iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Want to work in my team? Cambridgeshire Libraries have a role as a part-time (18.5 hours a week) Volunteer and Health Development Manager, fixed term until November 2027. Find out more and apply at jobs.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/jobs/job/Vol... #LISjobs

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Soham Library will be 77 on Saturday 10th October. They're planning a grand reopening ceremony after a recent refurbishment. I'll be there talking about the history of the library - here it is when it opened in 1949.

The inside of Soham Library in 1949. The back wall is full of bookcases and various people standing posing with books. There's a small library desk on the left with a library worker sat behind it.

The front of Soham library in a former shop. Cambridgeshire County Library is painted across the sign.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Back at work after a week off. Had a lovely time in Bury St Edmunds last week. Here's some pictures! I do recommend the public library - new shiny children's library downstairs and the adult library and learning centre upstairs.

Abbey Gardens, with various walls of the ruined abbey around, roughly knee height.

The Abbey Gatehouse, a two storey yellow stone building with various empty niches.

The public library! A red brick building just opposite the bus station. I was impressed.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

An earworm just appeared - anybody remember Everytime We Touch by Cascada? Well the video was recorded in New York Public Library. The video is also 20 years old this year - go on, give it a listen www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjZ2...

youtube.com

Cascada - Everytime We Touch (Official Video)

YouTube video by CascadaVEVO

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Busy booking the library local history lectures for next year - should be a good time! If anybody knows anybody who might want to come give a talk in the library (no pay I'm afraid), do get in touch.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

It's all fancy dress today - here's a variety of people, costumes and dates. The children are from Fen Ditton for the 1953 coronation, the lady with the shield is Joyce Cheshire in Foxton for the 1937 coronation and Sherlock Homes is a student at Rag Day in 1951 or 1952

A group of small children in various costumes. There's a couple of princesses, a shepherd, a cowboy, little red riding hood and a washer woman.

Joyce Cheshire from Foxton dressed as Britannia with what looks to be a painted bin lid as a shield and a trident made out of a broom handle

A student dressed as Sherlock Homes complete with deerstalker and pipe.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Today we're off to Harrimere Mill in Barway, a hamlet of Soham. This was a windpump on the junction of Soham Lode and the River Ouse, before it was pulled down in 1917. It was used to drain Soham Mere.

A sketch of the mill from the River Ouse. A man with a dog is looking at two cows standing at the river. Ely Cathedral is just visible in the background.

A sepia photograph of Harrimere Mill in roughly the 1890s, a four sailed smock mill. A boy and a dog are posing next to the mill.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Here's Anthony Barrington Brown's photos of Rattee and Kett rehanging the bells at Great St Mary's Church for the coronation in 1953. My grandfather worked for Rattee and Kett and so took my dad along to watch the work.

Three men kneeling out of a window up the tower. The Senate House is visible in the background

One of the bells being moved. One man is adjusting the chains it is hanging from.

The shutters for the tower being replaced after the bells have been hung.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

It's #SaturdayLibrarian time again today and I've just done the first of our two #OpenCambridge tours of the store of the Cambridgeshire Collection. Always good fun showing people around - get in touch if you'd like me to run a tour for your group.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Just had a very cool donation from the Marshall Group of pictures, newspaper articles and other documents to do with the history of both the aerodrome and the car company. They've got a good history of the company online at history.marshallgroup.co.uk

The original 1930s building of the current Cambridge airport, taken from the air. Newmarket Road is visible in the background.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Did you know that the bottom part of the Whitehill Estate streets are all named after people from Barnwell Priory? Most of them are former priors and you can find out more about who was who at www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/cambs/vo...

