Farewell Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE

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Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE Olympia 2008
Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE – formally at Olympia in London

 

Who Do You Think You Are? Live 2016 at the NEC
Who Do You Think You Are? Live – latterly at the NEC in Birmingham

 

I am going to miss the annual genealogy-fest that was the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show but it doesn’t come as a surprise. This year’s show was enjoyable but, as I and many other commentators across the web had noticed, the number of on-topic stands were down while the number of charity booths and other stands were now very noticeable in the hall.

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Where do we go to now? Well…we could always check out the smaller family history fairs up and down the country and I am already looking forward to attending the Yorkshire Family History Fair at the York racecourse on June the 24th. See: www.yorkshirefamilyhistoryfair.com

 

Yorkshire Family History Fair

 

And then in September there is The Family History Show – London Event on the 24th September at Sandown Park Racecourse in Esher. See their website: www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com

This one is new, but like the York event which has been a regular in the calendar for some years, it is being run by my old friends Discover Your Ancestors Magazine, for whom I am a regular contributor of articles. Both shows are sponsored by TheGenealogist

 

Hope to see you there. Oh, and by the way, I’ve just seen that they have a special offer on the tickets at the moment: Early Bird offer: Buy your tickets early and when you buy one ticket, they will give you another ticket FREE!

 

Yorkshire Family History Fair
Saturday 24th June 2017

10am to 4.30pm

The Knavesmire Exhibition Centre, The Racecourse, York, YO23 1EX

Admission: Adults £4.80, Children under 14 FREE

www.yorkshirefamilyhistoryfair.com

Or

Family History Show – London Event
Sunday 24th September 2017

10am to 4.30pm

Sandown Park Racecourse, Portsmouth Road, Esher, KT10 9AJ

Admission: Adults £4.80, Children under 14 FREE

www.thefamilyhistoryshow.com

 

Disclosure: As an article writer I have a commercial relationship with Discover Your Ancestors and TheGenealogist. Also, affiliate links to Discover Your Ancestors and TheGenealogist are used above.

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Genealogy-art.com for your own beautiful family tree

Genealogy Art stand at the WDYTYA? LIVE 2017
Genealogy Art stand at the WDYTYA? LIVE 2017

It was a pleasure, while gathering new ideas from the stands at the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show at the NEC, to come across Wladimir Carlos Ledochowski and his Genealogy Art stand. I like to find new ways to display my research into my ancestors and this exhibitor certainly demonstrated how he can take a person’s research and turn it into really beautiful family tree.

Wladimir was promoting his work to the visiting family historians at the show and I got him to explain a bit more about the number of products that he offers that can help you display your family tree in such an attractive way. Watch the video here or contact him via his website at www.genealogy-art.com.

 

 

 

If you are still completing your research into your English or Welsh ancestors then before creating your family tree do make sure that you have got the most details gathered that you can.

Nick, The Nosey Genealogist, who carried out this interview, has an extremely well received family history course that can quickly give you the tools to track down your ancestors. Check out the links in the sidebar to the right of this page to pay in US, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand Dollars or buy in sterling with this link: www.familyhistoryresearcher.com/trialoffer

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Living DNA – I find out more from David Nicholson M.D. of Living DNA

Disclosure: Please note this post contains affiliate links.

 

At the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show recently I got to talk to the MD of Living DNA, David Nicholson.

 

This video is a great way of finding out more about the DNA test for ancestry offered by this new entry into the market. This company offers a three in one test that is causing a great deal of interest for its ability to give a sub-regional breakdown of results and so show the regions within a country that our ancestors came from.

 

Their product provides us with an opportunity to really get to learn about where our ancestors came from using the latest advance in genomic research. A Living DNA Test is perfect for advancing your knowledge on your own personal DNA, while offering the most detailed DNA test to look at your ancestry through history. A Living DNA Test takes you on a journey back through your family history which has never been possible before.

 

 

Click here to  Check out Living DNA


Disclosure: Compensated affiliate links used above.

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Who Do You Think You Are? Live 2017 round up.

Who Do You Think You Are? Live at the NEC
Who Do You Think You Are? Live at the NEC – the queue of excited family historians waiting for the doors of the hall to open.

 

Having returned from my trip to Birmingham and this year’s Who Do You Think You Are? Live, it is only now that I can look back and consider what I thought of the show.

 

WDYTYA? Live 2017
Hush before the the doors opened for the day!

 

Overall it was a very enjoyable event, even if I was a bit disappointed by the lack of certain family history societies that had not made it to the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) this year.

Full marks go to those who did lay their stalls out. I think that FHS stands are an important component of a family history show and I would hate it if more stayed away.

