iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Family History Federation @federationfhs.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

The 1939 Register was established to provide information to assist with the control and planning for mobilisation and evacuation of the civilian population and to maximise the efficiency of the economy during the Second World War. www.exploreyourgenealogy.co.uk/the-1939-reg...

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Alan Akeroyd @alanakeroyd.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Our very own Public Services Archivist Sue Sampson will be there too, talking about sources at #cambridgeshirearchives

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Alan Akeroyd @alanakeroyd.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

I need to say how impressed I am with #thenationalarchives. I asked TNA a very technical conservation-related question yesterday and at 5.30 they came back with an amazingly thorough and helpful reply. Absolute top quality stuff and thank you @hannahkj.bsky.social for making it happen

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Helping a local secondary school put more local history into their new history syllabus and it's really giving me a brain workout. Here's T. C. Lethbridge running a dig at Burwell Castle in 1935. This was one of the castles built locally by Stephen during the Anarchy period.

Two older men wearing caps and plus fours standing next to a ditch with various young people doing the actual digging. There's a group of small boys sitting and watching.

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The Cromwell Museum @cromwellmuseum.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Our amazing volunteers are the lifeblood of our museum, welcoming visitors, leading education sessions, delivering tours, helping behind the scenes, provide governance as Trustees and much more. This #volunteersweek we thank them all for the incredible work they do. 🙏 😀

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Cambridge University Library @theul.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

🌿 This sprig of wild mignonette (Reseda lutea) was picked from a cornfield near Horseheath, Cambridgeshire, in 1784 – and it still survives today in a remarkable herbarium compiled by Edward Hanmer. Explore it online in @camdiglib.bsky.social loom.ly/Nf6YOy8 (MS Add.10547)

A pressed wild flowers. Text overlay reads: "Picked from a Cambridgeshire cornfield in 1784"

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Kent Archives @kentarchives.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Did you know that 2026 is the #NationalYearofReading? To celebrate, we've curated a display of original manuscripts exploring Kent's literary connections ✍️ In this cabinet, you'll find documents penned by #JohnDonne, #RobertBurns, #AgathaChristie and #SiegfriedSassoon…

Shown here is a photograph of the left-hand display cabinet outside the Search Room at Kent Archives and Local History Service, Maidstone.

It currently contains a display curated to celebrate the National Year of Reading, including original manuscripts by John Donne, Robert Burns, Agatha Christie and Siegfried Sassoon.

To decorate the cabinet, we’ve added miniature bunting inspired by the blue plaques affixed to buildings that indicate a notable person’s connection to a place. Our plaques shine a spotlight on literary figures and their links to locations across Kent.

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Alan Akeroyd @alanakeroyd.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

It's the first of May! - and my unique Huntingdonshire archivists and antiquarians desktop calendar shows the elegant Edwardian profile of Herbert Norris, whose collection of artefacts, books and documents became the Norris Museum in St Ives. A hero to us all. www.norrismuseum.org.uk

A desktop calendar showing the month of May, with a black and white photograph of someone who looks very much Edward Elgar (but isn't)

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The Cromwell Museum @cromwellmuseum.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

The first of our spring programme of guided walks is this evening, Tuesday 21 April, with a tour around 17th century St Ives - next Tuesday, 28 April, is an entertaining evening walks around 1600s Huntingdon. More details and bookings at: cromwellmuseum.org/events/filte...

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Alan Akeroyd @alanakeroyd.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

The cherry trees outside our Ely archives building are in blossom #cambridgeshirearchives

Two cherry trees in blossom outside the main entrance to a building

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Alan Akeroyd @alanakeroyd.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

It's now April on my unique Huntingdonshire archivists desk calendar! and here we have Canon Bagley, county archivist 1947-1951. He did stirling work on the early accessions but threw in the towel when the fire service dumped their old billiards table in the archives office #huntingdonshirearchives

A page on a desktop flip calendar. It shows a black and white photo of a Church of England cleric giving a sermon, and a diary for April 2026

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The Cromwell Museum @cromwellmuseum.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Drop into Huntingdon Town Hall tomorrow, 2 April, from 12pm - 4pm to create your own version of Cromwell's watch! FREE activity. No need to book. Ages 6+.

