From ITV:
ITV has commissioned a two-part special which will see the UK’s best loved duo embark on a surprisingly emotional journey of discovery in Ant & Dec’s DNA Journey.
A Voltage TV and Mitre Television co-production, viewers will see Ant and Dec navigate a tougher terrain than the Australian jungle. Guided by expert genealogists and historians, the pair will follow their maternal and paternal blood lines using their DNA to search their ancestral history.
As their travels take them to Ireland and the US, including The United Nations Headquarters, the pair will not only delve into their past but will also meet relatives they had no clue even existed, unveiling some truly shocking revelations that only their DNA could unlock.
Whose great grandfather is a celebrated war hero and whose DNA cousin is a former US female wrestling promoter? Whose ancestors’ bones were deemed ‘of historical importance’ and who discovers that they are a descendant from Royalty?
As Ant & Dec embark on their journey, viewers will be treated to a rare and personal glimpse into this truly remarkable friendship with their warmth and infectious humour that has not only captured the nation over the years, but has seen them achieve huge success resulting in a multitude of awards and accolades.
Ant said:
“I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to historical events, so to get the chance to research our family history using our DNA was too good an opportunity to pass up. What we find out is mind-blowing and nothing either of us could ever have imagined. It’s something that will stay with us both forever. "
Dec said:
“A huge part of this was to find out my heritage, especially on my dad’s side. I always thought I knew a fair bit about where I came from but it turns out I was wrong! Whilst it was incredible to find out about the past, what was hugely overwhelming was to meet relatives neither of us knew we had. It was a truly amazing experience."
Siobhan Greene, who commissioned the show when she was ITV’s Head of Entertainment Commissioned said:
“This documentary captured Ant and Dec at an intersection in their lives. I feel sure the ITV viewers will be on the edge of their seats watching twists and turns of their DNA journey unfold, and their honesty and openness, will leave a lasting heart print.”
Kathleen Larkin, Executive Produce from Voltage TV said:
“It’s been a privilege working with such talent as Ant & Dec. This is a film that celebrates friendship, showing two brilliantly funny best mates making a unique trip of a lifetime to find out about their heritage past and present. It’s been a passion for all involved and we’ve loved working with the fantastic team at ITV to make something we all believe in.”
Ant & Dec’s DNA Journey is a Voltage TV and Mitre Television co-production for ITV. It was commissioned by Siobhan Greene when she was ITV’s Head of Entertainment Commissioning and Louise Major Assistant Commissioner, Entertainment, ITV. The Executive Producers are Kathleen Larkin and Sanjay Singhal and the Director is Iain Thompson, Voltage TV.
(Source: ITV Press Centre - https://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/ant-decs-dna-journey)
COMMENT: The two-part show will start on ITV, STV and UTV on Sunday 10 November, from at 9pm-10.30pm.
From the Radio Times:
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly may think they know who they are, but in this two-part documentary, the popular presenters uncover their surprising and emotional family histories, using a combination of DNA and genealogy. The shock revelations include military men in both of their families - one a medal-winning war hero, the other a deserter. And as well as delving into the past, Ant and Dec also get to meet DNA relatives they never knew existed.
Chris
Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts 4 November 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Thursday, 7 November 2019
Sunday, 30 December 2018
Can Seo - Scottish Gaelic for beginners
I was delighted earlier today to discover that a 20 part BBC TV series called Can Seo, from 1979, has been uploaded to YouTube. Translated, 'can seo' means 'say this', with the purpose of the series being to help people to learn Scottish Gaelic, known in the language as 'Gàidhlig' (as opposed to Irish Gaelic, or 'Gaeilge'). When I lived in Bristol in the 1990s, this was the series that got me started with learning the lingo myself.
If you have ancestors who once spoke Gaelic in Scotland, you might wish to dip in for an episode or two to sample the delights. I should add that, as well as being an easy to follow series, it is now somewhat wonderfully dated! The accompanying text book is freely available online at https://www.scribd.com/document/225854344/Leabhar-na-Can-Seo-anns-a-Ghaidhlig.
Presented here is the first episode (also available at https://youtu.be/EBVb1zbe32k):
Further episodes are available on YouTube via the Pàrlamaid na Gàidhlig account at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPCJ0SZ3GmB8s7A80YghCVw - and you'll also find episodes of another series called Speaking Our Language, presented by a former boss of mine at Scottish Televison, Rhoda MacDonald.
Enjoy!
Chris
For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.
If you have ancestors who once spoke Gaelic in Scotland, you might wish to dip in for an episode or two to sample the delights. I should add that, as well as being an easy to follow series, it is now somewhat wonderfully dated! The accompanying text book is freely available online at https://www.scribd.com/document/225854344/Leabhar-na-Can-Seo-anns-a-Ghaidhlig.
Presented here is the first episode (also available at https://youtu.be/EBVb1zbe32k):
Further episodes are available on YouTube via the Pàrlamaid na Gàidhlig account at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPCJ0SZ3GmB8s7A80YghCVw - and you'll also find episodes of another series called Speaking Our Language, presented by a former boss of mine at Scottish Televison, Rhoda MacDonald.
Enjoy!
Chris
For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.
Monday, 8 October 2018
Family Footsteps series on BBC Northern Ireland
Missing a certain TV genealogy show? Try this one!
FamilyFootsteps
Gavin Andrews takes the Laughlins, an Ulster-Scots family, on a personal historical journey back in time to discover what life was like for their ancestors at the turn of the 19th century. Abandoning their comfortable 21st-century lives, mum Kerry, dad Ainsley and daughters Sophie, Anya and Hope find out what it is like to run a small farm with no electricity and a kitchen made up of a table and an open fire. While they struggle with pigs, laundry and fire pots, grandfather Alan begins a genealogical detective trail which eventually leads to a celebrated historical figure.
Episode One was shown last week, and you can catch up with it (and future episodes) on the BBC iPlayer - see https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0bltvn5/family-footsteps-series-1-episode-1.
Chris
For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.
