Northumberland Archives
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nlandarchives.bsky.social
Northumberland Archives
@nlandarchives.bsky.social
2.8K followers 920 following 66 posts
Accredited archives for the county of Northumberland and Diocese of Newcastle. Housed at Woodhorn, near Ashington, and at Berwick Library. northumberlandarchives.com
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nlandarchives.bsky.social
📜 Just 2 spaces left! Join our WW2 Records Workshop at Northumberland Archives and uncover life on the Home Front — from wartime work to air raids & Civil Defence.

🔍 Discover what the records reveal and learn how to research your own stories: tinyurl.com/52fkfa4z
October 24, 2025 at 9:45 AM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
We've just had a lot of fun making a short video about Northumberland place names...

unfortunately, it doesn't seem to post so well here. Go and have a look at our other social media accounts (FB, IG, TikTok) to see it in all its glory!

How do you pronounce Cambois?
October 2, 2025 at 12:50 PM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
Just a few tickets left for our talk on Thursday:

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1556282134...

Bethany will be talking about the archives that are held by the Vindolanda Trust and the work she does to preserve the documentation created around this amazing Roman site.
Vindolanda: Introducing the Archives
This talk will introduce you to the archival material held by the Vindolanda Trust and discuss some of the work done so far.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
September 22, 2025 at 12:06 PM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
⌨ Read our latest WW2 Project blog on the Mitford Welcome Home Fund (1944–46): tinyurl.com/3mw5xpb9. Discover how Mitford community raised money with whist drives, dances & raffles to thank returning servicemen & women after WW2. 📧 Sign up to our WW2 newsletter: eepurl.com/jlGMpM #HeritageFund 🤞
September 9, 2025 at 8:08 AM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
📢Join us for a Berwick Heritage Open Day talk by Phil Rowett: Put That Light Out – Wartime Law in the Berwick Area 🕖 Sun 14 Sept, 7pm (online). Discover how locals dodged wartime laws, ending in a 1946 stolen ambulance stopped by police gunfire! 🎟️ Book: tinyurl.com/55hs2ecw
September 8, 2025 at 1:46 PM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
📢 Join us for our first WW2 Talk: Conscientious Objectors in North East England with Stuart Anderson. Explore the hidden wartime experiences of conscientious objectors on the Home Front. 🎟️ Book via Eventbrite: tinyurl.com/s8z9znuj 📧 Sign up for our WW2 Project Newsletter: eepurl.com/jlGMpM
August 27, 2025 at 9:28 AM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
🎺Heritage Open Days announcement🎺

We're going to be bringing #TheArchivesJob to Woodhorn Museum!
13 Sep 2025
The escape room and museum entrance will be free, but booking for the escape room is ESSENTIAL:
www.heritageopendays.org.uk/submission-e...
August 14, 2025 at 9:53 AM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
As part of our WW2 project, Berwick Record Office has created an exhibition, displaying this weekend Friday 15 - Sunday 17, exploring North Northumberland’s contribution to the Far East Campaign. The exhibition will be on display at St Andrew’s Wallace Green Church in Berwick.📍
A poster advertising the exhibition featuring a black and white image showing 4 soldiers in their Far East uniform for hot weather.
August 12, 2025 at 7:56 AM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
Have you had the chance to see our new WW2 Home Front Exhibition, exploring the stories of ordinary Northumbrians, at County Hall? The exhibition uncovers both tragic & courageous stories from Northumberland Archives. Follow our social media to stay up to date with our WW2 project. 📣
A shaded black-out lamp used during the war is displayed in a cabinet. A woman looks at an exhibition board about wartime food.
August 8, 2025 at 2:23 PM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
Are you going to be at #DCDC25 next week? @durham-university.bsky.social

There for #HistoryDay on Tuesday?

Stop by our escape van and say hello!

#archives #GLAM #escaperoom #archivesjob
Jo and Amy chilling outside of the van. the van is decorated with a muti-covered livery and has a the "Archives Job" logo on the side, over the window.
July 24, 2025 at 1:59 PM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
We are recruiting!

Are you a qualified archivist who is looking for an 18-month, full-time position?

