RecordKeeping magazine (Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:00:00 GMT) The latest edition of The National Archives’ quarterly RecordKeeping magazine is now available to read online.

January talks at The National Archives (Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:00:00 GMT) In January, The National Archives hosts a number of free events and talks where specialists will share their knowledge on a wide range of subjects, from Irish land records to a practical guide on starting your search for your ancestors.

Crime and Punishment at The National Archives (Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:00:00 GMT) Details from the judges' reports on nearly 4,000 criminals between 1784 and 1829 are now available in the Catalogue in HO 47. They can be searched by name, place and date, as well as crime, court and punishment.

'Meet the CEO' report - your views and our responses (Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:00:00 GMT) On 18 November The National Archives held a 'meet the Chief Executive' day. A report of the day, showing the issues raised and our responses, is now available.

The National Archives will be closed for Christmas from Wednesday 24 December to Saturday 27 December (Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:00:00 GMT) The National Archives will be closed for Christmas from Wednesday 24 December to Saturday 27 December. We will reopen at 09:00 on Monday 29 December. We will be closed for New Year's Day, Thursday 1 January 2009. Online services will not be affected.

Celebrating Women’s Suffrage (Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:00:00 GMT) The 90th anniversary of the election of the first woman to Parliament - Sinn Fein MP Constance Markievicz - and the first general election in which women could vote, is marked on 14 December 2008. After the remarkable and exhaustive action of the Suffragette movement, the Equal Franchise Act was passed ten years later giving all women the vote on the same terms as men.

CEO named IWR Information Professional of the Year 2008 (Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:00:00 GMT) Natalie Ceeney, Chief Executive of The National Archives, has been announced as the winner of this year’s Information World Review (IWR) Professional of the Year award. The prestigious award was presented at the recent Online Information Conference 2008, at which Natalie was speaking on the need to redefine the information and knowledge management profession.

More non-conformist birth, marriage and death records go online (Thu, 11 Dec 2008 09:00:00 GMT) More than 600,000 records of births, baptisms, marriages and burials have been added to the searchable online service at http://www.bmdregisters.co.uk/. These records were previously only viewable on microfilm as the RG 8 series.

Cabinet Papers, 1915-1977 (Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:00:00 GMT) The National Archives offers unprecedented access to more than 60 years worth of Cabinet papers with the launch of a ground-breaking website. More than half a million pages of key government papers, taking readers from the First World War to the welfare state, are available to search and download for free at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cabinetpapers.

Home page redesign (Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:00:00 GMT) The National Archives is launching a newly designed home page for the website on Monday 8 December. The new page will have many of the same links and features, but the layout will be clearer, with more exciting images.

The National Archives will be closed Friday 5 to Monday 8 December (Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:00:00 GMT) The National Archives will be closed to the public on Friday 5, Saturday 6 and Monday 8 December 2008 for annual stocktaking.

Opening up life on the Great Western Railway (Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:00:00 GMT) The details of clerks who worked for the Great Western Railway between the mid-1850s and the 1870s are now available online, offering intriguing glimpses into their lives.

December talks at The National Archives (Thu, 27 Nov 2008 12:30:00 GMT) In December, The National Archives hosts a number of free events and talks where specialists will share their knowledge on a wide range of subjects, from child emigration to Canada to using the Manorial Documents Register, and offer useful advice on research.

First World War brought to life for students (Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:00:00 GMT) With the recent commemoration of Armistice Day 90 years on, secondary school students throughout the UK have been given an insight into life in the trenches via The National Archives´ videoconference workshops.

New government strategy launched for managing knowledge and information (Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:00:00 GMT) Information Matters is a new strategy published by the Civil Service to help government seize the opportunities and meet the challenges of managing knowledge and information in a digital era.

MUSE exhibition at The National Archives (Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:00:00 GMT) A new multiscreen video installation - MUSE - by artist Anne Bean, can now be viewed at The National Archives’ museum at Kew.

Victory, peace and port - the untold story of the Armistice (Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:00:00 GMT) The Voices of the Armistice podcast series continues with a fascinating, unofficial account of the negotiations that ended the Great War.

