Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
22 February 2011
19:2593835Drove past Stonehenge at the weekend - it is very historic, but not much of a visitor attraction as you just see them and that is really it !!
Been nice knowing you :)
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
22 February 2011
20:4593843
before anyone questions the relevance to this thread, many people at the front and on the beach this afternoon had "dover castle tuesday" stickers on their jackets/coats.
makes one think how vital the castle is to the local economy.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
23 February 2011
07:4793863I went to the Castle yesterday to a funeral service in St. Mary in Castro Church. I was a bit early so wandered around and was surprised at the high numbers of visitors there.
I appreciate it is half-term but there were hundreds of visitors and the cafe was full too.
How they can justify closing it for that amount of time is beyond me. I will write to all the bodies in Dover (DDC,DTC, DHB, Dover Society, The Hoteliers Group, Dover Guest House Ass. - if you know of any other tourism related bodies let me know) asking them to write to EH to ask them to reconsider.
There's a good piece on the Castle closure on the front page of your Dover, page 2 and also on page 11.
Roger
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
23 February 2011
10:1593872Well well Roger .I think you and I were at the same funeral service .Mr Tolputt from River .I was going to post re the number of visitors at the Castle .Beautiful Day and Dover looked really lovely in the sunshine .
Guest 703- Registered: 30 Jul 2010
- Posts: 2,096
23 February 2011
10:2193873I regularly visit my father-in-laws flat on Castle Hill and almost always see tourists huffing and puffing up and down the hill to the castle at all times of the year, usually having travelled by train from London.
I would think most would stop for a either a browse, a bit of shopping or meal in the town on the way back.
23 February 2011
11:4693882The Friends of Dover Castle are in dialogue with EH locally and awaiting detailed figures from EH which we are hopeful will prove that the proposed winter closures have not been thought through by EH in respect of Dover castle.
We have also contacted our local MP and Dover Chamber of Commerce to make representation.
Charlie Elphicke has responded very quickly and he supports our concern ( both re restricting visitors and the knock on effect to local commerce and jobs) and has taken up with EH Chairman (Baroness Andrews).
Dover Chamber of Commerce have also told me verbally that they have also taken forward with EH.
Wearing my Dover Society hat our Chairman has also sought clarification from EH.
As Roger says above the more representation the better and not just organisations but individuals:
The two EH addresses to send written representation are:
Head Office:
1,Waterhouse Square
138-142 Holborn
LONDON
EC1N 2ST
South East Regional Office:
Eastgate Court
195-205 High Street
GUILDFORD
GU1 3EH
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
23 February 2011
12:1093883Yes, indeed Pat. I will be ensuring that this is discussed at a Chamber Board meeting next week as well.
Guest 705- Registered: 23 Sep 2010
- Posts: 661
23 February 2011
22:0893950Peter-now your talking! Yes, Stonehenge is the most visited EH site but Dover Castle employs many more staff, holds a multitude of events, covers a wider scope of close links with known history, has a recognised purpose, has its own mystical qualities and boosts the economy of a specific community.
Access to this, a valuable incarnation of the Dover brand is now threatened by fear of the unknown and the rush to part company with even the slightest hint of risk.
Never give up...
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
23 February 2011
22:4993956Mr Moffatt. I hope you got all my emails to you today.
Going back to Dover Castle I am with Pat on the Friends of Dover Castle Committee ,andwe would like to see the Castle say open all the year round 7days aweek ,and I think that is what the chairman will be telling EH over the next few weeks. there was 5 bus,s full up on Monday up there so it can not be all bad.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
24 February 2011
08:1593976I didn't see you Sue, but it was crowded in the Church, a very high turn-out for a very good man.
Good to see so many people supporting this, let's hope it works.
Roger
Guest 700- Registered: 11 Jun 2010
- Posts: 2,868
24 February 2011
11:4093996Paul aka Scotchie's remark about Stonehenge reminded me of something said to me years ago.
My grandmother married a 2nd time when she was 70. I was talking to him one day and said I had always wanted to see Stonehenge, to which he replied:
"You don't want to go there". When I asked why he said: "I was stationed there (ie Salisbury Plain), during the First War, AND IT WAS A RUIN THEN !!!"
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Lincolnshire Born and Bred
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
24 February 2011
11:5693999Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
24 February 2011
20:1194048English Heritage needs to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century! Their first response to a drop in funding is to shut up shop. As Roger comments, what about marketing, events, and promotions to encourage people to visit in the quieter, shoulder seasons?
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,885
24 February 2011
20:2294049I agree with Kevin completely. By all means close those places that are quiet in the winter but keep the busy places open or is that too much like common sense for them.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
24 February 2011
21:2294058Tonight three of our four b&b rooms are occupied by American tourists. All of them will be visiting the castle while they are here.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
24 February 2011
21:2394059does seem like a blanket thing, i go up during winter and the attendance depends to some extent on the weather.
i wonder what would happen if all the bed and breakfasts gave up on winter?
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
26 February 2011
08:0394277I read this morning that Dover Castle was one of the few EH sites that had increased visitor numbers during 2010 - up 15%
I believe that with every organisation/body in Dover writing to EH, this could be stopped.
Roger
26 February 2011
09:4994303Yes the more WRITTEN objections the better.
See my post 66 on this thread for addresses to send to.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
26 February 2011
10:4094305good idea i will send off a letter to the head office today and a copy to the regional headquarters.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Sounds like the cuts will be at all levels in English Heritage with almost all staff at Dover Castle being made redundant or having to reapply for a lower number of lower paid jobs with the reduced hours.
So much knowledge is going to be lost and I cannot see how they expect to run such a complex site as Dover Castle with people on weekend jobs and summer seasonals
Still amazed that this has barely been picked up by anything other than local press
Been nice knowing you :)
