Monuments.
COMING SOON – POTTING SHED
We have just purchased a quality potting shed from Eagle Sheds at Sandwich which will be installed by them professionally before the end of March which not only means it will be in place soon to allow our Garden Team to get cracking with planting and seeding and generally having fun, but it will be ready for our first Open Day in April.
It is 8′ x 6′ , Tongued and Grooved Cladding with base, floor and roof with opening windows. It is a temporary installation but should last us a good few years.
Come and See at our OPEN DAYS in April 2023