Every Family has a story to tell……….Welcome to mine
I was born in the mid 1960's and grew up in a era far removed from the world that kids grow up in today. Back then it was a pleasure to be a kid, there were no demands, no expectations, no pressures and no social media, it was a safe, enjoyable and stress free childhood! … Continue reading Childhood Heroes
WW1 touched the lives of millions of families, both at home and across the Empire, with families suffering irreconcilable grief and loss, many families never fully recovered. So many young men volunteered at the outbreak of War, to do "their bit" for King and Country, little did they know the full scale of the horrors … Continue reading No. 1 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station
At the outbreak of WW1, there was an ongoing debate about the best way to treat casualties from the front line. Opinion was divided, should you treat the casualty as close to the front line as possible, getting the wounded and injured men to surgery in the fastest possible time, whilst accepting that the operating … Continue reading Casualty Clearing Stations During WW1
Can you be defined by what your ancestors did or who your ancestors were? This is probably a question that can equally be aimed at psychology students as well as Historians or Family Historians and one that is probably far more advanced than my level of education! Having said that, I do have my own … Continue reading How Much Does Your Past Shape Your Future?
Are you new to genealogy or an experienced researcher? Either way, we can always do with a little bit of help with our research. In this mini-series written for Family Tree Magazine, I have looked at some of the main subscription websites and have put together a series of hints, tips and cheats for each … Continue reading My Genealogy Hints, Tips and Cheats Mini-Series
My Genie friend Caroline McCulloch ("Coach Carole") has kindly allowed me to share with you her latest ecourse for people that are new to blogging. The online six part course covers every aspect of blogging, from choosing a host site, designing your website and posting your first blogs. Blogging In The Past Lane "Years ago, … Continue reading Blogging in the Past Lane
Another day, another podcast! This time something a little bit different, two guys chatting down the pub (minus the pub and beer of course), all things history, genealogy and family related and putting the world to rights. I even manage to squeeze some Lego in there as well!!!! Looking back at history, how we fit … Continue reading Out of the Blank Podcast
I was recently invited by Australian Genealogist Carole McCulloch, to take part in a podcast interview, to discuss all things Genealogy related and my role as the writer of the 'Dear Paul' column for family tree magazine. Carole is an author, storyteller, family historian, teacher and now podcast host, if you want to visit her … Continue reading “Enthusiastic Amateur” Podcast
A lot of our family tree is based on numbers, we are obsessed with them, birth dates, marriage dates, death dates and census returns. Thanks to the wonders of technology, we can now crunch these numbers from our family tree software programmes. Whatever software you use, there is usually a way of representing your family … Continue reading My Family Tree in Numbers
Before the start of WW1, the British Army comprised of approximately 700,000 men of which 250,000 were regulars, 250,000 territorials and 200,000 reservists. By the end of WW1, it’s estimated that 8.7 million men and women had served in the British Army. So, the chances of you having an ancestor who served in WW1 is … Continue reading How to Research a WW1 Soldier
The Chiddicks Family Tree 