Events

Gloucestershire Archives: Passport to the Past

All sessions take place live on zoom.

The Best Toy in the World?

Wednesday 6 October, 4 - 5pm. Free of charge. Online session

For 6-13 year olds.

Bring your favourite toy to our next fun session. What do you love about your toy? Is it the best toy in the world?

In our next session, you will:

Find out about toys and games in the past. How are they different to today’s toys and games?

Discover what the best selling and most wanted toys were in 1950, 1985, 2000 and 2020

Plus we want to hear from you:

Have a go at designing your own board game
Vote for the best toy of the last 100 years.

If you can, please bring pens/pencils and paper for the board game activity. Scissors, coloured pens, glue and something to lean on would also be useful.

To book this talk visit Gloucestershire Archives Eventsin November....

ming in December....

Coming in December....

Yule enjoy this session focusing on Christmas traditions!

Wednesday 1 December, 4 - 5pm. Free of charge. Online session

For 6-13 year olds

Christmas is the biggest celebration of the year in some parts of the world – including Gloucestershire - and is a time for special food and the giving of presents. Traditionally it is a time for families and friends to get together – something which many people were not able to do last year.

In this session we are going to look at some of the Christmas traditions which we have records of here in the Archives. We’re also going to get crafty, including making a special Christmas garland and a traditional Christmas card for someone special. This is going to be our last session of the year, so to make it extra special please wear something festive and bring a little treat you can eat. We’re hoping to find out about your Christmas traditions: is there something special you always do at this time of year?

To book this talk visit Gloucestershire Archives Events

Other useful information about the sessions.....

Other useful information about the sessions.....

For every monthly Passport event, we create new resources which can be used during the session. These will appear on the Passport to the Past: fun activities and resources for families and schools page at least 48 hours before each event takes place giving you time to print them off. This link will also be sent to you a couple of days before the event takes place.

If you can’t print off the pages for the session, please don’t worry! We will display the pages on the screen during the event and all your child will need is a couple of pages of blank paper and a pen or pencil.

Please note that there are other pages listed as downloads which you can also print and enjoy in your own time if you want to do so.

You should receive your Zoom link as an automated message when you book on to this event (remember to press the "Book now" button once you've entered your details). If you don't, please check your junk folder. If it's not in there, please contact archives@gloucestershire.gov.uk and we will send you a link.

Gloucestershire Archives: Secrets Revealed

Ghastly Ghosts & Ghoulish Goings on: All Hallows in Gloucestershire

Wednesday 27 October. 1 - 2pm. Free of charge

Spooky graveyards, ghosts, evil faeries, goblins, the Devil, headless horsemen, witches & black dogs - Gloucestershire has them all!

In fact our county is home to so many spooky goings on that it really should be renamed ‘Ghostlyshire’! This talk will look at some of the supernatural tales & legends of the county, which can be found in the newspapers, magazines, books and other records that are held at Gloucestershire Archives. So sit back, turn on the lights and prepare to be scared!

PS: may contain bad fake voices and awful puns.

To book this talk visit Gloucestershire Archives Events

...coming in November

A Gloucestershire Archives Christmas

Wednesday 24 November. 1 - 2pm. Free of charge

Ever wondered where our Christmas traditions come from? A fun, enlightening, fact-filled journey through our well loved Christmas traditions; join us to look at how we have celebrated Christmas through the ages! Blending history, folk-lore, myth and traditions to uncover some seasonal facts about a particularly well-loved time of the year. With lots of examples of Christmas-related documents from our collections at Gloucestershire Archives.

To book this talk visit Gloucestershire Archives Event

Other useful information about the talks.....

Other useful information about the talks.....

This monthly series of leisurely lunchtime learning sessions are great for those who are new to learning about the past and for those passionate about history, keen to expand their knowledge on a given subject in a focused session.

Led by experts at Gloucestershire Archives they are easy to digest, laced with humour and full of headline facts and context information ready to unlock an the secrets of a time gone by.

Secrets Revealed are live Zoom seminars that bring together a community of people with a shared interest in history, heritage, culture and their importance in today’s world.

