The National Archives (TNA)

It might be quicker to walk from Bunker 13 to Kew and spend an hour there photographing the docs then walking back!

I got a quote of over £700 for a set of maps. I gather the quote system is producing a lot of quotes that never get followed up, probably because the price is unexpectedly high. This may be the reason for them saying no to quotes more often than not.

I don't know how much it would cost to hire a researcher to photograph the whole of an ORB but if you club together it may be worthwhile?

I got backache photographing by hand and I had to stand on tip toes to get focused! I always use the stands now.

I always book a table with a stand. Others seem to have a stand table but hardly use the stand. What is annoying is the lack of desk space when those with laptops, cameras and large documents decide to encroach on my space with out asking!

The other thing I noticed is that my old cheap pocket 7mp camera makes very little sound when taking photos but the big digital SLR's make a loud clunk on every shot (yes, I do know it is the mirror) but after 6 hours it starts to grate .

Clunk, turn, clunk, turn, clunk, turn, clunk, turn, clunk, turn, clunk, turn, clunk, turn , clunk, turn, clunk, turn, clunk, turn , clunk, turn, clunk, turn, clunk, turn.

I always wondered why the TNA in recent times never had a set of the Air Estimates. Now this has ment that one has to trawl through hundreds of badly-named files to find out when and how much certain new buildings cost or even whole RAF stations, when a simple look at the Air Estimates would have given you all the info you required in the Vote 4 part of the estimate. Turns out today I learn that the TNA had a complete set of Air, Army and Navy Estimates in the Library in the 1990s but the entire stock including many hundreds of other primary source miliitary books were sold to a book shop!

Now correct me if I am wrong, but is this not a scandal? The PRO as it was then is the national archive is it not, therefore why were they selling off primary source material in this way? If I was the AHB I would immediately withdraw all AIR docs and offer them to the RAFM.

Sounds like they did a bit of space saving to make way for the Family tree stuff.
I'll also bet they had a committee to decide what to keep and thought the those volumes won't be of interest to anyone!
The trouble is, without knowing the facts it is difficult to pass on blame.

I have been writing to about a dozen local government archives to get copies of plans etc. So far they have all been very helpful and quick, even to the extent of suggesting other files that may be of interest.

What we need is an independant archive of aviatio............... Hmm!