The National Archives Podcast Series

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Latest Episodes:

New files from 1984 Jan 03, 2014

Show notes

Contemporary records specialists Mark Dunton and Simon Demissie discuss the latest batch of government records to be released to The National Archives. The year was 1984 and Margaret Thatcher's appointment diary, included in this collection for the first time, shows she was as busy as ever. The year-long miners' strike dominated the headlines and occupied much of the Cabinet's time but it was also the year WPC Yvonne Fletcher was shot outside the Libyan People's Bureau and Mrs Thatcher herself narrowly escaped death in the Brighton hotel bombing. The new files also provide a fascinating insight into the first meeting between Mrs Thatcher and future Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

The day parliament burned down Dec 20, 2013

Show notes

In the early evening of 16 October 1834, to the horror of bystanders, a huge ball of fire exploded through the roof of the Houses of Parliament, creating a blaze so enormous that it could be seen by the King and Queen at Windsor, and from stagecoaches on top of the South Downs. In front of hundreds of thousands of witnesses the great conflagration destroyed Parliament's glorious old buildings and their contents. No one who witnessed the disaster would ever forget it - yet today this national catastrophe is a forgotten disaster. Find out about one of the most seminal events of the 19th century, which not only changed the face of London, but also led to the creation of The National Archives itself. Caroline Shenton is Clerk of the Records at the Parliamentary Archives, and a former senior archivist at The National Archives, where her interest in the fire of 1834 was first kindled. She has worked in and around collections relating to the old Palace of Westminster for over 20 years, and is a Fellow of both the Society of Antiquaries and the Royal Historical Society. Sponsored by the Friends of The National Archives.

NDACA - the National Disability Arts Collection and Archive Dec 16, 2013

Show notes

In this talk Tony Heaton examines the vision for The National Disability Arts Collection and Archive and the wider historical and social context. Tony Heaton OBE has been involved in the disability arts sector as an artist and activist for many years and he has led on the development of the project. He is CEO of Shape, the disability-led arts organisation. He created the lecterns for Lord Coe and Sir Peter Craven for the opening ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic games.

Britain's air forces in the First World War Dec 13, 2013

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This talk covers the record sources for those who served in the air forces, their formations and machines. It also explores a case study of a famous airman to illustrate some of the inventions and developments that led to final victory in 1918. Clive Hawkins is a military specialist at The National Archives. Clive has worked for The National Archives for 37 years. He has always had a deep interest in military history and is an avid collector of steel helmets. Sponsored by the Friends of The National Archives.

Scandals in the family Dec 09, 2013

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This talk explores the deeds and misdeeds of one family, using documents in The National Archives and elsewhere. The tale involves deception, divorce, and the deliberate destruction of official records. Although the main narrative concerns one man, Captain George Boynton, several other members of his family also had encounters with either the civil or the criminal law. If they appeared in a work of fiction, his and his family's exploits might seem far-fetched, but they are all true, and we have the evidence to prove it. Audrey Collins is a family history specialist at The National Archives, where she has worked for ten years. She is a regular speaker at family history conferences and events in the UK and overseas, and is the author of numerous books and articles. Her most recent publication is Birth, marriage and death records: A guide for family historians (Pen & Sword 2012), which she co-wrote with Dave Annal.

They gave the crowd plenty fun Dec 06, 2013

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West Indian cricket and its relationship with the British-resident Caribbean Diaspora. 'They gave the crowd plenty fun' is a lucid study of the impact of West Indian cricket on those of Caribbean birth and descent in Britain. It traces the relationship between cricket and the Caribbean Diaspora from the start of mass immigration to Britain from the Caribbean in the 1950s. Colin also reflects on his life as a second generation West Indian boy in 1970s/1980s Britain. Colin Babb describes himself as a 'BBC', a British Born Caribbean. His family are from Guyana, Guadeloupe and Barbados. He has worked as a radio and online producer and journalist for the BBC. He joined the BBC Test Match Special commentary team during the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy tournament to discuss his book with Tony Cozier and Simon Mann.

