Trust People - TrustNews March 2009
The second of a series of articles about people who work behind the scenes for the Trust.
Nick Hirst, keeper of the Trust archives
I joined the Trust in 2006 after seeing a promotional display in the town centre, and shortly after was asked by Pat Edwards if I would like to look after the Trust archives.
Up until 5 years ago I lived in Cumbria where I brought up my family and went to Newton Rigg College and Lancaster University as a mature student. I studied Land Management and Ecology there respectively and subsequently worked as a research project manager, recruitment officer for a wildlife charity, and as the secretary for a red squirrel conservation organisation. I have always had an interest in conservation and wildlife, but having seen the uncontrolled development of the Costa Del Sol from 1963 to the present, (my grandparents retired there), I realise what an important job organisations like CWT do. Not just ‘putting the brakes’ on unfettered development, but saving important wildlife sites too.
When I agreed to take on the archives I realised that an electronic catalogue with a digital search facility would be essential. I discussed this with Pat who promptly invested in a laptop computer with the Microsoft database program ‘Access’. My time is voluntary and I spend a few hours a week on the Archives as and when I can.
The Trust Archives consist of correspondence, official documents, booklets, cuttings, pictures and other material that has been accumulated by the Trust over the past 50 years.
I started the construction of a database, entering the contents of each archival box [there are 128 boxes] in a methodical fashion, and now two years later I have completed this task. My next task is to go through each box in turn again and ensure that everything in that box should not be elsewhere and editing the database accordingly as things are relocated. Each box has a theme that has been inherited by me and these themes seem to categorise the archive materials logically. It is the relationship between these themes and the contents of the boxes that I will be examining over the next few months.
This task will be time consuming, but should not involve much expenditure. However we do have some black and white photographic slides that in my opinion should be printed on photographic paper and properly stored in the archive room. We have a large collection of negatives of the Brooks prior to demolition and also a bequest of slides of Winchester going back to the early 1900s. We now plan to digitise these slides so that they can be better preserved, viewed on computers and used in displays. This will make them much more available for anyone interested.
We do have a collection of photographs of Winchester that we do not have the copyright to and also a collection by Salmon. It is my intention to build another database of all the images mentioned above and also any photographs not kept in archival boxes. This may be built up of scanned images, or descriptive text only. I hope that you will soon be able to see the archive database/s on the website, with a search facility, so that visitors to the site can see what we have without having to contact me first.
Since I took over the archives I have had 11 queries from both members and nonmembers and have been able to help by either loaning to members or photocopying to non-members and where we do not hold what they request I have been able to redirect them to alternative sources.
If you would like further information on the archives please contact me at Nickhirst@aol.com or leave a message at the Heritage Centre on 01962 851664.