Fancy a lesson in local history? Discover school records and more this week

This week, we have significant additions to our National School Admissions Registers from the North of England, an entirely free-to-view photo collection, and a whole host of newspaper pages. Here's a rundown of everything that's new.

National School Admissions Registers

If you have ancestors in Halifax, Yorkshire, then make sure to check out these new additions to our school registers.

The four schools these records cover are Portland Road's Infant School between 1890-1904, Queens Road Boys Senior School 1904-1921, Queens Road Girls Senior School 1884-1921, and Queens Road Junior School 1896-1903, all in Halifax.

The transcripts of these records will contain information such as admission year, birth year, school name, and parents' names, meaning you could discover more than one generation from one record alone.

Of course, the real joy of school records doesn't come from the biographical information. It comes from piecing together a stronger, bolder picture of your ancestors' early lives. Discovering where they attended school five days a week (if they were good...), knowing the area they were from, or even exploring the local grounds can be an incredibly fulfilling experience for anyone researching their family history.

If you're looking for school records in other areas, we have collections from Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and even a few in the United States.

Historic Photos of England and Wales

Remember the stunning Views of Ireland collection we released a couple of months ago? Well, this collection could be termed its little sister. Discover remarkable pictures of England and Wales within its pages, and even better, it's entirely free to view.

These photos cover both pre- and post- World War 1, with some military photos dotted throughout. Though they span across the country, the majority of them are from the Greater London area.

The rich detail of these photographs is often written alongside the photos themselves. Make sure to glance over it for more information on the history behind the picture.

These pictures have been compiled from both the Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration. You'll find photos of historic architecture, working laborers, the armed forces, and landscapes of both rural and the more urban areas of England and Wales.

If you have a few moments (or hours) to spare, then make sure to flick through these pages and admire the beauty of England and Wales from a new perspective. If anything, photo collections like these tell the story of a nation through the struggles of war perhaps even better than written records can.

There's no slowing the news

Remember three weeks ago, when we hit 50 million pages in our newspaper archive? Well, there's no stopping us. We've released an immense 1.8 million more pages this week, across 20 new and 148 updated titles. You'll find everything from local news and international relations to sports and tabloid gossip in these headlines. Scroll down for the full list of new and updated newspapers. If something catches your eye, just head to our archive and filter by title.

New titles:

• Ashby Mail, 1993
• Belper Express, 1989-1990
• Burntwood Mercury, 1991-1992
• Burntwood Post, 1991
• Crediton Gazette, 1951
• Ealing & Southall Informer, 1992
• Great Barr Observer, 1991
• Heartland Evening News, 1993
• Ilkeston Express, 1990
• Midweek Visiter (Southport), 1988, 1991
• Nottingham and Midland Catholic News, 1908-1911, 1913-1934
• Nottingham and Newark Mercury, 1827-1852
• Oadby & Wigston Mail, 1990-1991
• Peterborough Herald & Post, 1990
• Prestatyn Weekly, 1908-1933
• Ripley Express, 1989-1991
• Royston and Buntingford Mercury, 1991-1992
• Solihull News, 1990-1992
• Stockton & Billingham Herald & Post, 1988, 1990-1991
• Wallasey News and Wirral General Advertiser, 1910

Updated titles:

