Happy New Year!

Hi everyone.

Tomorrow is 2016. I hope you have an excellent one and have a good time as we say goodbye to 2015.

If you're interested in family history, then this is the time that many pick up the hobby and the habit. It's enjoyable and rewarding to find out more about your family's past.

A word of caution: you may find that it's not as easy as it looks!

I'll be more than pleased to hear from you if you find yourselves stuck against the proverbial 'brick wall,' or simply find yourself overwhelmed by the amount of individuals that share your ancestor's name, and the amount of records there are to traipse through.

Check out my website: www.familyhistorybycerys.co.uk for more information about my services.

Feel free to drop me a line - I've seen my fair share of interesting situations when it comes to errant relatives, black sheep, and general confusion. I will give it my best!

A Historical Christmas on TV

There are plenty of goodies for the history fan on TV this Christmas - with the BBC leading the charge.

Dickensian on BBC One is a mash-up of Dickens characters and stories in a period mystery.

Running on a theme, Sherlock is also going all period-drama over the festive period, with a Victorian special.

 

There's more mystery on the way with an adaptation of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, to keep crime-lovers happy through the holidays.

 



 

And there's the treat of War and Peace to look forward to for those who like their period drama epic.

 



 

To avoid showing prejudice towards the BBC, I should probably point out that ITV also has a lot going on over Christmas.

 

History fans can look forward to the final episode of Downton Abbey on Christmas Day.

 



 

And for the little ones, there's a family tree of a different kind with BBC's Stick Man to watch out for!

 



 

A great Christmas on TV then!

Small Business Saturday

 

Today is Small Business Saturday - the day when (hopefully!) we all shine a spotlight on and support small businesses.

These are the businesses run by neighbours, families, friends - who care about what they do and don't have the advantages of corporations. Some of these businesses are new, some are generations old - the local barbers, the window cleaners, the shopkeepers.

 

We should support smaller businesses where we can - for the sake of our history, our communities, and the neighbours, families, and friends, that we want to see succeed.

Coming Home - BBC Wales

BBC Wales has it's own answer to Who Do You Think You Are? - it has Coming Home. Coming Home is a series of half-hour programmes looking into the Welsh roots of the famous and semi-famous.

Series 10 (oh yes, this is a long-running series,) features a four-episode run, starring actress Sian Phillips, journalist Jeremy Bowen, comedian and actor Ben Miller, and sports star and One Show presenter Iwan Thomas.

The series starts tonight at 8.30pm on BBC1 Wales with Sian Phillips' episode - the episodes will be available after airing on the BBC's iPlayer for people living in other UK regions.

I usually find the series to be well worth the watch - so if you're interested in history, give it a try.

Last Chance For Christmas 2015 Orders

Hurry! My last date for Christmas orders is Friday 27th November!

So, if you want to treat someone with a very special present, you'll have to be quick!

As always, order and price information can be found on my website - www.familyhistorybycerys.co.uk

Looking forward to hearing from you very soon!

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly

 

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

 

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

 

John McCrae

 

 

 

There is an excellent webpage about John McCrae, the author of 'In Flanders Fields' and a Canadian military doctor, on the greatwar.co.uk website. John McCrae was killed in 1918, and is buried in Wimereux Communal Cemetery.

Some Things Never Change

Truly, some things are pretty unchangeable. The sky is blue, and boys will be boys and do stupid and dangerous things on bonfire night.


This article from The South Wales Echo on 15th November 1900:

REMEMBER THE FIFTH OF

NOVEMBER

-----

Some Barry Boys are not likely to readily for-

get it. They attempted to celebrate Guy Fawkes

night by letting off fireworks in the street, and

this morning were called upon to appear before

the magistrates at the Police Court. Five lads -

John Ash, Henry Williams, William Harris,

Emmanuel Williams, and Alfred Williams -

were each fined 5s including costs, while Ree[s]

Jones, a Cadoxton juvenile, who disobeyed the

summons, was ordered to appear at the next

sitting of the court.

 

 

I hope no-one is planning the same on this November 5th - keep yourselves and your pets safe!