It’s actually closer to 240, thanks to the recent exertions of our wonderful team of home-based volunteers. As always, we thank you. It is not too late to join their number – to find out more, see the FindersKeepers page on this blog.
It’s hard not to be aware of the cuts being made to public services across the country. Within the County Council, Derbyshire’s Libraries & Heritage division, which includes the Record Office, has to make cuts of £290,000 this year.
In order to achieve this, there is a proposal to reduce the Record Office’s opening hours by closing a day a week and being open on fewer Saturdays. Reducing our opening hours will help contribute up to £125,000 towards the division’s target.
We are carrying out a public consultation about reducing our opening hours, so if you use the Record Office, please help us by taking part. You can do so by filling in our short online survey or by completing a paper questionnaire when you’re at the Record Office. The consultation finishes on 6 November; please do take part and let us know what you think.
To find out more about the project, see the FindersKeepers page on this blog.
Yesterday I attended a fantastic event at County Hall (headquarters for Derbyshire County Council) here in Matlock.
The event – Celebrating Cultural Diversity – was co-hosted by Derbyshire County Council and Derbyshire’s black and minority ethnic (BME) communities.
Over 130 staff came along, joined by around 50 residents from Derbyshire’s BME communities.
I went along to represent the record office, taking a selection of records relating to black history which we hold in our collections. Records included evidence of black servants in Derbyshire houses, and lists of slaves on plantations in Barbados – the plantations being owned by the FitzHerbert family of Tissington Hall.
News reaches us of a talk which will be given by Clare Hartwell at Wirksworth Town Hall on the 13th of October. It’s all about her recently revised edition of Sir Nikolaus Pevsner’s work on the architecture of this county. Details below:
It was the busiest weekend I think we have ever had for staff from the record office, you have already heard about how we popped up at the Wirksworth Festival, which sounded amazing. I couldn’t make it along myself as I went along to Calke Abbey, home of the Harpur-Crewe family, with a small selection of original archives from their large collection (ref: D2375).
Oh my God! I can really touch it?! Oh my God!
It’s mouth watering stuff – are you putting up beds? I could stay all night. It’s wonderful
With over 580 visitors over just two afternoons, we were thrilled with how much people enjoyed handling the original material and amazed at some of the things they found out. Continue reading
As part of the Amazing Pop Up Archive team I wanted to share a few images of our wonderful event. It may have started off rainy and drizzly, but the people came and the sun shone (eventually). It was lovely to hear the stories and memories from the people of Wirksworth and the visitors to the Wirksworth Festival- you are now part of the living Archive ! Thank you to the Festival team, as ever the buzz in the town was fantastic and we were proud to be part of it.
The Amazing Pop Up Archives Project did what it says on the tin and ‘popped up’ at this year’s Wirksworth Festival.
Our bunting clad tents graced the glorious setting of the rectory lawn (many thanks to the wonderful Reverend David Truby !) and played host to a multitude of activities on the Saturday and Sunday of the Trails weekend.
Derbyshire stories, poems and songs were brought by poet Matt and musician Julian; we ‘met’ Mrs Winchester, mother of a ladies maid at Chatsworth, through story teller Maria and a weaver’s treasure was hunted thanks to Debi. And that was just in one tent!
Summer is fading with the falling leaves of Autumn starting to make an appearance, approaching that time of year when it’s comforting to curl up with a book in front of the fire. So here are some new additions to our Local Studies library: Continue reading
Specially selected items from the Harpur-Crewe family archive, held at the record office, will return home to Calke Abbey this weekend. Its actually our second visit, following a fantastically successful event this time last year, which saw nearly 300 people view our collections. Continue reading
