Welcome to the February/March Castle Transformation Newsletter
This month, we feature:
- Project update - Lace Gallery, Rebellion Gallery, Notts TV
- Behind the Scenes - mannequins and the entrance to The Robin Hood Gallery
- Best new UK attractions - Castle listed by The Guardian
-?Nottingham Castle Trust news - Nottingham's in Your Face and newsletters
- Visit Nottinghamshire - Promoting the Castle to new visitors
- Snow visitor - Who left the mysterious footprint?
Image (below): New view from Nottingham Castle terrace
There are more images and latest news at?the Nottingham Castle Facebook page
 New Explore sign from Castle terrace. Image credit: Richard Hamblin
Project update - February/March
As the recant continues at the Castle, the galleries are gradually filling, becoming vibrant and colourful spaces. Here's an update...
Lace Gallery - The Nottingham Lace gallery is nearing completion with just a few finishing touches to go. Each dress on display has a bespoke mannequin which is carefully dressed utilising a variety of undergarments and padding materials.
In the images (below) you can see the multiple layers of netting and petticoats which were required to support the dress shown in the second picture. Another of the star objects in this gallery is a lace wedding dress, which was donated by Mrs Hoffman, the former secretary of Griffin and Spalding Ltd, the Nottingham draper and department store. She was gifted this wedding dress by her employer in 1956.
 Rebellion Gallery -??The recant of the Rebellion gallery is now also complete.
Pictures below show the tech team hard at work positioning the Civil War mannequins and also assembling a Stocking Frame (right) which forms part of the Luddite display.
This object had to be dismantled prior to moving to site due to its size and weight. With the help of experts from the Framework Knitters Museum in Ruddington, the team were able to reassemble precisely and prepare the object for display.
 Notts TV - With all the activity on site, we were glad to have Notts TV on hand to capture some of the work being undertaken (See below). As part of their documentary of the project, Notts TV was excited to gather footage of the reinstatement of some of our most important objects, and speak to members of the technical and curatorial teams responsible for this work.
Keep your eyes peeled for this programme, which we expect to air on or soon after opening.
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More 'behind the scenes' shots
You may remember the last edition featured the work of H & H Sculptors Ltd on Civil War case mannequins. Below, are some more pictures showing fascinating mannequin details.
Plus, the image to the left is of the beautiful entrance to the Robin Hood Gallery. Wonder what's behind there?
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Castle named one of "10 of the best new UK attractions to visit in 2021"
We were really excited to see the Castle listed in the Guardian's Top 10 new attractions to visit. The piece anticipates seeing the all improvements across site, the discovery of the legend of Robin Hood, caves visits, and the year-round programme of outdoor events in the castle grounds.
Read the article
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Nottingham Castle Trust News
Nottingham's in Your Face!
In the run up to reopening, Nottingham Castle Trust projected 100 faces, past and present, from our great city onto the Castle walls for all to see.
Working closely with experienced professional photographer Tracey Whitefoot and a group of young photographers to capture Nottingham?s residents, these portraits were taken to be projected onto the Castle walls, in a visual demonstration to show the importance of the people of Nottingham to the Castle.
Alongside the 100 faces, the dazzling celebration of the city featured quotes from some of Nottingham?s well-known wordy people, including rappers, poets and rebel writers!
Image above - Nottingham's In Your Face, illuminating Nottingham Castle with portraits of community heroes. Marcellus Baz BEM, Tryphena Anderson (Photo credit: Nottingham Castle Trust)
Read more about the project
The incredible projection was created by Vent media. You can see it for yourself by clicking the image below:
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Click image to watch video on YouTube
Newsletter signups
Nottingham Castle newsletter: all the need-to-know news
With opening plans underway, don't forget the?new website?to keep up to date with everything Nottingham Castle via the mailing list!
They promise only to contact you with the most exciting updates. Click the link to sign up and remember, you can unsubscribe at any time:?Join up now
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Visit Nottinghamshire - ExploreGB Virtual event
Nottingham Castle showcased at international travel trade event
Nottingham Castle teamed up with tourist board Visit Nottinghamshire to introduce the ?Castle of curious rebels? to the international travel trade at VisitBritain?s ExploreGB event, in a bid to drive international tourism in the months and years to come. In a series of conversations during the week-long event, the team highlighted the exciting developments at the Castle, including its contemporary and creative retelling of history, art and industry, and of course the innovative and immersive exploration of the legend of Robin Hood.
Travel trade professionals were keen to learn how the Castle could be incorporated into their travel packages and itineraries, and the team are hopeful that their attendance at the event will pay off with increased visitor numbers down the line. Find out more
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Visit Nottinghamshire Recovery Webinar
Sara-Blair Manning speaks at Visit Nottinghamshire?s Visitor Economy Recovery Webinar
Nottingham Castle Trust CEO Sara Blair-Manning spoke to local tourism and hospitality businesses at Visit Nottinghamshire?s Visitor Economy Recovery Webinar, explaining the Castle?s transformation and why it?s the ?most important heritage project in England?. It is hoped that the Castle?s transformation will be the catalyst for the recovery of Nottinghamshire?s tourism sector following COVID-19, and that local businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector will feel the benefit of its presence. Watch the recording of the event
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Snow visitor
Thanks to those of you who wrote to suggest who the snow visitor may have been.
We spoke to city experts; Sheila Wright, Curator of Zoology at Nottingham Natural History Museum at Wollaton Hall and Peter Acton, Field Ecologist at Nottinghamshire Biological Records Centre. Their verdict?...
From the (presumed) size and positioning of the four feet, definitely Grey Squirrel ? but this example was partially melted Here is a comparison with a photo from the internet (Below left) to show what they should look like!?
Did you guess right?
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