Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
I have just returned from a Friends of Dover Castle meeting,and I can tell you in the morning at 0830, they are going to start puting sheep to graze in the moats around the Castle, the first 20 will be there at 0830hrs,so if you woud like to take photos of this first happing you know where to go,there will be more at a later date,they will stay there untill the weather gets real bad ,then they will return as the weather gets better.
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
This puts me in mind of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. That vicious rabbit guarding the cave.
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Been a long time coming - hopefully they won't be brought in as often as the castle is closed !!
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
The castle will be open at weekends and when there are events on and there are events being put on,like the sleep overs but they are already sold out and that was done in one hour of them going on sell.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
I'm talking about closed by the weather
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i wonder what quality the staff will be.
i cannot see many people willing to work for just 2 days a week all winter long, the experienced ones will have been looking elsewhere since the announcement was made.
my guess is that english heritage will be left with inexperienced temporary and agency staff to cover their properties.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
If they cannot make Dover Castle (the 2nd most visited EH attracted after Stonehenge) pay all year round then they don't deserve to run it.
Very sad seeing all the good knowledgable staff leaving at the moment as they cannot afford to work on the annualised pay they have been offered. I only know a few that are staying
It's going to be "Tesco or Dover Castle" staff that don't care like outgoing staff did....
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
Shouldn't our MP be making more of a noise about this?
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
I have my hopes that they will see sense (when they have got rid of all their good staff and put new ones on cheaper cr*p contracts) and reopen full time in a year or two's times
Sadly when it hit the local press it just died off and nothing more has happened.
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
I feel sorry for the staff,but as I said the Castle will be open at weekends and there are trips already booked which will go ahead ,and events like the sleep overs and others will also mean staff will be working even if their hours are cut,some work is better then none,also there maintenance work to be done,so not all bad news.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
It's very bad news as there are huge amounts of weekday educational visits that probably won't take place, it will look very bad for the town, the vast majority of knowledgeable staff will go as they can't afford to stay.
I hear that the new interpretation in the Keep is already perishing in the conditions and when the tunnels are shut for days on end in the winter the new high-tech equipment WILL start to fail....
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
Given all the money that was given to English Heritage to invest in the Castle under the Sea Change programme, I am surprised at this decision.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Educational visits will still go ahead if booked,there is nothing wrong with the keep the number of the public visting the castle for to 2011 is well up on 2010 All this talk about conditions in the Tunnels and the equipment,is rubbish,the Castle is at its best and will stay that way 24/7.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Sorry Vic, it is a known fact that parts of the new keep interpretation is starting to deteriorate, and I will put money on the multimedia failing this winter in the conditions it will be kept. Humid damp underground conditions aren't ideal for the type of equipment
Visitor number may be up with the new stuff to see, but they will soon suffer with the reduced hours, I for one probably won't be renewing my EH membership and a lot of people like myself like visiting at the quieter times of year when there are less crowds around....
EH have received many millions in grant money so should do it's bit to keep it a permanent attraction....
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
It is not a fact at all Paul,I was at the meeting today,All is well at the Castle,apart from not having it open each day of the year,we would all love to see that,but it will not happen this year. The conditions in the Castle above the Ground or below it are monited as I said 24/7 any repairs or work needed to be done is done,As for going up there at a quieter time,well now is the time to go and still the weather is good and not lots of the public up there.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
how can they have educational visits when they are closed during the week?
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
I heard that they will do educational visits on a Friday and Monday, but they will just be led tours....
Yes Vic I have been told by STAFF that bits have deteriorated and need repair work !!
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
I'd like to 'big up' the Castle as much as I can, but I can point you to a lot of maintenance that is required and hasn't been touched for years. Take the Bofors for example.....
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 705- Registered: 23 Sep 2010
- Posts: 661
This really is a sad state of affairs when you consider that Dover Castle is second only to Stone Henge as an EH site and second only to Canterbury Cathedral in Kent. Vic and his Board of friend's job is a difficult one as go betweens in all this-I wish them luck. I guess the EH bosses have to treat all their sites the same and they haven't got the resources to adequately administer any kind of impartiality. Perhaps new localism initiatives could find a way of returning the castle to Dover. Paul-do you think a crew like yours could manage to run it ? Just think-one organisation to run the whole of Dover's Ancient and military heritage-it could work closely with the district's industrial,transport and maritme heritage groups. The Dover Heritage brand could well become invincible... the Bofors could be your first job!
Never give up...