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Alan Akeroyd @alanakeroyd.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Our new catalogue's front page at archives.cambridgeshire.gov.uk includes links to our A-Z of research guides - hopefully researchers into Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire's history will find them useful #cambridgeshirearchives #huntingdonshirearchives

A slightly rotated screenshot of thumbnail links to research guides, including Hundred Rolls, Huntingdon Borough and the Huntly Family of Orton Hall

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

I'll be there from the Cambridgeshire Collection, along with our friends at Cambridgeshire Archives. Should be a good do - I'm looking forward to it. Now just need to redesign our leaflet!

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Alan Akeroyd @alanakeroyd.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Our new catalogue system has gone live today! Huge thank you to the archives team who have worked hard to clean and QA the data before importing everything, and to our colleagues in IT who led the procurement project. You can visit it here archives.cambridgeshire.gov.uk #cambridgeshirearchives

The front page of Cambridgeshire County Council's new archives database. It shows an old map in the background, superimposed by a search box.

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Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

It’s always exciting to unpack a new collection. These diaries of structural engineer Ove Arup are being sorted and arranged before they are added to the rest of his archive. And wow, did he love a diary. Detailed diaries or journals, pocket diaries, desk diaries, notebooks and to-do lists

A side view of diaries in piles on a table

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Buckinghamshire Archives @bucksarchives.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

For #MKMonday, here's an early plan of Milton Keynes from 1965! This map is by the architect Bill Berrett and shows the potential 'butterfly' design of the city.

A photo of a plan of a city, showing a wide, butterfly-like shape to it. Individual neighbourhoods are separated from each other with green spaces, with a central city centre. To one side are proposed industrial areas. The whole place is serviced via public transport, initially a monorail.

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Alan Akeroyd @alanakeroyd.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Here's March in my unique Huntingdonshire antiquarians and archivists calendar! This is Philip Dickinson, Hunts county archivist 1962-68, who in 1941 rediscovered the ancient borough charters (they had been thought lost for centuries). Sadly he never understood how an accession register worked.

The March page of a desk calendar. It shows a black and white photograph of an archaeological dig in the 1960s. A white haired man with glasses is holding what seems to be a glass jar that he has found. In the background a woman is looking at him. She seems most unimpressed.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

Great to see Cambridgeshire Libraries on the shortlist for the Libraries Connected Awards for Information and Digital again this year. This time was for our Everyspace Project. Read more about it and see the rest of the nominees at www.librariesconnected.org.uk/news/shortli...

librariesconnected.org.uk

Shortlist announced for Libraries Connected Awards 2026 | Libraries Connected

The Libraries Connected Awards celebrate the achievements of library workers who have made an exceptional difference to their users or their wider community.

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Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Today is International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness. This photo shows the 627 boxes of archive material we preserve related to the Pugwash Conferences, which began in 1950 to discuss the worldwide threat of nuclear weapons...

Photograph of brown acid-free archive boxes on a rolling stack in the strongroom

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

For LGBTQ+ History Month, Cambridge Central Library will be hosting the BFI on Saturday 28th February 2-3:30pm - come along to their screening and mini zine workshop. You can book your ticket on Eventbrite at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/black-quee...

eventbrite.co.uk

Black Queer Lives: Exploring the Archive and Mini-Zine Workshop

Join us at Cambridge Central Library for this event with the BFI team to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month!

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

It's Arbury Day today - celebrating the 60th birthday of Arbury Court library. We're here till 2pm!

A selection of photos of Arbury Court library over the years laid out on a table

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British Library @britishlibrary.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Despite recent challenges, our UK Web Archive team remains dedicated to safeguarding the nation’s online heritage. Find out more about UK Web Archive recovery in this latest blog post here: link.bl.uk/aaq

link.bl.uk

The UK Web Archive: continuing our work behind the scenes

We are hoping to restore the UK Web Archive towards the middle of 2026.

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Cambridge University Library @theul.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Genizah Fragment (Or.1080 J23): a late 12th century love letter. Perahya is in Cairo and misses his wife, Umm Thana: “Of late my yearning has become so strong that I am not able to bear it anymore." He invites her to join him, promising she can choose her own carpets. 🤔 loom.ly/h2W1pMI

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Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

The study points to using libraries and visiting museums as bringing these enormous brain health benefits ... who would have thought? Well, librarians and museum folk for a start ... www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

theguardian.com

Reading and writing can lower dementia risk by almost 40%, study finds

Cognitive health in later life is ‘strongly influenced’ by lifelong exposure to intellectually stimulating environments, say researchers

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

Well talk went well and I enjoyed the chance to look round Ely market. Glad to see the pride flag flying. Off for a week annual leave now.

