Allen Packwood, Director of the Archives Centre

Allen Packwood is the Director of the Churchill Archives Centre. He joined the Archives Centre team in September 1995 and has worked extensively on the Churchill Papers collection, publishing ‘How Churchill Waged War’ in 2018. He has since edited the CUP companion volume to Winston Churchill and co-written a book on ‘Churchill’s D-Day‘ with General Lord Dannatt.

Allen manages the Archives Centre team and serves as Secretary to the Churchill College, Margaret Thatcher and Sir Winston Churchill Archive Trusts. His role includes development and outreach.

Nicole Allen, Archives Assistant

Nicole joined the Archives Centre in 2021. She is currently working towards a MA in Archives and Records Management while applying the content of her course to the real archives at Churchill. Nicole is particularly interested in making archives accessible, both in-person and remotely.

Email: [email protected]

Sophie Bridges, Archivist

Sophie joined the Archives Centre in 2003, having previous experience at the Historical Manuscripts Commission and the Guildhall Library in London. At the Archives Centre, her work has focused on the personal papers of politicians, social researchers and other public figures, including Michael Young, Phyllis Willmott, Tam Dalyell, and Peter and Peggy Jay.

She is particularly interested in diaries, women’s writing, and the history of collecting private archives. She is also the registrar for loans to temporary exhibitions.

Email: [email protected]

Madelin Evans, Archivist

Madelin joined the Churchill Archives Centre in 2017 as project archivist for the papers of Robert Edwards (IVF pioneer). Following the completion of the Edwards project she has worked on a variety of collections including the Churchill Acquired Papers (a collection of Winston Churchill’s papers acquired through his biographer).

Alongside colleagues Madelin works on the Archives Centre’s social media and other communications, and is a mentor to volunteers in the Archives Centre

Julie Godden, Conservation Assistant

Email: [email protected]

Hannah James, Records Manager & College Archivist

Hannah joined the Archives Centre in 2017, having previously worked in county and not-for-profit organisation archives.

Her dual role focuses on archives relating to Churchill College and its members, and the management of the College’s current records.

Hannah is a mentor for volunteers in the Archives Centre as well as the College’s data protection lead.

Email: [email protected]

Amanda Jones, Archives Administrator

Amanda joined Churchill College in May 2017 after working as a solicitor, teaching overseas students and completing her PhD which was published in 2018 as ‘Bringing Up War Babies’ by Taylor & Francis.

She coordinates the diary and administration of the Archives Centre, organises events, and assists the Director and senior management team.

Sarah Lewery, Senior Conservator

Sarah joined the team in 1999 and is now Senior Conservator. She works in the dedicated conservation studio, usually with a conservator and conservation assistant.

Her role involves managing all aspects of the Preservation of the collections – from monitoring the storage environment through to planning for recovery in the event of an emergency affecting our holdings. She also carries out conservation treatments on the collections and contributes to outreach.

She is part of the Senior Management Team of the Archives Centre.

Email: [email protected]

David Parker, Conservator

David joined the Churchill Archives Centre in October 2022 as part of the Conservation team. He is involved in all aspects of preserving the collection such as environmental monitoring of the storage areas, providing suitable packaging materials for the archives, disaster planning and recovery, ensuring correct document handling, and supporting outreach and exhibition programs. He also carries out interventive treatments on designated collection items.

Email: [email protected]

Andrew Riley, Archives Centre Manager

Andrew Riley is an archivist with a particular interest in modern political papers. He has spent much of his time at the Archives Centre working on the papers of Margaret Thatcher. He is also interested in using archives for teaching purposes and academic engagement. 

Email: [email protected] 

Jessica Saunders, Archives Assistant

Jess joined the team in 2019, working on her MA alongside working in the Archives, she completed her Archives Administration MA in 2023. She has worked on a number of different collections, most notably the numerous scrapbooks of Baroness Trumpington. 

Email: [email protected]

Katharine Thomson, Archivist

Katharine joined the team in 1997, initially as part of the Churchill Papers project, and since then has worked on many other individual collections. She tends to specialise in earlier political material, but has also catalogued the papers of various members of the Churchill family.  Some of the archives she has worked on include the papers of Leo and Julian Amery, Neil Kinnock, Enoch Powell and Mary Soames. Katharine is also responsible for the administration of the British Diplomatic Oral History Programme.

Email: [email protected]

Dr Cherish Watton-Colbrook, Archives Assistant

Cherish joined the team in 2021, having previously worked with the Archive Centre’s collections for her MPhil and doctoral research on scrapbooking in Britain during the twentieth century. Cherish has a particular interest in collections relating to life writing, women’s history, and family life, and has published articles on these topics.

Alongside her other colleagues, Cherish supports the Archive Centre’s academic engagement and communications work.

Email: [email protected]