FamilyFootsteps
Gavin Andrews takes the Laughlins, an Ulster-Scots family, on a personal historical journey back in time to discover what life was like for their ancestors at the turn of the 19th century. Abandoning their comfortable 21st-century lives, mum Kerry, dad Ainsley and daughters Sophie, Anya and Hope find out what it is like to run a small farm with no electricity and a kitchen made up of a table and an open fire. While they struggle with pigs, laundry and fire pots, grandfather Alan begins a genealogical detective trail which eventually leads to a celebrated historical figure.
Episode One was shown last week, and you can catch up with it (and future episodes) on the BBC iPlayer - see https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0bltvn5/family-footsteps-series-1-episode-1.
Chris
For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.
Tuesday, 15 December 2015
DVD and book offers from Ulster Historical Foundation
Two exceptional offers from the Ulster Historical Foundation (www.ancestryireland.com) in Belfast:
An Independent People: The Story of Ulster's Presbyterians (DVD)
This series was originally commissioned and broadcast by BBC Northern Ireland television with support from the Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund. The series was produced by Below the Radar TV and has received much critical acclaim. It has now been produced on DVD by Authentic Ulster.
EPISODE I: TAKING ROOT The first episode of this series traces the story of the Scottish ministers who first established the Presbyterian Church on Irish soil and their struggle for religious liberty throughout the turbulent seventeenth century.
EPISODE II: SEEDS OF LIBERTY Episode two considers the extraordinary contribution made by Ulster Presbyterians to America’s struggle for liberty and how revolution in America and France inspired radical Presbyterians in Ulster to rise up against the Crown in 1798.
EPISODE III: UNION AND DIVISION The final episode explores the ways in which Ulster’s Presbyterians began to move away from their radical past to become part of the establishment in a new Northern Ireland state and looks at the role of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland today.
This DVD is priced at just £15.99 and is available in both NTSC (compatible with North American DVD players) and PAL (compatible with European DVD players) region formats, so if you are interested in purchasing a copy please visit our online store at:
www.booksireland.org.uk/store/all-departments/the-story-of-ulsters-presbyterians
Ordnance Survey Memoirs
We are pleased that many of you have taken advantage of our recent special offers, including last week's sale on the Place Names of Northern Ireland collection.
To coincide with the frantic last minute shopping in the final weeks before Christmas we are now also delighted to announce that all volumes in the excellent resource that is the Ordnance Survey Memoir collection are now HALF PRICE!
If you are not aware of this series, the Ordnance Survey Memoirs provide copious background information on the character and habits of the people who lived in Ireland during the early part of the nineteenth century.
They are a unique source for the history of the northern half of Ireland before the Great Famine, as they document the landscape and situation, buildings and antiquities, land-holdings and population, employment and livelihoods of the parishes. The surveyors recorded the habits of the people, their food, drink, dress and customs. Details of ruined churches, prehistoric monuments and standing stones were also included.
The memoirs can contain individual names, particularly the volumes covering counties Antrim and Londonderry which may include, for example the names of those emigrating to American in 1833 & 1834 by townland & parish.
Other more unusual information on individuals from a parish can be obtained from the memoirs. For example, here is an extract concerning those living in the parish of Aghanloo:
‘The most remarkable person born in this parish was the father of George Berriman, who is said to have had 49 children.’
And In Tamlaghtard (or Magilligan) parish:
'James Conn and Dennis Hamson were the only remarkable characters in this parish. The former … was known to lift a pair of large cartwheels, newly shod, and raise them with one hand above his head also to break new horse shoes into pieces with his hands.’
http://www.booksireland.org.uk/store/ordnance-survey-memoirs
COMMENT: The TV series noted above was a truly exceptional piece of work. Episodes one and two in particular were superb - well worth the purchase. (And by the way, the church on the DVD cover is my old church in Carrickfergus, Joymount Presbyterian - my nan, and later myself, used to live in the row of houses adjacent to it!)
As for the Ordnance Survey Memoirs - if you are unfamiliar with them, think about the Statistical Accounts of Scotland or the Victoria County Histories, and you're roughly in the same ball park!
Chris
For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.
An Independent People: The Story of Ulster's Presbyterians (DVD)
EPISODE I: TAKING ROOT The first episode of this series traces the story of the Scottish ministers who first established the Presbyterian Church on Irish soil and their struggle for religious liberty throughout the turbulent seventeenth century.
EPISODE II: SEEDS OF LIBERTY Episode two considers the extraordinary contribution made by Ulster Presbyterians to America’s struggle for liberty and how revolution in America and France inspired radical Presbyterians in Ulster to rise up against the Crown in 1798.
EPISODE III: UNION AND DIVISION The final episode explores the ways in which Ulster’s Presbyterians began to move away from their radical past to become part of the establishment in a new Northern Ireland state and looks at the role of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland today.
This DVD is priced at just £15.99 and is available in both NTSC (compatible with North American DVD players) and PAL (compatible with European DVD players) region formats, so if you are interested in purchasing a copy please visit our online store at:
www.booksireland.org.uk/store/all-departments/the-story-of-ulsters-presbyterians
Ordnance Survey Memoirs
We are pleased that many of you have taken advantage of our recent special offers, including last week's sale on the Place Names of Northern Ireland collection.To coincide with the frantic last minute shopping in the final weeks before Christmas we are now also delighted to announce that all volumes in the excellent resource that is the Ordnance Survey Memoir collection are now HALF PRICE!
If you are not aware of this series, the Ordnance Survey Memoirs provide copious background information on the character and habits of the people who lived in Ireland during the early part of the nineteenth century.
They are a unique source for the history of the northern half of Ireland before the Great Famine, as they document the landscape and situation, buildings and antiquities, land-holdings and population, employment and livelihoods of the parishes. The surveyors recorded the habits of the people, their food, drink, dress and customs. Details of ruined churches, prehistoric monuments and standing stones were also included.
The memoirs can contain individual names, particularly the volumes covering counties Antrim and Londonderry which may include, for example the names of those emigrating to American in 1833 & 1834 by townland & parish.
Other more unusual information on individuals from a parish can be obtained from the memoirs. For example, here is an extract concerning those living in the parish of Aghanloo:
‘The most remarkable person born in this parish was the father of George Berriman, who is said to have had 49 children.’
