Blogging a building (17)

The new Heritage Hub is open to visitors! by Kim Kenny

As with any building work we have had our ups and downs, plenty of mess, noise and unexpected delays, but all that is behind us now and we are very happy as we begin an exciting new chapter in the history of Gloucestershire Archives.

As one of our first visitors commented, ‘the new space is so much lighter and brighter. And, someone has been very clever because there is so much more space. Really good.’  

Another visitor simply said ‘Very swish.’

New arrivals on our Catalogue

Volunteers from Cheltenham Local History Society have been producing more detailed lists of a number of local solicitors’ collections, supporting the production of the Victoria County History volume for Cheltenham.  These lists are now becoming available through the online catalogue.  Russell Self, who has been co-ordinating this volunteer activity, takes up the story:

Cheltenham Local History Society volunteers at Gloucestershire Archives, July 2016

Another website returns!

We blogged recently about the Barton and Tredworth website going live again after its designers, Community Sites, had converted it to a more accessible WordPress platform.  The same process has been happening to another of our partnership sites, celebrating the Gloucester engineering company Fielding and Platt. Fielding and Platt was founded in 1866 on the site of what is now the Quays retail outlet, and two blue plaques on the site commemorate its previous use.  This photograph from the 1950’s shows the rail entrance to the site from Southgate St (can you spot the poster for the Ealing comedy the Ladykillers?).

The end is nigh…

The plastering is finished, the electrics signed off, walls are being painted, carpets and the furniture ordered. We will soon be moving back into the re-built Heritage Hub.

To make the move as smooth as possible and so all staff are available to help get everything back into place the Archives will close for two weeks from 4.30pm Thursday 8^th March. We will re-open at 9am on Tuesday 27 March.