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bucksarchives.bsky.social
Buckinghamshire Archives
@bucksarchives.bsky.social
6.2K followers 900 following 700 posts
Your favourite archive's favourite archive.

We're the archives and local studies library for the historic county of Buckinghamshire, and the home of Buckinghamshire History Festival.

Website: buckinghamshire.gov.uk/culture-and-tourism/archives/
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bucksarchives.bsky.social
It's week two of Buckinghamshire History Festival! Head over to histfestbucks.co.uk to see our brilliant events this week, including a couple of online events that are completely free to attend!
An advert for Buckinghamshire History Festival 2025, showing the logo (a stylised 'B') and photos a man thatching, a historic map of the county, a woman with a camera, and a stained glass window showing the coat of arms of Buckinghamshire.
November 10, 2025 at 7:00 PM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
Pleased to announce our partnership with Aperture Science
November 10, 2025 at 10:21 AM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
For #MKMonday we're sharing this great photo of the local Channel 40 crew setting up for some filming at Milton Keynes City Discovery Centre! This was taken in the 1970s.
A black and white photo of a film crew and their van. Two cameras are set up, one on top of the van (with a man sat beside it), and another one closer to the photographer which the other two men are adjusting. In the background is the chapel at Bradwell Abbey.
November 10, 2025 at 8:30 AM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
Today is the Lord Mayor's Day over in London! We've found this great cartoon we think from the London Illustrated News in around 1870. It shows a much more low-key event than the celebration of today.
A cartoon from the London Illustrated News. An elderly man with an umbrella is seated on a chair, being carried by two bedraggled attendants. They are led by a man in ill fitting armour holding a sign that says 'LORD MAYOR'S DAY'. They are heading into a cheap eating house, with various other buildings and objects in the background for sale, including the mayor's coach.
November 8, 2025 at 1:00 PM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
Let's play Bucks Name or Name Name
November 7, 2025 at 1:01 PM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
Everything is an archive
The same meme as before but with the content/structure radical segment replaced with 'this meme is an archive' with a recursive image of said meme.
November 6, 2025 at 10:21 AM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
There's a version of this meme that looks like this
November 6, 2025 at 9:09 AM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
Hoping this helps our colleagues across the industry
A meme of 'Is this an archive?' showing a grid with various classifications of things that might be archives based on their content and structure.
November 5, 2025 at 1:01 PM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
We've still got a few spaces left for tomorrow's tour! Book your free space by emailing us at archives@buckinghamshire.gov.uk

For even more events, head to histfestbucks.co.uk
A photo of boxes in the archive next to the History Festival branding. The text below has the upcoming tour dates.
November 4, 2025 at 10:00 AM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
It's the second week of Buckinghamshire History Festival, and we've got another bunch of brilliant events for you to enjoy! This week we have tours through cemeteries, windmills, and the archive, alongside a special talk from an author!

For more info head to histfestbucks.co.uk
An advert for Buckinghamshire History Festival 2025, showing the logo (a stylised 'B') and photos of a man thatching, a historic map of the county, a woman with a camera, and a stained glass window showing the coat of arms of Buckinghamshire.
November 3, 2025 at 12:01 PM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
This week's #MKMonday photo is in our catalogue as 'May Day fun run in Linford Wood, 1980', but that fails to capture just how much it looks like a still from a slasher film.
A black and white photo of lots of people running. Amongst the crowd is a person dressed as a gorilla, a person dressed as a clown (not a weird one, more like the Ashes to Ashes Bowie sort of clown) and a scary, evil looking clown in a tattered prison uniform.
November 3, 2025 at 8:30 AM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
It's the first day of November, so here's another page from Florence Fremantle's handmade 1926 calendar! There's an extract from Love's Labour's Lost by Shakespeare and some very frozen looking plants.
A page from Florence Fremantle's handmade calendar with an extract from Love's Labour's Lost added. There is a wintry scene painted in watercolours of a small cottage in a snowy field.
November 1, 2025 at 10:01 AM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
It's Halloween! Here's the scariest thing in our archive.
October 31, 2025 at 11:02 AM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
Parents, make sure you're careful this Halloween! Inside this Snickers we've just found the 1444 map of Boarstall, one of the oldest maps of an English village and a fantastic example of late medieval cartography.
A photo of a Snickers bar cut open. Inside of it is a close up of the map of Boarstall.
October 30, 2025 at 2:05 PM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
We last had this tour a couple years ago and it concluded in one of our strongrooms. Sadly it won't this year, but it's a good excuse to share this ridiculous photo.
A colour photo of the tour group going through one of the archive's strongrooms. A man in a top hat and a cloak stands in the aisle holding a book.
October 29, 2025 at 2:09 PM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
We're very excited to have the Mystery Tours returning for this year's History Festival!

Join the Time Traveller in this spooky walk through Aylesbury, uncovering some of the darkest parts of the town's history.