Natalie Ceeney, Chief Executive of The National Archives (Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:00:00 GMT) The National Archives is holding a 'meet the Chief Executive' day on Tuesday 18 November. This is your chance to put your views or questions about the management and future direction of The National Archives directly to Natalie Ceeney.

Volunteers bring to life the world of the Victorian poor (Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT) A new project led by The National Archives, ‘Living the Poor Life’, will involve more than 200 volunteers in cataloguing the records of 22 Poor Law Unions. The volunteers will catalogue more than 100,000 pages of documents, dating from the mid-1830s to around 1850.

Voices of the Armistice: Sir Douglas Haig's war diary (Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT) Voices of the Armistice, The National Archives´ season of podcasts to mark the 90th anniversary of the Armistice, continues with extracts from Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig´s War Diary.

The loss of the MV Derbyshire - digital records released (Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:00:00 GMT) The National Archives releases unique audio-visual records from the 1997 investigation into the tragic sinking of the Motor Vessel Derbyshire, following its most significant digital preservation project to date.

National Archives website short-listed for Children's BAFTA (Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:00:00 GMT) A groundbreaking education website from The National Archives, Focus on Film, has been short-listed for a Children’s BAFTA in the annual British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards.

November talks at The National Archives (Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:00:00 GMT) In November, The National Archives hosts a number of free events and talks where specialists will share their knowledge on a wide range of subjects, from the administration of parish records to merchant seamen of the First and Second World Wars, and offer useful advice on research.

UK incoming passenger lists go online (Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:00:00 GMT) Ancestry.co.uk, in partnership with The National Archives, have today launched the most comprehensive online UK immigration collection in existence - The UK incoming passenger lists, 1878-1960.

Research opportunities for ESRC-funded postgraduates (Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:00:00 GMT) The National Archives and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) have teamed up to offer four separate three-month internships at Kew during 2009 for second or third year ESRC-funded postgraduates.

Voices of the Armistice podcast series (Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:00:00 GMT) To mark the 90th anniversary of the Armistice, The National Archives has launched a season of podcasts of personal stories from those who served in the First World War.

Chelsea Pensioners’ records and Military Attestation Papers to go online (Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:00:00 GMT) The National Archives is working with findmypast.com to scan and place online two important series of records: WO 97 (Royal Hospital Chelsea: Soldiers Service Documents 1760-1913) and WO 96 (War Office: Militia Attestation Papers 1806-1915). Readers should note that it may not be possible to access records while they are being scanned.

October talks at The National Archives (Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:00:00 GMT) In October The National Archives hosts a number of fascinating free events and talks where specialists will share their knowledge on a wide range of subjects and offer useful advice on research.

National Collections Strategy: have your say (Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:00:00 GMT) The new National Collections Strategy will support the collection and preservation of records of major events, individuals and communities, and public, private or charitable organisations. We want to hear your views on the strategy.

The National Archives launches innovative new website on World War Two (Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:00:00 GMT) Learning Curve, The National Archives' award-winning education website, has launched 'World War II', an innovative, interactive site for history students and anyone with an interest in the Second World War.

September talks at The National Archives (Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:00:00 GMT) Our talks in September offer practical advice, juicy stories from the archives and new research ideas.

More army and naval records available online (Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:00:00 GMT) For the first time you can now search and download the medal index cards of more than 20,000 soldiers who served in the Indian Army during World War One.

The Office of Public Sector Information publishes UK annual report on public sector information (Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:30:00 GMT) Minister of State for Justice Michael Wills today announced the publication of the United Kingdom Report on the Re-Use of Public Sector Information 2008.

Have your say: MOD's transfer of historic armed forces personnel records to The National Archives (Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:30:00 GMT) The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has launched a public consultation on the early transfer of some historic armed forces service personnel records to The National Archives.

The National Archives publishes a new online strategy (Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:30:00 GMT) Provide and Enable: The National Archives' Online Strategy sets out how we will respond to changes affecting the organisation's online services over the next three years. Changes will be driven by our Vision, as well as wider social and technical developments.

Transformation at The National Archives complete (Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:30:00 GMT) The National Archives officially launches its new reading rooms following a £4 million transformation to accommodate its family records service, setting a new standard for archives in a digital age.

