SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

You will be aware that access to both transcriptions and images of the 1911 Census has been by payment on the 1911 website or free at The National Archives in Kew. From this Autumn free access will also be available at sites in Birmingham, Devon, Norfolk, Nottingham, Tyne & Wear, Wales (Aberystwyth) and TWO sites in "Greater" Manchester. Do you notice which area is missing from this list?It has now been announced that the National Archives Documents Online Service will also be made available free of charge at these same eight centres on a trial basis. These records, which include naval service records and medal records, normally cost at least £3.50 per download.Was anybody in Leeds or anywhere else in West Yorkshire for that matter aware of these developments and why were strong efforts not made to gain free access to these records for the army of genealogists and historians in our area? Can enough noise be generated to gain a free access site convenient for Yorkshire people?

Barwicker wrote: You will be aware that access to both transcriptions and images of the 1911 Census has been by payment on the 1911 website or free at The National Archives in Kew. From this Autumn free access will also be available at sites in Birmingham, Devon, Norfolk, Nottingham, Tyne & Wear, Wales (Aberystwyth) and TWO sites in "Greater" Manchester. Do you notice which area is missing from this list?It has now been announced that the National Archives Documents Online Service will also be made available free of charge at these same eight centres on a trial basis. These records, which include naval service records and medal records, normally cost at least £3.50 per download.Was anybody in Leeds or anywhere else in West Yorkshire for that matter aware of these developments and why were strong efforts not made to gain free access to these records for the army of genealogists and historians in our area? Can enough noise be generated to gain a free access site convenient for Yorkshire people? Indeed,i had noticed that there was no such facility for Yorkshire in general.Ive no FH connection to Manchester,so i cant speak about the quality of their research facilities,but Leeds research room is an excellent repository with very little internet access.The internet access within the research room,for what there is,seems to be very rarely used for research.You see the computers tied up with people on general internet surfing,even playing music which can be heard.Without trying (i said trying) to sound like a grumpy old man this is clearly wrong.When in the research room i sometimes need access to aid my research whilst there (thers no wifi) and being unable to access the internet in a research room is a little frustrating whilst someone is on Facebook.So,yes ,i would want a similar 1911 facility over here,but as it stands you wouldnt be able to access it when you need to,it needs to be better controlled.