West Sussex Record Office returns to normal opening hours

West Sussex Record Office is back to its pre-pandemic opening hours, with visitors now able to come in and join the team on Saturdays. The Record Office went back to normal weekday opening hours after the Easter holidays this year, but Saturdays stayed closed as out-of-hours work needed to be undertaken on the building.

To celebrate the doors being open six days a week (Tuesdays-Saturdays for researchers together with Mondays for school and group visits), the Record Office has a number of events, films and a free exhibition awaiting those who want to delve deeper into the West Sussex archives.

West Sussex Record Office events

• Tuesday Talks will take place in person and be live streamed for those further afield.
• The West Sussex Unwrapped Live: Chichester Festival Theatre event that took place on Sussex Day is now ready to view on the Record Office YouTube channel.
• A new Transatlantic Ties website, which was launched at the Transatlantic Ties symposium on Saturday 11th June, is now available to explore, alongside a free exhibition which will be on show at West Sussex Record Office until Saturday 23rd July. From there it will travel around to West Sussex County Council libraries across the county until the Spring of 2023.
• Inviting school groups to book their visits ready for the new term in September.
• Showcasing the new online page on West Sussex Service to Schools website, where there are resources available to download to support teachers with their lessons. There are also resources available for schools on the new Transatlantic Ties site.

West Sussex County Council member on Saturday re-opening

Duncan Crow, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Community Support, Fire and Rescue, said: “It’s great news to have the West Sussex Record Office back open on Saturdays as well as during the week for the residents and visitors wanting to explore the archives, whether it’s for researching their family history, a school or college project, or other historical research.

“During the pandemic, the Record Office was able to make good use of the time and move some of the many gems from the archives into the homes of people across the UK and further abroad through blog posts, live streamed events and websites bursting with interesting content for all to enjoy.

“Our Record Office team are looking forward to welcoming visitors in person, but also to carry on virtually meeting people who are wanting to find out more about the history of the county. However you choose to explore West Sussex Record Office, I can promise you won’t be disappointed.”

To find out more, visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/ro, visit their blog at westsussexrecordofficeblog.com, or follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching @WestSussexRO.