THE Hive in Worcester hosted the launch of this year’s Explore Your Archive campaign, after being chosen nationally for the honour.

The Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service, based at The Hive, in Worcester, was chosen to host the campaign and give people the opportunity to discover more about the collections on offer in the county.

Explore Your Archive is a year-long campaign, run by the Archives and Records Association.

Jon Elliott, head of public affairs from the Archives and Records Association, said: “The Hive was selected to launch the campaign to represent England, in addition to Worcestershire, as it offers one of the best services in the UK. They have a long track record of providing outreach to the community.”

The launch was to celebrate the local and national heritage by exploring the stories held in The Hive’s archives and bring communities together.

Charlene Taylor, an archivist, said: “We are thrilled to represent England for this national launch. This is a unique opportunity for visitors to explore the wonderful stories held in our archives.”

Rhonda Niven, from the conservation team, added: “We offer an amazing service at The Hive which is internationally recognised. Everybody has an archive. If something is precious to you then it is worth looking after. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever so look after it now.”

There were activities for people to get involved in throughout the day. One of many attractions was a screening of ‘Worcestershire on Film’, showcasing historic footage from the county’s past.

There were also exhibitions and displays of original documents.

The Explore the Past team were on hand and held a one-off ‘Saturday Surgery’ where anyone could seek one-to-one advice from members of the archive, historic environment record, archaeology and conservation teams.

A book sale was held throughout the day, including new and used stock, where people could take a little piece of history home with them.

An array of speakers gave talks, including renowned experts in historical topics.

The Friends of Worcestershire Archives joined in with the fun and hosted a bake sale, raising £50 by lunchtime.

The event took place on Saturday, November 24 and was fully booked.

For more information about Explore the Past, visit explorethepast.co.uk.