Local AM Elin Jones, recently visited the Ceredigion Archives Service at their headquarters in Aberystwyth’s Town Hall.

The service recently moved to the premises following many years of being based at the former Queen’s Hotel on the seafront.

The AM was fascinated to see parts of the collection, including documents and diaries dating back two hundred years, and extremely rare maps of Ceredigion.

Elin Jones also sampled the Archive’s extensive newspaper collections, including copies of the Tivy-Side Advertiser going back well into the nineteenth century.

The Archive has recently undertaken an extensive advertising campaign to make people in Ceredigion aware of its services, a campaign for which it is now nominated for an award.

Elin Jones said: “There’s so much information available for people to consult for free at the archives centre in Aberystwyth – from family history records, information on buildings, and a huge range of sources on the history of Ceredigion. The new, purpose-built facility at the old Town Hall in Aberystwyth is ideal for storing these valuable records appropriately.

“Over the past year, the centenary of the First World War has prompted me to undertake my own research into the rich history of Ceredigion, and I was fascinated to see some of the old school records and diaries that tell us so much about this area and its people.

“It was fantastic, too, to see the huge collection of newspapers such as the Tivyside, and to read what was making the news in Ceredigion back in the 1880s!

“I congratulate Helen Palmer and her expert staff on the service that they provide, and would encourage anyone who is interested in Ceredigion and its history to take advantage of this rich resource.”