Berwick Films to be Shown at Bygone Borderlands

The Berwick films being shown on 2 and 3 May (see the Bygone Borderlands talks programme) are:

• Berwick Horse Procession and May Fair, 1911.
• Berwick Infirmary Cup and May Fair 1929
• Visit of the Coldstream Guards to Berwick on their Tercentenary, 1950
• Fred Stott’s amateur cine taken in the 1950s (including the Queens Visit in 1956) 

Jail Your Kids and Uncover Berwick's Horrible History at Bygone Borderlands, Berwick-upon-Tweed, This Weekend

Naughty kids ?
Take them to Berwick Jail this weekend and

• Uncover the mystery of the Scottish spies.
• Make a puppet of a historic Berwick character.
• Find out about Tudor (1485 to 1603) Berwick.

All this and more (mainly for children) upstairs in Berwick Jail (accessed from Berwick Guildhall).

It's part of the popular annual Bygone Borderlands event at Berwick Guildhall and it's this weekend; from 11am to 4pm on Saturday, 2 May and Sunday, 3 May.

Would you have liked to have been a medieval knight ?
If you dare, boys (and girls), try on the replica armour at Berwick Museum and Art Gallery at the Barracks.
See more of Berwick's Horrible History in the exhibition.
It's open from 11am to 4pm on Saturday 2 May; Sunday 3 May and Monday 4 May.

Find Your Family History at Bygone Borderlands, Berwick-upon-Tweed, This Weekend

It's almost here, the event that we've all been waiting for.

The popular annual Bygone Borderlands event at Berwick Guildhall is this weekend; from 11am to 4pm on Saturday, 2 May and Sunday, 3 May.

Pose your family history question to us or Northumberland and Durham Family History Society.

Discuss those local history puzzles with Ayton Local History Society; Belford Museum Group; Border Archaeological Society; Bowsden History Group; Chirnside History Group; Coldstream History Society; Eyemouth Museum; Flodden 1513; Friends of Berwick & District Museum and Archives; Glendale Local History Society; Lowick Heritage Group; Northumberland and Durham Family History Group; Old Parish of Bamburgh Group ; Till Valley Archaeological Society (Tillvas).

There's a downloadable programme of talks - 4 each day, starting at noon.
Saturday, 2 May

Sunday, 3 May

Berwick 900 Festival - Our Families Project

As part of the Berwick 900 Festival, there will be a complementary project called “Our Families” which is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. This project will focus on finding out information about various families who lived in Berwick, Tweedmouth and Spittal in the past, particularly ones connected with the various themes represented in the overall Festival. 

The Berwick Record Office plays an important part in this project and is looking for volunteers to help it undertake the research required. We are looking for two types of volunteers – experienced family history researchers who can help us undertake the research straight away and those who have not done any family history before and want to learn how to do it. Training will be provided for both groups on types of sources for research, particularly in relation to different themes – Guild; maritime etc.

If you would be interested in getting involved in the project, there will be a short introductory meeting in the Council Chamber of the Guildhall, Berwick on Saturday 24^th January @ 11.30 am where you can find out more about what is involved. On the same day you can also find out about other projects and elements of the Berwick 900. 

  

If you can’t attend the meeting and would like to know more about the project, please contact Linda Bankier on (01289) 301865 or e-mail berwickarchives@woodhorn.org.uk.

This is a very exciting 16 month  project which will help increase our knowledge about Berwick people in the past. 

Watch out for news about the Bygone Borderlands event on 2nd and 3rd May.

Come and Visit Us at Bygone Borderlands This Weekend (18 & 19 May)

This weekend, 18 and 19 May, there’s a local and family history weekend organised by Berwick Record Office celebrating the heritage of the Scottish and English Borders and commemorating the battle of Flodden in 1513. 

The weekend event is called Bygone Borderlands and takes place in the Guildhall, Berwick on Tweed, England. 

On Saturday it runs from 10am to 4pm and on Sunday from 11am to 4pm. 

This is a very popular event with displays about the history of North Northumberland and the Scottish Borders, talks and exhibitors. 