And In Tamlaghtard (or Magilligan) parish:
'James Conn and Dennis Hamson were the only remarkable characters in this parish. The former … was known to lift a pair of large cartwheels, newly shod, and raise them with one hand above his head also to break new horse shoes into pieces with his hands.’
http://www.booksireland.org.uk/store/ordnance-survey-memoirs
COMMENT: The TV series noted above was a truly exceptional piece of work. Episodes one and two in particular were superb - well worth the purchase. (And by the way, the church on the DVD cover is my old church in Carrickfergus, Joymount Presbyterian - my nan, and later myself, used to live in the row of houses adjacent to it!)
As for the Ordnance Survey Memoirs - if you are unfamiliar with them, think about the Statistical Accounts of Scotland or the Victoria County Histories, and you're roughly in the same ball park!
Chris
For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.
Thursday, 7 August 2014
Who Do You Think You Are - 10 Years, 100 Shows: review
The BBC broadcast a special one off retrospective programme on the last ten years of Who Do You Think You Are? tonight, entitled 10 Years, 100 Shows. The verdict? A huge thumbs up.
Who Do You Think You Are started in 2004 as a BBC2 series, produced by Wall to Wall, originally co-funded by the Open University and intended to act as the opening act of what the BBC used to call a 'learning journey' - you watched the programme, thought hmm, yes, could do with a bit more, then switched to a red button feature with a bit of background on the records featured, would think again, hmmm, could do with a wee bit more still, so then switched to BBC4 to watch a tie in series called Family Ties (remember that?!). By now the thought had appeared: maybe this might be something I could have a go at? So you then switched to the BBC website, and ultimately ended on another link heading towards the Open University website, and before you knew it you were completing a course and your learning journey, and then ending up with a graduation photo on your office desk, and a genealogy addiction for life.
That was the plan, that was the funding motivation - and then something else happened. Someone realised it was actually a successful series. But oh my God - it's on BBC2? Wasn't that where Newsnight lived? What will the neighbours think?! So they moved it to BBC1. At this point, I personally think the series, after an initial success, briefly lost its way for a short period, and temporarily dumbed down a bit - it was not long before we were soon realising that each series was seemingly working on what seemed to be a repetitive menu of the Irish story, the First World War story, the Holocaust story, the royal story. It all got a bit predictable. Thankfully, a few years back that particular rut was broken, and suddenly it became an interesting prospect again - and continues to be so.
Each series has had its ups and downs, largely to do with the stories it depicts and the celebrities it features - as with all areas of life, some will interest some, others will bore others. In recent years, I think the quality has actually been improving fantastically - there is still the occasional odd one that won't quite float the boat for viewers, and we will always disagree on which episodes they are. But what worked about the anniversary programme tonight was something I've not really seen in the series since the first run all those years back - this was actually a distillation about the potential of genealogy, not the long winded emotional journeys of celebrities. Archives, white gloves, emotional discoveries, relatives who were whores, criminals, victims of persecution, incorrigible rogues - a serious inventory of the sheer potential of what all of us already on the journey know is out there awaiting us after we find our first certificate or census entry.
Were there are any criticisms? A few - where was Nick Barratt? Not just as an interviewee (he was a key part of the beginning, in terms of research and as the original series genealogist) but because I WANTED AN ANNIVERSARY RED BUTTON FEATURE!!!! And it would have been nice to reference the success of the brand a little - as in the show, the magazine, the worldwide phenomenon (we did see Kim Cattrall, whose programme was also broadcast in the US version).
We did get some majorly satisfying highlights, a reflection of the one off moments we all remember. Alex Kingston's 'whores' (and Alexander Armstrong's hilarious spoof version), Jeremy Paxman saying 'bastard', Ian Hislop fighting an umbrella on Skye, Matthew Pinsent's descent from God, and Natasha Kaplinsky's emotional visit to a synagogue with her relative, who suddenly sang a heart-rending song in the ruins, amplifying the tragedy of the recalled Holocaust experience that they had been piecing together.
And they also caught up with those from past shows to ask how the episodes had affected them, including, I was delighted to see, the William Hartnell of the WDYTYA world, Bill Oddie, otherwise known as the First Celebrity. I still rate his episode as the best ever, not just for impact, but for content, and it proved that the WDYTYA TARDIS really did have a journey ahead of it.
So happy birthday Who Do You Think You Are - and let's get cracking with the next series!
If you missed the programme, check it out on the BBC iPlayer over the next 7 days at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04d8tdg/who-do-you-think-you-are-who-do-they-think-they-are-10-years-100-shows (UK only)
Chris
Now available for UK research is the new second edition of the best selling Tracing Your Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians, whilst my new book British and Irish Newspapers is also now out. And please consider purchasing the great new version of Caledonia by The Libations at 79p via www.caledonia2014.com - all profits go to help fund Scottish foodbanks
Who Do You Think You Are started in 2004 as a BBC2 series, produced by Wall to Wall, originally co-funded by the Open University and intended to act as the opening act of what the BBC used to call a 'learning journey' - you watched the programme, thought hmm, yes, could do with a bit more, then switched to a red button feature with a bit of background on the records featured, would think again, hmmm, could do with a wee bit more still, so then switched to BBC4 to watch a tie in series called Family Ties (remember that?!). By now the thought had appeared: maybe this might be something I could have a go at? So you then switched to the BBC website, and ultimately ended on another link heading towards the Open University website, and before you knew it you were completing a course and your learning journey, and then ending up with a graduation photo on your office desk, and a genealogy addiction for life.
That was the plan, that was the funding motivation - and then something else happened. Someone realised it was actually a successful series. But oh my God - it's on BBC2? Wasn't that where Newsnight lived? What will the neighbours think?! So they moved it to BBC1. At this point, I personally think the series, after an initial success, briefly lost its way for a short period, and temporarily dumbed down a bit - it was not long before we were soon realising that each series was seemingly working on what seemed to be a repetitive menu of the Irish story, the First World War story, the Holocaust story, the royal story. It all got a bit predictable. Thankfully, a few years back that particular rut was broken, and suddenly it became an interesting prospect again - and continues to be so.
