Had a lovely weekend and did the makeup for 2 lovely weddings, both in Ely, one on Saturday & one on Sunday. It's so nice to be part of peoples special days and being part of the excitement. I have added some new pics to my makeover gallery and must do better to remember to take my camera to my appointments as my blackberry phone doesn't take the best pics - still all the ladies looked great and were all lovely :)

NEWS FLASH!!! NEWS FLASH!!!

I am pleased to announce that I am now working in co-ordination with We Are What We Do & Google on a fantastic new project called 'HISTORY PIN'. I am so pleased I have been one of the first people in Cambridgeshire to trial this project and have already added history photos and stories to Google Maps via HISTORY PIN. See below for the OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE!

I will be working with the project both as an individual and in co-operation with Cambridge Community Archives Network (CCAN). The official launch of the project is next week - I will keep you posted on how that goes, how you can be involved and how you can help record Cambridgeshire's past on this world wide platform :)

Social movement WE ARE WHAT WE DO has joined forces with Google to create Historypin – a digital time machine that creates a new way for the world to see and share history.

Using Google Maps and Streetview technology, Historypin aims to become the largest user-generated archive of the world’s historical images and stories. Its growth relies on archives and the public to dig out, upload and place their old photos onto the site. Uniquely, Historypin allows users to layer their old images onto modern Street View scenes, creating a series of windows into the past.

Working together to develop and deliver Historypin, WE ARE WHAT WE DO and Google have shared a commitment to digital inclusion and finding innovative ways of bringing generations together around online tools. As part of WE ARE WHAT WE DO’s current campaign to get different generations talking more, Historypin was conceived as a fun and easy way for old & young to come together to share their history.

WE ARE WHAT WE DO are inviting the archivist community to participate in growing Historypin. Contributers to date include Mirrorpix, London Transport Museum, London Metropolitan Archives, Cambridge Community Archives Network & many more.

Am now covered in big insect bites and calamine lotion from our explore of Sawston spooky, swampy wood on Sunday. That'll teach me to go walking in woods with flip flops on!
I have been back down the cellers of Cherry Hinton Hall this morning to gather up and rescue more of the archives which were discovered there a couple of months ago.
Cambridge International School now rent the Hall building from the council and the teachers and pupils there have been a fantastic inspriation. They have taken real care and interest in their School Building and the history of the site and local area. I went out to visit them a couple of months ago to take them some old maps, records and artifacts relating to the building and site. Also to show the children around the parkland and point out and show them all the lumps and bumps on the ground, telling them what we think is hidden beneath.
While I took some of the children round the park one of the teachers did a history trail in the Hall building which included a visit down the cellers. The children came up from the celler clutching handfulls of interesting old documents from the mid 20th century and paper work which they had discovered down there. There were things like old Folk Festival programmes from the 1970's, Royal Ballet tickets, City Council amenities records and all sorts. I then went down the celler to see where these had all come from and I found there was a very sizable amount of these documents all piled up on a ledge and some in old decaying wooden crates. The cellers, were vey dark - no electricity - and very, very damp, with running water culverts in places. The documents were in need of being removed and examined as soon as possible. So it was agreed that I could go back sometime soon and take the archives out and remove them to the Cherry Hinton Community Archives Group  (CHCCAN) for examination and if appropriate, recording and making public via our website.
A couple of weeks ago both myself and Jon Phillips (CHCCAN) went down in the cellers to begin sorting this lost archive out but not having electricity and the sheer amount which was there, we decided to take a sample of the archive and come back another day with re-enforcements and better lighting!
On Saturday the Cambridge International School was awarded a CYPHA award (Cambridgeshire Young Persons History Award) at the CALH (Cambridgeshire Association for Local History) AGM & awards in Toft, Cambridge. I put the school forward for this award as I was so impressed by the work the children had produced on their local area and the interest they had shown in the history and how the teachers had been so encouraging. You can see more about this on their website and more about the awards at CALH
Today I have been back to the cellers, along with Jon & Nicola Phillips to retreive the remaining archives. This time we had much better lighting (it is very spooky down in those cellers!) and we spend a good couple of hours ferrying the archives out of the celler to my car. There was so much! A lot had, sadly, been so badly damaged by water and had rotted but a huge amount was still fine - there was a lot of old council reocrds from the 1930's to late 1970's. Lots of interest, with things like parks and gardens records, items from the allotment society and records of the Cambridge Festival etc. My car was filled - literally! As so much of the material didn't actually relate to the Hall itself or just to Cherry Hinton village, I decided to give my friend Phillip Sauders a ring. Phillip is a well known Cambridgeshire archivist working at Cambridgeshire Archives (formally Cambrigeshire Records Office). I had a chat about what we had and asked him if I could pop up to Shire Hall to the Cambs Archives so that he could have a look and see if he was interested. He agreed, so off I went, car nearly touching the floor with the weight! (good job I have an old banger). Phillip and one of the conservators came out to the car and had a good look and decided they would be able to take the archives in and sort them out, which was fantastic news :)
Once they have had chance to go through them properly, Phillip will get back to me with an update and we'll see how it goes.
So all in all, I'm very pleased that we were able to rescue these documents before they degraded any further.

