I have been meaning to go to the National Archives, where they keep Army records these days for quite a long time. The plan was always to go at the same time as the OH was summoned to work in that there Lunnon so that the hotel costs would be taken care of and all I would have to pay for would be my flight costs. Naturally, from the moment I hatched this plot the necessity for the OH to travel to London disappeared.
I needed to go but London is a long and expensive way away so I have put it off and put it off and knew that I couldn't put it off much longer so I have gradually been putting the various bits in place; finding out if they had what I wanted, pre-registering for a temporary ticket, pre-ordering the relevant document etc and when we came back from Stockholm we booked a couple of nights at the Terminal 5 hotel and put aside the intervening day for the trip to Kew.
Once again, as at the Aberdeen University Library, I met with noting but very helpful and pleasant people at the National Archives; from the person who explained where to find my seat and my document, via the very nice young man whose job is to take photographs all day for new readers cards * to the staff in the coffee bar and shop. All were exemplary.
* He did a great job. I only wish the photo he took could go on my passport instead of the appalling example of the photographer's art that actually graces it. You have never seen anyone looking more like a member of the Living Dead.
Sadly the document I had gone to see, an Army Unit Diary for the period poor old George was in Salonika, was no help whatsoever. It may be that there is a more local document that would help more, but the staff didn't find anything else in response to my initial e-mail enquiry. This could mean that the thing itself never existed, or has been lost, or is there but has not yet been catalogued. It was frustrating that what I did see was no use, and even more frustrating not to know and to have no way of discovering if something that might help actually exists but is not findable, but I'll just have to live with that. The thing is I had to go, I had to be able to reference the fact that I had gone, and now I can.
Photos were naturally taken but only outside
As an experience I would highly recommend it.
Disappointing, but a good experience anyway?
ReplyDeleteyes. It sounds a bit counter intuitive but in general it was much nicer and less intimidating to go there than I had feared and the problem with what I went to see was no-one's fault, just one of those things that happen when you research. I would happily go again if need took me, which isn't something I would say of some of the places I have been to in the course of my research ... !
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