Each series has had its ups and downs, largely to do with the stories it depicts and the celebrities it features - as with all areas of life, some will interest some, others will bore others. In recent years, I think the quality has actually been improving fantastically - there is still the occasional odd one that won't quite float the boat for viewers, and we will always disagree on which episodes they are. But what worked about the anniversary programme tonight was something I've not really seen in the series since the first run all those years back - this was actually a distillation about the potential of genealogy, not the long winded emotional journeys of celebrities. Archives, white gloves, emotional discoveries, relatives who were whores, criminals, victims of persecution, incorrigible rogues - a serious inventory of the sheer potential of what all of us already on the journey know is out there awaiting us after we find our first certificate or census entry.
Were there are any criticisms? A few - where was Nick Barratt? Not just as an interviewee (he was a key part of the beginning, in terms of research and as the original series genealogist) but because I WANTED AN ANNIVERSARY RED BUTTON FEATURE!!!! And it would have been nice to reference the success of the brand a little - as in the show, the magazine, the worldwide phenomenon (we did see Kim Cattrall, whose programme was also broadcast in the US version).
We did get some majorly satisfying highlights, a reflection of the one off moments we all remember. Alex Kingston's 'whores' (and Alexander Armstrong's hilarious spoof version), Jeremy Paxman saying 'bastard', Ian Hislop fighting an umbrella on Skye, Matthew Pinsent's descent from God, and Natasha Kaplinsky's emotional visit to a synagogue with her relative, who suddenly sang a heart-rending song in the ruins, amplifying the tragedy of the recalled Holocaust experience that they had been piecing together.
And they also caught up with those from past shows to ask how the episodes had affected them, including, I was delighted to see, the William Hartnell of the WDYTYA world, Bill Oddie, otherwise known as the First Celebrity. I still rate his episode as the best ever, not just for impact, but for content, and it proved that the WDYTYA TARDIS really did have a journey ahead of it.
So happy birthday Who Do You Think You Are - and let's get cracking with the next series!
If you missed the programme, check it out on the BBC iPlayer over the next 7 days at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04d8tdg/who-do-you-think-you-are-who-do-they-think-they-are-10-years-100-shows (UK only)
Chris
Now available for UK research is the new second edition of the best selling Tracing Your Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians, whilst my new book British and Irish Newspapers is also now out. And please consider purchasing the great new version of Caledonia by The Libations at 79p via www.caledonia2014.com - all profits go to help fund Scottish foodbanks
Friday, 13 June 2014
And now it's time for the news where you are...!
Going off on a slight tangent now for a moment...!
Those in the UK who watch the BBC news at 10pm will be familiar with the presenter's final line, "And now for the news where you are" - at which point the channel then cuts from the 'national' news, meaning UK news, to 'local' news. In Scotland and Northern Ireland (not sure about Wales!), this 'local' news is in fact 'national' news also, in the context of covering Scotland or Northern Ireland - in England it instead goes to one of the 'English regions'.
This is James Robertson's hilarious take on what happens next, from a Scottish point of view, but no doubt it will ring true for anyone watching TV in the UK (or anywhere with a similar news set up!).
Keep an ear out for the national and local weather reports at the end...!
(Also accessible at http://youtu.be/ZhL57cjN8xY)
Chris
Now available for UK research is the new second edition of the best selling Tracing Your Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians, whilst my new book British and Irish Newspapers is also now out. And FindmyPast - please reinstate the original Scottish census citations on your new site.
Those in the UK who watch the BBC news at 10pm will be familiar with the presenter's final line, "And now for the news where you are" - at which point the channel then cuts from the 'national' news, meaning UK news, to 'local' news. In Scotland and Northern Ireland (not sure about Wales!), this 'local' news is in fact 'national' news also, in the context of covering Scotland or Northern Ireland - in England it instead goes to one of the 'English regions'.
This is James Robertson's hilarious take on what happens next, from a Scottish point of view, but no doubt it will ring true for anyone watching TV in the UK (or anywhere with a similar news set up!).
Keep an ear out for the national and local weather reports at the end...!
(Also accessible at http://youtu.be/ZhL57cjN8xY)
Chris
Now available for UK research is the new second edition of the best selling Tracing Your Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians, whilst my new book British and Irish Newspapers is also now out. And FindmyPast - please reinstate the original Scottish census citations on your new site.
Monday, 18 February 2013
RTE's The Genealogy Roadshow in Derry
From PRONI, on behalf of Big Mountain Productions and RTE’s The Genealogy Roadshow:
RTE’s The Genealogy Roadshow is Back!
The Genealogy Roadshow is back for a second series on RTÉ Television and you are invited to the making of the show! It’s a free day out at an Irish landmark. Presented by Derek Mooney, the show is coming to Lumen Christi College, Bishop Street, Derry/Londonderry BT48 6UJ on Saturday, 23rd of March 2013 and we want you to be there!
The Roadshow’s crack historical and genealogical team will be in the College all afternoon eagerly helping people find extraordinary stories in their family, as well as giving free advice on how to track down a family history.
Stories that will be featured on the day include:
There’s a new genealogy expert this year too. Susan Chadwick from Offaly will be chasing down the leads and revealing all the answers along with John Grenham and Turtle Bunbury.
Admission is free and all are welcome. But we would ask people who are thinking of attending to get in touch because we will be filming twice – at 12.30pm and again at 2.30pm on the day.
You can come along for the whole event or the time of your choice.
Call Ciara (from Derry) on 028 308 34046 or (from Donegal) on 048 308 34046
(With thanks to Gavin McMahon at PRONI)
Chris
Pre-order my new book, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet, through Pen and Sword (30 April 2013), or purchase early at Who Do You Think You Are Live 2013 in London. For my other genealogy books, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html; whilst for my online Scottish based genealogy courses please visit the Pharos Teaching and Tutoring Ltd site.
RTE’s The Genealogy Roadshow is Back!
- Do you think you might be related to someone famous or infamous?
- Could you be connected to a big event in local history?
- Need to solve a family mystery?
- Or just love Genealogy?
The Genealogy Roadshow is back for a second series on RTÉ Television and you are invited to the making of the show! It’s a free day out at an Irish landmark. Presented by Derek Mooney, the show is coming to Lumen Christi College, Bishop Street, Derry/Londonderry BT48 6UJ on Saturday, 23rd of March 2013 and we want you to be there!
