Domesday Book engraving 1900

To mark the 900th anniversary of the Domesday Book, the BBC commissioned one million volunteers from industry and schools to record a snapshot of everyday life in 1986. The resulting BBC Domesday Project was stored on two of the now obsolete Laser-Discs (LV-ROM) and intended to be viewed on the also obsolete BBC Master, an improved version of the BBC Micro.

Domesday Reloaded is a web based version of the original project which is available to view on-line. The original project divided the United Kingdom into 23,000 4×3 km squares called D-Blocks. Little Thetford and Stuntley are in D-block GB-552000-276000 though it is easier to search for Little Thetford using a postcode.

On housing the project records “Lt.Thetford has 84 houses (50 recent), these newer properties are situated more on the outskirts of the village away from the old centre and are evidence of the greater mobility of people today [1986], as the majority do not work near where they live”. On lifestyles the project records that in the 1930’s, life was very much based on agriculture but in 1986 life had improved such that the working day was shorter (8.00 am – 5.30 pm) and that foreign holidays could be taken.

I wonder how Little Thetford .org will be viewed in 25 years time?

John McCullough