The inclusive pride flag flying from the flag pole at Ely market. The war memorial and Ely Cathdral are visible in the background

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The Cromwell Museum @cromwellmuseum.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

This weekend, Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 February, discover the astonishing high end fashion of the 17th century with our Royal Fashion event. On Saturday, learn about the clothing of the early 1600s, Sunday that of the Restoration & 1660s. Details at: cromwellmuseum.org/events/royal...

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Stephen Moir @ssmoir.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

@alanakeroyd.bsky.social definitely one for your personal archives (sorry that’s such a bad joke!) Such a wonderful way to see you and the work of your team recognised! #CambridgeshireCountyCouncil #ProudCEO

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Alan Akeroyd @alanakeroyd.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Hey it's February already and my lovely desk calendar now shows Sidney Inskip Ladds (1867-1950), an architect who was one of the small but very busy group of Huntingdonshire antiquarians back in the early 20th century. Ladds designed the Norris Museum in St Ives, where his papers are now kept

A photo of a desktop calendar for February 226, showing a black and white photo of a bowler hatted gent with a thick moustache

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Buckinghamshire Archives @bucksarchives.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

"average archivist eats 3 documents a year" factoid actualy just statistical error. average archivist eats 0 documents per year. Documents Georg, who lives in the strongroom & eats over 10,000 each day, is an outlier adn should not have been counted

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South West Heritage Trust @swheritagetrust.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Thanks to @thefnl.bsky.social this exceptionally rare Tudor map of Kingsbridge in Devon has been acquired for public research at the Devon Heritage Centre, after more than four centuries in private hands.

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Alan Akeroyd @alanakeroyd.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

Fantastic! Nothing better than the history of local government 😀

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Great to see a full page and a half about Cambridgeshire Archives in the Cambridge Independent this week. You're famous @alanakeroyd.bsky.social!

The first page of an article in the Cambridge Independent titled "From Nelson to Cromwell: Archives are a treasure trove" by Paul Brackley with various photographs of the Cambridgeshire archive store, Alan Akeroyd the archive service manager and various stuff held at the archives

The second page, with a photo of Alan on a stepladder in the store and more pictures of stuff in the archives

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Friends of the Nations’ Libraries @thefnl.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Delighted our grant enabled Dorset History Centre to acquire this fascinating manuscript. Dr Giles Roberts (1766-1834) was a key personality in Bridport's history. In 1807 he was appointed Medical Attendant there and campaigned for better hygiene and public health. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

Apothecary's manuscript acquired at auction

Dr Giles Roberts came up with the

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archiveswales.bsky.social @archiveswales.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

The Garth Gold Mine in Cilcain was thought to be the richest goldfield in Wales upon its discovery in 1889! This map held at North East Wales Archives shows the area that brough wealth and fortune to the Welsh economy, and where many thought X marked the spot! @newalesarchives.bsky.social

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Norfolk Record Office @norfolkro.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Today is #NationalPieDay , to celebrate we have a 18thc recipe for Chicken pie from the Bulwer collection. Could this be the earliest reference to 'pulled chicken'? #recipes #NorfolkHistory

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Alan Akeroyd @alanakeroyd.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

A hydroplane near Huntingdon in 1913. This is one of a recent accession of stereo photos received at #huntingdonshirearchives, and the collection includes the handheld viewer too, so searchers who visit us in person can get the full stereo effect. More info in the Alt #randomdocument

A stereo black and white photo (ie two images side by side, almost but not quite exactly the same) showing a very large biplane in a field. This slightly damaged photo was taken by Dr Reginald Grove of St Ives, Huntingdonshire, on Tuesday 15th April 1913. Dr Grove carefully noted a lot of extra information on the back of the print, including the aperture of f8, the exposure time of 1/20th of a second, and the time of day of 4 pm. Document ref HA D1757/7/48

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Elaine Treharne @etreharne.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

Oh, the skill, the craftspersonship! Back at the Bodleian Treasures exhibition to marvel at this 15th or 16thC Qur’an (MS Ouseley Add. 178) and the 8thC MacRegol Gospels (MS Auct. D.219) with its Old English glosses.

