When Whitby Heritage Centre was up and running a few years ago, I emailed and made an appointment to visit to do some research, received a reply saying they would be pleased to accommodate me on the day/time in question. However, when I arrived, they disputed all this and virtually turned me away on the doorstep! Oooh no dear, you can't go through our boxes, you have to pay someone to do it for you. I huffed and puffed and stamped my foot, saying I'd travelled 50 miles especially and was then allowed to sit in the office, ask my questions and then someone tried to find the answers and I paid the going rate for just over an hour's work. It was run by volunteers I believe, but the Council should have put some money aside to help things along a bit. It was being held together by a 90 year old on the door and some well-meaning people who perhaps needed some guidance in conserving old papers etc but who could have trusted Joe Public to handle the items with due consideration and care. If researchers had been able to do that, perhaps more monetary donations would have been forthcoming.
I'm pleased to find out that the bulk of the archives has been taken on by Teesside Archives. Middlesbrough is far easier to reach by train and bus, although the fish & chips are not up to Whitby's standard
TA is very under-used, when I've visited there are usually only 5 or 6 visitors. The staff are very helpful and knowledgeable, though the microfilm readers and sole reader/printer have seen better days!