Looking back to the years at Olympia, there always seemed to be more societies there than currently exhibiting in Birmingham. I also got the impression that several small genealogical businesses had bowed out this year and was equally disappointed that even The National Archives were not present at the show!

 

TheGenealogist stand at the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show at the NEC Birmingham
TheGenealogist stand at the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show at the NEC Birmingham

 

While all the big family history companies were there as usual, I couldn’t help notice the number of charity stands in the shell-scheme section of the hall and the small number of exhibitors that were unrelated to family history – I can only assume that their presence was as a result of canny businesspeople believing that the profile of the visitor to WDYTYA? LIVE would be a match to their own potential customer. I didn’t photograph any of these stands, so I am not referring to any that appear below!

 

WDYTYA? LIVE 2017 stand
WDYTYA? LIVE 2017 National Memorial Arboretum stand

 

S&N Genealogy Supplies
S&N Genealogy Supplies

 

WDYTYA? LIVE 2017 MoD stand
WDYTYA? LIVE 2017 MOD stand

 

Living DNA
Living DNA were at the show – look out for more in a later post!

 

Among some of the other interesting family history stands that got my attention were…

Writing the Past, run by Michael Sharpe, a genealogist, researcher and writer. As well as providing research services he also offers to create a book or a website to present your family history. I hope to look at Writing the Past in a bit more detail in a later post.

Writing the Past stand at WDYTYA? LIVE 2017
Writing the Past stand at WDYTYA? LIVE 2017

 

I had intended to post a video in the next few days, but I am just battling with a slight technical issue with some of my video files from the show – so fingers crossed that I get this sorted!

 

Searching for Theatrical Ancestors was yet another stand that caught my eye. Here I spoke to Professor Katherine Cockin from the University of Hull about their Ellen Terry and Edith Craig Datebase at ellenterryarchive.hull.ac.uk

I hope to be able to post a video here shortly, so watch this space!

WDYTYA? LIVE 2017 University of Hull stand Search for Theatrical Ancestors
WDYTYA? LIVE 2017 University of Hull stand Search for Theatrical Ancestors

 

And then there was the breathtakingly beautiful family trees created by Genealogy Art. I spent some time with Wladimir Carlos Ledochowski and with luck my video with him will be posted here in the near future. In the mean time take a look at his website at: www.genealogy-art.com

Genealogy Art stand at the WDYTYA? LIVE 2017
Genealogy Art stand at the WDYTYA? LIVE 2017

 

More posts to come from this year’s Who Do You Think You Are? Live show soon…

 

In the mean time I am already looking forward to York in June and the Yorkshire Family History Fair.

 

Yorkshire Family History Fair

 

 

 

Disclosure: Compensated affiliate links are used in this post to TheGenealogist and Living DNA

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Are you going to the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show?

Last weekend to SAVE and BUY tickets to the show

who do you think you are show event at the nec

I’m on my way to the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show in Birmingham, via a detour to trace a bit of history up in Yorkshire this weekend.

Next week I am going to be helping my friends on TheGenealogist stand, as well as going around the show hopefully picking up some news from the other exhibitors that I can share here on this blog.

Who Do You Think You Are? Live show TheGenealogist stand
Who Do You Think You Are? Live show TheGenealogist stand

If you haven’t already got your tickets then remember that now it’s the last weekend to purchase them if you want to get them at a special ticket offer price. You can have 2 tickets for only £26 (SAVING £22!*) valid for this weekend only! Check out the offer at: http://wdytya.seetickets.com/tour/who-do-you-think-you-are-live

This year’s show promises to be the biggest and best yet, with over 130 exhibitors, plenty of great talks such as the free ones offered by various experts in the talks theatre next to TheGenealogist’s stand as well as a timetable full of inspiring expert workshops featuring Sir Tony Robinson courtesy of AncestryDNA, and a guest appearance from Strictly Come Dancing and Casualty star Sunetra Sarker. At the show you will also enjoy rare military vehicles, a 1940s sitting room, Photo Daters, a Military History checkpoint, access to billions of free records and much, much more.

Don’t miss your chance to attend this event – undoubtedly the highlight of the genealogy calendar and a fantastic day out where you’ll be sure to find all the expert advice, tips and guidance you need to enhance your own family history discoveries. 

For more information, and to start planning your day click HERE.

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Tithe Records and Researching and Locating your Ancestors

 

Or watch on YouTube here.