• Aberdare Leader, 1950
• Aberdeen Herald, 1876
• Abergele & Pensarn Visitor, 1869, 1950, 1991
• Accrington Observer and Times, 1987
• Acton Gazette, 1951, 1981
• Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser, 1993
• Alcester Chronicle, 1912
• Aldershot News, 1950-1951, 1976
• Ashbourne News Telegraph, 1950, 1993-1994, 1996
• Atherstone News and Herald, 1984-1985
• Bacup Times and Rossendale Advertiser, 1876
• Bedfordshire on Sunday, 1980-1982
• Bedworth Echo, 1991, 1994, 1996
• Beverley Guardian, 1894
• Billingham & Norton Advertiser, 1990, 1992
• Birkenhead & Cheshire Advertiser, 1951
• Birkenhead News, 1950-1951, 1989-1990
• Birmingham Daily Gazette, 1874
• Birmingham Daily Post, 1950, 1952, 1993-1995
• Birmingham Mail, 1872, 1874, 1880, 1951, 1995
• Birmingham Weekly Mercury, 1897, 1950, 1988
• Birmingham Weekly Post, 1950
• Bootle Times, 1950
• Bracknell Times, 1994
• Bradford Daily Telegraph, 1910, 1912
• Brentwood Gazette, 1991-1992
• Bristol Evening Post, 1951
• Bromley & District Times, 1911
• Buckinghamshire Examiner, 1979
• Burton Daily Mail, 1898, 1976, 1993-1995
• Burton Trader, 1992
• Bury Free Press, 1972-1973
• Caernarvon & Denbigh Herald, 1990, 1992
• Cambridge Daily News, 1912, 1993
• Cambridge Weekly News, 1991-1992
• Cannock Chase Post, 1989-1991
• Carmarthen Journal, 1950-1951, 1995-1996
• Caterham Mirror, 1950-1951
• Central Somerset Gazette, 1991
• Chatham News, 1950-1951, 1990-1991
• Chatham Standard, 1950, 1989, 1992
• Cheddar Valley Gazette, 1991
• Chelsea News and General Advertiser, 1989-1990, 1992
• Cheltenham News, 1992
• Chester Chronicle, 1950-1951, 1994, 1996
• Clevedon Mercury, 1876-1877, 1951, 1990-1992
• Cornish Guardian, 1945, 1950
• Coventry Evening Telegraph, 1986
• Crewe Chronicle, 1978, 1987
• Crosby Herald, 1950-1951, 1991
• Daily Herald, 1919
• Daily Record, 1993
• Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser, 1989
• Dover Express, 1990-1992
• East Grinstead Observer, 1950, 1981, 1992
• East Kent Gazette, 1991
• Ellesmere Port Pioneer, 1950
• Evening Despatch, 1912
• Express and Echo, 1872, 1879
• Faversham Times and Mercury and North-East Kent Journal, 1988-1990
• Folkestone Express, Sandgate, Shorncliffe & Hythe Advertiser, 1895-1896, 1899, 1902, 1914
• Folkestone, Hythe, Sandgate & Cheriton Herald, 1992
• Frome Journal, 1990
• Fulham Chronicle, 1996
• Glamorgan Gazette, 1951-1953
• Gloucester Journal, 1990
• Hamilton Advertiser, 1876, 1879, 1882, 1885-1888, 1910-1913, 1919-1920
• Harlow Star, 1991
• Harrow Gazette, 1876
• Harrow Informer, 1990-1991
• Herald Cymraeg, 1935
• Hertford Mercury and Reformer, 1872, 1950, 1980
• Herts and Essex Observer, 1994-1995
• Hinckley Herald & Journal, 1990, 1992
• Hounslow & Chiswick Informer, 1989, 1992
• Huddersfield and Holmfirth Examiner, 1950, 1952
• Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 1877, 1898, 1950, 1952
• Huntingdon Town Crier, 1992, 1994
• Kensington News and West London Times, 1949, 1963
• Kent & Sussex Courier, 1980-1981
• Leek Post & Times and Cheadle News & Times and Moorland Advertiser, 1990-1992
• Liverpool Daily Post, 1880, 1898, 1950
• Long Eaton Advertiser, 1991, 1996
• Loughborough Echo, 1950, 1988
• Marylebone Mercury, 1993-1994
• Middlesex County Times, 1877, 1908-1909, 1938, 1945-1946, 1948, 1951, 1981
• Nantwich Chronicle, 1981
• Newcastle Chronicle, 1872, 1897
• Newcastle Daily Chronicle, 1862
• Newcastle Journal, 1897
• North Star (Darlington), 1898-1899, 1911
• North Wales Weekly News, 1990
• Northern Echo, 1912
• Nottingham Journal, 1821, 1823, 1871
• Nottingham Recorder, 1984-1985, 1988
• Ormskirk Advertiser, 1987-1989, 1991
• Paddington Mercury, 1951
• Peterborough Advertiser, 1861
• Plymouth Extra, 1990-1991
• Pontypridd Observer, 1951-1958, 1963, 1991
• Preston Herald, 1861
• Retford, Gainsborough & Worksop Times, 1908, 1979, 1994, 1996
• Richmond Informer, 1993-1995
• Rossendale Free Press, 1990-1992
• Ruislip & Northwood Gazette, 1991-1992
• Salford Advertiser, 1989, 1991, 1993
• Scarborough Mercury, 1855, 1863
• Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph, 1952
• Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser, 1952
• Sheerness Times Guardian, 1896
• Shepton Mallet Journal, 1873, 1912
• Somerset County Gazette, 1889
• Soulby’s Ulverston Advertiser and General Intelligencer, 1914
• Southall Gazette, 1996
• Southport Visiter, 1990, 1992
• Staffordshire Newsletter, 1989-1990, 1992, 1996
• Staines Informer, 1992
• Stapleford & Sandiacre News, 1988, 1992, 1995-1996
• Stockport Advertiser and Guardian, 1873, 1911
• Stockport County Express, 1925
• Stockport Express Advertiser, 1989
• Strathearn Herald, 1991
• Sunbury & Shepperton Herald, 1989-1990
• Surrey Advertiser, 1950
• Surrey Comet, 1877
• Surrey Herald, 1991
• Surrey-Hants Star, 1991
• Sutton Coldfield News, 1901, 1903, 1912, 1950, 1991
• Tamworth Herald, 1879, 1987, 1990-1991, 1993-1994
• The People, 1992-1995
• Thetford & Watton Times, 1893
• Torbay Express and South Devon Echo, 1952-1953
• Uttoxeter New Era, 1876
• Uttoxeter Newsletter, 1990-1991
• Uxbridge Informer, 1989-1991
• Walsall Observer, 1949
• Walton & Weybridge Informer, 1991
• Wembley Leader, 1989, 1991
• West Lothian Courier, 1873, 1879, 1882, 1885, 1888, 1891, 1986, 1990, 1992
• West Surrey Times, 1879, 1888, 1911
• Western Gazette, 1987
• Westminster & Pimlico News, 1993, 1996
• Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, 1991
• Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard, 1875
• Winsford Chronicle, 1987, 1992, 1994-1995
• Wokingham Times, 1991-1992
• Worcester Journal, 1871, 1893
• Yorkshire Evening Press, 1910

Did you find an ancestor in our new school records? Perhaps you've discovered your home town in the Historic Pictures of England and Wales? Let us know on social @findmypast - there's nothing we love more than hearing your stories.