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

We're running a series of lectures fortnightly from 25th September in Cambridge Central Library with the University of Cambridge's Centre for Landscape Regeneration. They're all about the fens, and you can find out more and book on Eventbrite at www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/fenland-f...

eventbrite.co.uk

Fenland Folk: Heritage and Landscape

A series of free talks about the rich heritage of the Fens, in partnership with University of Cambridge's Centre for Landscape Regeneration.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Off to Cambourne Library tomorrow to give them a talk about theatre buildings in Cambridge - more deets at www.facebook.com/Cambridgeshi... Do come along!

The New Theatre Cambridge in 1948, roughly the site of Sainsbury's on St Andrew's Street now. A black and white photograph of a large four story theatre

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Come and see me and Bessie the book bike at Stourbridge Fair at the Leper Chapel on Newmarket Road in Cambridge. We'll be here till 4:30 and there's lots going on

Bessie the book bike in a gazebo decorated with book themed bunting.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Spent the morning at my old sixth form college advertising the public library service. Realised I was there 20 years ago when I saw the height of some of the trees I remember being newly planted. At least the teens haven't changed much - lots of interesting questions.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Been sending out flyers for this talk all afternoon - come and hear "An archaeological journey through the fens" on Friday 25th September 2pm in the conference room in Cambridge Central Library. More deets and booking at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-archaeo...

eventbrite.co.uk

An archaeological journey through the Fens

A whistle-stop tour through the rich history of archaeological and palaeoecological research in the Fens, with Dr. Phil Stastney

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Take a couple of days off before the bank holiday and it belts it down for the first time in months! Good excuse to read all those library books I need to return.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

And now Tim Curry as well. This one hits hard - Rocky Horror is one of my favourite films.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

It's National Dog Day, so here's a few pictures from our collection of dogs. Lots more where that came from in the Cambridgeshire Collection.

A shepherd standing in front of his flock, with his collie sheepdog at his side.

A dog sat on a Victorian style easy chair.

Two photos of a lady sitting next to a black lab

Another photo of a shepherd with the flock. This sheepdog looks more like some kind of terrier.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Here's to you Dolly. If you only ever did your Imagination Library that would have been enough, but you just couldn't stop finding ways to help with so many different things. And the banging tunes, can't forget those.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Been talking a lot about disability today, so here's a picture of CAMTAD, the Cambridge Campaign for Tackling Acquired Deafness, now run locally as part of the Cambridgeshire Deaf Association. They help fix people's hearing aids and some of their sessions are in libraries cambsdeaf.org/hearing-help/

A 1980s picture of a CAMTAD display in the library, advertising the help they give with hearing aids.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Just doing some research for my talk on Theatres in Cambridgeshire for Cambourne Library on 8th September 2-3:30pm. Did you know that Bela Lugosi bought his production of Dracula to the New Theatre in Cambridge in 1951? We've even got the programme. Spooky!

A page from the theatre programme for the performance
Week commencing Monday September 10th 1951
John C. Mather and W. H. Williams
(on behalf of Chartres Productions Ltd)
present
Mr. Bela Lugosi
in an entirely new production of
DRACULA
By Hamilton Deane and J. L. Balderstone adapted from the famous novel by Bram Stoke
Cast in order of appearance:
Mary Wells (a maid) Joan Harding
John Harker (Lucy's fiancee) Richard Butler
Dr. Seward (Lucy's father) David Dawson
Van Helsing (a famous psychiatrist) Ralph Wilson
Renfield (a mental patient) Eric Lindsay
Butterworth (an attendant) John Sauders
Lucy Seward Sheila Wynn
Count Dracula Bela Lugosi

The front of the New Theatre in St Andrew's Street

A picture of Bela Lugosi playing Dracula taken from the film as we don't have any pictures of the theatre production

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

We've got a fair few people dressing as Commedia dell'arte in our collection - seemed to be a popular fancy dress outfit.

Sidney Coulson, sitting down in an arm chair wearing a silk suit open at the front with various bobbles down the front. He's holding a cigarette.

Mr Campbell Muir of Jesus College wearing a white suit with black pompoms dotted around it. His face is painted white with black dots as well.

