100 years) and the past decade or so. In almost every location I have studied, the rate of change is accelerating rapidly.

o Bringing it right up to date I usually add an illustrated directory of key services, clubs, sports facilities and social events for contemporary reference purposes and also to show the living culture of the town as a marker for reference in the future.

As an example I have recently completed a study of the old Market Town of Chatteris in the East Anglian Fens between Peterborough, Ely and Cambridge. This is a perfectly normal community which one could drive through in five minutes. The population has grown from

The pace of modern life and the associated changes to our towns and villages often goes unrecorded. It is of great value in future decades or centuries to find that someone has documented the people and places that have passed. A rewarding hobby can turn into a paying proposition! This is true of many pastimes, but no more so than the research into local history. Who famous lived in your town? How does the geology of the land contribute to make the place what it is today? What is there to do locally? Capture the facts before they are lost and sell the information! Just six things that you need to do to discover the facts and to make some money in the process!

o Choose a location that you know quite well in contemporary terms. Visit the local library, any local museum and use the greatest research facility we have, the internet, to gather data on people, buildings and events over the centuries. Gather this data into a database and cross refer details to corroborate established facts rather than vague assertions. Seek any people who can substantiate more recent history. Photograph the locations, preferably digitally for ease of publication, and build up your base data. It does take time but it is at times quite exciting as separate facts come together to make another part of the whole picture.

o Decide on the presentation structure of the information. Maybe a particular theme will emerge. Perhaps there is a central story around which the more recent and distant historical facts will merely provide a context for the key information. If the story is a well known one, seek in your research for new approaches to the events or delve into the narrower history of the people or locations that make the story live. Explore and find what remains today.

o Consider the best media to use to present the information, possibly to bring the data completely up to date by recent film, illustrations or an e-book. Ensure accuracy at all times and where your research shows that there is genuine doubt, discuss the divergent issues and let the reader decide the most likely facts. Try to use media that will allow regular updates as facts emerge or local situations change.

o Write the facts up with sensitivity and make it an interesting read whilst always only using the corroborated data or known issues. Where necessary introduce theories as opinions, not proven or certain facts.

o Establish the timeline for your piece. I often use three broad periods of time to show background since records began through to a century ago, fairly recent evolution and change (about 100 years) and the past decade or so. In almost every location I have studied, the rate of change is accelerating rapidly.

o Bringing it right up to date I usually add an illustrated directory of key services, clubs, sports facilities and social events for contemporary reference purposes and also to show the living culture of the town as a marker for reference in the future.

As an example I have recently completed a study of the old Market Town of Chatteris in the East Anglian Fens between Peterborough, Ely and Cambridge. This is a perfectly normal community which one could drive through in five minutes. The population has grown from

n the process!

o Choose a location that you know quite well in contemporary terms. Visit the local library, any local museum and use the greatest research facility we have, the internet, to gather data on people, buildings and events over the centuries. Gather this data into a database and cross refer details to corroborate established facts rather than vague assertions. Seek any people who can substantiate more recent history. Photograph the locations, preferably digitally for ease of publication, and build up your base data. It does take time but it is at times quite exciting as separate facts come together to make another part of the whole picture.

o Decide on the presentation structure of the information. Maybe a particular theme will emerge. Perhaps there is a central story around which the more recent and distant historical facts will merely provide a context for the key information. If the story is a well known one, seek in your research for new approaches to the events or delve into the narrower history of the people or locations that make the story live. Explore and find what remains today.

o Consider the best media to use to present the information, possibly to bring the data completely up to date by recent film, illustrations or an e-book. Ensure accuracy at all times and where your research shows that there is genuine doubt, discuss the divergent issues and let the reader decide the most likely facts. Try to use media that will allow regular updates as facts emerge or local situations change.

o Write the facts up with sensitivity and make it an interesting read whilst always only using the corroborated data or known issues. Where necessary introduce theories as opinions, not proven or certain facts.

o Establish the timeline for your piece. I often use three broad periods of time to show background since records began through to a century ago, fairly recent evolution and change (about 100 years) and the past decade or so. In almost every location I have studied, the rate of change is accelerating rapidly.

o Bringing it right up to date I usually add an illustrated directory of key services, clubs, sports facilities and social events for contemporary reference purposes and also to show the living culture of the town as a marker for reference in the future.

