Not Neglecting You - Honest!

I've only been posting once a week while I get my head around my current Open University module and the Barnsley War Memorials Project.  Sorry about that, but you will find plenty of information on the latter site now, a list of war memorials that we know about, a few added that we have discovered and a start on researching some of the soldiers on my own chosen project, Monk Bretton.

My Open University module is causing me a bit of angst.  It's the first presentation of the A327 War, Peace and Modernity: Europe 1914-1989 module and there are a few teething problems.  Too much online reading, an overwhelming choice of independent study resources from which we are meant to choose about four hours worth of stuff ... and TMAs (Tutor Marked Assignments) that appear to be being set at the wrong time for what we have studied, with no advice given on how to attack them and marked very, very harshly.  I'm not used to getting mediocre marks! Grrr!  I noticed on the Facebook group this morning that two of the younger students have just withdrawn and another is thinking about it.  As it is most people's last module they don't want to risk a low mark reducing their overall grade, and I can't say I blame them.  I had hoped for a good mark myself, but it is less important for me at my time of life I suppose, so I'll keep soldiering on.  Second World War next week! and my chosen topic for TMA3 is "How did the Second World War change the lives of European Women?", so hopefully I can start making notes for that soon.



Thomas Knight DCM

Meanwhile on War Memorials I have created a page for each soldier which can be accessed via the list of names on both the page for the impressive tablet in Monk Bretton church and the memorial on Cross Street.  The pages follow a simple template, and are not 'stories' like the ones I post on this blog, so you might find a bit of duplication in the facts at least.  The problem I have with historical research and especially with research in the newspapers is that it is very easy to get carried away ... if I get chance later today I might just tell you a story that intrigued me earlier this week.

I would love to have some time to revisit the early 19th century pub inventories in the Barnsley Archives, they seem to make very popular blog posts and they are fascinating to read.  They are a bit tiring to study however, a lot of small, difficult to decipher handwriting and obscure terms for household objects to wrestle with so I just don't feel I have the energy to spare for them at the moment.  In the New Year, I promise I will get back to them.  So please, Archive staff, don't send my box back to the outstore just yet!

For the Cudworth Local History and Heritage Group I have just designed a leaflet to advertise the group.  You can download a .pdf here. We have booked a table for the Barnsley History Day on 23 February 2014.  One of the members has produced some posters for my talk on Cudworth WW1 Soldiers which will be on 5 February 2014 in Cudworth Community Fire Station from 10am to 12 noon and I saw one stuck up in the library on Wednesday.  Very nice.

And in case you hadn't noticed, Christmas is coming.  Argh!  Haven't written the cards yet or wrapped anything!  Must get on with it!  Trying to get in the mood by playing Christmas music while catching up on minutes and emails. 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my readers! xx