The Forester / DF Mercury Newspaper Archives.. (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Monday, October 17, 2011, 16:51 (4782 days ago) @ Olwyn

No problem, glad to hopefully help.
Are you in or near the Forest ?
Unfortunately for me re my fairly recent start to researching my Forest roots, I've never had the opportunity to visit the local archives etc. I've just spoken to my sister who works at The Forester office in Cinderford. She confirms that they don't really have a formal system for researching the old Mercury archives which they do proudly hold going back into the late 1800s. It seems that visitors do sometimes go thro their archives at their offices, apparently at no cost although advance notice is requested. She already is "very busy" with her usual workload so understandably isn't keen to research their archives, even for me ! She recommends we use Cinderford Library as the paper's archives are held there on microfiche, so a far quicker & easier search, as far as she knows the Library is still open contrary to what I was hearing.

EDIT: Following recent reorganisation Cinderford Library is thankfully still open most days but only til 5pm except 7pm Fridays. It is open Saturday but only 10-1pm so I guess time for researchers may be limited then. I do not know whether prior booking is needed or preferred.
see

http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=22727