16th February 2018.
The blog has been quiet, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t
been working hard. In fact, we’ve been so busy, I haven’t had time to update
the posts.
Last week we were looking carefully through a boxful of
documents – leaflets, postcards, receipts, souvenir programmes – kindly donated
to the Embsay Research group by a local resident. We have categorised them, and
next week will spend a day making digital copies, and setting up a detailed
catalogue of the collection.
one of the items from the collection - a sketch of a local old pole-gate post - now sadly lost |
Yesterday we had a visit from a representative of the
Washburn Heritage Centre at Fewston, which is between Skipton and Harrogate in
the Washburn Valley. She was intrigued by our Churchyard Survey project, so we
gave her a little tour of St Mary’s Church and then retreated out of the bitter
cold to Sue’s house to get warm again. We explained our methodology and
objectives, and she went away at lunch-time with plenty to think about and take
back to her next committee meeting. It’s always satisfying to know that we have
been able to enthuse someone else with churchyard studies. We spent the
afternoon putting in more data on the grave reference sheets.
I have spent many intensive hours in the public library
searching through the archives of the local newspapers for the period of the
1914-18 war, for any references I can find on Embsay and Eastby. It’s a tedious
and slow process, and with the Armistice commemoration now approaching in
November, Sue, Eileen and Jennifer have volunteered to help me out by going
through the 1917 archives. Their first go on the microfilm reader was a bit of
a surprise – the tiny print prompted them to ask for a magnifying glass so they
could read the display – I wish I’d had a camera with me!
We are planning to setup an exhibition in our village hall
over the Armistice weekend, and to present some readings, so we’re very busy
researching a range of topics associated with the impact of the First World on
British society and particularly on our parish. Lots to do!
Jane Lunnon
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