As you will know from an earlier blog, I spent Thursday in Cambridge with Sarah Braisdell, our researcher for the Epworth Exhibition. Sarah has kindly sent a montage of photos taken from the roof of King’s College Chapel and written a guest blog:
“I am writing this blog as I travel home on the Cambridge Guided Busway, after fully intending to do it this morning on my way to work, but I found myself standing all the way.
Today, like most have been since starting at King’s College, was varied. It included sign making, issuing our residents passes, a 3 hour training course on how to carry out DSE assessments (Display Screen Equipment or ‘making sure everyone is sat at their computer correctly’ training!) and finally some chance to catch up on emails and admin.
I work as the administrator for the Visitors department at King’s College. It is coming up to 6 months since I started work here and I don’t think there is a day I haven’t enjoyed. There have been frustrating ones coping with staff shortages, etc, where I have ended up being on gate duty in the pouring rain, but again it is simply another learning opportunity. I am often called on to cover such gaps in the rota and frequently find myself on the gates, behind the till in the Visitor Centre or welcoming visitors at the Chapel entrance.
I am looking forward to spending the quieter winter season working on education and family resources for the Chapel which is something that is lacking at present. Making heritage sites accessible to young people is of great importance and especially at somewhere like King’s where the grandeur of the Chapel, the simple fact that it is a church and the academic esteem of the College can be threatening to many young people (and adults). As is true with so many places, local children haven’t visited King’s before and giving them the opportunity to explore their own local area and see them excited by it is rewarding and important.
All in all it is a wonderful place to work with a somewhat distractingly beautiful view from my window. I am glad to still be being managed by a Methodist woman, Sarah Friswell (the Chair of our Methodist Heritage Committee) and I am learning a lot from her, as well as exciting things like who William Shatner is (Captain Kirk – I had to google him when he paid a visit to the Chapel!) and the management of drone safety zones when we had drones flying in College doing roof surveys.
Thank you to all those on the Heritage and Archives Task Group and Methodist women in general for giving me the opportunity to research your story, for giving me such a good grounding for moving on to King’s and for your continued support.
If you are ever in Cambridge do come and say hello to the ‘Sarahs’ – we love to see a friendly face!”
