Family history services at the FRC - R.I.P.

Well, after much controversy, the services at the Family Records Centre in London have finally ceased to be, becoming the proverbial ex-parrot...

From the National Archives (Kew) website:

"The staff and services provided by The National Archives at the Family Records Centre (FRC) move to Kew when the doors close on 15 March 2008. The transfer of these services and expertise into one building will make research easier.

The National Archives in Kew is being extensively refurbished and improved. This is part of an ongoing improvement programme and allows us to incorporate the services provided by The National Archives at the FRC. When complete, additional seating, microfiche readers and computer terminals will be available to visitors, improving access to original records, research resources and the ever-growing range of online material.

Following consultations with visitors to The National Archives and FRC the talks programme has been extended. There will be two new talks rooms providing an educational programme of talks on a variety of topics from family history to military history. In addition, three smaller surgery rooms will be available for more in-depth consultations.

Commenting on the new services Jeff James, Head of Advice and Records Knowledge at The National Archives said: "The exciting developments underway at Kew will genuinely improve our visitors´ experience, from the improved restaurant and new museum, to the redeveloped reading rooms. The reading rooms have been designed to create a more open and accessible environment for our visitors."

People who used to visit the first floor of the FRC will find all of the information they enjoyed available at Kew. In addition, they will be able to consult documents and records spanning 1,000 years of history and have access to a wider range staff expertise.

To provide security for visitors and staff whilst also ensuring documents are protected, The National Archives has installed a new security system.

If you would like any more information about the improvements at Kew please visit The National Archives website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk."

FRC - R.I.P...

Chris