Colourful Opening of the Hadleigh & Thundersley Community Archive

A home at Hadleigh Old Fire Station

Saturday the 17th September at 2pm at last saw the Grand Launch of Hadleigh & Thundersley Community Archive at Hadleigh Old Fire Station. The day was a resounding success – at times the ‘30s building seemed quite full. The hard work put in, not least by website members and friends, the various advertising posters, leaflets and historical walkabouts paid off.

Several people had made an imaginative effort at bringing back to life characters from local history by dressing for the parts with aplomb and ingenuity, adding colour and spice, not least members of AGES Archaeological and Historical Association.

Tables were heaped with archaeological exhibits from the area’s past, local authors sold their proud published achievements, local societies and preservation groups manned their stations and heroic volunteers looked after the inner person with innumerable cups of tea and coffee.

Have I forgotten you? Anyone? Please keep the site alive by adding your comments, names, activities, impressions…

The Archive will use facilities in the Old Fire Station; our public meetings in Hadleigh Library had outgrown its capacity such is the local interest, though computers will still be available there to log on to the Hadleigh & Thundersley Community Archive. Have you told your story yet?

The Archive’s own Town Crier, Peter Hammerton, resplendent in red in this true blue borough, woke the populace with his bell and voice-over; Nick Turner, Chairman of the Hadleigh & Thundersley Community Archive; the Mayor of Castle Point, Cllr. Jackie Govier; Rebecca Harris, MP; Roy Swanston of Heritage Lottery Fund were all vastly impressed with the turnout. The Mayor presented a delighted Hannah Allwright with her prize for winning the Hadleigh & Thundersley Community Archive Summer Photo Competition.

Rebecca Harris, MP, commending the enterprise and community spirit
Tessa Hallmann
Essex Record Office is the spiritual home of all the new sites...
Tessa Hallmann
A welcome to neighbourly historical societies and archive websites
Tessa Hallmann
Memories rekindled with new enthusiasts
Tessa Hallmann
A model of Hadleigh Corner c.1950 kindly loaned by Peter Hammerton
Tessa Hallmann
Shaken and stirred in VIP presence: Cunning Murrell met an embarrassed Rebecca Harris, MP: "Some of us have turned up looking silly, like Robert Hallmann over there..." she mentioned him in her speech.
Tessa Hallmann
From the tea ladies' point of view
Tessa Hallmann

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