UK spearheads Europe's emerging knowledge economy (Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:30:00 GMT) The European Commission has praised the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) at a pan-European ePSIplus conference in Brussels. The focus of the conference was on the European Commission's formal review of the implementation of a European Directive on the re-use of Public Sector Information (PSI).

The National Archives consults on revised code of practice (Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:30:00 GMT) The National Archives has been leading a review and revision of the records management code of practice, issued in November 2002 under section 46 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Spring bank holiday closure (Thu, 22 May 2008 15:30:00 GMT) The National Archives will be closed for the Spring bank holiday from Saturday 24 May to Monday 26 May inclusive. We will reopen at 09:00 on Tuesday 27 May.

New identification requirements for visiting the reading rooms (Mon, 20 May 2008 15:45:00 GMT) If you wish to look at original documents when visiting The National Archives, you will need a Reader's Ticket. If this is your first visit (or if you need to renew your Reader's Ticket), please make sure you bring two forms of identification with you - one proof of identity with a signature (such as a passport or bank card) and the other a proof of address (such as a driving licence or recent utility bill).

New programme of talks and lectures (Fri, 16 May 2008 15:00:00 GMT) The National Archives is proud to present a new programme of talks and lectures in association with Ancestors Magazine. The events are free of charge and will take place in the new talks room on the first floor at Kew. Each event starts at 14:00 and lasts for approximately one hour. Tickets will be issued on a first come, first served basis on the day and cannot be booked in advance.

Forged documents - investigation findings released (Sat, 03 May 2008 00:05:00 GMT) We have released the findings of our investigation into forged documents. The forged documents were discovered in July 2005, in files held at The National Archives. The papers from our investigation, as well as the forged documents, are now available on our website.

Who Do You Think You Are? Live 2008 (Fri, 01 May 2008 07:45:00 GMT) The biggest event in the family history calendar is back at London's Olympia between 2 and 4 May 2008. The event will be brimming with the country's leading family historians offering one-to-one advice sessions and range of fascinating workshops. Visit our main website for further details.

Changes to car parking at The National Archives (Fri, 14 Mar 2008 08:00:00 GMT) The National Archives is installing barriers in the public car park. We are beginning the installation on Monday 17 March, and the barriers should be fully functional by mid-April. The car park will remain in use while we are installing the barriers, and we will keep you informed of any short-term or localised disruption.

Closure of The National Archives' services at the Family Records Centre (Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:00:00 GMT) The staff and services provided by The National Archives at the Family Records Centre (FRC) move to Kew when the doors close on 15 March 2008. The transfer of these services and expertise into one building will make research easier.

30-year rule review - consultation period extended (Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:30:00 GMT) Last year the Prime Minister commissioned an independent review of the '30-year rule', under which most government records are transferred to The National Archives and made available to the public by the time they are 30 years old. The review team has extended the consultation period for members of the public.

New opening hours at Kew from 31 March 2008 (Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:45:00 GMT) The opening hours of the reading rooms at Kew will be changing from 31 March 2008. The opening hours will change on Tuesdays to 09:00 - 19:00 and on Wednesdays to 10:00 - 17:00. Document ordering times will be 09:30 - 16:45 and 10:00 - 16:15 respectively. The opening hours and document ordering times for all other days will stay the same. For more information on opening hours.

Have your say at our user forum on 25 March 2008 (Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:30:00 GMT) The National Archives user forum is open to all users of our online, remote and on site services, and is held monthly in Kew. The forum is free, and there is no need to book - just turn up!

First Local Authority archive survey reveals wide variations (Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:00:00 GMT) The first comprehensive survey of local authority archive services reveals a 'postcode lottery' of service quality across England and Wales. The variations in service mean that some irreplaceable historical records run the risk of not surviving for future generations.

Online National Register of Archives expands (Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:30:00 GMT) What do a Stockport hat manufacturer, an East London borough council and the famous poet, Alexander Pope, have in common? Answer: you can find out about all of them by searching in the National Register of Archives.

