British

Photography, audio recordings, origami and clay modelling were just some of the creative techniques seen at the two-day March workshop, "Whose Heritage is it Anyway?" Organised by the CBA (Don Henson, education officer), English Heritage, the Countryside Agency and Yorkshire Museums, Libraries & Archives Council, the event took place at Castleford Trinity Methodist Church, W Yorks, and was attended by local community heritage groups and professional archaeologists from throughout Yorkshire, there to consider the investigation of local heritage.

Speakers' themes were developed in separate projects. Archaeological heritage can include everything from dialect to landscape. It is a remarkably wide concept but one about which people can be very passionate. Local people may define their heritage differently to what seems significant at national level, but what makes it important is its resonance locally: heritage is deeply personal.

Another important idea was that heritage staff need to learn how to talk to communities and identify where they need support. Contact with professionals who appreciate local concerns can be very important. Groups explored oral history and the sensitivities surrounding its use; using photographs; and audience development, where a key theme was how to reach communities that feel excluded.

One group made a Yorkshire A to Z poem, exploring places and people felt to be significant. Another used images to create a large-scale Yorkshire map. People were delighted to meet other community groups and heritage professionals, and share ideas. A great deal was learnt by all and everyone was inspired by the quality of work being done by groups all over the region.

The enthusiasm was infectious. The event highlighted what we have felt for some time, that there is far more engagement with heritage at a local level than ever appears in national surveys of public archaeology. Small-scale easily accessible funding is essential. The Local Heritage Initiative (LHI) has provided key access to small sums of money. We hope that the principles behind the LHI will continue. The whole workshop will be published, and we will be exploring ways to continue the momentum. The CBA was glad to help and would certainly like to see this initiative maintained in Yorkshire. We would also like to explore how other UK regions and nations could benefit from a similar approach.

English Heritage Yorkshire region funded the event, through their Regional Capacity Building Fund.

New CBA books

The spring/summer list will consolidate the relaunch of the popular practical handbook series, with the publication of Approaches to Archaeological Illustration: a Handbook (M Steiner, May £14.95) and Garden Archaeology: a Handbook (C Currie, June £12.50). The CBA will be publishing a new edition of Lindsay Allason-Jones's book, Women in Roman Britain (June £14.95) - the only book dealing specifically with women's lives in Roman Britain, now including new material on women's health and women in the army, and recent archaeological discoveries.

The CBA is also delighted to be publishing a new group of titles in Historic Scotland's Scottish Burgh Survey. The main aim of the survey is to give planners information on archaeologically sensitive areas, but the publications are also popular introductions to the history and archaeology of historic towns. The first new titles will be Historic Maybole and Historic Dunbar (April/May £9.50 each).

All new CBA books will now be represented by Troika Independent Publishers' Services, who will be increasing their availability on high street and university campus bookshops across the UK. At the beginning of May book distribution will be moving to Central Books, who already distribute the lists of key archaeological and academic publishers.

To order books: Email mo@centralbooks.com Phone 0845 4589910 Fax 0845 4589912 Post Central Books, 99 Wallis Road, London E9 5LN Online www.britarch.ac.uk.

YAC award

The Rotherhithe and Central London branches of the Young Archaeologists' Club received the Ralph Merrifield Award from the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society (LAMAS) at their annual conference in March, which was celebrating 150 years since LAMAS' foundation. The award goes to the project which has promoted interest in London's archaeology to the widest audience, with public events, exhibitions or activities for children. Lesley Smith, leader of the Rotherhithe branch said, "This is great recognition of our work with young people in London".

NAW in July

National Archaeology Week aims to encourage families to visit museums, archaeological and historical sites and archaeological organisations throughout the country, to see "archaeology in action" and take part in activities. Previously a single day event, after feedback from participants and discussion with English Heritage, it has now expanded to nine days, from July 16 - 24. An informative booklet will be circulated with the next issue of British Archaeology. Interested sites should contact the CBA's marketing and events officer Jan Cox, in the York office, before the end of April for further information.

CBA goes to Leicester

The CBA's annual events weekend, principally aimed at members but open to all, will this year be held in Leicester, Friday to Sunday September 23 - 25. It is being organised with CBA East Midlands, and local organisations including the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, which in 2005 is celebrating its 150th anniversary.

The weekend will include the Beatrice de Cardi lecture, visits to local sites of interest, talks about the archaeology of the area, the CBA's annual general meeting, social events and other presentations and discussions on themes of interest. One reception will be held at the Jewry Wall Museum, located next to a rare example of Roman walling, which holds Leicestershire's archaeological collections.

Full details will be available through the CBA's website in April and a detailed programme and booking form will be circulated with the next issue of British Archaeology.

CBA trustee elections

There are vacancies for new Council for British Archaeology trustees, as five retire by rotation. Anyone interested in standing themselves or nominating someone else should contact the CBA's finance director Peter Olver in York. There will be a postal ballot of all CBA members over the summer, with results announced at the Leicester agm on September 25.

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