Posted by: Blog Administrator
on Sep 16, 2011
Just recently I and a friend were offered the brilliant opportunity to work at the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre for two days a week in August. Initially hoping to gain just some kind of work experience during the holidays, we expected very little, so to be able to access the archives and undertake research at one of the country’s best resources for history has been a great privilege.
Mere's celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee
What immediately has impressed us upon entry to the centre was the sheer enthusiasm of the staff, in particular Terry Bracher, who immediately set us out on a project. Due to the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in 10 months, we were tasked with gathering as much information as possible about festivities that occurred in Wiltshire on the day of Queen Victoria’s same celebration a mere 115 years prior. This provided us with a fascinating insight into the life of a historian, as we were trawling through countless school log books, to occasionally find a golden nugget of information. For instance, we discovered that Church of England Schools seemed to value this day far more, with far more detailed accounts, possibly showing that even then the monarchy was not as widely received by the mass public.
After initially utilising some of the 8 mile long archives for our research, we then moved on to the microfilm, giving us an example of how much media has changed over the last century. Still accessing information on the activities of June 20th 1897, we used the newspapers to extract more detailed accounts of events such as the processions and street gatherings, in and around Wiltshire. For example, the Swindon Advertiser gave a terrific description of what the celebrations in London as well as Swindon, while another paper interviewed an Indian serviceman who was ‘mesmerised’ by the wonderful sense of occasion nationwide. Accessing terrifically vivid photos as well, we have been able to truly learn about a fascinating time in Britain’s history.
Posted by: Blog Administrator
on Aug 2, 2011
Tagged in:
Work Experience ,
Wessex ,
village ,
Sherston ,
Saxon ,
Rattlebone ,
King Edmund Ironside ,
John Aubrey ,
Inn ,
Ethelred the Unready ,
Cnut ,
Canute ,
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
We recently spent an afternoon in the village of Sherston with work experience students looking at the development of the village. A prominent feature is the Rattlebone Inn, standing at the corner of the market place of what was a planned medieval town. The inn sign shows a Saxon warrior wielding an axe, commemorating the legend of John Rattlebone.
F0018 The Rattlebone Inn. The building dates from around 1700 when several new houses were built in Sherston.
We must turn now to John Aubrey, who recorded the following piece of doggerel that was used by old women and children in the mid 17th century;
“Fight well Rattlebone,
Posted by: Blog Administrator
on Nov 3, 2009
Tagged in:
Work Experience ,
Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre. ,
volunteers ,
village ,
variety ,
unlock ,
treasure-hunting ,
townswomen’s guild have ,
telephone rings ,
team meeting ,
strong room ,
search room ,
research ,
public ,
profession ,
procedures ,
Principal Archivist ,
postal strike ,
post ,
photographs ,
past ,
paperwork ,
owner ,
mould-infected ,
local studies ,
local school ,
local hospital ,
local history ,
living records ,
legal case ,
late 19th and early 20th centuries ,
laptop ,
jigsaw puzzle ,
information ,
immediate action ,
heritage field ,
guest speaker ,
glimpse ,
front door ,
file ,
fictional ,
fascination ,
eager ,
e-mails ,
duties ,
drying room ,
donation ,
day in the life ,
database ,
data projector ,
Council staff ,
computer ,
community centre ,
collection ,
Claire Skinner ,
challenge ,
catalogue ,
Archivist ,
archives conservators ,
Archives ,
archive service ,
afternoon meeting ,
accessioning ,
A-level history
No day is ever exactly like another for archivists, which is one of the reasons I went into the profession. It offers variety, challenge and a fascination for anyone interested in the past. The day below is a fictional one, a composite of many days in my life and those of my colleagues, designed to give a brief glimpse of just some of our many duties.
The Principal Archivist, Claire Skinner at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre Open Day, 2007
Today begins with our monthly team meeting – an opportunity for staff in both archives and local studies to talk about the operation of the search room and see if we can improve our procedures. Following this I unlock the front door at the usual time of 9.30 am and let in the people already waiting patiently outside, obviously eager to come in and begin or continue their research! 'Read more' to find out what else the day brings......
Posted by: Blog Administrator
on Aug 11, 2009
Tagged in:
working here ,
Work Experience ,
Wiltshire and Swindon Archives ,
Westbury ,
thought ,
staff ,
Samantha Lethaby ,
queries people e-mailed ,
public enquiries ,
posted in ,
polite ,
old slides that had to be destroyed ,
number of ,
listing documents ,
learn ,
kind ,
July 2009 ,
information ,
incredibly friendly ,
helping out ,
help desk ,
Hardenhuish School ,
extensive archives ,
different job everyday ,
David Light ,
computer ,
cataloguing new additions ,
books ,
archive service ,
Abbeyfield School
David Light of Hardenhuish School and Samantha Lethaby of Abbeyfield School both spent a week at Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, working for the archive service in July this year. In their own words they describe what they did and what they thought of working here…
What kind of things did you do?
You are most likely to be doing a different job everyday, whether this is helping out with public enquiries downstairs or cataloguing new additions to the extensive archives. (David Light) Read on to find out more....