The Roadshow’s crack historical and genealogical team will be in the College all afternoon eagerly helping people find extraordinary stories in their family, as well as giving free advice on how to track down a family history.
Stories that will be featured on the day include:
- Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep, can we find her relatives?
- A farmer searches for a link to St Oliver Plunkett
- A local Family’s link to the First ‘Medal of Honour’ Winner of WWII
- These fascinating subjects and more will be explored on the day.
There’s a new genealogy expert this year too. Susan Chadwick from Offaly will be chasing down the leads and revealing all the answers along with John Grenham and Turtle Bunbury.
Admission is free and all are welcome. But we would ask people who are thinking of attending to get in touch because we will be filming twice – at 12.30pm and again at 2.30pm on the day.
You can come along for the whole event or the time of your choice.
Call Ciara (from Derry) on 028 308 34046 or (from Donegal) on 048 308 34046
(With thanks to Gavin McMahon at PRONI)
Chris
Pre-order my new book, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet, through Pen and Sword (30 April 2013), or purchase early at Who Do You Think You Are Live 2013 in London. For my other genealogy books, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html; whilst for my online Scottish based genealogy courses please visit the Pharos Teaching and Tutoring Ltd site.
Friday, 23 November 2012
Find My Past series 2 - part 2 preview
From UKTV, news on the second half of the new series of Find My Past on Yesterday, which starts up again in January:
Meet the relatives of history’s greatest men and women in the second series of Find My Past
Find My Past, new and exclusive to Yesterday
Tuesdays at 9pm from 8th January
Chris Hollins is back for a brand new and exclusive second series of the award-winning genealogy show, Find My Past. Each week ordinary British people take an extraordinary journey through the past which links them with some of the country’s key historical events.
This series features The Great Escape, Charles Dickens, Abdication Crisis and the Battle of Trafalgar. Every episode unearths emotional stories, shocking details and facts only a genealogy series can, and reveals how easily anyone can trace their family members back through history.
THE GREAT ESCAPE - Tuesday 8th January
Tanya Millard, a paper conservationist from London, wants to find out more about her relative Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, known as Big X, who proposed one of the most audacious escape plans of any war. His aim was to save a staggering 200 prisoner of war from a Nazi camp situated deep in Eastern Germany.
He worked with seventeen year old student Rebecca Goodchild’s great uncle Ley Kenyon, who played a key role by using his artistic skills to create forgeries of German documents.
Gill Owen’s Uncle Dennis Cochran, was one of the prisoner who attempted to escape from the camp. Both Gill and Tanya will learn how their relatives paid the ultimate price for escaping in March 1944 and how their story inspired a book and Hollywood film.
DICKENS’ DOUBLE LIFE – Tuesday 14th January
This episode of Find My Past goes back in time to the Victorian Era to tell the true story of Charles Dickens. During the nineteenth century Dickens was an international celebrity with journalists camped at his house and fans desperately trying to give him locks of their hair.
Ollie Dickens, the author’s great, great, great grandson discovers that his infamous ancestor had a dark secret that was almost exposed by a fatal rail crash in Staplehurst Kent in June 1865.
Travelling with him was Nelly Ternan, a little known actress. Her relative Marcus Allen will discover that she was his mistress and their secret affair could have destroyed Dickens’ reputation and the sale of his books.
Joy Hillday uncovers her relative Henry Benge’s role in the disaster. Benge was in charge of the team of workmen maintaining the track that fateful day. An official inquiry reveals the tragic consequences of the crash.
THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR – Tuesday 22nd January
The Battle of Trafalgar in October 1805 is one of the best known sea battles as the victory ensured Britain’s mastery of the seas for the next hundred years over the French and the Spanish. Three people will find out how they are related to the brave people who aided Admiral Nelson in his defeat of Napoleon’s fleet at Trafalgar.
Alan Abraham discovers that he is descended from Thomas Hardy was the captain of the HMS Victory and implemented Nelson’s infamous battle plan. Bridget Tompsett’s four times great grandfather is Master Gunner William Rivers, who was responsible for ensuring the training of the gun crews.
Jennifer Marriott’s ancestor William Beatty was the surgery that dealt with the appalling wonders without the luxuries of modern operating theatres. Bridget also discovers that she had two other relatives on board Victory during the battle, her William River’s seventeen year old son Rivers Jnr who was saved by having his leg amputated by William Beatty.
SCOTT OF THE ANTARCTIC - Tuesday 29th January
Robert Falcon Scott is Britain’s most famous and celebrated explorer – his tragic-heroic status was cemented by his death in March 1912 in the icy wastes of Antarctic having failed to become the first man to reach the South Pole. This controversial figure’s reputation has recently been undergoing re-assessment and in this timely film, Find My Past looks at his legacy and that of the men who followed him.
This film takes Lucy Scott, the explorer’s great, granddaughter, back to his early days of exploration and brings to life the appalling conditions he would have faced in the Antarctic in one of the coldest winters on record.
Bryony King, the great, great niece of the Chief Scientist, Edward Wilson, uncovers the deep friendship between her relative and Captain Scott that led to Wilson sacrificing his life to stay with his beloved leader to the bitter end.
Through Caroline Oates, the great, great niece of Lawrence Oates we see the huge challenges that faced him and celebrate the ultimate sacrifice Oates made in walking to his death in an attempt to save his comrades.
Don’t miss the exciting discoveries in Yesterday’s exclusive new genealogy series, Find My Past, when the series begins on Tuesday 8th January at 9pm.
(With thanks to Emily Jones)
Chris
Having a Christmas present crisis?! Check out my range of genealogy books at http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html - perfect for the family historian's Christmas stocking...!
Meet the relatives of history’s greatest men and women in the second series of Find My Past
Find My Past, new and exclusive to Yesterday
Tuesdays at 9pm from 8th January
Chris Hollins is back for a brand new and exclusive second series of the award-winning genealogy show, Find My Past. Each week ordinary British people take an extraordinary journey through the past which links them with some of the country’s key historical events.
This series features The Great Escape, Charles Dickens, Abdication Crisis and the Battle of Trafalgar. Every episode unearths emotional stories, shocking details and facts only a genealogy series can, and reveals how easily anyone can trace their family members back through history.
