Celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of the Pembrokeshire Record Office continued this week with an Open Day.
The Pembrokeshire Record Office is located in the old prison at Haverfordwest Castle and provides the opportunity and the facilities for anyone interested in the history of the county to pursue their own research, be it genealogy or any aspect of local history.
The Open Day allowed members of the public to see behind the scenes - with tours of the strongrooms (where the documents are stored when they are not in use for public research or display) and an insight into the work of the conservator (who ensures that the records are safely preserved and repaired when necessary).
During the Open Day, members of staff gave short talks on family and local history while the younger visitors to the Record Office were busy making crowns, shields and stained glass windows. There was also the opportunity to try your hand at writing with a quill pen and to illuminate an old manuscript.
An exhibition of recipes and handy household hints to be found amongst the archives at the Pembrokeshire Record Office was on display. A booklet containing a selection of the more appetising recipes is available from the Record Office at a cost of 20 pence (50 pence by post).
The Open Day also saw the launch of the new 'User's Guide to the Pembrokeshire Record Office'. Copies of the Guide are available from the Record Office free of charge.
A treasure hunt to test the knowledge and powers of observation of the contestants was held during the day in the grounds of Haverfordwest Castle. The winning entry was submitted by Daniel Williams, of Milford Haven.
During 2003, various events to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Record Office have taken place - and will continue to happen during the autumn.
In particular, there has been a series of six 'Saturday Afternoon Seminars' on using the record office, parish and chapel records, census records, reading old handwriting, maps and quarter sessions records.
Staff at the Record Office would be interested to know if the public would like the seminars to be repeated, as they were fully booked this year. They would also like to discover if there are other topics that the public would like covered in future seminars.
Two competitions - one for adults, one for children - asking for an event in Pembrokeshire's past to be reported in modern newspaper or radio style are continuing during the autumn. Details of the competitions are available from the Record Office on 01437 763707 or email [email protected]">[email protected]
The events to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Pembrokeshire Record Office will conclude with a cheese and wine evening, sponsored by Pembrokeshire County Council, at County Hall in November.