FONA Under Lockdown FONA Under an Introduction by Our New Chair, Judith Mills
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Newsletter 24 August 2020 In this issue FONA under lockdown FONA under An introduction by our new Chair, Judith Mills. lockdown pages 1 - 2 AGM Results and New looking forward to hearing about Committee History and the Art of Storytelling, page 3 but hopefully that will be back on the programme for whenever we Thanks for the pillows can meet again. FONA donation helps the Archives reopen. But just because there have been page 4 restrictions on what we have been able to do, I hope you agree Nottinghamshire with me that FONA has not been Archives are back! inactive. First of all, we have had a Ruth Imeson explains ‘virtual’ AGM. As the new Chair of how the Archives now FONA, as well as Newsletter Editor, operate under Covid 19. I want to thank all FONA members pages 4 - 6 for taking part in this and give Hasn’t a lot changed since the special thanks to David Anderson Witches, demons and last FONA newsletter in February for his excellent organisation of the Nottingham’s exorcist 2020? At that time, I for one was on-line voting. Karen Winyard tells the not aware of coronavirus or COVID story of exorcist John 19 (though in retrospect, maybe It has been an odd time to start Darrell. I should have been). But what an my time as Chair, but also an pages 6 - 8 affect these have had on all of us? interesting one and I’m very much They are now part of our way of looking forward to a time when Tales from the life and integral to our everyday we can meet together properly, Sherwood Dales language, as are ‘virtual meetings’, perhaps at the next AGM? Howard Parker’s ‘social distancing’, ‘facemasks’ and Following the AGM, we appointed recollections of the ‘PPE’, to name but a few. a Programme Sub-committee Sherwood Dales Estate. which is working on ideas for pages 9 - 12 The first casualty for FONA was the FONA events during lockdown as AGM which had to be postponed well as trying to plan for future Good ... It’s Mason’s because of lockdown – another talks and activities. Peter Hammond on the word that we probably use a magic of Mason’s Herbal lot more often than we used One initiative during lockdown Extract. to. Another victim was our talks is that FONA has started to programme; personally, I was really produce short videos on our pages 13 - 16 1 Images from the FONA videos available on our youtube channel. own YouTube video channel. information on that in the future. been working hard on their own We purposely decided to make In the last Newsletter, we projects and have kindly sent in these short – 10-15 minutes only reported on the Savile project articles about their work. I’ve – rather than longer replacements which is a collaboration with enjoyed reading them and I hope for talks because it gives us the Nottinghamshire Archives. A you do too. opportunity to highlight those FONA team has been researching interesting snippets that are not previously uncatalogued Finally, a plea to all FONA big enough to form a full-blown documents that are part of the members. If you have ideas for a talk in their own right. More extensive Savile Collection, and video, newsletter items or, when are in the pipeline, so look out producing a catalogue so that they we are allowed to meet, talks for announcements and don’t will eventually become publicly and visits, or anything else you forget to tell your friends about available. Plans were in place for think FONA might like to get them. (Go to www.youtube. an exhibition and some kind of involved with, then do let me com then search for Friends of event (or even events) around the know. In these lockdown days, Nottinghamshire Archives.) work which have had to be put on we have to innovate and help hold. Unfortunately, the team has with that is much appreciated by Another COVID 19 off-shoot is not been able to meet since the the Committee – the more brains the diary writing project that some middle of March and it is unclear the better. And don’t forget to FONA members and friends of at the moment when it will be able check out the FONA Facebook members have been contributing to meet again. However, it is keen page (Friends of Nottinghamshire to. Compiled together, these will to pick up from where it left off as Archives – FONA) and contribute make a very substantial document soon as it can, and I hope to have as well. which FONA will deposit with more news about the work in the Nottinghamshire Archives. As a next newsletter. Judith Mills, FONA Chair follow-on project, it’s hoped to publish excerpts of these diaries Apart from the group activities, as a FONA book – but more some of our FONA members have 2 AGM Results and New Committee Voting papers were sent out to 60 Motion 1: Minutes of the 2019 AGM? members. Responses were received Yes: 27 No: 0 Abstain: 4 Result: Motion carried. from 27 members. Joint members were counted as 2 votes. Motion 2: Constitution proposed by the Chair? Yes: 31 No: 0 Abstain: 1 Result: Motion carried Motion 3: Financial accounts proposed by the Treasurer? Yes: 32 No: 0 Abstain: 0 Result: Motion carried Motion 4: Nominated Committee Members and Officers for election? Yes: 32 No: 0 Abstain: 0 Result: Motion carried Motion 5: Concerning Donations to Nottinghamshire Archives: Agree: 2 Disagree: 29 Abstain: 1 Result: Motion defeated The new Committee Chair and Newsletter Editor: Judith Mills [email protected] and for all enquiries Minuting Secretary: Cherry Knight Treasurer and Membership David Anderson [email protected] Secretary and Web Master [email protected] Programme sub-committee Peter Hammond [email protected] June Cobley [email protected] Karen Winyard [email protected] Committee Members Miriam Jackson and Sian Trafford Ex Officio Ruth Imeson, Heritage Services Manager, Inspire: Culture, Learning and Libraries 3 Thanks for the pillows On behalf of Nottinghamshire Archives and Inspire I’d like to thank all of our friends at FONA for donating five new book pillows and five pairs of snake weights for use in our searchroom. We now have enough of each to be able to quarantine them between customers. This is helping us to keep you, our staff and our customers safe. We are now open with reduced opening times by appointment only. Further information here: https://www.inspireculture.org.uk/ heritage/archives/visiting-archives/ Thank you. Ruth. Here they are with someone you may recognise! Nottinghamshire Archives We’re back! On Friday 20th March collections, two of us visited the Online Nottinghamshire building on a regular basis. We Staff were busy working on our checked the temperatures and online presence. Archives closed its humidity in the strongrooms to doors to the public. ensure the five million documents The Inspire Picture Archive was We did not reopen until we look after on your behalf were visited by 8543 users, with over safe and well. Regular fire and 37,000 page views. Over 200 Saturday 11th July; the security tests were carried out. The images were added as part of longest closure period in office was almost deserted, and our VE Day and Lockdown Life the office’s history. You the streets of Nottingham were projects. all know why we closed, almost empty. 20,000 additional entries were but what happened If you were to ask me what I made to our online catalogue. next? missed most from being away from the archive I’d say the smell The Road to Reopening Whilst the majority of staff worked of the strongrooms first thing in None of us could have been from home unable to access the the morning. prepared for reopening under 4 lockdown conditions. A small team of three worked to the meeting room. This helps us to keep people safe make the building “socially distanced ready”. Tables whilst allowing staff to work in the meeting room. and computers were moved, perspex screens installed, hazard tape and posters applied, and we spent a day wandering around with 2-metre-long poles. Five people can be safely seated in our secure archive viewing area. As we were one of the first services to re-open in the entire country (we even beat The National Archives to it) we were very much in the vanguard of the new approach. I made the decision to permit five people to view pre-ordered documents only. I appreciate this was not what some of our regular friends would have be preferred. The wider sector has not found a solution to the use of microfiche and we are working on how to reopen those areas of the service. Our remote reprographics and research services are busier than ever with orders almost double pre- lockdown figures. Many of these orders will be part of the backlog when we were unable to access the collections, although many customers are not confident to visit in the current circumstances. What will you see if you Visit? Visitors are asked to wash their hands at this point. The first thing you will notice is that our front door is We have a queuing system with markers at two metre no longer the front door. Access is via the fire exit in intervals. Archives are now delivered to people via an intermediary table allowing staff to place the documents before stepping back.