Reduced seating capacity continues to cause disruption at Kew (Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:30:00 GMT) Changes to services including critical building work, as part of the Kew improvement programme will continue until late spring 2008. Unfortunately, there will be significantly reduced seating capacity as well as noise and disruption whilst this continues. You may wish to avoid coming to Kew on Tuesdays or Thursdays, as these are our busiest days. Or, even to delay planning your visit until the work has been completed.

New image format a great step forward for digital preservation (Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:00:00 GMT) The Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC) has examined JPEG 2000 in a report published today. The report concludes that JPEG 2000 represents a great stride forward for the archival community.

Have your say at our user forum on 21 February 2008 (Mon, 18 Feb 2008 14:30:00 GMT) The National Archives user forum is open to all users of our online, remote and on site services, and is held monthly in Kew. The forum is free, and there is no need to book - just turn up!

Operational Selection Policies for public consultation (Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:00:00 GMT) The National Archives has issued two draft Operational Selection Policies (OSPs) for public consultation. One is for government case files relating to competition (OSP 43) and the other for OFWAT, the Water Services Regulation Authority, (OSP 47).

Surplus used microfilms and microfiche offered for disposal (Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:30:00 GMT) Due to the relocation of our Family Records Centre services to Kew, The National Archives is offering batches of redundant microfilms and microfiche, free, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Births, marriages and deaths indexes free online at The National Archives (Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:30:00 GMT) In response to growing demand, The National Archives has agreed free onsite internet access to the birth, deaths and marriages indexes, through findmypast.com, the UK family history website.

30-year rule review - independent consultation launched (Fri, 11 Jan 2008 13:00:00 GMT) The Prime Minister announced on 25 October that the Government has commissioned a review of the date by which departments must transfer records to The National Archives and the date at which records become "historical".

The National Archives will be closed from 21 to 27 January 2008 (Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:00:00 GMT) We regret that The National Archives at Kew will be closed to the public from Monday 21 to Sunday 27 January 2008 inclusive. We will reopen at 09:00 on Monday 28 January 2008. This is to enable us to carry out building works as part of the improvement programme we are implementing at Kew.

New book explores Cabinet debates over nuclear weapons (Thu, 08 Nov 2007 09:00:00 GMT) Peter Hennessy's new book, Cabinets and the Bomb, reveals top-level private debates about Britain's use of nuclear weapons. Launched at The National Archives last night, the book contains declassified Cabinet papers that reveal the private debates between prime ministers, civil servants, scientists and intelligence officers as they made decisions about Britain´s nuclear weapons.

The National Archives wins award for digital preservation (Fri, 28 Sep 2007 10:00:00 GMT) The National Archives is celebrating its victory at the Conservation Awards 2007, winning the award for digital preservation. The award recognises leadership and practical advancement in the new and challenging field of digital preservation

Nonconformist birth, marriage and death records online (Fri, 14 Sep 2007 09:00:00 GMT) The National Archives' collection of nonconformist birth, marriage and death records from 1567 goes online today for the first time

Archives accepted in lieu of tax (Thu, 13 Sep 2007 09:00:00 GMT) Archives accepted in lieu of tax: family and estate papers of the Harcourt family, Viscounts Harcourt, and papers of Sir Richard Francis Burton, explorer

Archives join forces to celebrate human rights (Wed, 05 Sep 2007 09:00:00 GMT) The Archive Awareness Campaign launches today, with archives across the UK planning special events to commemorate the history of human rights.

Personalise your searches on The National Archives website (Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:01 GMT) Register with us today to customise your search results, save your searches, add bookmarks to your favourite web pages and receive recommendations from our bookshop based on your search history.

Mobile website for The National Archives (Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:00:01 GMT) You can now keep in touch with The National Archives on your mobile phone or PDA.

Ex-library books clearance (Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:00:00 GMT) On Tuesday 21 August 2007 The National Archives is holding a free one-day clearance of library books and finding aids.

First World War soldiers' pension records online (Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:01:00 GMT) The pension records of almost one million soldiers who fought in the First World War are now available to search and download from Ancestry.co.uk

Human Rights through the eyes of history: a new online exhibition (Mon, 16 Jul 2007 09:00:00 GMT) Although the concept of human rights as we understand it today was unknown until modern times, people in Britain have fought since the medieval period to gain the rights, freedoms and liberties we all enjoy today. To illustrate this essential part of history, The National Archives has launched a new online exhibition tracing the evolution of our human, social and civil rights from Magna Carta to the establishment of the Welfare State.