Saturday’s talks are: 

• 10.15    An Introduction to the Battle of Flodden     Chris Burgess
• 11.00    Rebuilding Berwick’s Town Hall – recent discoveries    Jim Herbert 
• 12.00    A Glimpse into the Archives at Paxton House     Martha Andrews and Chris Pawson
• 1.00    Wilson’s Tales of the Borders : Berwick’s Forgotten Heritage. The Tales; The Man and their historic context    Andrew Ayre
• 2.00    James IV – who was he?     Matthew Rooke 
• 3.00    Family History Resources in the Berwick Record Office and the Heritage Hub at Hawick    Linda Bankier and Paul Brough

Sunday’s talks are: 

• 11.15    An Introduction to the Battle of Flodden     Chris Burgess
• 12.00    Women and the Battle of Flodden    Clive Hallam Baker
• 1.00      Berwick’s  Medieval Walls    Jim Herbert
• 2.00      Mauchlineware and Flodden    Jane Bowen
• 3.00      The Alnwick Muster Roll, February 1514    Chris Hunwick, Archivist to the Duke of Northumberland

There'll be an archaeological tour of the jail area of the Town Hall, led by Jim Herbert at 12 noon on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday.

 Exhibitors include:

• Borders Family History Society
• Glendale Local History Society 
• Lowick Heritage Group 
• Northumberland and Durham Family History Society 
• Norham and Ladykirk Local History Society 
• Old Parish of Bamburgh

Entry is free and tasty refreshments will be available.

Bygone Borderlands 2013

The weekend after we host the 24th Annual SAFHS Conference and Family History and Local History Fair on
11 May 2013 in Galashiels, Scotland; Berwick Record Office  are holding their annual event, Bygone Borderlands, on 18 and 19 May 2013 in the Guildhall, Berwick on Tweed, England.

This is a very popular event with displays about the history of North Northumberland and the Scottish Borders, talks and exhibitors.

The talks include

• Introduction to the Battle of Flodden
• Women and the Battle of Flodden
• Berwick’s Medieval Walls
• History of the Guildhall

Exhibitors include

• Borders Family History Society
• Glendale Local History Society
• Lowick Heritage Group
• Norham and Ladykirk Local History Society
• Old Parish of Bamburgh

Entry is free and tasty refreshments will be available.

Opening hours are Saturday, 10am to 4pm and Sunday. 11am to 4pm.

More information from Linda Bankier on 01289 301865.

Remember, this is the weekend after our conference.

Online booking for our conference has closed.

Bygone Borderlands at Berwick - Programme of Talks

As reported in our previous blogs, Bygone Borderlands - Family and Local History Weekend and Bygone Borderlands - Flodden 500 Projects, the unmissable event this coming weekend (14th and 15th May) is Bygone Borderlands at the Guildhall, in Berwick Upon Tweed, England, TD15 1BN.

The programme of talks was published today, and it looks very interesting.


Saturday 14th May 2011

• 11.00    Tracing my Family History – Celtic Origins and what price DNA? A 'rare' surname & a few costly mistakes ! : Donald McIllhagga
• 12.00    Brewing in Ford in the 18th century : Peter Maule
• 1.00    Murky Mires – an investigation of Spades Mire and the medieval defensive ditches of Berwick : Jim Herbert
• 2.00    Detective Research – the Heritage Hub and its resources for Scottish Borders Local and Family History : Rachel Hosker
• 3.00    The Bondagers – What did they wear ? : Dinah Iredale

Sunday 15th May 2011

• 11.00    Flodden 500 – meeting of those interested in researching Flodden : led by Chris Burgess and Chris Bowles
• 12.00    Eleanor Weatherley’s Diary – a recently discovered diary written by a Belford farmer’s daughter, giving a glimpse into everyday life in North Northumberland in 1804 : Joan Wright
• 1.00    Flodden – a brief archaeological history : Chris Burgess
• 2.00    Following in Henry’s Footsteps ( Dr Henry Richardson in Australia) : Jane Bowen
• 3.00    The Trials and Tribulations of Berwick as a Border Poor Law Union : Linda Bankier

We have a stall there, both days, with a variety of members present.
We'll be glad to help you with your family history problems and queries.

See you there !