As I reported in my post of 31st October 2019, there is no substitute to actually going to an archive and handling real live documents. Little did I know then, what would be lurking just around the corner. With the advent of social isolation and the subsequent closure of these wonderful receptacles of vital information these looked forward to visits are no longer possible. I have an increasingly large pile of printouts showing catalogue entries I would have requested to view. It will all have to wait and I will have to be patient and be thankful that myself and family are well (the nephew who contracted Covid-19 through his job as a senior hospital clinician has since almost recovered).
And so my research must be done online only for the time being. I am at the beginning of a new book about the Royal Hotels of Yorkshire and so there is a mine of information I haven't yet accessed on line which gives me plenty to do. In the meantime I shall continue to add to my pile as I find another document which is only available at the actual archive and I shallop trust that someday soon I will be able to make that trip and fill in all the gaps that I am leaving as I write about the Scarborough Royal Hotel.
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