Would you like to work in a stunning location with a wide range of collections? Enjoy being part of a team and talking up archives to a wide audience?

www.northeastjobs.org.uk/job/Archivis...
a cartoon of homer simpson and bart simpson sitting on a couch with the words join us above them .
ALT: a cartoon of homer simpson and bart simpson sitting on a couch with the words join us above them .
media.tenor.com
July 14, 2025 at 9:10 AM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
We've just released some extra tickets for our escape van!
If you're going to Allendale Show (16 Aug) or Glendale Show (25 Aug), we'll be there too!

Booking via eventbrite:
Allendale Show
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1415124047...
Glendale Show
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1461732935...
July 4, 2025 at 1:12 PM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
Fancy a bit of #summer reading?

But bored of the latest #romantasy?

Why not try our manorial records blog series?!

northumberlandarchives.com/2025/04/29/b...

northumberlandarchives.com/2025/06/03/w...

northumberlandarchives.com/2025/06/12/m...
July 1, 2025 at 2:38 PM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
Announcing our latest exhibition!

Art Deco 100
Celebrating art deco design around Northumberland

County Hall,
Morpeth
Now until 1 Aug 2025
July 1, 2025 at 9:32 AM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
🌼 This weekend marks the 57th Northumbrian Gathering in Morpeth – time to dust off those Morris dancing bells and Northumbrian bagpipes!

www.northumbriana.org.uk/gathering/in...

Short 🧵follows...

#archives #history #dialect #northumberland #bagpipes
Collage of documents from Northumberland Archives about the Morpeth Gathering. 📸 NRO 8134/1 poster from the 10th Morpeth Gathering along with programme particulars for the 7th gathering and poster imagery of the ‘Morpeth Gadgie’. NRO 7791/2/5 Textual description of Morpeth Gathering
April 24, 2025 at 10:40 AM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
Do you know a scarlet woman?

Are you one yourself?

Read about one of our recent accessions: The Scarlet Women newsletter.

northumberlandarchives.com/2025/04/07/s...
Spot the Difference - Northumberland Archives
What is history? Is it the lives of royalty from centuries past? Is it the landed gentry, perhaps it is mine owners or ship builders? … In the archives we certainly see a lot of material about these g...
northumberlandarchives.com
April 11, 2025 at 12:49 PM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
That's us!

It was great working with Adam and we've come away with so many ideas!

Watch this space...

#archives #dragons
adamkoszary.bsky.social Adam Koszary @adamkoszary.bsky.social · Apr 8
Spent a couple of days in lush Woodhorn with @nlandarchives.bsky.social on social strategy and training.

Archives have so much potential. Like a dragon waiting to be unleashed.
An old colliery in a field.
April 11, 2025 at 12:47 PM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
What links the highland clearances and a Northumbrian stately home?

Prof Annie Tindley's blog post contains the answers...

northumberlandarchives.com/2025/03/31/a...

#archives @newcastleuni.bsky.social
Atkinson & Marshall: Northumbrian sheep farmers in Sutherland, Scotland - Northumberland Archives
This guest blog has been written by Professor Annie Tindley from Newcastle University. ‘Messers Atkinson and Marshall the first adventurers in stock farming in the earldom of Sutherland are stock and ...
northumberlandarchives.com
March 31, 2025 at 1:31 PM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
Blog post from our archivist, Chris, about the work that he's been doing on the Hindmarsh photographic collection.

northumberlandarchives.com/2025/03/26/p...
#archives #history #photography #C20th
Paul Hindmarsh Exhibition - Northumberland Archives
Visitors to County Hall reception in Morpeth have had the opportunity to view a selection of images from the Paul Hindmarsh photography collection held at Northumberland Archives. Paul Hindmarsh worke...
northumberlandarchives.com
March 26, 2025 at 3:46 PM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
The puzzles for the Disrupt the Archives escape room are coming together!

Playtesting is revealing where to tweak the puzzles and where players might need a bit more help.

But, is it ethical to use your colleagues as guinea-pigs?

Asking for a friend...

