The Front Page. - Copy 165(Marina Hotel Opening. P&O Official Launch )
26 March 2011
Opening Night:
As most of you will know by now the Dover Marina Hotel on Dover seafront has opened it's doors. Last thursday evening a launch party was held, and Doverforum teamsters went along to get a photo or two of the occasion, and to see the new venture first hand. The Hotel has risen from the ashes of The Churchill Hotel which languished unspectacularly on the site for some years previously without impacting locally. The new Dover Marina Hotel, which is on the same site but has been completely gutted and rebuilt in terrific style, opened to the general public on friday and was very busy indeed. Local people popped along en masse to check out the new facilities.
"We want local people to enjoy this hotel, we very much want this hotel to be part of the community" These are the words of K Rajaseelan one of the three director brothers. That's a picture of the man himself left with three generations of his own family. The same family that transformed the Ramada Hotel, that other success story which is located on the approaches to Dover.
The all new Dover Marina Hotel is worth checking out as soon as possible. It's a great new facility for us all to enjoy, it's in a great location, the decor, all silver grey and green, is a delight. Let us all now support this venture so that it survives and thrives. Sadly...and let's face it, we haven't seen too many people making solid and considerable investment in Dover recently, so this venture is very welcome.
Doverforumites at Large: As is often the case we like to get some pictures of our members at the various events and here we have a few pix to throw in the mix. On the left we have long term lifer forumite Roger Walkden, now of the Channel Chamber of Commerce, seen left here sharing a joke or two with local tour man Richard Mahoney centre, who has been a trifle controversial recently as you may have seen, also in the pic on the righthandside is another highly topical figure in the shape of departing Town Clerk himself...Mike Webb. The picture on the right shows doughty forumites of longtime legend, Colette Boland of Doverforum, Barry Williams of the Chamber of Commerce, Cllr Jan Tranter former Mayor of Dover, and last but not least Cllr Cabinet Member DDC and KCC hi flyer Nigel Collor.
ColetteB is photographed here with Cllr and current Deputy Mayor David Hannent. Both have been suffering ill health recently but we are delighted to see both recovering and beginning to be chipper again. DavidH is resigning from Dover Town Council to take up the fight at DDC level..so good luck to him. Picture right shows yours truly trying to frighten the horses! Centre is Jan Tranter again and then Barry Wadsworth-Smith who has been a backroom boy at Doverforum for donkeys years. Once in a while they let us staff members out into the fresh air, but its not to be encouraged.
Words Paul Boland
Pictures Colette Boland, Paul Boland.
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Double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes DBE MBE added another title to her collection on thursday March 24 when she became Godmother to P&O Ferries’ giant new €180 million ship Spirit of Britain.
Dame Kelly officially named the ship, which is the largest ferry by far ever built for the Dover Strait, when she took centre stage at a ceremony on board the super new ferry. She is shown pictured at the event with Captain David Miller, Senior Master.
Spirit of Britain will be joined on the Dover – Calais route by her identical twin, Spirit of France, in September. The combined cost of €360 million for the pair of ships represents the largest investment ever made by P&O Ferries.
Opening Night:
Dover Marina Hotel
As most of you will know by now the Dover Marina Hotel on Dover seafront has opened it's doors. Last thursday evening a launch party was held, and Doverforum teamsters went along to get a photo or two of the occasion, and to see the new venture first hand. The Hotel has risen from the ashes of The Churchill Hotel which languished unspectacularly on the site for some years previously without impacting locally. The new Dover Marina Hotel, which is on the same site but has been completely gutted and rebuilt in terrific style, opened to the general public on friday and was very busy indeed. Local people popped along en masse to check out the new facilities.
"We want local people to enjoy this hotel, we very much want this hotel to be part of the community" These are the words of K Rajaseelan one of the three director brothers. That's a picture of the man himself left with three generations of his own family. The same family that transformed the Ramada Hotel, that other success story which is located on the approaches to Dover.
The all new Dover Marina Hotel is worth checking out as soon as possible. It's a great new facility for us all to enjoy, it's in a great location, the decor, all silver grey and green, is a delight. Let us all now support this venture so that it survives and thrives. Sadly...and let's face it, we haven't seen too many people making solid and considerable investment in Dover recently, so this venture is very welcome.
Words Paul Boland
Pictures Colette Boland, Paul Boland.
* *
Golden Launch!
Double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes DBE MBE added another title to her collection on thursday March 24 when she became Godmother to P&O Ferries’ giant new €180 million ship Spirit of Britain.
Dame Kelly officially named the ship, which is the largest ferry by far ever built for the Dover Strait, when she took centre stage at a ceremony on board the super new ferry. She is shown pictured at the event with Captain David Miller, Senior Master.
Spirit of Britain will be joined on the Dover – Calais route by her identical twin, Spirit of France, in September. The combined cost of €360 million for the pair of ships represents the largest investment ever made by P&O Ferries.