WDYTYA? - Amanda Holden & Liz Bonnin

OK, this is going to be my write-up for both last week's and this week's episodes of Who Do You Think You Are? because, as a busy genealogist bee, I didn't have chance to write-up Amanda Holden's episode last week.

Amanda Holden's episode focussed on France - a connection to wine in Bordeaux which Amanda seemed thrilled with, and an interesting story of a an ancestor with a colourful character and a French wife.

Also in France was the tale of Amanda's paternal grandfather - a serviceman in WW2, he was caught up in the sinking of the Lancastria.

Not many people have heard of the Lancastria - a commandeered cruise ship which sank with thousands of people on board after being bombed.

More lives were lost on board than on the Titanic and the Lusitania combined, but it's less widely known because of the reporting ban Churchill placed on the event - too much tragedy was seen as bad for morale.



Liz Bonnin's episode was a fascinating tale of the double-edged sword that was colonialism. Colonialism brought oppression and servitude, but also, in many cases, opportunities - as Liz found when she traced her Indian-Trinidadian ancestors.

Another morally uncomfortable part of history is slavery. And Liz visibly struggled to reconcile the various aspects of slavery - that people were owned, and people were owners - with her own family on the French colony of Martinique.

History is something that must be learnt from yes, but also accepted. We can't change the past - it's simply the things that happened.

WDYTYA? - Danny Dyer

The 16th (16!) series of Who Do You Think You Are? kicked off last night with EastEnders actor Danny Dyer.

In honesty - it was actually a really fun watch!

I don't watch EastEnders (I know. Shock, horror!) so I wasn't really familiar with Danny Dyer - but he's certainly a character!

So, between the entertainment value of Danny Dyer, and the excessively interesting family he has (and yes, there are some very posh people in Danny Dyer's ancestry,) it was a great way to start off the series.

Of course, it wouldn't be Who Do You Think You Are? without the ability to reduce even the hardest of celebrities to tears, and it was the same here.

The story of Mary Ann Buttivant - one of Danny's ancestors - and the heartbreak she went through, was truly one of those WDYTYA? moments, and your heart really did go out to this lady.

Who Do You Think You Are? Season 13 starts tonight

Hi all!

Just a quick note to remind you that Who Do You Think You Are? Season 13 starts @ 8.00pm tonight on BBC1 with EastEnders actor Danny Dyer.

I'll be doing my write-up posts after each episode again this year, so look out for that!

The line-up, once again, suggests interesting episodes ahead:

• Danny Dyer
• Cheryl Tweedy/Cole/Fernandez-Versini
• Amanda Holden
• Sir Ian McKellen
• Sophie Raworth
• Ricky Tomlinson
• Warwick Davis
• Greg Davies
• Liz Bonnin
• Sunetra Sarker

Can't wait!

Checking In, and Check This Out

Hi!

I know, I know - I really need to post on this blog more often!

But I am here, still working away like a little busy bee, and researching your family trees and family history!



Remember that you can get in contact with me with any questions about my research services whenever! (I don't bite!)

So check out familyhistorybycerys.co.uk and use my e-mail to get in touch! :)

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BBC have a new history/reality series starting tonight called The Victorian Slum - sending people back in time (metaphorically,) to live the life of a slum-dweller in the 1860s.

It starts tonight on BBC2 @ 9pm.

The Somme

Today is the 100th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Somme.

I know I haven't blogged much lately (I've been very busy - sorry!) but I really wanted to take the chance to commemorate this date.

The Battle lasted from 1st July 1916 to 18th November 1916, and it was truly terrible.

This is something that we shouldn't forget - perhaps not out of a sense of national pride, but instead out of a sense of sorrow for so many lives cut needlessly short.

The memory of those events should not fade - not because the Battle should be emulated, or glorified, but because we should never forget the terrible cost of war, and what happens when games are played with men's lives.

We have a duty to these men and boys to remember them. And I hope we will.

If you want to learn more about the Somme, the CWGC have a dedicated website you can visit, and the BBC has an excellent iWonder page to explore.

Busy Busy Bee

Hi! Sorry I haven't posted much on here recently - I've been a busy genealogist bee lately.

So with all the buzzing around I've been doing finding people's families for them, I haven't had much chance to write-up blog-posts.

I'm going to try to post on here more often - if only to say hi! (Hi! :D) But of course, tracking down your ancestors for you comes first!

I'm never too busy to answer any of your queries or e-mails - so check out www.familyhistorybycerys.co.uk for my contact details. I'll be happy to hear from you!

Our Culture, Our Heritage - Tenby Museum

We need to support our own culture.

Tenby Museum and Art Gallery is a lovely little museum in the Pembrokeshire town of Tenby. I've been there more than once, and it's both interesting and affordable (£4 per adult for an entire year, and free entry to children.)

There's a range of archaeological finds, art - both modern and fine, and objects which illustrate the long history of the town. It's a little treasure trove.

Unfortunately, the museum faces funding problems - like so much of our cultural institutions, so I urge you - if you're in the area - to pay it a visit.

Your ticket will be valid for a year. It's worth it!

Holocaust Memorial Day

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day.

This video, 'Don't Stand By' is one worthy of being shared - and with resonance for today.

January Rains

We Brits have a well-known obsession with the weather.

And examples of a wet January (like this one seems to be!) can be found in many old newspapers.

The Rainfall

The County Observer and Monmouthshire Advertiser shows us that the obsession with rainfall and the British weather goes back over a century - on 3rd January, 1906, the paper reported that three inches of rain had fallen over the previous 15 days, with 1'8 inches being the monthly average.

The Barry Herald a few years earlier - on 3rd March, 1904 - reported that the January of that year had been wet also (probably not a big surprise.)

The paper reports 4'97 inches of rain for the January of 1904, with an average for the previous 15 years of  2'49 inches for January.

The Flooding

The South Wales Daily News of 22nd January 1877, tells of flooding in the Trent Valley and Lincolnshire.

The same paper, on 22nd January 1895, reports 'STREETS TURNED TO RUSHING RIVERS,' with widespread flooding in Clwyd, Conway, Buckingham, Tamworth, Stratford-on-Avon, Warwick, Kidderminster, and Maidenhead.

Meanwhile, according to the Evening Express of 1st January 1901, Tewkesbury had been cut off completely by flooding - essentially becoming an island, and the 'Eastern Counties' were 'Under Water.'