National Archives/Kew/Public Records Office

The new system has been delayed for (at least?) 4 weeks, and I’ve found that the nearby retail park has no parking charges (and no time limit.) How long that will last, though, is anyone’s guess.
Edgar

Those tables do help, but really you need a remote shutter control to avoid having to stand up all day.

Forgive the tangential departure, but as someone who has not used the National Archives, do they permit one to use one’s own digital camera there to make copies of documents?

They do, but the flash must be turned off, which can be a problem, even though they’ll allocate you a seat by a window, since the strip lighting can give old documents a nasty brown tinge, which means a lot of fiddling, in the computer. They’ve actually set up nests of tables (nos 5, 13, 19, 25 & 34) with vertical posts, to which you can fit your camera (provided, of course, that it has a tripod bush.) It helps old fogeys, like me, to minimise camera shake, and they’re also by the windows.
Edgar

Considering the level of parking charges levied in many towns across the south of England, I think that £5 per day is not excessive. Surely no-one can expect to get something for nothing all the time.

It costs more than that to park at Hatfield station car park!

And what is this ‘convenient’ station to which you keep referring PM?

That is for you to select………..!!!! What is convenient for me may not be so for you.

Planemike

You can use your own camera to copy most documents at kew.

plus having to lug a camera bag, briefcase, etc., along as well.

Forgive the tangential departure, but as someone who has not used the National Archives, do they permit one to use one’s own digital camera there to make copies of documents? They do at my local archives départemental in France, but when I enquired whether I might use my digital camera, to take copies of documents, at a county records office I was told that this is not permitted and but that it will make copies using its own digital camera and download those onto CD-ROMs. When I asked, it was in the interest of avoiding the unnecessary production of paper copies and personal economy. But looking at their pricing structure, the cost of ‘virtual’ copies is far higher than for ‘hard’ copies and neither are cheap. However they were sufficiently upfront with me to say that one of the main reasons for this is to contribute to funding what is a free access research facility – which is something I can both understand and appreciate.

It is just under half a mile from Kew Gardens station to the NA. Walk straight out of the station off the tube get out of the little cul de sac turn left and immediately left again into Burlington Avenue and keep going. You have to cross the main Mortlake Road by a pedestrian traffic light and straight on up Ruskin Av. There will almost certainly be other people striding out with bags so just follow the herd.:D

I’ve only been to Kew once and I went by tube. As I recall it was a fairly lengthy walk from the station.

Roger Smith.

And what is this ‘convenient’ station to which you keep referring PM?

I did say CONVENIENT station. Also consider that your car is costing you around £ 00:40 per mile.

Planemike

Call me dense but why do you have to live near the tube or train? Just make your own way to a convenient station (preferably with FREE parking !!) and then travel to Kew on public transport.
Planemike

And you can do all of that for less than £5? I started this thread in order to alert others that it will no longer be possible to just turn up, not as a complaint against the cost. Oh, and I live a 45 minute drive away from Kew (if the M4 is clear – it can happen,) but would need to take a very convoluted route in order to use the tube, which would add around 2 hours to each end of my day’s research, plus having to lug a camera bag, briefcase, etc., along as well. Thanks, but no thanks.
Edgar

I’m just about to be separated from £9 for an afternoon’s parking in Manchester, so by that standard a fiver for a day is acceptable. But the booking in advance will catch many people unwares, I fear.

Well that’s me not going anymore then. £5 fee is fine, happy to pay it. But looking after my Dad and Uncle mean I can’t plan ahead and book a parking space in advance. never mind, just one more thing I won’t have to bother with any more.

Regards,

kev35

Considering the level of parking charges levied in many towns across the south of England, I think that £5 per day is not excessive. Surely no-one can expect to get something for nothing all the time.

Except some of us don’t live near a tube, or even a railway, line, so we ain’t got any alternative!

Brian

Call me dense but why do you have to live near the tube or train? Just make your own way to a convenient station (preferably with FREE parking !!) and then travel to Kew on public transport.

Planemike

Except some of us don’t live near a tube, or even a railway, line, so we ain’t got any alternative!

Brian

Or you can use the tube, which is not that far away!