The Best Place for Local History Dr Gill Draper, Events and Development Officer, BALH

Internet Sites for Local Historians: a directory (£4.99)Buy it here at the end of this talk or see it at BALH’s stand, no.40

New American Connections for BALH

BALH is delighted to announce a new link with theAmerican Association of State and Local History(AASLH). The aim is to share interests andinformation, and to identify possible jointactivities- discussions, exchanges and projects.The connection has developed from a successfulcollaboration as partners in the 2014 Anglo-American Conference of Historians, held in July atthe Institute of Historical Research in London onthe theme of The Great War at Home. The widerlink has started with the exchange of news andpublications through a corresponding member oneach side. For more information and developmentssee BALH’s e-newsletter and Local History News.

Growing Local History Conference 7-9 April 2016

• BALH’s national conferences are a great opportunity to meet and talk with other local historians,

• Hear about how local history is being practised by a range of people in a variety of ways

• Get to know new places as tours are generally included this year the historic waterfront and town of Ipswich in Suffolk

• Speakers include:

• Professor Christopher Scull ‘Saxon Rendlesham Re-visited’

• Tony Bone, ‘Barber’s Point: how a small local history society funded and ran four community digs’.

• Kate Tiller, ‘Memorials and memories: 20th-century Suffolk histories and voices’

Also a lively debate on a new project supported by BALH and commissioned by Historic England.

This is to assess the extent of archaeology, historic building and local history research carried out by voluntary groups across England

British Association for Local History, forthcoming events. Details and booking at the BALH stand 40, or see www.balh.org.uk

• Local History Day, Saturday 4 June 2016:

Talks on Business Archives and BALH Annual Lecture by Professor Tom Williamson, ‘Lancelot Brown and the Capability Men: the landscape revolution of 18th century

• Guided tour for family and local historians of the Institute for Historical Research Library, London, on 12 July 2016

• The County Societies Symposium: ‘Discussing 21st Century Challenges’, 17 September 2016, Institute for Historical Research

• BALH and Devon History Society day conference, 29 April 2017, at University of Exeter, on ‘Who governed Devon and how’. Different periods will be covered by experts covering medieval to 20th century. Cost for BALH members probably only £10, non-members £20.

‘Surname database reaches 60 000 names’

• 'Family Names of the UK’ (FaNUK/FaNBI) –a website and database deriving from a current research project at Bristol Centre for Linguistics UWE, http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/cahe/research/bristolcentreforlinguistics/fanuk.aspx

The Institute of Historical Research http: / /www.history.ac.uk

• The Institute of Historical Research, London, hosts the Locality and Region seminars

• These seminars are now podcast on the website of this Institute and include…

• Simon Draper on ‘New Light on English Surnames: the Family Names of the UK’ [FanUK]

•http://www.medievalgenealogy.org.uk

BALH website (under Education): local history of the First World War

• News, information, ideas for research, projects and publication, guidance and downloads including:

• An introduction to themes in the local history of the First World War and to BALH's related activities

• A series of sixteen downloadable short guides to topics for local research

• List of useful online links

• A rolling listing of recent publications of First World War local studies

• During 2014-18, and beyond, we will develop this section to support and promote the central contribution that local studies make to a fuller and wider understanding of the First World War and its significance.

• Download: Local History and the First World War, Kate Tiller, (updated version of an article first published in Past and Future, Spring/Summer 2014)

Produced by BBC Learning Resources and BALH

Historic Coventry: a local history website offering ‘a nostalgic and educational tour of historic Coventry, read people's memories, and learn about its history, cathedrals, ancient buildings and city wall with the aid of over a thousand photographs, images & maps. Find out about our street development over the last eight centuries, how and why we suffered in the Blitz, and test your knowledge with my quizzes and crosswords too’ http://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/

Internet Sites (covering 687 mostly free websites) offers advice on:

• Accuracy

• Authority

• Objectivity

• Currency

• Coverage

Internet Sites for Local Historians: a directory (£4.99) buy here or see it at BALH stand 40

• Warwick Symposium on Parish Research

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/calendar/parishsymposium/2012/

• Romney Marsh Research Trust

http://rmrt.org.uk/remembering-the-godfrey-family-of-lydd-kent/

http://rmrt.org.uk/the-romney-marsh-irregular-no-41-spring-2013/

• Medieval Stained Glass of Britain

http://www.cvma.ac.uk/index.html

Historic England: Coventry: The making of a modern city 1939-73

https://www.historicengland.org.uk/news-and-features/news/coventry-post-war-heritage-book

‘Archived’ but useful materials!

BALH is happy to discuss sources for the lives of your ancestors with you.

What else can BALH offer you?

A flier is available at the BALH stand- there is a special offer for BALH members or new joiners

Join the British Association for Local History today at Stand 40 and receive a complimentary journal and magazine.

Or see and buy our other publications online