You should receive your Zoom link as an automated message when you book on to this event (remember to press the "Book now" button once you've entered your details). If you don't, please check your junk folder. If it's not in there, please contact archives@gloucestershire.gov.uk and we will send you a link.

Gloucestershire Archives: Training event

How to use our online catalogue

Wednesday 8 December, 1 - 2pm.

Collections archivist Claire Collins will demonstrate Epexio, our new online catalogue.

You’ll learn how to:

carry out both simple and advanced searches to find documents of interest
understand your search results
order documents to view in our research room

Claire will also show you Epexio’s other helpful features and flag up some exciting future developments.

There’ll be time for trouble shooting too, so be sure to bring your questions.

Booking opens soon via Gloucestershire Archives website

New virtual exhibitions added to the Gloucestershire Archives website

These virtual exhibitions have been put together from the online talks that have been given by Gloucestershire Archives staff over the last few months.

To visit each virtual exhibition click on the image.

An Online Exhibition On Childhood

We all deserve to “belong” somewhere. We all need to feel safe and secure in our identity. We all want to be part of a community. But what does this mean in relation to children throughout the years?

A glance back at Gloucestershire’s historic newspapers'

Travel back through time and read Gloucestershire’s Historic Newspapers. Find out about the introduction of the Gloucester Journal, what has stayed the same in the world of journalism, what’s changed and what used to happen when there was no news to report - you might be surprised.

What was life like inside Gloucester’s Asylums

At one point, Gloucester had 3 asylums; the First County Asylum (Horton Road), Barnwood House Asylum and the Second County Asylum (Coney Hill). All three opened in the nineteenth-century, and all three were closed during the last 50 years, well within living memory.

Historic Country House Estates of South Gloucestershire

South Gloucestershire has some notable, historic country house estates. But what was life like for those who lived and worked in these large country houses in the past? If you have ever wondered what life was like on a historic country house estate, now is your chance to explore our records of some of the most important country houses of South Gloucestershire!

Exploring the history of Kingsholm

Kingsholm is arguably the most famous area in Gloucester, thanks to the presence of the city's beloved rugby team, the Cherry & Whites. However it has had a long history that goes back over a millennia.

Frontiers and Pioneers in Gloucestershire Archives

Gloucestershire has been home to lots of pioneers who’ve pushed back frontiers in all aspects of life. This presentation includes achievements in medicine, engineering, music, travel, social reform and charity work that in various ways originated in the county. It features things ranging from diving bells to guns and adjustable spanners to jets!

To visit more exhibitions visit www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/archives/learning-for-all/online-exhibitions/

History, Her Story, Their Story, Our Story

Works inspired and mentored by photographer Vanley Burke

Exhibition at the Museum of Gloucester - Saturday 16 October to Friday 31 December 2021

Inspired by renowned photographer Vanley Burke, this exhibition shows work from well renowned Gloucester artists who have worked with the community, using the lead question "When was the first time you saw a person of a different ethnicity to you?" as their stimulus. School pupils were also encouraged to ask the oldest person they know the question…

The stories gathered were explored in workshops that took place between the pupils and the artists. With mentoring from Mr Burke, the artists have responded creatively to the stories that they were told from the pupils.

The exhibition also features Elle Bry Thomas with her ‘Barber Street’ exhibition. This photography series celebrates 14 of the barber shops of Barton Street in the centre of Gloucester

Explore the project in more detail

Gloucester History Festival

As live and in-person events drew to a close on September 19th, the festival continued online, with almost all Blackfrairs Talks available to watch on-demand for 30 days, until Monday 25 October.

If you were not able to join the festival for the live and in-person events, this digital collections enable you to experience the Blackfriars Talks from the comfort of your own home, at a time to suit you. Or even if you did get to the talks in person a chance to re-visit the talks

Recorded live while the in-person event took place, you'll experience the wow factor of this stunning venue and will have an uninterrupted view. Tthe events have been professionally edited to give you the best possible digital experience.

Digital tickets are available to buy online now!

