Dean Heritage Centre Fire

There are reports this morning of a serious fire at the Heritage Centre. Early reports say the fire is in the roof space and we hope no serious damage is done to the many artefacts stored in the building. More information should become available HERE

Mike

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and some more here too

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/8417667.stm

and
pictures
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/gloucestershire/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8418000/8418442...

and video

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/gloucestershire/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8420000...

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster & Hereford Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

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As all of us here have a keen interest in the history of the Forest of Dean, it is sad to hear that precious memories, artifacts and documents charting centuries of history in the Forest of Dean have been lost for ever in the Dean Heritage Centre Fire.

No doubt there will be a re-think on how best to protect what has survived if something similar were to happen again in the future.

I have never visited the Gloucestershire Archives but I wonder how well the records they hold are protected from fire and water damage!

We cannot easily copy costumes and machinery and such like from days gone by, but this tragedy does create more of an incentive to make sure that all paper documents are put into a digitised format. This way if the originals are ever destroyed we do at least have copies in a different format for future generations.

Although, I have never thought of it in this way until today, collectively all the people involved in the Forest of Dean Parish Records Transcription Project have made sure that Forest of Dean Parish Records will always be available to future generations.

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That is very true about digitising records and thanks to you and your transcribers we will get pleasure for many years to come.

You do not realise how grateful we are.

Thank you
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Rita James
NZ

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http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/forest/headlines/Save-heritage-helping-hit-centr...

THE Forester is launching an appeal to help the Dean Heritage Centre rise from the ashes after fire ripped through its archives.

Volunteers and staff are working flat out to re-open the centre by the end of January 2010, following the blaze which caused thousands of pounds worth of damage.

The Soudley-based centre had just turned a corner after years of financial troubles when fire broke out in the archive at about 5am last Thursday.

Firefighters had to batter their way through Fort Knox-style security, installed after a series of break-ins, to reach the fire in the roof space of an eight-year-old modern extension.

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster & Hereford Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

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Sad to hear this news, I saw reference to it on the BBC's teletext or whatever it's called these days. That's why it's so important to keep electronic records of the material as well as traditional archives.

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Staff say they are ready to invite visitors back to the main galleries, which were not damaged in the blaze, and will reopen the centre at 2pm on Sunday, February 21.

Admission will be free on the day and the museum will be ready for school visits after the half-term.

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster & Hereford Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

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