For more info and to book your ticket, head to histfestbucks.co.uk
A photo of the ‘Time Traveller’, the host of the Ghost Walk, illuminating a book with a torch. The photo is next to the Buckinghamshire History Festival branding with the following text underneath. ‘Aylesbury Ghost Walk The Clocktower, Market Square 29/11/25, 19:30 – 20:30 Histfestbucks.co.uk’
October 29, 2025 at 2:04 PM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
As Black History Month draws to a close, we thought we'd share this entry in a baptism register for Buckingham, April 1571. It features a 14 year old boy called Samson Aethiops, noting that he was born in Africa.
A close up photograph of an entry in a parish register. It is written in Latin, with black ink on vellum. The text says: Aprilis Samson Aethiops nate in Africa Quaturodece an[n]os natus baptizabate sexto die Wil[l]mo Palmer Grato [gratus] Wil[l]mo Davies Clerico et Katherina Pates susceptoribus Translated, this means: 6 April 1571 Samson Aethiops born in Africa fourteen years born baptised 6th day William Palmer Gratious William Davis Clerk and Katherina Pates sponsors
October 29, 2025 at 8:30 AM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
Buckinghamshire has got a lot of historic pubs, and this talk for the History Festival explores some of them around Bourne End! Hosted by the Bourne End Bucks One Place Study Society, this talk is a historic pub crawl without needing to leave your seat.

Book your tickets at histfestbucks.co.uk
A black and white photo of The Harrow pub in Bourne End, next to the Buckinghamshire History Festival logo. The following text is underneath. ‘Historic Pubs in and Around Bourne End Bourne End Community Centre 20/11/25, 20:00 - 21:30 Histfestbucks.co.uk’
October 28, 2025 at 2:04 PM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
We don't usually share public health advice, but we thought we'd make an exception for this brilliant document.

In a collection from 1911 is this speech that covers 'What to say to a boy of nine or ten going to his first school', filled with talk about puberty.

It contains exactly what you expect.
The first page of the speech 'What to say to a boy of nine or ten going to his first school'. It contains advice on puberty from a very 1911 perspective. The second page of the speech 'What to say to a boy of nine or ten going to his first school'. It contains advice on puberty from a very 1911 perspective. The third page of the speech 'What to say to a boy of nine or ten going to his first school'. It contains advice on puberty from a very 1911 perspective. The last page of the speech 'What to say to a boy of nine or ten going to his first school'. It contains advice on puberty from a very 1911 perspective.
October 28, 2025 at 11:56 AM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
We've got a fantastic online talk about Buckinghamshire's early modern musical history as part of the History Festival! This talk by Caro Lesemann-Elliott explores their project's work revealing new evidence of music-making.

Book your free ticket at histfestbucks.co.uk
A close up of the front cover of a songbook next to the History Festival logo. The following text is underneath: ‘Music in Early Modern Buckinghamshire Online 18/11/25, 13:30 – 14:00 Histfestbucks.co.uk’
October 28, 2025 at 8:30 AM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
Buckinghamshire History Festival starts this weekend and we've got loads of great events for you to enjoy! With archaeology days, exhibitions, and guided walks, who knows what you'll discover?

For more details, head to histfestbucks.co.uk
An advert for Buckinghamshire History Festival 2025, showing the logo (a stylised 'B') and photos of a man thatching, a historic map of the county, a woman with a camera, and a stained glass window showing the coat of arms of Buckinghamshire.
October 27, 2025 at 6:00 PM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
We've got a new job available here in the archive! We're looking for an Archive Assistant to support our collections team.

For more information, head to jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/job_detail/3...
Records of Buckinghamshire with the words 'We're Hiring! Archive Assistant' overlaid.
October 27, 2025 at 1:04 PM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
Here's the bar at Bletchley Leisure Centre for #MKMonday! If you couldn't tell from the haircuts, this photo was taken in the 1970s.
A black and white photo of the bar at Bletchley Leisure Centre. Several people are sat at the bar drinking, with some in booths.
October 27, 2025 at 8:30 AM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
Here's a very spooky event from our friends at @cheshammuseum for Buckinghamshire History festival! Join local historian Eleanor Phillips for this talk on the paranormal history of the Chilterns.

Book your ticket at cheshammuseum.org.uk/event/phantoms-of-the-chilterns
A grainy black and white photo of a figure that may or may not be a ghost. They’ve been circled. The image is next to the Buckinghamshire History Festival logo with the following text beneath. ‘Phantoms of the Chilterns The White Hill Centre, Chesham 13/11/25, 19:30 – 20:30 Histfestbucks.co.uk’
October 25, 2025 at 6:01 PM
bucksarchives.bsky.social
We're very excited to have Milton Keynes Archaeology Day back for the History Festival this year! This is a free event for the whole family that celebrates the archaeological heritage of the city and the places beyond.

For a full programme of events and activities, head to histfestbucks.co.uk
A photo of an archaeologist working on a mosaic wearing high vis. The photo is placed next to the History Festival branding, with the following text. ‘Milton Keynes Archaeology Day Church of Christ the Cornerstone, Central Milton Keynes 1/11/25, 10:00 – 16:00 Histfestbucks.co.uk’
October 24, 2025 at 6:03 PM