THE GREAT ESCAPE - Tuesday 8th January
Tanya Millard, a paper conservationist from London, wants to find out more about her relative Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, known as Big X, who proposed one of the most audacious escape plans of any war. His aim was to save a staggering 200 prisoner of war from a Nazi camp situated deep in Eastern Germany.
He worked with seventeen year old student Rebecca Goodchild’s great uncle Ley Kenyon, who played a key role by using his artistic skills to create forgeries of German documents.
Gill Owen’s Uncle Dennis Cochran, was one of the prisoner who attempted to escape from the camp. Both Gill and Tanya will learn how their relatives paid the ultimate price for escaping in March 1944 and how their story inspired a book and Hollywood film.
DICKENS’ DOUBLE LIFE – Tuesday 14th January
This episode of Find My Past goes back in time to the Victorian Era to tell the true story of Charles Dickens. During the nineteenth century Dickens was an international celebrity with journalists camped at his house and fans desperately trying to give him locks of their hair.
Ollie Dickens, the author’s great, great, great grandson discovers that his infamous ancestor had a dark secret that was almost exposed by a fatal rail crash in Staplehurst Kent in June 1865.
Travelling with him was Nelly Ternan, a little known actress. Her relative Marcus Allen will discover that she was his mistress and their secret affair could have destroyed Dickens’ reputation and the sale of his books.
Joy Hillday uncovers her relative Henry Benge’s role in the disaster. Benge was in charge of the team of workmen maintaining the track that fateful day. An official inquiry reveals the tragic consequences of the crash.
THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR – Tuesday 22nd January
The Battle of Trafalgar in October 1805 is one of the best known sea battles as the victory ensured Britain’s mastery of the seas for the next hundred years over the French and the Spanish. Three people will find out how they are related to the brave people who aided Admiral Nelson in his defeat of Napoleon’s fleet at Trafalgar.
Alan Abraham discovers that he is descended from Thomas Hardy was the captain of the HMS Victory and implemented Nelson’s infamous battle plan. Bridget Tompsett’s four times great grandfather is Master Gunner William Rivers, who was responsible for ensuring the training of the gun crews.
Jennifer Marriott’s ancestor William Beatty was the surgery that dealt with the appalling wonders without the luxuries of modern operating theatres. Bridget also discovers that she had two other relatives on board Victory during the battle, her William River’s seventeen year old son Rivers Jnr who was saved by having his leg amputated by William Beatty.
SCOTT OF THE ANTARCTIC - Tuesday 29th January
Robert Falcon Scott is Britain’s most famous and celebrated explorer – his tragic-heroic status was cemented by his death in March 1912 in the icy wastes of Antarctic having failed to become the first man to reach the South Pole. This controversial figure’s reputation has recently been undergoing re-assessment and in this timely film, Find My Past looks at his legacy and that of the men who followed him.
This film takes Lucy Scott, the explorer’s great, granddaughter, back to his early days of exploration and brings to life the appalling conditions he would have faced in the Antarctic in one of the coldest winters on record.
Bryony King, the great, great niece of the Chief Scientist, Edward Wilson, uncovers the deep friendship between her relative and Captain Scott that led to Wilson sacrificing his life to stay with his beloved leader to the bitter end.
Through Caroline Oates, the great, great niece of Lawrence Oates we see the huge challenges that faced him and celebrate the ultimate sacrifice Oates made in walking to his death in an attempt to save his comrades.
Don’t miss the exciting discoveries in Yesterday’s exclusive new genealogy series, Find My Past, when the series begins on Tuesday 8th January at 9pm.
(With thanks to Emily Jones)
Chris
Having a Christmas present crisis?! Check out my range of genealogy books at http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html - perfect for the family historian's Christmas stocking...!
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
Coming Home series 7 starts Friday 23rd
BBC Wales begins a new four part run of family history series Coming Home from Friday 23rd November. The celebrities for this run are Gethin Jones, Fiona Phillips, Robert Glenister, and Katherine Jenkins.
For further details on the programmes visit www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0071nf4
(With thanks to Keith Morris)
Chris
Having a Christmas present crisis?! Check out my range of genealogy books at http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html - perfect for the family historian's Christmas stocking...!
For further details on the programmes visit www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0071nf4
(With thanks to Keith Morris)
Chris
Having a Christmas present crisis?! Check out my range of genealogy books at http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html - perfect for the family historian's Christmas stocking...!
Friday, 16 November 2012
WDYTYA - John Bishop episode transmission
The BBC has briefly stated on its Who Do You Think You Are page at www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007t575 that the postponed John Bishop episode of the series will air on Thursday 6th December. No time or channel is given, but I presume BBC1 at 9pm.
(With thanks to @ancestryUK)
Chris
Scotland 1750-1850 - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 2 NOV 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
(With thanks to @ancestryUK)
Chris
Scotland 1750-1850 - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 2 NOV 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
Friday, 9 November 2012
The Genealogy Roadshow seeks participants for next series
RTE's The Genealogy Roadshow is returning to Irish screens next year, and producers are seeking people with interesting stories to be a part of it. The series is hosted by Derek Mooney, who with the help of John Grenham, Turtle Bunbury and Nicola Morris tries to unearth interesting family tales.
If you fancy taking part contact genealogy @ bigmountainproductions.com or telephone Ciara on 048 30834046 to find out more.
There's more in the Cork News newspaper at http://thecorknews.ie/articles/let-genealogy-roadshow-team-uncover-your-family-secrets-8099
Chris
Scotland 1750-1850 - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 2 NOV 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
If you fancy taking part contact genealogy @ bigmountainproductions.com or telephone Ciara on 048 30834046 to find out more.
There's more in the Cork News newspaper at http://thecorknews.ie/articles/let-genealogy-roadshow-team-uncover-your-family-secrets-8099
Chris
Scotland 1750-1850 - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 2 NOV 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
Saturday, 3 November 2012
More on Family Tree comedy series
Another snippet of news on the forthcoming BBC/HBO comedy series Family Tree, starring Chris O'Dowd. The Telegraph has an interview with the star at www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/9630249/Chris-ODowd-interview-The-Sapphires.html and in this he states the following:
'It’s going be a lot of fun, but also terrifying,’ he says. 'It’s entirely improvised and I haven’t done anything like that for a good while. There’s no script, we will just have outlines for scenes. I’m so excited about it.’
