The museum was pleased to welcome some special visitors on Monday April 23rd.Members of Ixworth WI came over to have a look at the museum and statue.While they were here they had cup of tea in the Marigold Tea Room.The museum is pleased to welcome visitors outside our normal opening times by prior arrangement,please contact us for more information at dadsarmythetford@googlemail.com or 01842 751975 .
Theatre Royal Bury St. Edmunds
‘Wakeman, Pike & Lavender’
Rick Wakeman hosts an evening of chat with Ian Lavender reminiscing about their careers and David Crofts most enduring creation, Dad’s Army.
Prices for tickets range from £8.50 to £24.50 this will be followed by a post show reception, (tickets available at £15) this will give an opportunity to share in a more informal and intimate time, with the chance to meet Rick Wakeman and Ian Lavender personally.
Today (April 15th) we held the first public walking tour.18 visitors braved the rain showers to be shown the locations used in the filming of the series.The next public tour is on May 20th details are here.We can organise private tours and visits to the museum.
The museum is very grateful to local historian and painter decorator David Osborn who has completed this lovely new sign over the entrance to the tea room.Now you will have no excuse not to come along for a cup of tea and a slice of cake.
The museum opened for the new season at 10am on Saturday April 7th.We had to wait 40 minutes for the 21st visitor that day and the 20000th since we opened on December 7th 2007.The 20000th visitor was Lindsay Smith from Gressingthorpe in Essex.Lindsay was greeted at the museum door by our own Captain Mainwaring,Mick Whitman.The Captain presented Lindsay with basket of Dad’s Army Museum goodies and a free membership of ‘The Friends’.We had 170 visitors on this day and will be open 10am until 3pm every Saturday until early December plus Tuesdays in School Holidays.
Adam Mullany first visited the Dad's Army Museum when his family brought him for a birthday treat on October 25th 2008 and boy what a change they all discovered when coming back to the museum when we re-opened for the new season. When they visited before we only had the one room, now there are 5 rooms and as one of those was our Marigold Tea room, it would have been rude not to have had a scone and jam! Adam said of his visit that he had great fun and it was 'delice'. Look forward to seeing you again soon Adam.
We are pleased to confirm that the museum will reopen on April 7th at 10am.We are expecting the 20000th visitor to the museum on this day,it could be you !
Our limited edition Mini Mainwarings are looking just fabulous! These very special little men are all cast individually by sculptor Sean Hedges-Quinn from his original maquette in cold cast resin. Numbers are limited to 80, one for each episode made - which one is your favourite? Each statue comes in it's own stunning box, held safely within museum grade foam. To secure your statue (and maybe your favourite episode?) please contact Corinne Fulford on info@dadsarmythetford.org.uk or 07802 701911. You will need to place a deposit of £75 - total price is £450. You can pay in full or by instalments - whatever suits you best.
We were all saddened to hear the new that Philip Madoc passed away today (March 5th).To read the story of this great actor please follow this link to the BBC news story.
The museum was delighted that Philip was able to attend the unveiling of the Captain Mainwaring statue on June 19th 2010.The picture below was taken the day after as members of the cast were getting reading to travel to Bressingham for Croft & Perry Day.Our thoughts are with his family & friends.We will all remember with great laughter his role as the U boat captain in the classic episode,The Deadly Attachment.
There will be a Service of Celebration for the Life of David Croft OBE that will be held at 11.30am on Thursday 15th March 2012 at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 4JJ. All are welcome BUT admission will be by ticket only.Please contact the museum for further details.
Hope you didn't forget to tune into Saturday Kitchen last Saturday (Jan 28th) on BBC1.The wine recommendation bit was filmed on location in Thetford by Cactus Television. It featured the statue of Captain Mainwaring and a shot of the museum sign.If you did miss it you might find in on the iPlayer.
Andy, Suzie, Claire, 'The Captain' and Mike.
Calling all our re-enactor/vintage/theatre friends – We have been approached by the Guildhall School of Music and Drama based in Moorgate, London. They are producing a production of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream which is going to be performed at the Barbican Centre’s Main Theatre which is a great opportunity for those involved and indeed Guildhall. The design for the production is based around the 1940’s with some of the action set in a 1940’s hospital. For this production we are in need of some props that you might be able to help us with, these are as follows :
16 X Identical Chairs – Church/Village Hall/ Chapel Chairs
4 x Sunglasses – 2 x Male, 2 X Female
Surgical Instruments
Surgical Trolley
Surgical Folding Screen
Surgical Drip
Hypodermic Needles – Possibly Glass or Metal, large.
Hospital Washbasin – With wheels.
Air Raid Patrol Lamp
Military Milk Float – They need an electric vehicle that is able to take singers on the back of the float/truck and be driven onstage. Ideally this should resemble a 1940’s Bedford Flatbed truck but due to stage weight restrictions it has to be under 3.5tonnes hence the idea of a Military looking Milk Float.
The dates they would need to borrow the items from would be : Friday 10th February to Wednesday 7th March.
If you can help, please get in touch.Call our museum manager,Corinne Fulford,on 07802 701911.
You can email us at dadsarmythetford@googlemail.com or you can complete the contact form at http://www.dadsarmythetford.org.uk/contact.htm
The museum is now starting it’s 5th year and it is quite amazing just what we have got up to.This page will show you all our recent activity.If you go to our archive new page you can see what we have been up to since 2007.
Although the Museum is now closed for the Winter break, all our merchandise is available on line. Our web shop is currently showing a very small part of our range so if you have seen something when you visited please contact us, we will be happy to help you.
Details of the 2012 walking tours of the Thetford locations have just been published on the book a tour page.
Why not buy a walking tour gift voucher as a Christmas present,details on this page also.
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