Off topic for Dorset of course, but very few of us have interests confined to one county alone. I am therefore forwarding these two messages about closures at the Sussex and Suffolk Record Offices. If you are planning at trip to either of these offices, please read! if not, just delete! Helen SUSSEX RECORD OFFICE During the autumn, East Sussex Record Office will be moving the contents of one of its out stores at Pelham House, Lewes, to new accommodation at Newhaven. Great care will need to be taken to move what are unique and irreplaceable documents and to ensure that new location indexes are accurate. The project timetable is for the movement of documents to take place during October. Therefore, if the project does not slip: 1) No documents will be available from the Pelham House out-store from 1 October until the end of November 2) No documents will be available from other out-stores during October and November 3) Some of the services at The Maltings during October will be curtailed (e.g. the production of original documents, lunchtime closures) If the project slips, these periods of disruption will be extended. THEREFORE, we strongly recommend anyone planning to use the Record Office during October and November to contact us in advance to check on service availability before visiting. Please bear with us. > Elizabeth Hughes County Archivist > East Sussex County Council > 01273 482356 SUFFOLK RECORD OFFICE BURY ST EDMUNDS CLOSURE FOR RENEWAL OF STRONGROOM FLOOR AND MOBILE SHELVING from Monday 3rd November 2003 The Bury Record Office will close at 5pm on Saturday 1st November 2003. The existing electrically driven shelving has reached the end of its life. It will be replaced with a system that conforms to current archival standards and is more efficient. A new strongroom floor will be installed and other minor works carried out to improve the security and safety of the strongroom before we reopen in March 2004. During the building works the opportunity will be taken to sort and reorganise the archives held in the Record Office. This will mean that for the period of the closure we will need to make some changes to the services that we will be able to provide. Arrangements may be made to transfer temporarily small quantities of records from Bury to the Ipswich or Lowestoft Record Offices for customers trying to complete research to a tight deadline. Please contact Sheila Reed, Public Service Manager at Bury Record Office, to discuss your requirements by Friday 24th October. She will also be pleased to discuss any other aspects of the project including arrangements for deposits, enquiries etc. We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience. The searchroom team can be contacted on: Tel: 01284 352352 Fax: 01284 352355 e-mail bury.ro@libher.suffolkcc.gov.uk Helen Jones, Weymouth, Dorset helen@melcombe.freeserve.co.uk http://www.melcombe.freeserve.co.uk