There's a bit more (but not much more!) in the interview. Looks like this will be constructed in a similar way to the brilliant series The Thick of It, which was also improvised on the back of a basic script blocking out key scenes. Should be fun!
Chris
Scotland 1750-1850 - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 2 NOV 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
'It’s going be a lot of fun, but also terrifying,’ he says. 'It’s entirely improvised and I haven’t done anything like that for a good while. There’s no script, we will just have outlines for scenes. I’m so excited about it.’
There's a bit more (but not much more!) in the interview. Looks like this will be constructed in a similar way to the brilliant series The Thick of It, which was also improvised on the back of a basic script blocking out key scenes. Should be fun!
Chris
Scotland 1750-1850 - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 2 NOV 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
Thursday, 25 October 2012
More news on new Family Tree comedy series
A little more detail on the forthcoming HBO/BBC comedy series Family Tree, starring Irish actor Chris O' Dowd, has been made available at www.flickeringmyth.com/2012/10/chris-odowds-new-tv-show-adds-to-its.html
From the article:
"The show centres on O’Dowd’s character Tom Chadwick who is going through a bit of a rough time after being fired from his job and breaking up with his girlfriend. After inheriting a box from a Great Aunt he had never met, he embarks on a journey to discover his roots."
The announcement also adds additional casting information, and suggests the eight part 'mockumentary' series is likely to air on BBC2.
Chris
Scottish Research Online - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 26 SEP 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
From the article:
"The show centres on O’Dowd’s character Tom Chadwick who is going through a bit of a rough time after being fired from his job and breaking up with his girlfriend. After inheriting a box from a Great Aunt he had never met, he embarks on a journey to discover his roots."
The announcement also adds additional casting information, and suggests the eight part 'mockumentary' series is likely to air on BBC2.
Chris
Scottish Research Online - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 26 SEP 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
The Gathering: Homeward Bound - Bressie
Here's another episode from RTE's The Gathering: Homeward Bound, this time with musician Bressie from Mullingar, Westmeath:
Enjoy!
For more on next year's The Gathering in Ireland, visit www.thegatheringireland.com
Chris
Scotland 1750-1850 - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 2 NOV 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
Enjoy!
For more on next year's The Gathering in Ireland, visit www.thegatheringireland.com
Chris
Scotland 1750-1850 - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 2 NOV 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
Saturday, 20 October 2012
John Bishop's WDYTYA provisionally scheduled for December
Else Churchill from the Society of Genealogists (www.sog.org.uk) has tweeted that John Bishop's episode of Who Do You Think You Are, which has been bumped from the schedules next week to make way for Michael Palin's new travel series on Brazil, has been tentatively scheduled for
December 12th at 9pm on BBC1. (Please note however that BBC schedules are never formally confirmed until two weeks prior to transmission, so consider this a working date for now, as schedules are liable to change.)
Else has also mentioned that Roy Stockdill from the society has been filmed for the episode, and that a new series of WDYTYA is being filmed for transmission in the summer of next year. (With thanks to Else @soggenealogist)
Samantha Janus
http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/wdytya-series-9-opener-review.html
Greg Wallace
http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/who-do-you-think-you-are-greg-wallace.html
Patrick Stewart
http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/patrick-stewart-on-wdytya-review.html
Annie Lennox
http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/wdytya-review-annie-lennox.html
Alex Kingston and Hugh Dennis
http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/who-do-you-think-you-are-alex-kingston.html
William Roache
http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/william-roaches-wdytya-episode-review.html
Celia Imrie
http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/wdytya-review-celia-imrie.html
John Barnes
http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/wdytya-review-john-barnes.html
There's perhaps life in the old dog yet...!
Chris
Scottish Research Online - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 26 SEP 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
December 12th at 9pm on BBC1. (Please note however that BBC schedules are never formally confirmed until two weeks prior to transmission, so consider this a working date for now, as schedules are liable to change.)
Else has also mentioned that Roy Stockdill from the society has been filmed for the episode, and that a new series of WDYTYA is being filmed for transmission in the summer of next year. (With thanks to Else @soggenealogist)
My reviews on this year's series have been largely very positive, bar the first episode and that of William Roache - you can catch up on them as follows:
Samantha Janus
http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/wdytya-series-9-opener-review.html
Greg Wallace
http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/who-do-you-think-you-are-greg-wallace.html
Patrick Stewart
http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/patrick-stewart-on-wdytya-review.html
Annie Lennox
http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/wdytya-review-annie-lennox.html
Alex Kingston and Hugh Dennis
http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/who-do-you-think-you-are-alex-kingston.html
William Roache
http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/william-roaches-wdytya-episode-review.html
Celia Imrie
http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/wdytya-review-celia-imrie.html
John Barnes
http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/wdytya-review-john-barnes.html
There's perhaps life in the old dog yet...!
Chris
Scottish Research Online - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 26 SEP 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
Channel 4 cancels Time Team
Channel 4 has cancelled the archaeology series Time Team, after 19 years of service. Presented by Tony Robinson, the show tried to piece together stories from the past from archaeological excavations across the country.
No more geophysics, dirty trowels or artists' impressions - RIP Time Team!
For more on the story visit www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/oct/19/channel-4-time-team
Chris
Scottish Research Online - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 26 SEP 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
No more geophysics, dirty trowels or artists' impressions - RIP Time Team!
For more on the story visit www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/oct/19/channel-4-time-team
Chris
Scottish Research Online - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 26 SEP 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
Thursday, 18 October 2012
WDYTYA review - John Barnes
Last night's edition of Who Do You Think You Are is one of the most interesting episodes I think I've seen in a long while, though I think it would be fair to say from much of the Twitter chatter I was reading last night that people were quite divided about it. The subject was former footballer and now sports pundit John Barnes, and whilst all who viewed it seemed to think it was interesting, some found it slow and not particularly 'genealogical', but more 'political'.