A group of ladies dressed up - the the one at the back standing is dressed in black with white pompoms around her neckline.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Had somebody in today looking at Percy Salmon's pictures of Melbourn. There's a nice video about him at www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVn9... We also hold a selection of his stereoscopes when he travelled abroad in 1898 to Egypt, Palestine, Turkey and Greece while working for Lévy & ses Fils of Paris

Percy Salmon sat in the middle with two gentlemen he met on his trip to Egypt standing next to him. This is a steroscope, with two photos designed to be looked at using a viewer to create a 3D effect.

A picture of Percy Salmon taken by himself. He's wearing a hat and smoking a cigarette, looking straight down the camera.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Still time to sign up for the Society of Genealogists' free session on researching family history in Hunts and Cambs on Monday 7th September at 2pm. Come listen to me do a turn about the Cambs Collection, my colleagues at Cambs Archives and more portal.sog.org.uk/Event/view/2...

portal.sog.org.uk

Researching in Cambridgeshire & Huntingdonshire

FREE event. Book a spot to watch live. No pre-booking required to view the recording which will be available in the SoG Learning Hub.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

It's finally rained in Cambridge and everybody seems to be piling into the Cambridgeshire Collection to look at electoral registers. Here's the Red Lion Hotel covered in election posters in 1874.

The Red Lion Hotel, now under the Lion Yard Shopping Centre, absolutely covered in election posters for Mr Powell, the Conservative candidate in 1874. Two men are up ladders finishing off pasting up the posters

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Government fire alert anybody? I think that's the first time they've actually used that system for something real

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Just setting up the Eventbrite for next month's local history lecture in Cambridge Central Library on Friday 11th September 2-3:30pm. It'll be on the history of Pye by the Pye History Trust and you can find out more and book a ticket at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-pye-st...

Pye Radio works in the 1930s - a large factory building with fencing in front. Pye Radio Ltd in large letters on the top.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

If these are the stacks that somebody is getting crunched in, I can say from personal experience that person is not dying, they're getting some nasty bruises.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Ever wondered what the fountain in the market square used to look like? This is it in August 1953 when they took most of it down. Part of the structure was preserved and is now at the Museum of Cambridge. This is one of our Anthony Barrington Brown photos which can be seen on the library catalogue

The fountain in the middle of the market square with scaffolding all round. They are removing the original Victorian surround, only leaving the base, which is still there now.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Shoved my head outside to see the meteor shower and saw more in five minutes than I have in ages. Do recommend a go!

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

It's #WorldElephantDay today and here's Billy Smart's circus walking past Parker's Piece in 1971.

Three elephants in a row walking past Parker's Piece, with a handler in a big red coat walking with them.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

It's a solar eclipse tomorrow, so here's a couple of pictures of the Cambridge Observatory from 1956, taken by Ramsey and Muspratt. You can read more about the telescope itself at www.squarewheels.org.uk/rfg/36inch/

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

It's that #SaturdayLibrarian time again and I've been proofreading an article about Cherry Hinton Road for the next Queen Edith Magazine. Delivered free locally or you can find it online at www.queen-ediths.info/news Here's the Cattle Market in the 1970s at the top of Cherry Hinton Road

Various stalls for animals and brick buildings across the cattle market site, seen from Hills Road bridge. The gas works are visible in the back of the shot.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Been sorting through a collection of records about Hildersham today, particularly on their excellent painted church. There's some nice colour pictures on the Cambridgeshire Historic Churches Trust site at camhct.uk/churches/hil...

camhct.uk

Hildersham, Holy Trinity - Cambridgeshire Historic Churches Trust

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Showed a staff member from the Whipple Museum of the History of Science around our store earlier. Good to hear they're back open 6 days a week. In celebration here's Pye Radio's production line in the 1920s.

