All the latest news from the Record Office - forthcoming talks, exhibitions, recent deposits. Please scroll to see the articles below.
Record Office awarded Archive Pace Setter status
Our successful Mining Durhams Hidden Depths project has been rewarded with the prestigious award of Archive Pace Setter by the National Council on Archives, for innovation in the archive sector and excellent project management. The project was innovative in that a very large number of volunteers, most of whom had never had contact with the Record Office before, were recruited and supported. They came from a wide range of ages and backgrounds, including a group of volunteers with learning disabilities and a group from one of the County Council's care homes. A dedicated project outreach worker supported the volunteers in terms of advice and guidance, monitoring, quality control and signposted the volunteers to other learning opportunities, eg Skills for Life. A key outcome and one that was very much valued by our learners is that they were able to carry out their work in the community and at home by having copies of archives provided, memory sticks to record indexing details, or paper versions if they prefer. The project was very learner centred, offering a variety of ways of working. Previously our volunteers have had to work in the Record Office in our normal opening hours. Archivists, in preparing the catalogue, identified documents suitable for indexing by the learners. Many of the existing indexes available on the internet concentrate on fatalities in the coal mining industry. This project sets out to index people working in the industry in County Durham, not just those who died. In the course of the project, we have also discovered that many of the records contain details of miners' families, not just the miner himself. The searchable online index they have created currently contains over 5000 names, with another 60,000 entries waiting to be processed. What an achievement! The online catalogue to the Durham Miners' Association records will be available later this year.
Listen to the Soldier WW2 Oral History Project
Veteran soldiers reveal what it was really like to be an infantryman in World War 2 in this unique collection of sound recordings.
Contact us for further details.
Exhibitions in the Record Office Entrance
Who Do You Think You Are? shows the process of tracing your family tree, based on a real family from Metal Bridge, County Durham. The exhibits demonstrate how to gather information from the available sources and some of the pitfalls to watch out for.
Roma Gypsy Traveller History in Durham celebrates the history of the biggest ethnic minority group in County Durham. Documents on display include photographs of gypsies and their caravans, and the various fairs at which they gather. A parish register from 1592 shows how 'Egyptians' as they were known were persecuted. There are also extracts from a 19th century pamphlet about gypsies.
Guided Walks
As part of the County Council Guided Walks programme, we currently offer two guided 'walks' in the Record Office. On the last Thursday of each month (except December), you have the opportunity to see behind the scenes and find out what we do in 'Your County Record Office', or enjoy hands-on experience of the archives in 'Discover Durham Documents'. The 'walks' last 1½ hours and cost £2.50. Simply turn up at the main entrance to County Hall at 6.00p.m., or
contact us for further details.
