There is not a slag heap there anymore John but a very nice park which my wife and myself go to alot,but as I said very sorry to see it go and not so many of the Public will now see it.

I also think Deal is more apt having lived in both towns, there was a larger mining community in Deal. I certainly would not argue about it being in Dover though.

Does anyone know what is going in the Miner's place or will the base stay vacant.



Old age is a wonderful thing.................................at times

I am told they are going to put one up of myself(And so they should)

Vic Buried

Still sad to see it leave our seafront where its been for so long came along there this morning and had a last look.

As above Jan - the Channel Dash Association are want a memorial there.

He has arrived already (this was 12:30!!)

A much better position showing the terrific sculpting workmanship at it's best. Undoubtedly in the right place now.

It does look very good but will alot of the public see it as they did on the front at Dover?

Vic, Scotchie answered that question days ago. The answer was "yes".

Yes Fowlmead is very well used and passed by a lot more people that Dover seafront

I hope so,We will be going out there with our family because we love it out there and it is a very big +to the DDC for doing it.

First, I would like to apologise to forumites, that have helped and supported the moving of the Statue, for not informing them of today’s move. It was decided due to health and safety, common sense and sincerity for Dover’s loss, that it should be moved with minimum fuss. I would also like to thank the people of Dover for taking such care of this statue and promise that we will endeavour to give it the same such care and attention.
Vic & others, I am pleased that you all show such passion in wanting to keep the statue in Dover and I certainly understand your feelings but it was commissioned to commemorate all Kent Miners and in its new position it will benefit all Kent Miners.
Andy Cooper,
The “formerly” sums up your thread, we have on from then and the Miners Way Trail gave the miners of Kent a much more appropriate place to site the Statue.
I have to relate this passage to you from a book that was dropped into Fowlmead and written by a former miner. He was a young boy whose father was a wages clerk and spent some of his days at the pit with hi father. One day he noticed a new flag was flying from the pit head. His father explained it was the new NCB flag and meant, they should be better off and now I quote
” nothing’s changed, it’s got worse. They’ve given the Division Chairman job to a Rear Admiral who knows nothing whatsoever about coal and they’ve even given him a plush office looking out over Dover Harbour so that he can sit and watch ships coming and going all day”
Do times change, I sometimes wonder?

The new site will be a place for members of our communities to visit and remember their loved ones and recall memories with the memorial plinth that will be in place soon and visitors will be able to read about our pits and via the Miners Way Trail information board will be encouraged to visit our villages and towns. The statue in its new position will have a big impact for everyone and yes it will be seen and visited by many more people in the future, more than ever before.
We are hoping to have the new site completed very soon. Please come and visit and make your own minds up.

Gary, A very good post and thank you for the wording of it.

i second that vic, gary and his team have worked long and hard to get the statue moved and hopefully it will be seen and visited by as many people as possible.
it is a true work of art commemorating people who did a vital job that i would never have considered doing.

Excellent stuff Gary - well done. The statue looked good in Dover but always seemed out-of-place somehow. Fowlmead really is the perfect home for it. It really is a nice stroll up there, well worth a wander.

Thanks for that Gary.

Not pleased to see it go, but pleased it has a good and valued new home.

Onwards and upwards.





Roger

Many thanks Gary and well said. I duplicate Roger's post there, sorry to see it go too as I had a permanent visual of it every day and could see how popular it was with kids and so on, all wanting to be photographed with it etc etc. But glad its gone to a good home.

email: dover7@msn.com

ALL;

I also sad to see the statue moved and share others views that Dover has as much history as the villages on this.

But moved it has been so have to make the most of it.

Keith,
You would never hear me argue about that statement.
Dover and its mining community is as important as anywhere else in Kent and is very important to us, the Kent Miners Festival Committee. We have been trying to get someone from the Dover area to sit on our committee or to liaise with us, to link up with the people of Dover, just as we have been with the people of Ramsgate.
Unfortunately no one has come forward. This year we are laying on buses to bring people in from both towns and we need feedback as to how many aprox visitors will be taking up this offer of a free ride on a vintage bus to your one and only true mining area event?
It is not too late to join us, we are already planning next years and plans have already started for Aylesham to start organising the 2012 event. We need someone to promote this event in Dover with information, leaflets, posters, bus timetables & selling programs.
Come on you forumites, you have shown your passion for the Statue, show some for this Community Festival?

Photos now on the BBC news website

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/kent/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8871000/8871341.stm