Thetford

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Thetford

Above: Our second visit to Thetford, but Jacobs first, and much anticipated by our eldest grand son, who is a mad keen Dad's Army fan, owning all editions of the programme; those that are avaialble and not lost to prosperity, and numerous other artifacts. Glad I'm in the first picture otherwise I wouldn't have used it. This and the next with Jacob on his own was taken inside the Dads Army museum, housed within the old Thetford fire station. One of the volunteers who man the museum took the picture for us standing with Captain Mainwairing. The poor composition, in fairness to him, was down to an old lady who kept coming infront of us whilst he tried to take the shot, she has been cropped out. Dads Army has meant a lot to the town, hence the commemorative statue to Mainwairing seated on the bench, now with Jacob for company.

Thetford is also famous, in rather a selective community of steam enthusiasts, as being the home for Charles Burrell and his steam engine manaufacture. A museum has been created within part of the old factory, again run by volunteers, home of a number of Burrell engines, in addition to the famous Jones The Butchers van used in many of the Dads Army productions. Housed here, one assumes, due to lack of space at the Fire Staion, which is crammed full of interesting facts, photographs, many taken whilst the series was being produced and the inevitable artifacts.