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Alan Akeroyd @alanakeroyd.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

We have been accredited by TNA for another three years! Thank you so much to the Cambridgeshire County Council archives team whose hard work and dedication has achieved this recognition www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/news/cambrid... #cambridgeshirearchives #huntingdonshirearchives #cambridgeshire

cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Cambridgeshire archives services recognised with national re-accreditation

Cambridgeshire Archives has had its accreditation status renewed following an inspection from The National Archives (TNA).

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Kate North @curatorkate.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

One of the prettiest and most interestingly-detailed church doors I have seen…the 17th century north door (set in 14th century doorway) at St. James’ Church, Croxton, Cambridgeshire 😍 Detail in comment below…

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Institute of Historical Research @ihr.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

Looking to boost your historical research skills in 2026? Check out our range of research training and short courses. More coming in Term 3! www.history.ac.uk/study-traini...

history.ac.uk

Research Training and Short Courses

The IHR offers a wide range of training courses for historians at all career stages, from digital research and oral history to archives and publishing.

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Alan Akeroyd @alanakeroyd.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

Back at work today and my new desk calendar shows Rev Evelyn-White, rector of Rampton and dedicated local antiquarian. In 1900 he left the Cambridge Antiquarian Society to form his own group, the Cambs and Hunts Archaeological Society. Splitter!

A desk calendar showing January 2026, with an early 20th century black and white photo of a bald man with a grey beard. 'Tis Rev Charles Evelyn-White

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Alan Akeroyd @alanakeroyd.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

I've done very well in the work Secret Santa this year - this is the Official Huntingdonshire Archivists and Antiquarians Calendar 2026, only one of it has been printed, and it's for me! - I feel so honoured. Thank you to Esther and the team! We'll see who the pictures show as the months roll by 😀

The cover of a desk calendar. It shows an architectural drawing of a British School in Huntingdon, early 20th century. Originally built in the late 1820s as a nonconformist chapel this building was the home of County Record Office Huntingdon (now called Huntingdonshire Archives) between 1974 and 2009. The building still exists and has been converted into a set of small flats, and is called The Old Records House. Actually it occurs to me right now that the real building must be coming up to its 200th birthday.

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Churchill Archives Centre @chuarchives.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

At the outbreak of the war, physicist James Chadwick had been studying beta radiation in Berlin. He was later held as a civilian Prisoner of War at the Ruhleben camp. In the Chadwick papers, we hold the postcards that James sent to his mother in Christmas 1915 and 1916.

Two Christmas postcards. The top postcard reads 'Xmas 1915, Ruhleben bei Spandau with heartiest Xmas and New Years Wishes, signed James. The second postcard reads 'Best Wishes from Ruhleben Christmas 1916. CHAD II 3/1

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Alan Akeroyd @alanakeroyd.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

Thrilled to have been able to purchase this document from a private owner in South Africa, thanks entirely to the generosity of the Friends of the Nations' Libraries. Thank you @thefnl.bsky.social! #cambridgeshirearchives www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/news/cambrid...

cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Cambridgeshire Archives acquires 18th Century Chesterton terrier

Cambridgeshire Archives have secured grant funding to acquire a ‘terrier’ - which offers a snapshot of 18th century life in Chesterton, Cambridge.

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The Cromwell Museum @cromwellmuseum.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

This Thursday sees the second of our online lectures, with Edward Davis giving a different perspective from his new biography on the military career of the Second Earl of Manchester during the Civil Wars. More details at: www.cromwellmuseum.org/events/cromw...

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Dr Ian McCormick @wokestudies.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

Inside a 250 year old French Violin by Augustin Chappuy. #music #art #photography #instruments

Inside a 250 year old French Violin. Photographed with a Medical Laparoscope adapted to a Lumix G9ii Camera. A 1770 violin by Augustin Chappuy. PHOTO: Charles Brooks

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Liz Rees @lizarees.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

No getting away from archive displays even at the airport - flight logs and other items at Newcastle. Approve the book rest!

Hand written volume supported by a book rest in a showcase. Label reads Newcastle Airport Logbook 1950 to 1953

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The Cromwell Museum @cromwellmuseum.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

This Thursday sees the first of our autumn online lecture series; 4 top historians on aspects of the 1600s, the first being Dr David Smith on how Cromwell and the Civil Wars have been depicted in films and TV drama. Book now at: cromwellmuseum.org/events/cromw...

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