Read our archivist's honest reflections on her first month back at work after 13 months of maternity leave. She explores the ups and downs, anxieties, and, ultimately, a journey of positive self-rediscovery: bit.ly/457ZCXh

We are pleased to announce our next free exhibition, 'Agatha Christie: A Tribute to her Life and Work', will open on Tuesday 22 September and run until Friday 18 December. It will feature items from both the private collection of Gale Goddard and the RBA.

Where's Godric? We have three levels, easy, hard, and impossible, with answers in the thread below! Let us know if you found him 👀 #FridayFun

For #EYAArchitecture, we thought we would share this plan of the precinct of Ravenswood Village, Crowthorne which shows all the individual rooms and their uses. This plan is part of a collection of plans that are currently being catalogued. Which room do you think you would spend the most time in?

July's Just Catalogued is all about education, with new collections for several Bracknell schools and a small collection from J E (''Ted'') Vidal, the last headmaster of Frilsham House School, pictured here on a trip to West Germany in the Easter holidays of 1967. Read more here: bit.ly/4ysBg7X

Here's a look at one of the things our conservation team do. For volumes that need a bit more protection, they can make bespoke packaging to keep the volume safe and secure ☺️

We're in Windsor with our postcards this week, discovering some more little windows into the past! How many places do you recognise? 👀

Last week we had another work experience student helping us with cataloguing the Berkshire Local History Recording Scheme papers. An interesting find was about a skeleton discovered in Caversham Court. There were photographs showing where it was found & someone has helpfully drawn the skeleton! 💀

This month our 'Imprisoned with Oscar' blog series explores the story of the "The Great Silver Robbery". Find out what happened and learn more about George William White, the man at the heart of the case, here: bit.ly/4aQn2ns

One of our archivists is busy working away on our next exhibition. Can you spot the clues and work out what it's going to be about? 🕵 📓 🖋️

We had to share this photograph of Marks & Spencer, 12 Broad Street, Reading, from 1912! It's fascinating to see how the store has evolved over more than 100 years, especially its exterior, from a Penny Bazaar store to the global retailer we know and love today.

Chess has had a resurgence in recent years, drawing a whole new generation of players. To celebrate World Chess Day, we wanted to share these Berkshire Chess Association newspaper cuttings, 1954–1956. They provide a glimpse into the local history of chess & the faces who shaped the game in Berkshire

Our brains every day in the archive ✨ #FridayFun

Our 10.30am behind the scenes tour for Heritage Open Days on Saturday 12 September is now FULLY BOOKED! We have been able to add an additional tour at 12pm so book now to avoid disappointment. To book, contact us as archives@reading.gov.uk.

Today is St. Swithin’s Day, which tradition says determines the weather for the next 40 days. On 15 July 1951, the maximum temperature was a comfortable 67°F. Here’s hoping 2026 follows suit and brings us a much cooler month ahead! 🥵

Happy Shark Awareness Day! 🦈 We recently discovered we hold this shark tooth in our collections! We know little about it other than it was reportedly found in Berkshire 🫢 Sharks are vital to our oceans, why not spend some of today learning more about our marine friends 🤗

Part 2 of our blog series uncovering the untold stories of the families of the Swing Rioters is out now! Learn all about the family of Edmund Steele here: bit.ly/4p7BBIR 📷 D/EPG/O1/4/46

Blog single | The Royal Berkshire Archives

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Have you been watching Wimbledon and been feeling inspired? 🎾 Well why not go and play a game of tennis yourself? Just like these children at Wexham Court Junior School, Slough, c.1960s! 📸 D/EX1585/1/7

The History of Yeomanry House Thu 16 Jul 2026 14:30-15:45 | Abbey Baptist Church, Abbey Square From its origins on the fringes of the town, to polite society, a school, m... https://berksfhs.org/events/the-history-of-yeomanry-house/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=event-221117

It's the Berkshire Heritage Fair next Saturday (18th July). Run by the BFHS and Berkshire History Association, it's an online event where you can connect with Berkshire heritage organisations (including us!) who can help you with research queries. Book your free place here:

Berkshire Heritage Fair

If you have an interest in historic Berkshire or a particular family, location, industry or transport system within it, you'll almost certainly want to...

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We will have a piling work onsite next week (13-17 July) as part of our extension building works. This work will be noisy so please make note if you were planning on visiting us. Apologies for any inconvenience this causes.

We've got lots of new books available to buy here at the RBA, including a Berkshire Record Society volume edited by one of our own archivists on the first Clewer House of Mercy Penitents' Roll Book. Pick these up in our reception! 📖

With the Tour de France starting last Saturday, we thought we'd have a look and see what cycling records we hold. We came across this photograph of cyclists racing! We don't have details about where or when the photograph was taken, but it's nonetheless an impressive action shot. 📷️D/EX1569/1/5/152/1

Ahead of the 250th anniversary of the United State's Declaration of Independence, discover how the War of Independence impacted the transportation of Berkshire criminals:

Reading criminals and the american war of independence | The Royal Berkshire Archives

Latest news

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Bookings are now OPEN for our 2026 Heritage Open Days event. We are offering a free behind the scenes tour of the archive on Saturday 12 Sept at 10:30. Spaces are limited so get in touch today to secure your place! Email us on archives@reading.gov.uk or call us on 01189375132.

Your month, your item from the archive 🙂‍↕️ Let us know what you got 👀

To celebrate the start of the Henley Royal Regatta today, it's our very close neighbour Henley's turn on the postcards! 🚣 Recognise any of these locations? 👀

Anyone else been enjoying watching the World Cup? ⚽︎ Here at the RBA, we're just glad England aren't up against Roger the dog who seems to have some paws-itively unbeatable skills. Here he is making a cracking save, c. 1948-1955. 🥅

A huge thank you to Joan Dils for another generous donation to our reference library. These local and social history books have helped fill gaps in our collection, particularly in areas such as women’s history. Joan’s two donations total nearly 50 books, for which we are incredibly grateful!

Happy Global Beatles Day to all those celebrating! 🎸 One person who certainly wouldn't be marking the occasion today is Muriel Longhurst , who seemed far from impressed by the band in this letter to her friend Sheila in Singapore, written in December 1963! 📸 D/EX2840/2/15/121