What's on in South Gloucestershire - Winterbourne Medieval Barn

Winterbourne Medieval Barn

Autumn 2021

October

Thur 7th - Open Afternoon Tea and Tour, 2pm. Tickets £5. Please book online.

Sun 10th - Orchard Harvest Day, 11am - 4pm. A great day out for all ages. Entry £5 adult, £1 child.

Sat 16th - Pottery Shed Taster session, 1 - 4pm. Hand-build, glaze and sgraffito a bowl. £60. Booking essential.

Tue 26th - Family Crafts : Spooky Halloween Special, 10am or 1pm. Tickets £5 per family. Please book online.

Fri 29th - Barn Sessions with Leonie Evans, Halloween Special, 7.30pm. Live blues, folk, jazz, plus some spooky extras. Tickets £10.

November

Thu 4th - Open Afternoon Tea and Tour, 2pm. Tickets £5. Please book onine.

Sat 6th - West Gallery Festive Music Workshop, 10am - 4pm. Singers & instrumentalists can recreate the 18th c. village band. £15. Book.

Sat 13th - Family Crafts : Nature Crafts and Recycling Superstars, 10am or 1pm. Tickets £5 per family.

Sat 13th - Wine Tasting, 7pm. Wines from southern Italy. Tickets £20. Booking essential.

Sat 20th - Pottery Shed Taster session, 1 - 4pm. Hand-build, glaze and sgraffito a bowl. £60. Booking essential.

December

Thu 2nd - Open Afternoon Tea and Tour, 2pm. Tickets £5. Please book online.

Sat 4th - Fabric Wreaths Workshop, 10am - 12.30. Fun festive workshop to make a lasting Christmas decoration.

Sat 4th - West Gallery Music performance 3pm. Tickets £5

For all events please book online www.winterbournebarn.org.uk

What's on in South Gloucestershire - South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group

The South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group (SGMRG) was set up by local people to understand, record and where appropriate preserve the remains, of what was once an extensive industry, for the present community and future generations. SGMRG is a voluntary organisation that relies on grants and donations from local people. Our membership is made up of archaeologists, surveyors, historians, engineers, cavers and those simply interested in finding more about what lies under their feet. We have regular meetings, walks and talks including the opportunity to get involved in exploration, archaeology and restoration work.

If you would like to join us, please visit our Membership page for further information.

Our talks are going back to face to face (not Zoom) and the next two are:

Wed 6 October David Hardwick 60 years of change in the Bristol Coalfield 1961 – 2021

Wed 1 Dec by Garry Atterton “Bedminster Coal - Blood Sweat & Tears

For more information visit sgmrg.co.uk/

www.facebook.com/sgmrg

What's on in South Gloucestershire - Yate Heritage Centre

WE'RE OPEN!! Yate Heritage Centre is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays 10.30am to 1.30pm and Saturdays 10.30am to 1.30pm.

Yate Lecture Series

Black History in Wiltshire

Tueday 12 Oct, 2021 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm. £2 (free for Friends of YHC). Booking essential (Funded by Friends of YHC)

Terry Bracher of Wiltshire History Centre focuses on the less known black history of Wiltshire and its influence on the history of the county as part of Black History month.

The Codringtons, Slavery and Tewkesbury

Tueday 19 Oct, 2021 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm. £2 (free for Friends of YHC). Booking essential (Funded by Friends of YHC)

The Codrington family of Doddington House had strong links with both slavery and politics and Tewkesbury. John Dixon of Tewkesbury Museum brings to life this chapter at the end of the slavery period.

General events

Family History Day

Saturday 23 Oct, 2021 2:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Yate Heritage Centre proudly presents the first in person Family history Day since 2019. Our team of experts will be on hand to help novices or more experienced family historians develop their family trees or just give advice to the next step.

Archaeology Finds Day

Saturday 6 Nov, 2021 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

The Gloucestershire Portable Antiquities Scheme pay a welcome return visit to Yate Heritage Centre. If you have an artefact you have found or an item from your house bring it along to be idenitified by out team of experts.

For more information visit www.yateheritage.co.uk/