Join in ‘Lunchtime Bites’ at the Maison Dieu in Dover to see expert conservators at work
Wednesday 23 February sees the start of regular bite-size events at Dover’s historic Maison Dieu, where visitors can engage with specialists from Bainbridge Conservation as they demonstrate or talk about a fascinating aspect of the building’s Conservation in Action programme.
Lunchtime visitors are welcome to bring their own sandwich or take-away coffee as they find out about subjects as wide-ranging as how to conserve a William Burges neo-Gothic chair, repair a gilded picture frame or clean a 300-year-old royal portrait.
Join in to help conservation effort
Other drop-ins will explore the question of whether to conserve or restore – and the different approaches to object conservation; as well as how to look after your family treasures.
Visitors will also be able to discover fascinating stories about the building and its contents, uncovered by a talented team of Maison Dieu researchers. These include a bite-size talk about St Richard of Chichester and the statue of him carved by Dover policeman Bob Forsyth in 1955; Votes for Women – the tale of a Maison Dieu ballot box; the Dover history windows in close-up detail; and the story of the portrait of James Poulter, Dover’s only Quaker mayor.
The team at the Maison Dieu hope these introductory sessions will appeal to people working in Dover town centre, who are looking for something a bit different to do in their lunch hour.
Lunchtime bites take place between 12.30pm and 1.00pm in the Maison Dieu Stone Hall on the following days:
- Wednesday 23 February
- Wednesday 2, 9, 23 & 30 March
- Saturday 9 April
- Wednesday 20 April
- Wednesday 4 & 18 May
- Friday 3 June
- Saturday 4 June
- Wednesday 15 & 29 June
Entry is free and there’s no need to book.
For details of the forthcoming programme and access information visit www.maisondieudover.org.uk