We're very excited to be holding our first public film screening on Saturday 11 August, and what could be more apt for this extraordinary summer than the British Film Institute's wonderful Coast and Sea? Bringing together a collection of material from the BFI's archive, filmed around the country between 1901 and 1978, it offers a nostalgic cinematic tour of the British coast. Among other things, the film looks at tourism, traditions and trades, from fishermen and shipbuilders to sea birds and surfing! Starting at 10.30am, the screening will last 93 minutes, leaving plenty of time to head to the beach or the park in the afternoon! View the trailer and book your place at this special screening on the events page of our website.

Pictured above: film still of Miss Margaret Morris' Merry Mermaids, on the beach at Harlech, 1923 (British Film Institute)

Preparations are under way for our annual Open Day, which is taking place this year on Saturday 15 September. As ever, there will be lots to see and do, including behind-the-scenes tours, free talks and activities for families and children. We will also be creating displays of rarely seen original archive material reflecting the 100th anniversary of the Armistice and the end of WW1, and the female suffrage centenary, which gave some women the right to vote in parliamentary elections for the first time. You can find out more about the Open Day on our website, but keep an eye on our events pages and social media channels nearer the time as we'll be taking bookings for the free tours, which are always popular.

Our autumn events programme is now complete and we have a wonderful line-up of speakers and events. On 11 September, we're welcoming author and curator Dr Gill Clarke, who will be talking about Pacifist artists in the First and Second World Wars and beyond, including members of the Bloomsbury Group and Brighton-born conscientious objector Percy Horton. Reserve your place by visiting our website or calling 01273 482349.

Pictured above: a lantern slide from our archives showing a member of the Women's Land Army, c1918 (ref R/L 39/2/19)

Archives and records are important assets for any organisation, and good record-keeping is an increasingly important part of running a charity or community group. The Mass Observation Archive at The Keep is hosting an introductory day on 17 September aimed at anyone who has an interest in caring for the records of voluntary organisations, particularly staff, trustees or volunteers with responsibility for the archives. The day will include talks by County Archivist Christopher Whittick and Brighton & Hove Archivist Andrew Bennett, as well as advice on record-keeping, conservation and funding. Refreshments and lunch will be provided, so booking in advance is essential - find out more and reserve your place via Eventbrite.

We've written before in this newsletter about the popularity of our newspaper archive, both for those looking for precise historical information and a more general sense of what life was like at a particular place and time. Many of our papers are available to view on microfilm, but our holdings of bound volumes are increasing too. Recent arrivals include editions of the Eastbourne Gazette (now covering the years 1894-1992) and Eastbourne Herald (1938-1992), while our archivists have also checked and made available 97 volumes of the Sussex County Herald, a weekly paper that was first published on 3 June 1876. You can find more information on our online catalogue.

Pictured above: front page of the Eastbourne Herald, 30 July 1949 (ref NEW/5/10)

When The Keep opened just under five years ago, Mass Observation curator Fiona Courage embarked on a PhD using MO material to understand how people value higher education. As Special Collections Manager for the University of Sussex, Fiona has been a key figure at The Keep, but she has also experienced it as a researcher, spending many a Saturday in our Reading Room. Her graduation took place last week, and we'd just like to say 'Congratulations Dr Courage!'