June’s Twitter Digest

Welcome to the Twitter Digest for June, and no prizes for guessing that there’s something of a Royal theme this month.

Our Archive Of The Week noted that Apperknowle Board School celebrated our Queen’s Silver Jubilee with country dancing and a fancy cake.

We even highlighted some of those held at one of Her Majesty’s predecessor’s Pleasure. The calendars of prisoners contain a quarterly list of individuals in gaol and awaiting trial. Below you’ll find the tale of James “Jemmy” Wharton, a well-known Black pugilist, convicted for his role in the unauthorised boxing bout at Turnditch in 1852.

There were also the drawings and writings by Erasmus Augustine Kallihirua, an Inuit guide and would-be missionary who died at a young age in 1856.

As well as a snippet from the Abootsholme School newspaper from 1949. This school in Marston Montgomery was founded by Scottish academic Dr Cecil Reddie in 1889.

Elsewhere in archives, there is a fabulous performance of dances from a fascinating 15^th Century notebook in our Gresley collection. It contains a list of medieval dances, with choreography and dance melodies. They were performed by the Greensleeves group in 2013.

While our Local Studies Library celebrated Windrush Day with a book written in 1998 during Derby Carnival’s 50th Anniversary celebrations of the arrival of the Empire Windrush.

It features stories and memories capturing the spirit of carnival and its pioneers, including poems by Dave ‘Stickman’ Higgins.

Historically our archive collections mostly speak from the white British (usually colonists’) perspective – we are working to redress the imbalance by revising our catalogues. Did you catch this blogpost last year, considering the role of freedom fighters in 18^th Century Jamaica?

Our Local Studies Books of the Week profiled ‘Double Life’ by gay campaigner & author, Belper’s Narvel Annable. In this novel, Annable draws on his own experiences of concealing his sexuality and the issues he faced during his teaching career from the 1970s through to the 1990s.

We also tweeted about ‘Chatsworth, Arcadia, Now’ by John-Paul Stonard. Telling the story of an extraordinary place through seven scenes from its life, it explores the arts, curios, architectural treasures and beautiful surroundings of this great country house; highlighted through fabulous photographs by Victoria Hely-Hutchinson.

Of course, we’re all very much looking forward to getting our copy of the brand new book produced by Derbyshire Victoria County History. Our thanks go to the Derbyshire Times for coverage of our latest VCH spin-off book on Hasland, launched on 15 June.

Did you spot many wearing hats like these late Victorian children’s bonnets at Royal Ascot this year?

June has also been Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month, and this year the theme was ‘What Makes a Home’ for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people.

To find out more or to get involved, take a look at this great website.

There are also some excellent resources online to support your research and understanding of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller experiences through history and today. ‘Travellers Times Films’ have some fantastic short films exploring the subject.

And of course, our Local Studies Library celebrated with a handpicked display of these marvellous books to explore the topic.

Why not come and browse through them at Derbyshire Record Office?

For anyone who remembers last month’s Twitter Digest, Museum Week fell in the middle of June), and we highlighted more accolades for the Museum of Making at Derby Silk Mill. This time they made it to the finalist stage of the Muddy Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire awards in the BEST FAMILY ATTRACTION category!

They may have missed out in the final vote, but it was great for us to visit Derby’s Silk Mill to participate in the Derbyshire Family History Society’s open day, along with lots of other heritage organisations from around the county.

Best of luck to the Museum of Making for 14^th July.

Also, congratulations to the winner of the Platinum Pudding competition!

But did you know that Derby has its own culinary and artist connection to Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation?

Oh yes, how could we forget? Happy International Archives Day for the 9^th of June. It’s not too late, why not celebrate by browsing our newly updated online catalogue – go on, you know you want to!

And Finally

Putting a great big cross through someone is one way to show the photographer whose image you want to keep! These photos are from the Calke Abbey archive. Does anyone know who the ladies are?