Dad's Army Museum
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| Established | December 2007 |
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| Location | Cage Lane in Thetford, Norfolk |
| Coordinates | 52°24′47″N 0°45′02″E / 52.412934°N 0.750606°E |
| Type | Dad's Army |
| Website | http://dadsarmythetford.org.uk/ |
The Dad's Army Museum is a museum located in Cage Lane in Thetford in Norfolk, England, dedicated to the popular BBC comedy series Dad's Army.[1] Many of the outdoor locations were filmed in the local area. The museum is housed in the old fire station at the rear of Thetford Guildhall, which itself stood in for Walmington-on-Sea Town Hall in several of the episodes.
It is run by volunteers who, throughout the year, attend many 1940s events in East Anglia with Jones' Van.
History
Thetford Guildhall, where the museum is based, featured in the episode of 1972, "Time On My Hands" of Dad's Army, in which a German Luftwaffe pilot dangled from the clock tower when his parachute became caught in the clock's hands. The Guildhall was also used in the episode of 1974, "The Captain's Car".
The Dad's Army Museum opened in December 2007, and includes a reconstruction of Captain Mainwaring's church hall office, several display areas, a shop and the Marigold Tea Room.[2] The museum displays many unique photographs (many from the collection of the Dad's Army Appreciation Society) along with other memorabilia and items connected with the series.
Uniforms on display include a replica of the red, bemedalled Full Dress Uniform worn by Lance-Corporal Jones in the series, and others worn by the Home Guard.[3]
Jones' van
In December 2012, the museum bought the original Ford BB van used as Jones' butcher's van in the series for £63,100, including the premium.[4][5][6] Because of limited space in the Dad's Army Museum, the van went on display at the nearby Charles Burrell Museum in March 2013, after a period of restoration.[7][8]
Opening times
The museum is run by volunteers, and is open on each Saturday from Easter until the end of November, and on Tuesdays during the Norfolk school summer holidays. Admission is free.
Gallery
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The Exhibition Hall -
Captain Mainwaring's office -
Lance-Corporal Jones' medals and tunic
References
- ^ The Dad's Army Museum on the Literary Norfolk website
- ^ Visit Us- The Dad's Army Museum website
- ^ The Dad's Army Museum on the Culture24 website
- ^ - 'Dad's Army butcher van goes on sale' - The Daily Telegraph 20 September 2012
- ^ 'Dad's Army van is delivered to Thetford' - Eastern Daily Press - 13 December 2012
- ^ Jones' van on the Dad's Army Museum website
- ^ 'Dad's Army: L/Cpl Jones' butcher's van restored' - BBC News website - 30 March 2013
- ^ 'Visitors can "have a butchers" at Jones's Dad's Army van' - Norwich Evening News - 3 April 2013