The first issue of Local History News sadly isn’t dated, but must have been sent to members at the end of 1982 or early 1983. And it doesn’t explain why it is called ‘Nab’. Does anyone remember?

From issue 6 onwards it is simply Local History News. However, in the days before desktop publishing software, easy and cheap access to colour printing, and other modern capabilities, it did its job well for BALH. The Association came into being on 1 April 1982, and the first article in NAB 1 reports “Lord Blake has said how delighted he is with the implementation of one of the main recommendations of the ‘Report of the Committee to Review Local History’ – that an independent national organisation for local history be set up”. Nab’s purpose is given as threefold: to spread news about BALH and its members, to note events, and to enable members to share the pleasures and problems of running local history organisations, an archive repository or a museum, or doing a piece of research work’. That is exactly what we have been doing ever since!

The programme of events in 1983 are also mostly fascinatingly familiar – ‘Domestic Buildings in South-East England’; ‘Industrial Sources for Local Historians’; a meeting for representatives of County LH organisations; BALH’s AGM; a Local History Seminar in North Wales; a residential weekend on Village Records; and a Young Historians’ Holiday Course – four days at Castle Hedingham Youth Hostel.

Technology may have changed but the activities of the Association and the subjects of interest and concern to members have not.

Jane Howells editor Local History News
editor.lhn@balh.org.uk

Read more

See the first page of Local History News Issue 1