Foreword by Jeff Howe

I look forward to the challenge and relish the opportunities of leading the Friends of Dover Castle over the next year. We are privileged to be able to support one of the greatest Castles in Britain and the world, which stands so proudly on the White Cliffs of Dover. There are going to be membership increases which will give us more funds to improve our Castle. We need your ideas and help to make sure that we use these funds to the best possible effect. We want to expand the opportunity of members to join sub committees. The dates and members of the committee meetings are listed on page two and we anticipate two meetings a year for the sub committees. Please contact a member of the committee if you feel you can help. I hope to be able to talk to many members at our very successful carol concert on 8th December 2002. Feedback is so very important for us to be able to organise events that members will support.

   Chairman's Report at AGM - Ray Harlow

The Treasurer's Team won and the Vice-Chairman's team were awarded Wooden Spoons for coming last. The start of The Queen's Jubilee was celebrated in style with a beacon lighting and very elegant hospitality from Brigadier Santa-Ollala and his wife in Constable's Tower. Unfortunately I was hospitalised with a heart attack in April, but the Committee continued seamlessly and ran a successful publicity event at the Hospital Fete in July. In September, I was able to hand over a cheque to Tracey Wahdan to cover the cost of a new electric buggy for use in the tunnels, bringing the total number of buggies donated by the Friends to four. I hope that my successor will be able to make that five in time for Easter. We are grateful to Tracey Maguire for arranging our visit to Horseshoe Bastion tunnels and to Phil Wyborn-Brown for taking us round. The Committee are very grateful and appreciative of the help, advice, interest and support of the General Manager of Dover Castle and of her team, and also for the great help given by the Verger of St Mary-in-the-Castle. My thanks to the committee for all their hard work throughout the year. I am pleased to report that we are increasingly making use of e-mail to speed communications and are in the process of making our website even better than before, adding new pictures and features including a message board.