Don’t miss the Blackfen Easter Fayre on Saturday 28 March 10am-3pm! We have a market, crafts, magic, treasure hunt, #localhistory walk, games and bingo. Thanks to Tom’s Butchers, Spar and Blackfen Chiropractic Clinic for sponsoring the entertainment. #Blackfen #Easter
Gone full circle today doing an event on the history of Sidcup at Queensgate Apartments which is built on the site of the maternity hospital where I was born! And pleased I managed to squeeze into one talk Queen Victoria, Dame Ethel Smyth, Led Zeppelin and Rolling Stones. #Sidcup #localhistory
I joined Kent Libraries last week. They’d run out of adult cards so gave me a children’s one temporarily… but I want to keep this one! #WorldBookDay
Family History Societies survive because of volunteers. Every hour given helps protect records, knowledge, and heritage. With just a little time you can get involved in many different ways. Find your local society and ask about how you can help? www.familyhistoryfederation.com/find-a-society
What are archivists supposed to call themselves in the outside world? On being asked my occupation at the opticians today, ‘archivist’ does not exist: computer said no. I tried ‘historian’ - also a no. In a panic I resorted to my former career ‘editor’. Was I supposed to go for ‘librarian’?
Join Archives Officer Penny Duggan for 'Memories of Sidcup', a reminiscence-style interactive session talking about where we live. 24 Feb 10.30am-12 at Sidcup Storyteller Ageing Well Hub for Bexley residents aged over 50. No need to book, just drop in.
arena.yourlondonlibrary.net/web/bexley/w...
I had a very satisfying day today setting in motion a cataloguing project for volunteers which got abruptly abandoned in March 2020. I wonder how many other mothballed projects there are out there! #archives
When young and just starting out in local and family history, you can get brutally knocked back by some (it still happens!) but others are generous and encouraging - and they are the ones worth remembering.
Had sad news today and it made me think back. The first archive I ever visited was Bexley, when I first got interested in family history. I had no idea what I was doing and the only census was 1881 on CD Rom. I remember the kind lady at Bexley who helped me. Today I learned that she has passed away.
Busman’s holiday at the Isle of Wight County Records Office where I spent a happy few hours today.
Still a handful of tickets left for our talk on 17 January at 2.30pm by Dr John Price - Educating Deptford: The Deptford Ragged School and its Place in the Community.
Tickets £5, location Central Library Bexleyheath - contact us to book your place!
Looking forward to this!
We wish everyone a #MerryChristmas and hope you all have a jolly good time. (Pictured, Rose and Crown, Welling, 1981). #ArchiveAdventCalendar
Being an archivist has its perks! #Christmas2025
Yes, someone did bring me parsnips 🤣
Our first talk of 2026 is on 17 January 2.30pm by Dr John Price @jpaprice.bsky.social - Educating Deptford: The Deptford Ragged School and its Place in the Community, exploring stories of the children who attended. Tickets £5, location Central Library Bexleyheath - contact us to book your place!
This is how locals in Bexley village celebrated Christmas in 1995! Were you there? As well as splendid costumes, there are some lovely interior views of the shops as they used to be.
Bexley Local Studies and Archive Centre is now closed for Christmas. We will re-open at 9.30am on 5 January.
I’m looking forward to this as I’m sure my ragged Deptford family must’ve benefited from this school at some point.
Sometimes what wasn't built is more interesting than what was built! Our collection of planning applications includes a proposed development in 1951 for Blackfen which included building an ice rink. These plans were eventually abandoned. #WinterSports #ArchiveAdventCalendar
Still stuck for gift ideas? We have #Christmas2025 bargains here at #Bexley Archives.
⭐️Bargains on our books, plus 3 for 2 on our Old Ordnance Survey maps.
⭐️And if you aren’t able to visit us to make your purchase, we are offering free postage to UK addresses until 18 December.
Does your church, faith group or club have a regular newsletter? At #BexleyArchives Centre newsletters are donated to us on a regular basis. Each one provides a fascinating snapshot of community life at a particular moment in time. #LocalHistory
Just a couple of days to go until Christmas Comes to Blackfen on Saturday 29 November. Lots going on at Blackfen Community Library and in the George Staples Car Park. Come along and support your local shops in #Blackfen too!
For #BlackFriday we have some amazing #Christmas2025 deals here at #BexleyArchives
⭐️Bargains on our books, plus 3 for the price of 2 on our Old Ordnance Survey maps.
⭐️And if you aren’t able to visit us to make your purchase, we are offering free postage to UK addresses until 18 December.
It was an honour today to take part in the Remembrance Sunday parade to St John’s Church and the wreath-laying at Sidcup War Memorial on behalf of Lamorbey and Sidcup Local History Society.
The sacrifices made must not be forgotten.
Fantastic! I was playing Guess Who just last week with my niece!
I loved spending time with the members of this group. I learnt a lot from them, not least that Fela Kuti is a musician I really should have known about earlier!
A great weekend lined up with the Erith Made Festival (including ‘Pleasure Garden’ at the Exchange) on Sat 13 Sept and Woodland Festival at Lesnes Abbey on Sun 14 Sept. I’ll be on a stall at both with @bexleyarchives.bsky.social so come and say hello! #CelebratingBexley
A Very Victorian Day Out at Crossness Pumping Station celebrating 160 years of sewage disposal. A fabulous combination of engineering, music, history, ice-cream and beer.
A day in #Londonium - a fantastic mudlarking exhibition at the Roman amphitheatre underneath London’s Guildhall, with so many incredible stories unearthed from the tiniest objects that have been found beside the Thames. Part of Totally Thames Festival 2025
A double bill here at #BexleyArchives on 20 September!
10am-1pm: free drop-in session with North West Kent Family History Society.
2.30-4pm: talk by Peter Daniel, The Blitz Over Bexley. Tickets £5
Plus see this new book now on our shelves! #familyhistory #WWII
Interested in #FamilyHistory? At #BexleyArchives you can search census and parish records on Ancestry for free, browse local newspapers and family history books.
On 20 Sept. 10am-1pm North West Kent Family History Society is holding a free drop-in session here. All welcome. @nwkfhs.bsky.social