It is such a beautiful day today that we decided to get up early and make the most of it. We started by going to the car boot sale at Chaplins Farm in Fulbourn, it is a very good size now, having grown over the last several years to become one of the best in Cambridge. We got some plants for our bare looking garden and we were determind to buy some 'car boot junk', so we came home with a Rubiks Magic from the 1980's and a Garfield cat landline phone, again from the '80's, and both still working great. Garfield has now replaced the home phone and I have been trying to remember the trick to the Rubiks Magic most of the afternoon (as you can tell, I am having the day off today :)
We went for an early lunch at the Robin Hood Pub in Cherry Hinton, which has just been refurbished and changed to an 'Eating Inn', It was very different inside now the work has been done but a really really good job, it looks such a nice place to go now. We sat in the garden and enjoyed our lunch then drove over to the village of Abington, where we had a lovely walk across the beautiful park.
We paddled in the fresh stream which runs alongside the park, which was nice as it is so hot today. We hunted for bits and pieces of old pottery in the water and came away with some bits of old blue and white china which we'll stick on plant pots with plaster of paris at some point, when we've collected enough.
Then we went for a walk over to the pretty little church, there were cows right next to it which I'd have loved to stroke but they wouldn't come close enough. It's such a shame that you can't get into churches now and that most are locked - I know you can go and get the key usually but sometimes you just want to pop in to look around. Still we walked around it, the strange thing we noticed was there were hardly any gravestones at all there - I'll have to find out why.
Then a walk back to the car through this picture postcard village and we drove into Sawston.
We parked just off of the High Street and had a quick look at the newly restored Challis gardens and a peek at Challis House which it is hoped will be a new museum for Sawston some point soon.
We went on to a strange wood at the north west end of Sawston and went for a quick explore, I had flip flops on because I knew we were going paddling but I did a good job of dodging the nettles in the wood :) This was a really odd place, not sure we were even allowed in but there was an open place to get in by. It was very overgrown and seemed unmanaged but strangest of all was the weird old swamp in the middle - it definately looked like a natural traditional looking swamp - not what you'd expect to find in Sawston - I'd love to find out more about this strange place - who owns it, its history etc.
Anyway, we're finishing off the day at home now, so all in it's been a really lovely day :)

Yesterday I went along to the Cambridgeshire for Local History AGM & Awards held this year at Toft (as a county organisation we try to make sure we go all around the county in turn to have our events). It was a lovely afternoon, the beautiful weather helping of course. There were so many inspirational people to talk to and meet and it was fantastic seeing people get their awards. There will be more memories and info from the day posted on the Cambridgeshire Association for Local History (CALH) posted on our website www.calh.org.uk so take a look there too. we then had our AGM where I was voted, along with others, to serve on the committee for another year. I am so pleased to be part of CALH, committee meetings are always fun and we get such a lot of worthwhile good work done. I have been with CALH for about 5 years now and am so lucky to have such a lovely bunch of like minded people and supportive friends to be working with :)
2011 is CALH's Diamond Jubilee year and there'll be lots going on for people to get involved with and to help us celebrate!

Well the Granta Bar / History open days went well and I am so pleased to find such a lovely new place to be able to go and get a great coffee, do some work and get free internet access with lovely views of the River Cam. If any of you find you want a nice place to sit and enjoy a coffee without paying over the odds and being stuck in a busy crowded Cambridge cafe, then I would highly recommend The Granta Bar - the staff are really nice too and I had a great chicken tikka curry there yesterday lunchtime :)

This morning I did a makeover for a lovely lady who is off to be a guest at a wedding. It's always a satisfiying job making someone feel pampered, special and confident. I am so glad she was pleased with my work, she has the most amazing collection of vintage clothes and things! I meet her at the Lindy Hop dance classes we were both in before Christmas, which I must start up again when I get the chance :)

I am now off to the Cambridgeshire Association for Local History AGM & Awards in the village of Toft, Cambs.

Come along to the general meeting of the Friends of Cherry Hinton Hall tonight , Wednesday 19th May, 7pm at the Baptist Church Centre, Fisher's Lane, Cherry Hinton.
It's a great chance to see who we are and what we do. Come along a see the new plans for the Hall grounds and have your input. We will also be judging the logo competition which the local schools have taken part in and a representative of the newly proposed City Farm will be along to tell us about the plans for that! For more info visit:
www.cherryhintonhall.com

We had a great business meeting on Monday night, each of us ladies who use Mary Kay products within our services spent some time catching up and generally swapping ideas and stories and having the chance to see how we've all been doing with our business. A few of us are going ahead with courses to teach us professional hair styling, so before long I will be offering this service within my bridal makeover packages :)
If anyone is interested in doing what I do, learning a new skill and earning some extra money within a team of fantastic like minded ladies, then please do get in touch with me for more information!

We are nearly there! I am just finishing the organisation of this great event which will let you know more about Cambridgeshires biggest and best online archives store of old pictures, memories and stories! Look forward to seeing you there!
Cambridgeshire Association for Local History & Cambridgeshire Community Archives Open Days at The Granta Bar, Cambridge.
Come along to our fantastic open event at The Granta Bar in the University Centre which will be show-casing Cambridgeshire Associtaion for Local History and The Cambridgeshire Community Archives!
The doors will be open from 10am -11.30pm on Thursday 20th May and again 10am -2.30pm on Friday 21st May.
Come along and see ...our displays, find out who we are and what we do, we will have some great pictures of old Cambridgeshire on display too - come and see if you recognise anyone or the places!
Why not bring along some old pictures of your own for us to help identify or add to our brilliant archives site.
Find out what we can do for you and how you can get involved :)
It will be great to see you there, let your friends know!
The bar itself will be open between 12noon and 2.30pm and again 6pm - 11.30pm
Our Facebook Page
Cambridgeshire Community Archives