At the recent Who Do You Think You Are? Live 2016 Nick Thorne spoke to the professional genealogist, author and teacher, Celia Heritage about tithe records for England and Wales and how useful they are for finding your mid-nineteenth century ancestors. If you are trying to flesh out your family tree with forebears from all levels of society at this time then these records are a wonderful resource. While you can see the maps and schedules in record offices up and down the country there is an easier way. It is to search the schedules and maps in the only online national collection at TheGenealogist (requires a Diamond subscription).

Celia Heritage gives a genealogy tutorial on TheGenealogist stand

 

Celia Heritage is the author of a number of family history books including Researching and Locating your Ancestors published by Discover Your Ancestors Publishing.  £9.95 ISBN 978 1 911166 00 9

Researching-and-Locating-Your-Ancestors-by-Celia-Heritage

 

 

 

Compensated affiliate links used above: http://paidforadvertising.co.uk/

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Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE 2016…are you going?

Who Do You Think You Are? Live
For all of us that enjoy finding out about our ancestors and what they did, then the annual treat of the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show is coming next week to the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham.

I’m looking forward to being there to see what new tips I can pick up, catch up with like minded folk – who are not embarrassed about talking about family history – and seeing what new records have been made available.

If you like the idea then why not come along to ‘Who Do You Think You Are? Live’ – the world’s largest family history show – on from the 7th to the 9th April? This year there is also the ‘Antiques for Everyone’ show in one of the other halls at the NEC between 7th and the 10th April so you can really immerse yourself in celebrating the past.

At Who Do You Think You Are? Live, Antiques Roadshow experts and heirloom detectives, Eric Knowles and Marc Allum, will be on hand to help date any family treasures and place them in their social context. Or pop along to the photograph daters who will be looking at the styling, dress and background of your old photographs to unlock the secrets that they contain. The Society of Genealogists will be offering one-to-one guidance on your family history research and there are many talks to listen to both on the stands and in the theatres around the hall. You can listen to TV presenter and Strictly star Anita Rani whose WDYTYA? TV episode was so emotionally interesting. There are a whole host of seminars, presentations and workshops about DNA and tracing your family tree and breaking down your brick walls. Plus there will even be a full-size replica Spitfire at the show complete with its own ground crew and WW2 props.

While at Antiques for Everyone more than 230 specialist dealers will be in attendance offering a huge variety of desirable and unusual items. The fair is known for its ceramics, glass, paintings and British and continental furniture, jewellery and vintage clothing, art deco items, silver, decorative collectables, to 20th century design and contemporary pieces.

 

Antiques for Everyone will be at the NEC, Halls 18-19. from April 7 to 10. Admission costs from £12. For further information and to book advance ticket visit www.antiquesforeveryone.co.uk

Who Do You Think You Are? Live is also at the NEC, hall 2. from April 7 to 9. Admission costs from £16. All workshops must be booked in advance. For further information visit: www.whodoyouthinkyouarelive.com

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If you want to discover your elusive English/Welsh ancestors then learn more about how to research and where to find the records and resources.

Join the many satisfied subscribers to the Family History Researcher Academy now!

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Hit a brick wall with your English/Welsh ancestors?

Learn how to discover where to find the many records and resources that will help you to find your forebears.

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Tithe Records, Campaign Medals and more Parish Records

At Who Do You Think You Are? Live, I caught up with Mark Bayley who told me about the exciting new releases from TheGenealogist.


 

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Learn more about English and Welsh family history resources which can be used to find your elusive ancestors with the Family History Researcher Course,

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Days to go to the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show 2015

 

Who Do you Think You Are? LIVE 2011
Who Do you Think You Are? LIVE

This week, on Thursday 16th, Friday 17th and Saturday 18th of April the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show rolls into the National Exhibition Centre for the first time. The largest Family History Show in the U.K. it has moved up to the Midlands from London.

For those of us seeking answers, to family history brick walls, this is one of the most exciting times of the calendar as it allows us a chance to get to listen to all manner of experts gathered under one roof.

 

Reggie Yates Alistair McGowanTamsin OuthwaiteApart from the main celebrity speakers, such as Reggie Yates, Tamzin Outhwaite and Alistair McGowan there are many other presentations that I am looking forward to.

One talk that I spotted in the email news from S&N Genealogy supplies is Our Ancestors’ Working Lives by Celia Heritage, Professional Genealogist & Author. Celia will be explaining how we can find out more about an ancestor through the records of their working life in TheGenealogist’s talk theatre, situated just by the entrance.

There are, of course, so many other workshops to take in that a little bit of planning may be needed to fit in what appeals to your particular interest. Take a look at the Society of Genealogists Workshop programme online. One of the other great strengths of the show is being able to chat with the knowledgeable people from the various family history societies, or to sit down with a Society of Genealogist expert. Maybe you will be in luck and meet a person that is researching a collateral line to yours!

