Who Do You Think You Are? - Nigel Havers

Hi, sorry I haven't posted since last week - life and all that!

Nigel Havers' very interesting episode of Who Do You Think You Are? Series 10 aired last night. Havers was extremely determined to not be totally posh, with mixed results - very few paupers and labourers in his family for as far as the eye can see.

That said, the scandal that comes with ancestors who have slightly fallen from grace can make a more interesting story anyway; there's something undoubtedly Dickensian about bankruptcy and debtor's prison in this period.

I have to say that my favourite moment was the newspaper report describing an 'affiliation' between one of Havers' ancestors and the servant girl - a common phrase in my experience. Having had to delve through the quaint Victorian language sometimes used in old newspapers to make things more respectable, I have huge sympathy for the momentary confusion caused - although, to be fair, the order for money to pay the midwife in this particular instance was a big glaring clue that there was a baby involved somewhere. I've had to deal with far less clear reporting - although I'm always glad to find the 'papers which simply come right out and call a spade a spade where scandal and illegitimate children are concerned.

I was also fascinated with the story of the Hamblion taxi cab firm, which held parallels with members of my own family who were in the same business - although, I'm happy to say, which ended in retirement rather than bankruptcy.

More soon!