The National Archives and Microsoft join forces to preserve the UK's digital heritage (Wed, 04 Jul 2007 00:01:00 GMT) Microsoft and The National Archives today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (M.O.U) ensuring preservation of the nation´s digital records from the past, present and into the future. Microsoft will make available to The National Archives a system, which combines previous versions of Windows and Office, to help solve problems of managing historical records based on legacy Microsoft Office formats

Surplus used microfilms offered for disposal (Tue, 03 Jul 2007 12:00:00 GMT) Following the introduction of online access in the reading rooms at Kew, The National Archives is offering the following batch of redundant microfilms, free, on a first-come, first-served basis

The National Archives wins Jodi award for excellence in website accessibility (Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:15:00 GMT) An innovative project from The National Archives has won a prestigious Jodi Award for excellence in accessible museum, library and archive technology.

Government commits to finding a solution to preserving its digital information (Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:01:00 GMT) Vital government information is becoming increasingly fragile and could be lost forever unless something is done to keep up with the rapid pace of technological change.

Southwell Workhouse and Poor Law Union papers now available online (Wed, 16 May 2007 00:01:00 GMT) The National Archives and The National Trust are launching a new online resource for general, family, and local historians, which brings to life the conditions of a Victorian workhouse. For the first time you can view these previously long forgotten records online and piece together history from a time when Britain was the workshop of the world!

'Your Archives' now open for contributions (Mon, 14 May 2007 10:00:00 GMT) Your Archives is a ground-breaking new resource, which has recently been launched as part of The National Archives' online services. It is a virtual community of record users where people can share their knowledge of archival sources held by The National Archives and by other archives throughout the UK.

400th anniversary of Jamestown settlement (Fri, 11 May 2007 00:01:00 GMT) Sunday, 13 May 2007 is the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas.

The National Archives announces its partner in digitising the 1911 Census (Wed, 11 Apr 2007 00:01:00 GMT) The National Archives is delighted to announce that ScotlandOnline will partner the UK government´s official archive in the forthcoming project to put the 1911 census for England and Wales online.

Tickets sell out for the Religious Archives Group conference supported by The National Archives (Fri, 23 Mar 2007 15:00:00 GMT) In association with The National Archives, the Religious Archives Group is looking at The State of Religious Archives in the UK Today at its 2007 conference on 26 March. Morning papers, given at the event by experts in their fields, will provide overviews of Anglican, Catholic and Nonconformist archives.

New portal offers insight into slavery 200 years ago (Fri, 16 Mar 2007 00:15:00 GMT) The exhibition draws together a range of historical documents and information describing Britain's involvement in slavery and the slave trade, and finally its eventual abolition. The Act was passed on 25 March 1807, 26 years before the Emancipation Act (1833) which led to the gradual abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire.

Prisoner 4099: From the Victorian age to the Internet age (Fri, 09 Mar 2007 09:00:00 GMT) The National Archives has collaborated with a group of visually impaired children to create an innovative web-based resource looking at crime and punishment in the Victorian era. It focuses on the case of William Towers, a boy from Richmond in Surrey. In 1872, at the age of only 12, William was imprisoned and sentenced to one month´s hard labour. His heinous crime was stealing two pet rabbits.

New online exhibition opens up 300 years of Caribbean history (Wed, 07 Mar 2007 08:00:00 GMT) Caribbean Histories Revealed, a new online exhibition from The National Archives, launches on Tuesday 6 March. The exhibition traces the history of the British Caribbean through Colonial Office records from the 17th century to 1926. From maps and photographs, to letters and petitions, it brings to life over 300 years of life in the Caribbean.

