Some weeks ahead at the National Archives in Kew

There is no substitute for the anticipation of researching on some new projects at the National Archives. It is my pleasure to finally catch up with the zeitgeist of research and examine records from the First World War. Elsewhere, I will be indulging my passion for migration history from Eastern Europe. But first I have to submerse myself in a large series of colonial records from Asia.

Packing has begun in earnest; data sticks, my magnifying glass, charged battery and eye drops. Another important item is my oyster card that will permit me to glide more cheaply from my base in Richmond to Kew, I hope. On Wednesday, it will take me further into the interior, as I visit close friends in Notting Hill. No doubt I will cast my mind back to the carnival in the very same streets last August. According to the weather, I will also be bringing  the sun with me again.