The National Archives will be holding a free forties family day out on
September 18.  The press release below gives the details.

If you would like further information or images please do not hesitate to
contact me.

Best wishes,

Siobhan Wakely
Press and Publicity Office
The National Archives
020 83925277

D-Day to VE Day: Forties Family Fun at The National Archives


Do you fancy learning how to swing dance?  Have you ever tried a carrot
cookie?  Want to know what 'ration fashion' was like during the Second
World War?  Travel back in time and relive life in the fabulous forties at
The National Archives' annual free Open Day in Kew on Saturday 18
September.  This year's theme is Operation Archives: D-Day to VE-Day .

Visitors to Operation Archives will be able to ask D-Day veterans about
their experiences and learn about the everyday reality of domestic life
including the rationing of food and supplies.

Here are some highlights of this free family fun day out:

* follow the family trail and discover fascinating documents from the
forties
* speak with Double Agent Codename Garbo and learn about the key role
deception played during this period
* test your taste buds and experience the delights of a wartime kitchen
* see how people managed to survive on ration books during the forties
* experience life as a child in the Second World war
* join the cinema usherette and watch wartime propaganda films which
highlight the various ways people were asked to support the war effort
including a film called 'All about Carrots'
* learn about the importance aerial photographs played in planning for D-
Day with Allan Williams of Keele University.

Experts will be on hand to teach families how to use the extensive
resources available at The National Archives and show them how to begin
their journey into their own family history.  Who knows, maybe you will
discover a secret agent or D-Day hero lurking in your family history?

Visitors to the Operation Archives open day will also be able to take a
tour around repositories at The National Archives containing millions of
fascinating documents.  They can learn about the day-to-day work of the
archives and find out how our conservation experts preserve and care for
the nation's most important official historical documents.

Situated just off the riverbank at Kew, The National Archives is close to
some of London's best scenery. Why not make a day of it at The National
Archives' Operation Archives Open Day, the UK's best-kept secret?

Operation Archives Open Day takes place on Saturday 18 September from 10.00
until 16.00 and is a free event open to all the family. For more
information please call 020 8876 3444 or visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

For Press information or images, please call Lawrence Hall on
020 8392 5712 or email [log in to unmask]


Notes For Editors:
* "Operation Archives" is free and will take place at The National Archives
from 10.00 until 16.00.  The National Archives is situated on Ruskin Avenue
in Kew, Richmond.  The nearest train stations are Kew Gardens (tube and
rail) and Kew Bridge (rail).  Access by car is off the Mortlake Road (A2O5
South Circular).  From Kew Bridge, take the first turning on the left after
Ruskin Avenue. Free parking is available for a limited number of vehicles

* If you would like more information, please contact: Education and
Interpretation, The National Archives, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU.  Tel: 020
8392 5202/5323, e-mail: [log in to unmask]; website:
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

* The National Archives (TNA) was created in April 2003 when the Public
Record Office and the Historic Manuscripts Commission came together to form
one organisation.  TNA , the home of Domesday Book, is open to the public 6
days a week.  It holds over 1000 years of documents including sources for
family history research