Non-parochial, foreign and maritime Births, Marriages and Deaths digitisation project (Fri, 23 Feb 2007 09:00:00 GMT) Under the Licensed Internet Associateship scheme The National Archives has signed a license with Genealogy Supplies Limited to scan the existing microform and place online the following series records:

British army World War One service and pension records go online (Fri, 23 Feb 2007 09:00:00 GMT) Ancestry.co.uk launches British Army World War One service and pension records – second most viewed collections at The National Archives

The National Archives project wins £800,000 grant to digitise UK Cabinet papers 1917 - 1975 (Thu, 15 Feb 2007 09:30:00 GMT) The National Archives has won a major grant from the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), the UK funding council devoted to supporting pioneering information technology programmes in education.

Contribute to the Government's consultation on disability (Wed, 14 Feb 2007 09:00:00 GMT) The Government is committed to achieving equality for all disabled people by 2025. As part of this commitment, The National Archives is giving readers the opportunity to contribute to the Office for Disability Issues.

The National Archives wins grant to digitise Cabinet papers (Thu, 08 Feb 2007 10:00:00 GMT) The National Archives has won a major grant from the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), the UK funding council devoted to supporting pioneering information technology programmes in education.

The National Archives supports Religious Archives Conference (Tue, 06 Feb 2007 10:00:00 GMT) The National Archives and the Religious Archives Group affiliated to the Society of Archivists are joining forces to stage a conference to consider 'The state of religious archives in the UK today' at the British Library on 26 March.

Update on closures in January and February (Fri, 26 Jan 2007 15:00:00 GMT) We regret that, due to national industrial action, The National Archives at Kew will be closed to the public on Wednesday 31 January.

The National Archives wins e-Government National Award (Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:00:00 GMT) The National Archives digitisation programme was a winner at the e-Government National Awards 2006 in the category for Central government Central e-Government excellence in Take-up and usage growth: For delivering high and growing take-up of an e-enabled service through effective service delivery and marketing.

Union between Britain and France (Mon, 15 Jan 2007 17:00:00 GMT) A file (DO 35/5264) held at The National Archives, and featured in BBC Radio 4's Document programme on 15 January, reveals that during the Suez Crisis in 1956 the French Prime Minister Guy Mollet proposed a union between Britain and France.

Emigration: passenger lists go online (Wed, 10 Jan 2007 10:00:00 GMT) Migration records [Passenger Lists] are invaluable in helping you find your ancestors. Board of Trade Passenger Lists, Outwards (BT 27), 1890-1960, contain the names of people leaving ports in the United Kingdom and Ireland for final destinations outside Europe and the Mediterranean.

1911 census - decision notice (Wed, 13 Dec 2006 09:00:00 GMT) The 1911 census must remain closed as a whole document until 2012, to protect personally sensitive information. However the Information Commissioner’s decision means that The National Archives must supply some information from the 1911 census in response to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.

Manuscripts accepted in lieu of tax (Fri, 15 Dec 2006 09:15:00 GMT) The Government has accepted the following manuscripts in lieu of tax and they now await allocation to suitable repositories.

Report on 'Meet the Chief Executive Officer day' at Kew (Fri, 15 Dec 2006 09:00:00 GMT) Report on 'Meet the Chief Executive Officer day' at Kew, 16 November 2006

New look for The National Archives website homepage (Wed, 13 Dec 2006 09:00:00 GMT) The redesign comes after an extensive consultation period with a representative selection of online users. Some web visitors were concerned that the old homepage did not adequately introduce the scope and nature of the content available on The National Archives website as a whole.

'TNA Global Search' wins Best User Experience Award (Thu, 30 Nov 2006 10:30:00 GMT) The award recognises any project or service that has shown outstanding innovation in improving the user experience. The Information Industry Awards are hosted by Online Information 2006 and Information World Review to recognise the achievements of information teams, information and content management projects, vendors and individual information professionals.

Colin Jackson launches Caribbean Family History Day 2006 (Tue, 21 Nov 2006 08:30:00 GMT) Colin Jackson has been helping black children to overcome the hurdles of finding out about your family history. At the Caribbean Family History Day at The National Archives in Kew on Saturday 25 November, he took part in a discussion about his experiences on the BBC series Who Do You Think You Are? and the need for people to embrace and understand their heritage.

The National Archives reaches finals in e-Government National Awards 2006 (Tue, 21 Nov 2006 08:30:00 GMT) The National Archives has been short-listed for the e-Government National Awards 2006. The Awards highlight the UK's best services which improve citizen and business transaction with councils, central government departments and other public sector organisations.