Various men standing at workshop benches assembling the insides of radios. Various women are standing at a bench behind them putting the machinery inside the wooden radio cases. They have the typical Pye Radio sunbeam design on the front.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Starting to write a new talk on trade unions and industrial disputes. Didn't realise they date back to 1721 in Cambridge! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R_v_Jou...

en.wikipedia.org

R v Journeymen-Taylors of Cambridge - Wikipedia

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Was lovely seeing people enjoying the Cambridge Folk Festival this weekend - here's a couple of photographs from the first one back in 1965.

Doris Henderson, a black lady singer sitting on a folding chair next to a white man with shaggy hair playing a twelve string guitar. Behind them a man plays double bass. There's a crowd of people watching.

Pete Sayers, a white man wearing a cowboy hat, plays the guitar on a stage in a tent. A banner behind him has Blues Folk written on it with drawings of people.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Used my day off in lieu to finally go get my bike fixed. Cycling home from Kingsway Cycles was a lot more fun than walking/cycling there I have to say. What a lovely bunch of people.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Very pleased we actually got some rain yesterday - have a painting to celebrate. This is "The Cam" donated by the artist Cecille Cranwell to the Collection in 1984.

A pen and watercolour drawing of the backs, showing people picnicking on the Backs and various people punting on the river.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Headed over to Duxford last week to give a talk. Not sure why Cambs have so many parishes with two churches, but here's St John's and St Peter's. St Peter's is the one currently in use, with St John's looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust

St John's Church at Duxford, taken from the side. The photo is rather underexposed.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Stock team have sent me some presents - here's the latest new books for the Cambridgeshire Collection

The Cambridge Siren by Jim Kelly, The Cambridge Spy Ring by Shawnna Morris, The Cambridge Footlights by Robert Sellers and The University of Cambridge in the age of Atlantic Slavery by Nicholas Bell-Romero all in a pile on the library desk

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Reposted by Mary Burgess

New-Cleckit Dominie @ncdominie.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

This is just to say I have OCRed the text thet was in tne arch:ve and whicb yov were prabaldy seamhing for "breahtast" Fargme ms fheg mem debo:w5 sb ?mccf mmb 5c oc1b

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

The British Newspaper Archive has just completely changed their site - that's a fair number of training resources that need rewriting. It'll take me a bit of a while to get used to it.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

We've just cracked 5,000 sign ups for the Read to the Beat Summer Reading Challenge in Cambridgeshire - time to celebrate! This is Philip Brand with his model traction engine he made powering his gramaphone.

A Victorian black and white photograph of a man with flat cap and jacket standing behind a table with a model traction engine, standing about a foot high, next to a gramaphone, powered by the traction engine.

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Reposted by Mary Burgess

German at Portsmouth @germanatportsmouth.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

21 July 1979: the Parkbücherei in Berlin-Pankow's Bürgerpark (via Bundesarchiv)

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Just getting everything set up for Open Cambridge - we'll be running our tours of the archive store as usual. Bookings will open on Monday 10th August at 10am. Make sure you get in there fast as we'll be fully booked by half ten. The link is www.opencambridge.cam.ac.uk

The Cambridgeshire Collection archive store, with rolling stacks to the right and a large collection of filing cabinets to the left, with various trollies in the middle.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Just had a donation come in of pictures of March - March Museum have very kindly sent over some of their duplicate photos. Here they are celebrating George VI's coronation in 1937.

A large crown, roughly the size of a car, built over the bridge at March up on pillars to allow people to still use the bridge. The pillars nearest the camera have GR written on and a Union Flag flying from the top. March Town Hall is visible in the background.

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Mary Burgess @cambliblife.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Want to learn more about the university life of the new Prime Minster, Andy Burnham? He was at Fitzwilliam College and this book is excellent on their history. Copies available for loan from the Cambridgeshire Collection in Cambridge Central Library.

Cover of "Fitzwilliam: the First 150 years of a Cambridge College edited by John Cleaver, with a nice picture of Fitzwilliam College at twilight

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