So I thought I'd let you know what I am working on at the moment, as I really do appreciate all the support that I am given and thought you might like to know what you are helping fuel :) Obviously, day to I add things to my website and work on editing it - this includes adding little snippets and posts to the free community blogs, of which I have three on my website - one for the UK, one covering Cambridgeshire and one for Cherry Hinton (the village where I live and for which I am the local historian). Posts can be anything from old photographs, war letters, general information, archaeological features and such like.
Along side this, I am always working on a new research blog post to be added to any one of these three categories. These type of posts take me a lot longer to do and are always a lot longer in length as they are original research that I carry out and produce into a more detailed article. Several of these are already up on the website and within the three blog categories.
I am just in the process of finishing up a new research article on the old Hopbine Pub that used to stand on the High Street in Cherry Hinton. I had an enquiry a little while ago, wanting to know about an old pub called the Russian Arms that was once in the village, this ended up with me doing a full research article and before I knew it there were requests for me to do the same on all of the other pubs within the village. So I have made a start on them all and the old Hopbine will be the next one to go up. I've certainly learnt a lot about pubs in the process - it's ironic that I am alcohol intolerant though :)
Alongside this I am working on 6 historical walking guides for Cherry Hinton, which will be produced into leaflets and available to people so that they can get out for a lockdown walk and learn some interesting historical things about the area. I named a new care home in the area last year and they donated £200 as a prize to go towards a community project of my choice, so I donated the prize to the local history society to be used towards the cost of the production of these walking guides. I will write the guides and they will print them and make them available to anyone who would like one. I have finished the first guide which covers Church End, Cherry Hinton and have almost finished the second guide which covers the north of the High Street and railway area. So only 4 or 5 more to get done! Arrrgh! But I do enjoy it and it will be a nice thing for people to have.
In between that , my responsibilities as a carer for family members and my own health issues (partly why I have to be creative when working) I am writing a book on the history of Cherry Hinton Hall and I am writing up The War Ditches book (the history and archaeology of a prehistoric ring ditch in Cambridge, near to the site of Wandlebury). Some evening are given over to family history research, some from my own family and several other family trees. I then get the odd freelance job here and there, the last two have involved writing up the history of a couple of green spaces and parks in Cambridge City. So it's a real mixed bag of this and that.
When restrictions have ended or changed I look forward to getting back to doing some more blacksmithing, archery, re-enactment and travelling to research some archaeological sites further afield. I am also planning two community archaeology digs in the local area, when we can get back 'out there'.
So that's a little general overview for now, thanks for supporting me and my work :)
M x