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Royal Berkshire Archives

@berksarchives.bsky.social

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The Royal Berkshire Archives holds the archives of the Royal County of Berkshire. We look after nearly nine hundred years of the County's history. Website: royalberkshirearchives.org.uk

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Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 29d

Our Jacksons display opens today in reception! Pop in and discover more about this Reading business which operated from 1885 to 2013. See our website for more info: bit.ly/4pcdTef

Poster for a display titled 'The Family Store: Jacksons 150 years on' about Jacksons department store in Reading open until 31 October.

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Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 18h

Will you be watching The Celebrity Traitors tonight? Godric is cloaked and ready!

Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 1d

A big thank you to everyone who donated during our Macmillan Coffee Morning bake sale. We raised a total of £182.80 for Macmillan Cancer Support! This will go towards the important work that they do to support families affected by cancer.

Macmillan branded poster with the £182.80 total raised by RBA visitors and staff

Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 5d

'Guess who & where!' - is this photograph challenging us? 😂 #ArchivistProblems

The reverse of a photograph with 'Guess who & where!' annotated on the back

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Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 7d

We have new cakes! Why not come in for a tasty treat in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. 💚 🍰 Cash is accepted in person or online payments can be made here: bit.ly/47awv6r

Various cakes on display on a green and white polka dot background.

Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 7d

Do you remember visiting Jackson's department store and seeing your money whizz along the Lamson pneumatic tube cash system? Relive the experience by visiting our Jackson's display and watching the video of the tube in action. See behind the scenes to where your money ended up. #Jacksons

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Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 8d

60 years ago today, Thunderbirds flew onto our screens with the episode 'Trapped in the Sky'. 32 episodes were made in total, filmed on the Slough Trading Estate (then in Bucks). Merchandise has been produced even since, including these collectable cards from Barratt & Co Ltd. #Thunderbirds #FAB

D/EX1667/6/2/8 - Cards of characters and scenes from the TV show Thunderbirds.

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Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 8d

Our Macmillan Coffee Morning bake sale has begun! Join us in reception this week for a tasty treat in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. 💚 🍰 Cash is accepted in person or online payments can be made here: cm25.macmillan.org.uk/fundraising/...

Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 9d

Ahead of National Sporting Heritage Day tomorrow, here is a photograph of Reginald Bowyer and friends dressed for tennis, 1925. What are your favourite sporting memories with loved ones? #NSHD2025

Three men dressed in tennis whites holding tennis rackets and a tennis ball.

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Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 9d

Yesterday was World Rivers Day, did you know the 2nd longest river in the UK is the River Thames? Learn more facts about this river at our exhibition, Our River Thames, running until Friday 31st October.

Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 12d

Tomorrow is the 200th anniversary of the modern railway in Britain. We hold deposited plans & reference books of the railway in Berks from the 19th century (Q/RUM). A generous donation from the late John Cox has allowed us to have a project to clean and re-package these items.

Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 13d

Don't forget that we will have a Macmillan Coffee Morning charity bake sale in reception next week from Tuesday 30 September to Friday 3 October 2025. You can also enjoy our Jacksons of Reading display in reception whilst you're here! More info here: royalberkshirearchives.org.uk/events

Promotional Macmillan Cancer Support image with cakes for sale

Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 14d

Godric is taking a stroll down memory lane with our Jacksons department store display in reception. Why not follow in his footsteps with a visit to us? www.royalberkshirearchives.org.uk/news/article...

A crochet stag is next to a model of Jacksons department store in Reading

A crochet stag is looking at a display cabinet about Jacksons department store in Reading

Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 15d

Did you know Reading holds three annual regattas! Read about the history of two of them in our recent blog bit.ly/4nofYC1 Why not follow it up with a visit to the Our River Thames exhibition featuring more information about regattas in Berkshire?

Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 19d

Date for your diary! We will be holding a Macmillan Coffee Morning bake sale in reception from Tuesday 30 September to Friday 3 October 2025. 💚 🍰 ☕ Why not combine a visit to us with this tasty fundraiser? More details here: www.royalberkshirearchives.org.uk/events

RBA Macmillan Coffee Morning invitation, 30/9/25-3/10/25, 9am-4:30pm.

Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 20d

Find out what's new to view this month in our Just Catalogued blog including this Windsor Safari Park guidebook dating between 1988 and the early 1990s. Do you remember the park before it became Legoland Windsor Resort? Read the blog post here: bit.ly/3ViNRIK

Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 21d

Today marks 150 years since the origins of Jacksons department store in Reading. In 1875 Edward Jackson bought a tailor’s business. He greatly expanded its premises over time and the ‘Jacksons Corner’ frontage was added in 1925. Find out more in our display in reception.

Photograph of the front of Jacksons premises, Jackson's Corner, Reading, decorated to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953.

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Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 22d

This month's highlight looks at how details from a lost mansion in North Berkshire have been rediscovered through a sales catalogue of building material from the house! Read more of this fascinating story here:

A lost mansion rediscovered | The Royal Berkshire Archives

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Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 23d

Thank you to everyone who attended the Heritage Open Days tour on Saturday. We put out a display of documents relating to the #HODs theme of architecture. 🏠 If you missed it, then why not watch our 2022 behind the scenes video on our YouTube channel?: bit.ly/3nCi6MX

Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 26d

Want to learn more about the Quakers? Come down to the launch event of Chris Skidmore's new book on Monday 15th at 7pm at the Reading Quaker Meeting House. It's free entry and refreshments are provided. Chris will speak for about 30 minutes, and then there will be a Q&A!

Front cover of book titled "Early Quaker Controversy in Reading" by Chris Skidmore

Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 26d

With Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale coming out today, promising us scenes of glorious outfits and hats as they attend the races at Ascot , we wanted to share a glimpse of what racegoers were really wearing on the 2nd day of racing in 1930! ☔
#DowntonAbbey #Ascot #FridayFun

Photograph of lady and gentleman in fine clothing under an umbrella.

Reposted by Royal Berkshire Archives

National Trust @nationaltrust.org.uk · 26d

Basildon Park in Berkshire returns as the interior of the Crawley’s London residence, Grantham House.

A scene from Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale showing characters seated on a luxurious sofa, holding tea cups and saucers, in a red room adorned with ornate paintings.

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Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 27d

In the searchroom this week were these plans for proposed alterations to a granary and piggeries at Stanford Dingley Farm. We love our collections with a link to the rural history of Berkshire 🐖
(Image from D/EPT/E1/1)

D/EPT/E1/1 - Coloured plan of alterations to granary and piggeries

D/EPT/E1/1 - Coloured plan of alterations to granary

Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 29d

Thank you for sharing your memories! We have a photo of the Lamson pneumatic tube cash system in the display. 😀

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Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 29d

Jacksons' historian, Thomas Macey, has delivered models of Jacksons department store and the Duke Street stores, displayed together for the first time! These took 5 years to complete and include a wealth of detail. They are on display here with Jacksons records until 31 Oct.

Thomas Macey stood next to models of Jacksons department store and Duke Street stores

Display cabinet of Jacksons department store records

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Royal Berkshire Archives @berksarchives.bsky.social · 29d

Our Jacksons display opens today in reception! Pop in and discover more about this Reading business which operated from 1885 to 2013. See our website for more info: bit.ly/4pcdTef

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