During our stock-take period, we got the opportunity to visit the St George's Chapel Archives at Windsor Castle, as well as Berkshire Yeomanry Museum! We want to thank our kind archival colleagues for showing us around and getting out lots of interesting records for us to see.

Welcome to our new followers! Looking for historical inspiration (or distraction)? 150 UK galleries, libraries, archives & museums - all active on Bluesky - are highlighted in this new pack. Excellent and diverse collections, info about online events, heritage snark and more. go.bsky.app/Ms7endH

The second in the series of blogs by students from the University of Reading is live. It's about the Winter Cheese recipe from the Hunter Cookbook: www.royalberkshirearchives.org.uk/blog/homemad... Sign up to our monthly bulletin to have our new blogs sent directly to your inbox: bit.ly/3zGsWUp

Snow day at the RBA! ☃️ It's Godric's first snow, so he had to get outside and see what all the fuss is about ❄️

We are open! 🥳 We re-opened on Friday 2 January, so if there's anything you've been wanting to research over the festive period, please do book a visit 😊

Happy New Year from all of us at the Royal Berkshire Archives! 🎊 We are still closed but will reopen at 9am tomorrow 2 Jan 2026. If you contacted us when we were closed, please bear with us as we are likely to have many enquiries to process.

We hope you had a lovely Christmas & are looking forward to seeing in the New Year. Don't forget that we are closed & will reopen at 9am on Fri 2 Jan 2026. Please do not visit us or expect a reply to an enquiry until after we reopen. Thank you!

It is nice to see that #Santa found time in his busy schedule to visit the nurses at Newbury District Hospital in 1964! #ArchiveAdventCalendar

The Royal Berkshire Archives is now closed for the Christmas and New Year period. We will reopen at 9am on Friday 2 January when we will begin to process enquiries received over the break. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We can only imagine the joys that lay behind this entrance to the Grand Christmas Show at Reading's Wellsteeds department store in 1950. 'Fun in the Frozen North' suggests a #WinterWonderland and we know it featured Father Christmas himself! #ArchiveAdventCalendar

Have you been #NaughtyOrNice this year? The folks in this Reading Prison Admissions register were probably put on the naughty list! While no one was arrested on Christmas Day, this register shows some admissions on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, 1889. 📷 P/RP1/1/1 #ArchiveAdventCalendar

Is going to see the pantomime one of your #FestiveTraditions? You can learn more about the history of pantomime and a production of Dick Whittington by Wokingham Theatre on our new highlight: bit.ly/4p2TdE5 Oh yes you can! #ArchiveAdventCalendar

As the weather outside is frightful, and the #WarmFire is so delightful, why not kick you feet up and read our newest blog, written by undergraduates from the University of Reading? 🔥 www.royalberkshirearchives.org.uk/blog/georgia... #ArchiveAdventCalendar

It's #ChristmasParty time! These partygoers all seemed to be having a cheerful time at a children's Christmas party for the Reading Welsh Society. We love all the decorations as well 🎄

Godric’s called on a festive friend to help us out in the office! Watch to see what our #ArchiveElves have been up to… www.youtube.com/shorts/XZPTc... #ArchiveAdventCalendar Music: Christmas by SigmaMusicArt used under the Pixabay Content License

Godric and his festive guest (tune in tomorrow to find out more!) have been raiding the archive for #ChristmasColours. They found items like a staple remover, a catalogue, some books from our library and even the sign for our Enquiries desk! #ArchiveAdventCalendar

In the personal papers of Muriel Longhurst of Wokingham we hold information on her bellringing hobby including details of her farewell #Bells in 1966. #ArchiveAdventCalendar

Need inspiration for your gift wrapping? Here are some #WrappingPaper samples from a Shaw-cum-Donnington Women's Institute scrap book dated 1965. #ArchiveAdventCalendar

We're using the #ArchiveAdventCalendar theme of #Decorations to tell you about one of our stocktake tasks. Our exhibition and meeting room space received a fresh coat of paint from willing staff decorators over the two-week closure and is all the brighter for it.

Has everyone finished their Christmas #Shopping? We found these lovely adverts for Christmas presents in the Berkshire Chronicle, December 6th and 20th editions, 1902, including one for Heelas! They make us want to make a big mug of cocoa ☕ 🍫 #ArchiveAdventCalendar

We love a festive fairy! Discover the story of Muriel Kathleen Sydenham, the young girl photographed here at a children’s fancy dress ball at Reading Town Hall in 1892 in our two part blog. The first blog shares her early life and the second looks at her WW1 story: bit.ly/3XBpzuB #FestiveClothes

We think these #DarkNights make our Christmas tree look rather lovely and glowy! 🎄 This evening is our last late opening of the year. Give us a call or email today if you would like to pop in. #ArchiveAdventCalendar #EYASparkle

How's your Christmas card writing going? We like the approach of this Christmas card from the Sellwood collection, part of our Windsor Borough collection. It features a festive greeting and pop-up Christmas scene with no writing required! #ChristmasCards #ArchiveAdventCalendar

This month’s Just Catalogued blog looks at church records. As well as parish records, there are newly available nonconformist records too. Find out more in our latest blog in the series: royalberkshirearchives.org.uk/blog/just-ca...