#archives
Northumberland Archives at Woodhorn: the study centre. This is usually where researchers sit and peruse documents. This morning puzzling took over! The puzzles are laid out on the map table and desks ready to be tested. A four-digit lock in focus. The rest of the puzzle is a sheet next to the lock - if you look closely you can see some of the creepy crawlies that eat archives on the sheet! A set of tally sticks in the foreground with a set of coloured paper cups placed upside down on the desk behind them. The paper cups have roman numerals written on the side. In the foreground is a tangle of pink Heritage Open Days bunting. In the background is the archive study centre desk which has a series of photographs stuck to it for the purposes of this puzzle...
March 20, 2025 at 11:12 AM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
Our most recently recruited members of staff have just written a blog about what it's like working at Northumberland Archives.

Do check it out. (It's worth it just for the photos!)

northumberlandarchives.com/2025/03/01/n...
#archives #newbies #careers #history
New Kids on the Block! - Northumberland Archives
Back in October, Northumberland Archives was lucky enough to attract two fantastic new Archive Assistants – Jemma and Helen. (Hang on – has somebody let Jemma and Helen write the intro?) We asked them...
northumberlandarchives.com
March 6, 2025 at 1:43 PM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
Disrupt the Archives project is spending all week developing our escape room.

Today: electronics supported by NCC IT staff AND filming with November Club theatre company.
A hat helps the characterisation of a gang boss! Using Micro:Bits to programme potential puzzles.
February 25, 2025 at 5:09 PM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
On the release of the new Bridget Jones film, we wanted to share some more of Mary Hannington’s diaries:

She saw the film ‘I was a spy’ and wrote "Edmund Gwenn (what a canny Burgomaster!) and Anthony Bushell made a bonny German secret service agent – handsome and callous.”

See alt text for more
NRO 11029 – Mary Hannington is photographed walking down a street in Newcastle. She is wearing a long light-coloured overcoat which is belted at the waist. She has on a cloche hat, a scarf, dark gloves and dark low-heeled shoes. She has a handbag under her arm and is carrying several parcels. There are passers-by heading the opposite direction to the right of the picture and the window of a shop on the left. A double decker bus (or tram?) can be seen in the background to the right. Picture of a page of Mary Hannington's diary (NRO 11029). Monday Oct 30. Small photographs of actors have been pasted at the top of the page. Mary's diary entry is hand written below. Part of it reads: “Tonight went to the Queen’s to see ‘I was a spy’... The film was jolly good, production and acting, splendid. Madeleine Canoll was good also Conrad Veidt, Herbert Marshall, Edmund Gwenn (what a canny Burgomaster!) and Anthony Bushell made a bonny German secret service agent – handsome and callous.”
February 17, 2025 at 10:35 AM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
Happy Valentine's Day! ❤️
Forget #bridgetjonesdiary- we have the diaries of Mary Hannington.
Entry from 1935: local amdram production, including a certain Billy in the cast...
"Wish, by the way, I could keep my thoughts away from that young man because he’s a silly a** – birds of a feather though!!"
Photograph of Mary Hannington (1914-2003). Mary is perching on the railing of a boat at sea. She is looking windswept and fabulous. The is wearing a dark pencil skirt and a light jumper, topped with a scarf tied over her hair. She is next to a lifeboat which has a lifeboug attached to it. The lifebouy has the name "Sandhill" visible along the top. Photographs from the Evening Chronicle of the production of "Ruddigore" that Mary attended in 1935 and wrote about in her diary. She wasn't very complimentary of the newspaper photographer, writing "I could have done better myself with my brownie [camera]". Scan of Mary's diary. (NRO 11029) Mary has a humorous tone of voice, shown in this diary entry, remarking on the actors and local coverage of a production of ‘Ruddigore’.
February 14, 2025 at 11:31 AM
nlandarchives.bsky.social
This Holocaust Memorial Day we look in our collection at a postcard collected by Mr Thomas Holliday when he visited Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1972.

A necessary journey that does not get easier, an unthinkable tragedy that feels incomprehensible today. We shall remember.
Black and white postcard of the gates to the Auschwitz concentration camp. The infamous slogan "Arbeit macht frei" can be seen above the gates. NRO 07173/53 Photograph of the gates of Auschwitz taken by Sarah, an archivist at Northumberland Archives.
January 27, 2025 at 9:37 AM