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sue.jpgWe do hope that you are enjoying your membership of FOSKD and all the benefits that it brings, including the great concessions available from local businesses. This March edition of our new look monthly newsletter contains information about our varied programme of social events & local news. Behind the scenes your hard working Committee hold quarterly meetings with the owners of the Dock & keep a close eye on planning applications that may affect the local area. It will soon be time to renew your membership at the end of March and we will shortly be sending you details of how to do this. We very much hope that you will decide to renew your membership of our thriving community group.

Sue Hughes, Chairman, FOSKD

Forthcoming social events

Drinks in the Copperfield Bar of the Dickens Inn

dickens2.jpgOn Monday 3rd March 2014 please join us for drinks from 6.30pm in the Copperfield Bar of the Dickens Inn which is situated on the ground floor to the right of the main bar. This is a great opportunity to invite other friends and neighbours who you think might be interested in joining our group. We now have 250 members who are enjoying the benefits of being part of our thriving community!

Early morning tour of the Palace of Westminster

westminster.jpgOn Monday 24th March we will have an early morning tour of the Palace of Westminster (Meeting time 8.45am) as guests of Jim Fitzpatrick MP. Our previous visit was oversubscribed as only 20 guests are allowed on each visit. Those who applied for places on that occasion, but were unsuccessful, will be given priority if they would like to join the group in March. Booking details will be emailed to members shortly.

Visit to The Royal Foundation of St Katharine

royalFoundation.jpgOn the evening of Wednesday 4th June we will make a return visit to The Royal Foundation of St Katharine in Limehouse following the very successful visit there last year. The Master, Mark Aitken, who together with his wife Kim is a member of FOSKD, has kindly agreed to give us a talk about the fascinating history of this "Royal Peculiar" which was originally founded in St Katharine Docks in 1147 consisting of a medieval chapel & hospital which were demolished in 1825 to make way for the building of the Docks. This will also be our summer party & with luck, if the sun shines, we can look forward to a glass or two of Pimms in their beautiful hidden garden!

Visit to the Brooklands Museum for the Concorde Champagne Day

concorde.jpgOur visit to the Brooklands Museum for the Concorde Champagne Day has been arranged for Monday 7th July. We will take the 0930 train from Waterloo with our own Routemaster bus to collect us at Weybridge station! After a reception in the historic Members' Bar, once on board Concorde you will be able to visit the flight deck & view the rear cabin exhibition. Over lunch we will have a talk by former Chief Concorde Pilot, Capt. Mike Bannister. There will be sufficient time to explore the rest of the Brooklands Museum before returning to Waterloo at approximately 1700. For now please save the date & you will receive booking information in due course.

Other events to look forward to

A visit to Tower Bridge for a special "behind the scenes" tour

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You will learn about the Bridge's captivating history and construction from an experienced guide; be able to admire the spectacular panoramic views from the high-level walkways and wonder at the original steam pumping engines, accumulators and boilers in the atmospheric Engine Rooms. The Bridge's Senior Technical Officer will guide us around those areas normally out of bounds to the public, including the Bridge Control Room, the immense Bascule Chambers below river level and the Machinery Room, which houses the impressive hydraulics that power the lifting of the Bridge. Date to be confirmed.

Remembering Europe's French Huguenots

We are arranging for a private tour guided by art historian and broadcaster Dan Cruickshank of a Huguenots weaver's house in Spitalfields. Date to be confirmed.

News from around the Dock

Network Wapping Neighbourhood Planning Forum

The Network Wapping Neighbourhood Planning Forum application went to Tower Hamlets Cabinet on 5th February with an officer's recommendation for refusal.

We are pleased to report that the officer's recommendation was upheld. In short, Network Wapping's Application was declined as a result of the high number of objections received, a large percentage of which were sent by members of FOSKD, so thank you to all those members who supported our campaign. Additionally, St Katharine Docks have been removed from the Planning Area that the Cabinet have agreed as the "Wapping Neighbourhood Planning Area".

View the recommendation that has been upheld.

There will be further discussions in respect of a Neighbourhood Forum for the following revised area. View details.

BRAVAS Tapas Bar - opening week beginning 3rd March

BRAVAS Tapas Bar in Ivory House - Restaurateur Bal Thind, the original investor in Hakkasan, Yauatcha and Busaba, and Chef Victor Garvey (previously of celebrated Basque region restaurants, Mugaritz and Akelarre and Acacia in southern Spain) have joined forces to open this contemporary tapas bar in the week beginning 3rd March.

The menu, created by Victor, includes dishes such as Jerusalem artichoke canelone with Medjool dates, grapefruit and beurre noisette; seared Mediterranean seabass fillet with Donostiarra sauce and classic tapas like croquetas, chipirones and patatas bravas, alongside a selection of cerviche.

Cocktails at Bravas are by George Matzaridis, also formerly of Hakkasan, and diners can enjoy wines, sangrias, craft beers - and of course, sherry at the bar.

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

clipper.jpgThe fleet is currently making steady progress towards China, with around 20 knots of wind coming from the north east and several of the yachts very close to each other as they beat through the busy shipping lanes of the South China Sea. GREAT Britain is now leading the fleet, followed by Old Pulteney and Team Garmin in third. The latest up-date we have is that the yachts are expected to reach St Katharine Docks on 12th July 2014 for the exciting finish of this epic round the world race.

Contact us

Should you require any further information, please feel free to contact us at contactus@foskd.org

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