It began the way parish administration always begins — with a notice, a date, and an optimistic estimate of how long it would take.
The WI was digitising its records. Forty years of folders, filed in the hall’s back room in a system that Audrey described as organised and Netta described as archaeological. Volunteers were required on a Tuesday. Tea would be provided.
Six showed up.
The folders were sorted by decade, distributed along the long table, and the work began. Audrey had brought her own labelling system. Lynn had brought a cardigan. Dot had brought nothing and explained that she was better at moral support than data entry.
Maggie opened the first folder from her stack and began.
Halfway through the morning, Lynn reached the box marked 1994–1999 and began working through it. She hummed, occasionally.
She lifted a folder. Read the label. Set it down.
“Is this the accounts or the correspondence?” she said.
Audrey looked up. “Which year?”
“Ninety-six.”
“Accounts. Should be with the finance series.”
Lynn moved to pass it down the table. Dot reached across for the biscuits at the same moment and there was a small collision of intentions. The folder stayed where it was.
Mavis picked it up.
She read the label and placed it into the finance stack.
Maggie turned a page.
Lynn had found a letter of thanks, signed by fourteen committee members. She read the name at the top.
“She was treasurer for eight years,” Audrey said. “Very thorough.”
After lunch, Mavis volunteered to do the final check before the boxes were sealed for collection. No one asked her to.
She worked through the boxes from the far end.
Lynn was still at the table, finishing her stack. She had moved into the finance series now, working through 1994, 1995. She turned a page, made a note.
She lifted the next folder and read the label.
Mavis moved the 2000–2005 box to the collection stack.
Lynn set the folder with the others. Turned another page.
Mavis reached the 1994–1999 box. Checked the folder sequence. Checked the labels.
She closed the box. Wrote the collection number on the side in permanent marker and set it with the others.
“All done?” Audrey said.
They cleared the table, stacked the boxes by the door, and had a brief cup of tea before the archive van arrived. Dot said it had been very satisfying. Audrey said it had taken forty minutes longer than estimated. Lynn said she thought they had done rather well, all things considered.
Mavis washed the cups.
Maggie was the last to leave besides Mavis, who had offered to lock up. She said goodnight. Mavis said goodnight. She was already turning to check the window latches.
At the kitchen table, later, Maggie opened the grey notebook.
**Casefile #58: Filed Under**
Tuesday. WI hall. Records digitisation. Six in attendance. Forty-three boxes processed. Archive collection 2pm. M. locked up.