We love this #Nativity scene, drawn for the 1987 Christmas Tilehurst Parish magazines. Note the wonderful Magnificat! It wouldn't be a nativity without him 😉 🎄 #ArchiveAdventCalendar

Are you Team Yule Log or Team Christmas Pudding? It is a tough decision! Perhaps this photo of a prize winning yule log in the records of Reading Co-operative Society will sway you [c.1960s]. #FestiveFood #ArchiveAdventCalendar

We will be closed for the Christmas and New Year period from Weds 24th December 2025 to Thu 1st January 2026 inclusive. We will reopen at 9am on Friday 2nd January 2026, if you plan to visit us on this day, please aim to book by Friday 19th December 2025 at the latest.

It's #ArchiveAdventCalendar day 7 on the theme #Star. We've decided to share some plans and papers relating to the North Star, Slough. The papers include discussion over the placement of a sign for the pub owned by H & G Simonds Ltd.

The Royal Berkshire Archives have been caring for the county's records since 1948. We moved to our current purpose built archive in 2000 and were granted a royal title in 2023. We are open to visitors during the day Tues-Fri and are open late one Thurs a month. #EYAYourArchives

A classic winter sport is ice skating! ⛸️ Not much is known about this photograph in the papers of the Weedon family of Reading. We think that it was probably taken on the River Thames, c.1900. #WinterSports #ArchiveAdventCalendar

In 1972 George Reuben Dowsett and Ann Portsmouth celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary by revisiting the original marriage register at Reading St Laurence. This register is now in our care as well as this lovely photograph. #EYAAnniversaries

Calling all wine lovers! This festive #Tree Christmas Card was designed by the 'One the Case' Organic Wine Club and got sent to members with their December 1994 newsletter. We love the wine bottle baubles, among the other fantastic details in this card. 🎄 #ArchiveAdventCalendar

In 1982 Berkshire County Council produced this paper on 'Education for Equality'. The 1976 Race Relations Act stated that local authorities had a duty to eliminate unlawful discrimination & promote equality. This examines how schools/colleges could fulfil this duty #EYAInclusion

It's carol season! You can almost hear these choirboys from New Windsor through the photograph. #ChristmasCarol #ArchiveAdventCalendar 🎵

Did you know that since 2021 we've been accepting digital versions of Electoral Registers from all the local authorities in Berkshire? They are stored on our digital preservation site and can be viewed onsite by visitors. #EYADigital

Godric's been practising his bow tying skills ready for Christmas. What do you think of his efforts? #BoxesAndBows #ArchiveAdventCalendar

🐈‍⬛ This patient cat posing for a picture was being adopted by the then Mayor of Reading, Charles Sage. He and his wife adopted the cat from Doris Sage, the woman on the left. You may recognise her as she is the owner of the famous performing dog, Roger! #EYAPets

The most magical festive lighting has to be candlelight. 🕯️ This photo shows Northbrook Street Wesleyan Methodist Church lit by candles at Christmas, c.1960s. #FestiveLights #ArchiveAdventCalendar

Shh... 🤫 Here are some photographs of a Silent Sister Convent. If you know anything about this convent, please let us know! We believe these photographs were taken in France. 📷 D/EX1690/1 #EYASilence

It's time for @ARAScot #ArchiveAdventCalendar! Who remembers searching catalogues for Christmas present ideas? Duncan Simonds and his brother did just that in 1928 when they sent their mother clippings from the Hamley's catalogue of items they wanted for presents. #Presents 🎁

This was the seal of Idonia de Camville, 1250-1252. As a woman, her seal was oval rather than round. It depicts a lady with a bird on her arm and Idonia's heraldic arms; the reverse is of a lion. Read more about seals here: www.royalberkshirearchives.org.uk/galleries/sm... #EYAMedieval

We are closed to visitors this week for our annual stocktake so please do not visit us. We are still monitoring enquiries so email us at [email protected] or ring us on 01189375132 if you have any queries. We will reopen to visitors on Tuesday 9 December.

For #EYABeauty here is a beauty contest winner in a beautiful hat! This photograph shows the Dairy Queen of 1968 trying on hats in the millinery department of the Reading Co-op department store. #ExploreYourArchive

It's #ExploreYourArchive week! To kick off this years themes, this photograph shows a member of our Conservation team, Jane, and the studio the team works in. We are so lucky to have the team in-house looking after our records. #EYAConservation

Two members of RBA staff were nominated for a Staff Award this year! While they didn't win the Kindness & Compassion award, they are certainly winners in our hearts. Massive congratulations to Ruth and Imogen for the nomination, and to Matthew of Reading Libraries for the win!

The fourth instalment in a blog series looking at Wallingford Borough records examines how Wallingford moved into the modern world. From the Civil War to the arrival of gas, find out how the town adapted to change in this latest article: royalberkshirearchives.org.uk/blog/wonderf...

This month’s newly catalogued collections include photos of life at St Patrick’s Hall, a men’s hall of residence at the University of Reading, 1977-1979. Read on in our latest Just Catalogued blog here: royalberkshirearchives.org.uk/blog/just-ca...

There has been an exciting discovery at the archives! This poem is thought to be written by famed local literary figure, Mary Russell Mitford. Thank you to Margaret Ounsley and Malcolm Summers for decoding this mystery. Read the full story on our blog: royalberkshirearchives.org.uk/blog/literar...

We are closed for the next two weeks for our annual stocktake so please do not visit us. We are still monitoring enquiries so email us at [email protected] or ring us on 01189375132. We will reopen to visitors on Tuesday 9 December.