Immigrants' registration cards go online (Thu, 16 Nov 2006 08:30:00 GMT) The registration cards, held by The National Archives in Kew, of more than 1,000 foreign nationals who came to the London area between 1914 and 1991 have now gone online.

The National Archives and The Office of Public Sector Information have merged (Tue, 31 Oct 2006 07:30:00 GMT) The new organisation, under the banner of The National Archives, is raising the stakes in information management across government. Strong information management is essential for the effective working of government, providing excellent services, joined-up policy making, and strengthening public confidence and trust. The National Archives, through its merger with OPSI, has expertise across the information management spectrum and is well placed to lead this agenda. In supporting better information management, The National Archives will continue its work in preserving history for future generations.

Baroness Ashton visits The National Archives (Wed, 25 Oct 2006 08:00:00 GMT) The Rt Hon The Baroness Ashton of Upholland, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, enjoyed a very informative day on 13 September at The National Archives in Kew with representatives from family history and local history societies.

Online release of 1911 census - updated (Wed, 25 Oct 2006 08:00:00 GMT) The National Archives is committed to making census data available online. We know from our own experience the huge excitement generated by the release of any new census and recognise the great historical and research value of census information. So we are already making plans to make the 1911 census available online in just under six years' time, on the first working day of 2012.

Archivists from around the world come to visit The National Archives (Mon, 16 Oct 2006 09:00:00 GMT) Following on from Natalie Ceeney's successful meeting in Washington in June, The National Archives will be hosting a meeting on 16 and 17 October 2006 attended by a number of Senior Archivists from France, Australia, Switzerland, Canada, USA and Scotland.

Manuscripts Accepted in Lieu of Tax (Mon, 02 Oct 2006 09:00:00 GMT) The Government has accepted the following manuscripts in lieu of tax and they now await allocation to suitable repositories

Germinating History: 200 year old seeds spring to life (Wed, 20 Sep 2006 09:00:00 GMT) Against all expectations, seed scientists from the Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst Place, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew´s garden in West Sussex, have germinated 200–year–old seeds discovered in The National Archives – now growing into vigorous young plants.

Meet the Chief Executive on 16 November 2006 (Mon, 18 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT) For the first time ever, The National Archives will be holding a 'Meet the Chief Executive' day. On Thursday 16 November, Natalie Ceeney will be holding surgeries in each of the main reading rooms at Kew.

The National Archives: the next five years. Report of the first open meetings, and dates of the next meetings (Fri, 04 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT) James Strachan, Director of Public Services and Marketing at The National Archives (TNA), presented A New Vision for The National Archives 2006 – 2011. This included our plans to merge with Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) in 2006 and to transfer TNA´s services from the Family Records Centre in Myddelton Street, EC1, to its site at Kew in west London, by 2008.

The National Archives' plans to merge with Office of Public Sector Information in 2006, and relocate services from the Family Records Centre to Kew by the end of 2008 (Fri, 18 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT) James Strachan, Director of Public Services and Marketing at The National Archives (TNA), presented A New Vision for The National Archives, 2006 – 2011, at public meetings at the Family Records Centre (FRC) on 29 June and at Kew on 30 June.

1085 to 2006: A Domesday Book for a digital age (Fri, 04 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT) As of today, Domesday Book, the oldest public record held at The National Archives, is brought into the 21st century through Domesday Online, the organisation´s latest digitisation project.

Surplus used microfilms offered for disposal (Wed, 26 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT) Following the introduction of online access in the reading rooms at Kew, The National Archives is offering batches of redundant microfilms, free, on a first-come,first-served basis.

Update on document authenticity (Tue, 18 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT) The police investigation into the six files found to contain forged documents is still ongoing. At this stage The National Archives is unable to make any announcements on the progress of the police investigation.

Sahib, the British Soldier in India 1750-1914 (Mon, 17 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT) Our podcast lecture, given by the well known military historian Professor Richard Holmes, examines Indian soldiering in peace and war. He addresses the experience of ordinary soldiers, why they joined up, how they got to India and what they made of it when they arrived.

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