Writer of the month: witches, sorcery, scandal and seduction in Jacobean England Dec 02, 2013

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This talk describes the events which unfolded at Belvoir Castle four hundred years ago, during the witch craze. It is a tale of superstition, injustice and conspiracy. Dr Tracy Borman is an author, historian and broadcaster, whose books include the highly acclaimed Elizabeth's Women: the Hidden Story of the Virgin Queen and Matilda: Queen of the Conqueror. Her forthcoming book, on the history of witchcraft, will be published by Jonathan Cape in Autumn 2013. Tracy has recently been appointed interim Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces and is also Chief Executive of the Heritage Education Trust.

An introduction to the eighth tranche of colonial administration records released at The National Archives Nov 29, 2013

Show notes

Diplomatic and Colonial Records Specialist David Gilfoyle introduces the eighth and final tranche of files, now available on site at The National Archives, Kew. The National Archives has been working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to transfer and release colonial administration records, referred to as the 'migrated archives', between April 2012 and November 2013, in accordance with the published timeline on GOV.UK. The collection will form record series FCO 141: Foreign and Commonwealth Office and predecessors: Records of Former Colonial Administrations: Migrated Archives. The records cover a wide range of subject matter relating to colonial administration. The material reflects events in the territories generally pre-independence and reflects Her Majesty's Government's views at the time. This release contains records from Malta, Singapore, Tanganyika, Trinidad and Tobago and West Indian Federation, Turks and Caicos, Uganda, West Indies Development and Welfare Organisation (WIDWO), Western Pacific and Zanzibar, Kenya Land Transfer Programme and Files Relating to the Migrated Archives.

Searching the unsearchable Nov 25, 2013

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Colour, pattern and texture are all 'content' but are not searchable like written text. This talk discusses how exploiting digital technology to enhance both access and preservation of the image-rich Board of Trade Design Register could open up the records to new users. The collection contains nearly three million designs (of metal, wood, glass, earthenware, wallpaper, carpets and textiles), represented as drawings, prints, tracings, photographs, samples and products, for example straw bonnets. Making images available in different ways, for instance searching and browsing by Discovery, would allow users to view the designs without handling the collection and could engage a new generation who have grown-up in an age of spectacle and online interaction.Dinah Eastop works in the Collection Care Department at The National Archives as a Curatorial Research Fellow. Her research focuses on promoting access to and preservation of the Board of Trade Design Register - both the written records of registration and the representations of the registered designs (e.g. drawings, photographs and cloth samples). She worked in textile conservation for more than 30 years, mostly at the UK's Textile Conservation Centre, but also overseas, notably for ICCROM. She has lectured and published widely on textile conservation, conservation principles and material culture studies. She has taken a special interest in anomalous objects, for example garments deliberately concealed within the structure of buildings, and string figures (cat's cradles). She is keen to exploit the opportunities provided by online technologies for exploring texts and artefacts.

The Treaty of Utrecht Nov 22, 2013

Show notes

The Treaty of Utrecht, agreed in the spring of 1713, brought an end to the tired War of the Spanish Succession which had raged through much of the western world for the previous 11 years. The antagonists in this wide conflict - France and the French party in Spain on the one hand, and the Grand Alliance formed by Great Britain, Holland and Imperial Austria on the other - had fought each other to exhaustion. Only with a Treaty such as this, for all its imperfections, could peace of a kind be achieved. This talk considers the war and causes for war, the main events and personalities, the covert and overt negotiations for peace, and the Treaty terms themselves. It also looks at the associated agreements reached at Rastadt and Baden. The talk then reviews whether Utrecht was, overall, a 'good thing' or not in re-establishing a balance of power in Europe for the 18th century. James Falkner is an ex-regular Army officer, and the author of six books on the 1st Duke of Marlborough and the War of the Spanish Succession. He contributes articles to publications such as British Army Review and Military History (USA). He travels frequently to the battlefields of Western Europe as an expert guide and he lectures to learned societies.

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