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Post by Alan Hayes on Jul 31, 2019 22:43:31 GMT 12
The Dad's Army Museum
Cage Lane, Thetford IP24 2DS
The Dad's Army Museum inside Thetford's Guildhall (seen in DA as the Walmington-on-Sea Town Hall) has been open since December 2007.
Somehow, it's taken me 11 years to finally get there. And today, on Dad's Army's 51st anniversary, the question is, is it worth a visit?
My answer has to be a resounding yes. Despite the modest amount of space that the museum has to play with (two rooms, a shop and a tearoom), there's a lot of interesting memorabilia and other items of interest on display, from props and costumes from the series and also the 2016 film (it may not be everyone's favourite, but it's nice to see it represented) to production documentation, loads of behind the scenes photos, books, records and all manner of Dad's Army memorabilia.
The shop offers a good selection of Dad's Army and other wartime books, DVDs and novelty items - and is a good place to buy Paul Carpenter and Tony Pritchard's excellent 'Dad's Army - A Companion' before it goes out of print.
The one disappointment, it must be said, was the Marigold Tearoom, which didn't cater for gluten free customers (which meant we didn't eat there as our companion Jason is gluten intolerant) and also had a very poor stock of cakes. The excuses given were bizarre: "We don't do gluten free. It's wartime." and "There's not many cakes. It's Tuesday." We trotted out and found somewhere else to eat, but "It's wartime" and "It's Tuesday" became our jokey buzzwords for the rest of the day!
But otherwise, there's a lot to be said for the Museum. The staff are all volunteers and are knowledgable and friendly. The displays are well put together without being overly slick and coldly professional.
There's a rule that no photography is allowed, at least of anything that would include a copyrighted BBC photo, so the photos that follow are only of the things we were permitted to photograph. Anyone wishing to visit the Museum should first visit their website to check opening times: dadsarmythetford.org.uk/It's also worth mentioning that Jones' van from the TV series is owned by the Museum, but due to its size is kept at the local Charles Burrell Museum on Minstergate (IP24 1BN). Sadly, the Burrell Museum was closed on the day of our visit, so that's one for next time. |
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Post by petere on Jul 31, 2019 22:51:08 GMT 12
Nice review Alan, many thanks! đź‘Ť
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Post by Alan Hayes on Jul 31, 2019 23:13:29 GMT 12
The first three photos, showing the entrance to the Dad's Army Museum on Cage Lane, the paintings in the windows of Jones, Mainwaring and Frazer, and the impressive frieze on the wall down the side of the Guildhall building. |
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Post by Alan Hayes on Jul 31, 2019 23:22:24 GMT 12
Three more photos: two of me in 'Mainwaring's Office', one of my wonderful wife Alys in the same.
Note that Alys is slim enough to fit in the army fatigues they had there for photo ops. I think I'm more the real Mainwaring's size. Sadly!
Note also my cunning choice of T-shirt, which carries the logo of the now-defunct BSB Galaxy Channel, an early satellite channel which screened Dad's Army.
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Post by Alan Hayes on Jul 31, 2019 23:29:59 GMT 12
Costumes, part 1:
Mainwaring's costume (replica)
Pike's costume (replica) / Jones' old uniform (series used, I think)
ARP Warden's outfit (series used, I think)
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Post by petere on Jul 31, 2019 23:31:05 GMT 12
Great photos! They have really paid attention to the details, like the tape on the windows!
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Post by Alan Hayes on Jul 31, 2019 23:35:37 GMT 12
Costumes, part 2:
'Khaki Devil' costume
Joe Walker's costume (replica)
+
A sneak peek into one of the exhibition rooms, complete with me spoiling the picture...  |
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Post by Alan Hayes on Jul 31, 2019 23:37:02 GMT 12
Great photos! They have really paid attention to the details, like the tape on the windows! Yes, everything is displayed with imagination and careful thought. |
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Post by Alan Hayes on Jul 31, 2019 23:40:52 GMT 12
And, for good measure, three views of the outside of the Thetford Guildhall, which I'm sure people here will recognise from the series. |
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Post by petere on Aug 1, 2019 0:05:39 GMT 12
Walker is really looking good there! You can almost hear him say: ” ’Ang on, ’ang on! How ’bout some nice tickets for the special exhibition? Only a fiver each?”
Looks very nice all of it! It is a dream project for me, coming over to the UK to visit all the DA sites. It is something to look forward to!
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Post by Alan Hayes on Aug 1, 2019 0:08:35 GMT 12
It's well worth doing, particularly since there are two Dad's Army museums in close proximity to each other (the other being at the Bressingham Steam Museum).
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Post by petere on Aug 1, 2019 0:13:32 GMT 12
I’m a member of the DAAS but is ashamed to say, I have never quite understod the difference between the 2 museums or who’s running them?
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Post by Alan Hayes on Aug 1, 2019 0:51:31 GMT 12
Nothing to be ashamed about. The Bressingham one opened earlier (in 2000 I think), and I imagine that with Thetford having such a history with Dad's Army it was thought that a dedicated DA museum there would help bring tourists to Thetford. Judging by what some of the volunteers said to me on my visit, it's doing the job quite nicely! |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 1, 2019 12:29:25 GMT 12
On the 6th of October 1972 the team filmed the farm scenes for All Is Safely Gathered In on Walnut Tree Farm, Bressingham, Norfolk. During filming vehicles from the Bressingham Steam Museum were used, including a threshing machine and the traction engine Bertha.
On the 25th of July 1999 the DAAS held a Dad’s Army Day at the Bressingham Steam Museum, attended by Bill Pertwee, Pam Cundell and Frank Williams.
Following that I think the museum and the DAAS teamed up to created a dedicated Dad's Army section in the museum as an added attraction to their already well established museum.
On the 14th of May 2000 The Dad’s Army Collection, a museum dedicated to the series, was opened at Bressingham
Steam Museum, Diss, Norfolk by Jimmy Perry and David Croft. The DAAS held a Convention at the opening, and a reunion of Dad’s Army cast and crew took place. In attendance were Jimmy Perry, David Croft, Bill Pertwee, Clive Dunn, Ian Lavender, Frank Williams, Pam Cundell, Eric Longworth, Harold Snoad, Kay Beck, Joan Le Mesurier, Brenda Cowling, Felix Bowness and Charles Garland
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Post by mereman on Aug 13, 2020 7:36:47 GMT 12
I'm ashamed to say that I haven't visited the Dad's Army museum yet. Bad really as I don't live that far away in Diss.
I know Bressingham well and managed to get to a few Dad's Army days there.
But once the present problems are over my wife and I (that sounds posh) will visit Thetford.
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Post by Alan Hayes on Aug 17, 2020 0:22:43 GMT 12
I imagine that the museum has been closed since early this year - does anyone have any news about when it might re-open? I hope that it can survive the economic shockwave that has hit so many businesses and charities this year.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 25, 2020 21:01:27 GMT 12
I have just seen a post on Facebook that Bressingham Museum is open again. Good news.
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Post by petere on Aug 25, 2020 21:52:27 GMT 12
That is good news!
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Post by Alan Hayes on Aug 26, 2020 4:21:05 GMT 12
That's positive news - and we really do need some of that. |
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