TheShorehamCommunityArchive

WendyWalkerCountyArchivist

20September2018

WestSussexRecordOffice•  WestSussexRecordOffice

establishedin1946•  RecordsManagement

Servicesetupin1969•  MovedtoOrchardStreetin

Chichesterin1989•  Purpose-builttoBritish

StandardforArchives(BS5454)

•  Preservation,cataloguingdigitisation,publicaccess

•  Archivesdatingbackover1200years

ArchiveCollections•  5strongrooms;8milesofshelving•  Estateandfamilyarchives•  CathedralandDiocesanrecords

(DiocesanRecordOffice)•  RoyalSussexRegimentalArchive•  Recordsoflocalauthorities,

organisations,societies,businesses,schools,hospitals,courts,police,churches

•  Paperandparchment,books,maps,plans,photographs,printsanddrawings,oralhistories,films

•  Digitalarchivesandmodernmedia

UsingtheArchives•  Over5000visitorsayear•  On-linecatalogue•  Family,localandmilitary

historians•  Pupils,teachers,studentsand

academics•  Archaeologistsandlandscape

historians•  Legal,planningandbusiness

enquiries•  Authors•  Volunteers•  Talks,workshops,exhibitions•  Individualresearchand

communitygroups:communityarchives

Partnerships

ralChichesterCathedral

TheShorehamAirshowDisasterAugust2015

•  1950sHawkerHunterjetcrashedontheA27onSaturday22August2015at1.22pm

•  11mendied•  Thepilotsurvived:charged

withmanslaughterbygrossnegligence.HighCourtcasebeginsinJan2019

•  Inquestadjournedanddelayeduntilthecriminalproceedingshavebeenconcluded

TheShorehamAirshowDisasterAugust2015

•  Emergencyservicesmobilisedandonthescene

•  ShorehamEmergencyResponseGroupsetupbyWSCCchairedbyCOO;metdailyatnoon

•  Multi-disciplinary(Coroner,FireandRescue,Finance,IT,PressOffice,Communities)

•  Coroner’sInquestopenedSeptember2015

•  AirAccidentInvestigationBranchattendedthescene(finalreportMar2017)

ShorehamAirshowDisaster:CommunityResponse

•  CharitableFundSetupthroughtheSussexCommunityFoundation

•  BooksofcondolenceopenedbyWSCC,districtcouncilsandlocalchurches

•  ShorehamTollbridgebecamethefocusofcommunityremembrance:flowers,messages,tributes

ShorehamCommunityArchive

•  Sept2015WSROwereaskedtohelppreservethecommunityarchive

•  Officialarchivesdepositedinduecourse

•  Arrivedinlargeplasticcrates:manywetandinpoorcondition

•  Differentmaterialsandformats:photos,drawings,artwork,CDs,toys,footballshirts,aguitar,plasticcontainers,ribbons,labels

•  Localsandvisitors•  Communitydecisionandimpetus

ShorehamCommunityArchive:Conservation

•  Dryingout•  Removingthemould•  Separatingthemessages•  Removingstaples• 

ShorehamCommunityArchive:CataloguingandDigitising•  Volunteersworkedwithstaff

tocatalogueanddigitiseover1900messages:–  Theformatoftheitem–  Whetherthemessagewasfora

specificvictimorvictimsofthecrash

–  Whothecardwasfrom(ifknown);anonymousmessagesrecordedasbeingfromanunknownindividual.

–  Otherrelevantinformatione.g.wherethemessageincludesapoemorprayer

ShorehamCommunityArchive:CataloguingandDigitising•  Messagesencasedinmelinex•  Boundintolargebespoke

volumes•  OnlinecatalogueavailableAug

2016•  Victimsfamiliesconsultedbefore

itwenton-line•  Familiesdidnotwanttheimages

ofdirectlypersonalmessageson-line

•  TheShorehamCommunityArchiveavailableintheSearchRoom

ShorehamCommunityArchive:Press&Media

•  Hugemediainterest•  Twopressandmediadays:

–  Sep2015–  19Aug2016

•  Nofilmingofpersonalmessages•  Localpresssuppliedcopiesof

theircoverage•  WSCCLibrariescollectedmedia

coverage•  VisitofLordLieutenantandroyal

briefing

ShorehamCommunityArchive:Sensitivities

•  Familyvisits•  Familyconsultation•  CDsofmessagesprovided•  Emotionalimpactonstaffand

volunteers•  Staffandcommunitycohesion•  Communityissues

ShorehamCommunityArchive:theFuture

•  ‘Isthisanarchive?’•  Templateforthefuture:

informationofferedtoCroydonTramDisasterandGrenfell

•  Skillssharing,resources•  Useforthefuture:PTSDwork;

ongoingfamilyinvolvement•  Publicityissuesvpersonal

privacy

TheShorehamCommunityArchive

WendyWalkerCountyArchivist

20September2018