Our research is always unearthing many stories that we'd like to share with you. I hope you enjoy them!
Anna Stone, Group archivist
Anna Stone was appointed Group Archivist of Aviva in November 2000.
She discovered archives as a career half way through a degree in History at Exeter University. After a year of work experience in the archive section at Lloyds TSB, she took her MA in archives and records management at University College London. This included further work placements at BT and the Bank of England. Her first job after qualifying was as deputy archivist for Guinness based in an old hop store on the Park Royal Brewery.
Her first task on joining Aviva was to set up a new group archive in Norwich and transfer to it the archives of General Accident and Commercial Union which were then stored in Perth and London.
Following the flame - intro
Archivist Blog 15 May 2012
Subjects:
History - Interesting stories
Over the next few months I'll be publishing a series of blogs following the progress of the Olympic flame as it travels around the UK. I'll be giving a little bit of information about our history in the locations of the evening celebrations.
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Sank with 'Titanic'
Archivist Blog 13 April 2012
Subjects:
History - Interesting stories
On 15 April 2012 it will be 100 years since the Royal Mail Steamer Titanic sank with the loss of at least 1,500 of her passengers and crew, having struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage.
Victorian voices
Archivist Blog 20 January 2012
Subjects:
History - Interesting stories
Every so often in the course of my research I am fortunate to come across something really special in the archive and a story that cries out to be shared.
Orange peel and other hazards
Archivist Blog 29 July 2011
Subjects:
History - Interesting stories
What do a vicar from Shropshire, a diabolo, a parrot and orange peel have in common? The answer is that all are found on the lists of claims paid by personal accident companies in the last decades of the 19th and the first decade of the 20th centuries.
General Accident's 125th anniversary
Archivist Blog 16 December 2010
Subjects:
History - Interesting stories
History - Staff memories
Materials - Magazines
This year marks the 125th anniversary of the establishment of the business that grew into one of our major constituent companies, General Accident.
Building the World War Two section
Archivist Blog 11 November 2010
Subjects:
History - Interesting stories
History - Staff memories
I have been working on gathering the information from staff magazines, board minute books, war memorials, staff registers and insurance industry magazines for the past two years and am now busy putting all the information in order and making sure I know as much as I possibly can about the men and women on the staff who were either killed, captured or decorated in the conflict.
How I met a traveller from an antique land
Archivist Blog 27 September 2010
Subjects:
History - Interesting stories
A few months ago I was investigating the Dublin agency of D C Roose in the early Norwich Union Life board minute books when I came across another name I recognised – Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Women in the history of Aviva
Archivist Blog 31 March 2010
Subjects:
History - Interesting stories
Materials - Magazines
International Women’s Day at the start of this month and subsequent discussions relating to workplace diversity on our intranet forum set me thinking about the employment of women in the history of Aviva.
Insurance claims - it's a funny business
Archivist Blog 01 February 2010
Subjects:
History - Interesting stories
Materials - Cartoons
A quick search of the internet reveals any number of collections of amusing insurance claims, indeed I have just read a few for research purposes and had to try very hard not to laugh out loud and disturb the researcher currently working in my office.
He's behind you - Insurance men in pantomime
Archivist Blog 14 December 2009
Subjects:
History - Interesting stories
I thought as the festive season approached that I would try to write a seasonal blog. I made a fruitless search for material relating to Christmas crackers and puddings and then came across some programmes and photographs relating to various staff plays and a blog loosely connected by the theme of pantomimes was born.
Danger, men at work - Silk hats must be worn!
Archivist Blog 27 August 2009
Subjects:
History - Interesting stories
In our three hundred year history Aviva companies have employed an enormous number of people. This month I’ve been digging around in the archive to find out about the rules that governed their working lives.
Comprehensive Insurance
Archivist Blog 18 February 2009
Subjects:
History - Interesting stories
Insurance for grocers against accidental ptomaine poisoning of their customers and for farmers for injuries to their livestock caused during castration - is there anything we haven't covered?
Chattering Teeth
Archivist Blog 17 December 2008
Subjects:
History - Interesting stories
Materials - Magazines
It is snowing this morning in Norwich but this is not a blog about the cold weather it is a blog about the insurance of teeth, specifically false teeth.
We will remember them
Archivist Blog 07 November 2008
Subjects:
History - Interesting stories
History - Staff memories
In September, inspired by the forthcoming BBC Remembrance 90 campaign, I set out to see if Aviva could take part in the act of remembrance using records held in the archive relating to staff who served and died in the 1914-1918 war.
Olympic dreams
Archivist Blog 12 August 2008
Subjects:
History - Interesting stories
So, what is the link between Aviva and the team from Chile in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens?
Rhymes from past times
Archivist Blog 11 July 2008
Subjects:
History - Interesting stories
History - Staff memories
The past few weeks have been unusually busy in the archive strong room. During the refurbishment of the surrounding buildings one end of the room was invaded by fine white dust and we have had a specialist disaster recovery firm in to remove it all.
Anyone for tennis?
Archivist Blog 27 June 2008
Subjects:
History - Interesting stories
It's Wimbledon fortnight so I thought I'd share some tennis related stories from the Aviva archive.