To emphasize just how much of a breakthrough a chance meeting such as this can be, here is a little story to end with.

This weekend I was taking a break in a small Leicestershire Bed & Breakfast and was talking to another guest who had discovered a whole batch of new ancestors by meeting someone whose ancestor had been employed as a ship’s captain by my fellow guest’s ship owning ancestor. The Captain’s descendent was able to fill in the ship owner’s descendent about people that, until then, he was completely unaware of. This just emphasises how making connections at events such as Who Do You Think You Are? Live can be priceless.

 

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Learn more about English and Welsh family history resources which can be used to find your elusive ancestors with the Family History Researcher Course,

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Family History Researcher English/Welsh course

 

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Celebrities at Who Do You Think You Are? Live 2015

Celebrities that will be making an appearance at the NEC on 17 April 2015 for the much anticipated annual family history show Who Do You Think You Are? Live have now all been announced:

Reggie Yates
First will be Reggie Yates, who appeared on the TV programme Who Do You Think You Are? last year, in an episode which saw him travel to Ghana to trace his grandfather, Harry Philip Yates. Once there, he unravelled a complicated family history in which Ghanaian culture and British colonialism collided.

Born in London in 1983, the presenter knew very little about his father’s side of the family, after his parents separated when he was just four years old. He grew up with his mother and never met his paternal grandparents, but his Who Do Think You Are? experience made him feel more connected to both his own father and his wider family: “I feel like I’m part of something, and being here and learning about our history has made that even more real.”

During his trip to Ghana, the presenter enlisted the help of historian, Carina Ray, to discover more about the men in his family including George Yates, an Englishman who came over to the Gold Coast to work in the mining industry. Reggie also met his adopted uncle, JB, and spoke to Ghanaian chief Nana about his great grandmother.

Reggie will be on Thursday 16th April 10 am till Midday.

 

Alistair McGowan
Secondly we can look forward to seeing Actor and impressionist Alistair McGowan when he takes the Friday celebrity slot at Who Do You Think You Are? Live. Alistair will be talking about the discovery of his Anglo-Indian heritage and his experiences of filming in India.

Alistair talk about his time on the show. He’s an entertaining speaker so you’ll be in for a treat of witty stories and celebrity voices as he speaks about his colonial origins.
During his episode, in series 4, Alistair traces his father, George McGowan (1928-2003), from Calcutta, India after noticing the birth certificate stated George was Anglo-Indian.

In Calcutta, Alistair visits the red brick family home near the docks with his uncle, Rusty, who hadn’t been back for sixty years. Rusty reveals Alistair’s grandfather, Cecil, was a dock foreman and a dedicated body builder, with the pictures and muscles to prove it.

Local Anglo-Indian expert, Melvin Brown, explains Anglo-Indian ancestry originated from the British East India Company, which encouraged unions between it’s staff and the local populace, most often British men and Indian women, by paying for their marriages.

Eager to find where his mystery Indian ancestor mingled with the McGowans, Alistair visits Allahabad, where his great grandfather, Richard (d.1923), was a telegraph operator. Near the cemetery where Richard lies beneath a simple stone slab amid snakes and long grass, Alistair locates a whole community of McGowans, living together in a large house surrounded by exotic greenery.

 

 

Tamsin Outhwaite

Saturday sees the actress Tamzin Outhwaite, who shared her exploration of her Italian roots in her episode of Who Do You Think You Are? which aired in August last year. The organizers of the show say they are thrilled to announce that Tamzin will be talking about her discoveries at Who Do You Think You Are? Live at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre on Saturday 18th April at 10.15 – 12.00.

In her episode of WDYTYA?, Tamzin traced the life of her great grandfather Adelmo and his imprisonment in Palace Camp, Isle of Man, in August 1940 among Italian fascists and other immigrants with his son, Peter.
Adelmo was a proud family man who was never seen without a shirt and tie. His dedication towards providing for his family was extraordinary; he even missed an important wedding to open his ice-cream shop in Manchester. Hearing of her family’s internment left both Tamzin and viewers distraught.
We can look forward to additional behind-the-scenes moments, and more of Tamzin’s family history, during WDYTYA? LIVE show.

 

Tickets for the show are £16 in advance (£22 on the door) or you can order two for £26 using the code WMS2426 (if ordered before 7 April). You can book online at www.whodoyouthinkyouarelive.com or by calling 0844 873 7330. There is a transaction fee of £2.25 for each order.

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Learn more about English and Welsh family history resources which can be used to find your elusive ancestors with the Family History Researcher Course,

CLICK the image below:

Family History Researcher English/Welsh course

 

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