As an example I have recently completed a study of the old Market Town of Chatteris in the East Anglian Fens between Peterborough, Ely and Cambridge. This is a perfectly normal community which one could drive through in five minutes. The population has grown from

ole picture.

o Decide on the presentation structure of the information. Maybe a particular theme will emerge. Perhaps there is a central story around which the more recent and distant historical facts will merely provide a context for the key information. If the story is a well known one, seek in your research for new approaches to the events or delve into the narrower history of the people or locations that make the story live. Explore and find what remains today.

o Consider the best media to use to present the information, possibly to bring the data completely up to date by recent film, illustrations or an e-book. Ensure accuracy at all times and where your research shows that there is genuine doubt, discuss the divergent issues and let the reader decide the most likely facts. Try to use media that will allow regular updates as facts emerge or local situations change.

o Write the facts up with sensitivity and make it an interesting read whilst always only using the corroborated data or known issues. Where necessary introduce theories as opinions, not proven or certain facts.

o Establish the timeline for your piece. I often use three broad periods of time to show background since records began through to a century ago, fairly recent evolution and change (about 100 years) and the past decade or so. In almost every location I have studied, the rate of change is accelerating rapidly.

o Bringing it right up to date I usually add an illustrated directory of key services, clubs, sports facilities and social events for contemporary reference purposes and also to show the living culture of the town as a marker for reference in the future.

As an example I have recently completed a study of the old Market Town of Chatteris in the East Anglian Fens between Peterborough, Ely and Cambridge. This is a perfectly normal community which one could drive through in five minutes. The population has grown from

t all times and where your research shows that there is genuine doubt, discuss the divergent issues and let the reader decide the most likely facts. Try to use media that will allow regular updates as facts emerge or local situations change.

o Write the facts up with sensitivity and make it an interesting read whilst always only using the corroborated data or known issues. Where necessary introduce theories as opinions, not proven or certain facts.

o Establish the timeline for your piece. I often use three broad periods of time to show background since records began through to a century ago, fairly recent evolution and change (about 100 years) and the past decade or so. In almost every location I have studied, the rate of change is accelerating rapidly.

o Bringing it right up to date I usually add an illustrated directory of key services, clubs, sports facilities and social events for contemporary reference purposes and also to show the living culture of the town as a marker for reference in the future.

As an example I have recently completed a study of the old Market Town of Chatteris in the East Anglian Fens between Peterborough, Ely and Cambridge. This is a perfectly normal community which one could drive through in five minutes. The population has grown from

100 years) and the past decade or so. In almost every location I have studied, the rate of change is accelerating rapidly.

o Bringing it right up to date I usually add an illustrated directory of key services, clubs, sports facilities and social events for contemporary reference purposes and also to show the living culture of the town as a marker for reference in the future.

As an example I have recently completed a study of the old Market Town of Chatteris in the East Anglian Fens between Peterborough, Ely and Cambridge. This is a perfectly normal community which one could drive through in five minutes. The population has grown from 4,500 to around 12,000 in 20 years. Once researched, you discover that this town was for many years dominated by a nunnery which was finally demolished around 1820. First recorded in AD679, for many hundreds of years it was hardly accessible until the fens were drained by Vermuyden in the 17th century. Always largely an agricultural and market town it has evolved into light industry and is now growing as a commuter town. A fascinating story that is still rolling!

Why not go to work on your locality? The information is of interest to those who live there and also provides a useful source of reference into future decades or even centuries! It has value to those who are also interested in the subject, but lack the time to seek out the facts!