In fact, it was precisely because of this that I found it so fascinating. The politics of our ancestors were as much a part of their stories as was their allegiance to a sports team, their relationship to others in their communities and more. In Scotland just now we are going through a debate about the future of our country, and whether it should separate from the UK, and there were some minor parallels with the Jamaican story of independence - not least of which a comment someone made on Twitter about the Jamaican flag containing a saltire! The Scottish and Jamaican stories were perhaps only thinly linked by the idea of a disconnection from a once mighty empire (Scotland and Jamaica had very different roles within that story after all), but where the story really resonated from my perception was within a comparison between Jamaica's struggle for independence and the modern Republic of Ireland's history. There was political agitation in WW2 in Jamaica, and the same in WW1 in Ireland; internment of political activists in Jamaica, something which certainly happened in Northern Ireland, the origins of the independence struggle coming from a socialist background and more. There were a lot of parallels, not necessarily all direct (Ireland did go down a more violent route) - but they were certainly there.
To me, what the programme showed once more was the idea that Britain, and in particular the media, is now looking back to its period of empire with just a bit more critical confidence. But whereas Jeremy Paxman's rather critical series 'Empire' recently tried to pick apart much of the empire's cohesion, to show that much of it was held together by luck and brutality as much as by any form of policy, WDYTYA last night told the story of one nation trying to shake itself free from that empire, ultimately successfully, and it did it from one family's point of view. What struck me about it was what seemed to be something of a universality of how that was achieved worldwide, and I think it is a story that many in the UK today still don't truly know about, despite it being so recent in our history.
If there is one real success about this run though, I think it might be the fact that it has broken away from the box-ticking formula of previous series. Last night's story could so easily have probably gone back and done the slavery thing, which virtually every story that ever reached the Caribbean in the past has focussed on to some degree. But just as much as the token Irish story is missing this year, the token Jewish story etc, this run feels a bit more editorially driven by the stories uncovered, and not an old menu waiting to be catered for.
It's been a largely good run, but there is one question on everyone's mind right now - what's going on with next week's now absent John Bishop story? As much as God moves in mysterious ways, so too it seems do BBC schedulers...
Chris
Scottish Research Online - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 26 SEP 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
In fact, it was precisely because of this that I found it so fascinating. The politics of our ancestors were as much a part of their stories as was their allegiance to a sports team, their relationship to others in their communities and more. In Scotland just now we are going through a debate about the future of our country, and whether it should separate from the UK, and there were some minor parallels with the Jamaican story of independence - not least of which a comment someone made on Twitter about the Jamaican flag containing a saltire! The Scottish and Jamaican stories were perhaps only thinly linked by the idea of a disconnection from a once mighty empire (Scotland and Jamaica had very different roles within that story after all), but where the story really resonated from my perception was within a comparison between Jamaica's struggle for independence and the modern Republic of Ireland's history. There was political agitation in WW2 in Jamaica, and the same in WW1 in Ireland; internment of political activists in Jamaica, something which certainly happened in Northern Ireland, the origins of the independence struggle coming from a socialist background and more. There were a lot of parallels, not necessarily all direct (Ireland did go down a more violent route) - but they were certainly there.
To me, what the programme showed once more was the idea that Britain, and in particular the media, is now looking back to its period of empire with just a bit more critical confidence. But whereas Jeremy Paxman's rather critical series 'Empire' recently tried to pick apart much of the empire's cohesion, to show that much of it was held together by luck and brutality as much as by any form of policy, WDYTYA last night told the story of one nation trying to shake itself free from that empire, ultimately successfully, and it did it from one family's point of view. What struck me about it was what seemed to be something of a universality of how that was achieved worldwide, and I think it is a story that many in the UK today still don't truly know about, despite it being so recent in our history.
If there is one real success about this run though, I think it might be the fact that it has broken away from the box-ticking formula of previous series. Last night's story could so easily have probably gone back and done the slavery thing, which virtually every story that ever reached the Caribbean in the past has focussed on to some degree. But just as much as the token Irish story is missing this year, the token Jewish story etc, this run feels a bit more editorially driven by the stories uncovered, and not an old menu waiting to be catered for.
It's been a largely good run, but there is one question on everyone's mind right now - what's going on with next week's now absent John Bishop story? As much as God moves in mysterious ways, so too it seems do BBC schedulers...
Chris
Scottish Research Online - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 26 SEP 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
Sunday, 14 October 2012
WDYTYA preview: John Barnes
Footballer John Barnes pursues some Jamaican roots in the next episode of Who Do You Think You Are, this forthcoming Wed 17th October at 9pm, BBC1.
Chris
Scottish Research Online - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 26 SEP 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
Chris
Scottish Research Online - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 26 SEP 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
Wednesday, 10 October 2012
WDYTYA review - Celia Imrie
Tonight's Who Do You Think You Are episode, back after a break, featured actress Celia Imrie. The first big surprise was to hear she was in Star Wars - turns out in a very minor role as a pilot, but you live and learn!
There was a very different pace and feel tonight. For one thing, we went up a class or three to deal with the hoi polloi. That's not necessarily a bad thing, particularly this week, as there wasn't so much a long line of blue blood being chased (sorry Matthew Pinsent, the document was impressive, but only the document!), but particular stories, of which there were two. We also went back four hundred years - something which does not happen in the series so much these days.
The first half looked at William Lord Russell, an eight times great grandfather who was a Whig politician accused of plotting to kill a Stuart king. I warm to anyone with a dislike of the Stuarts, so was happy to listen in! He lost his head, and seems to have been deified somewhat in the history of democracy since then, though my own take on what democracy might have meant back then compared to now may have caused problems back then if I'd met him! But an interesting tale, particularly with its links into the Glorious Revolution.
The second half was a much better sequence though, looking at his own granny's tale - crikey, we had it all here! Murder, hanging, drawing and quartering, an unconsummated marriage, sneaky toffs, the Tower of London, more sneaky toffs, the lot. Fascinating twists and turns, and proof that it doesn't matter so much if you find blue blood in the tree, as to whether they had interesting stories worth pursuing.
The thing that struck me though was that the pace was much slower, because this wasn't a pair of stories you could Google or look up on a records site - this was a God honest get-the-documents-out-from-the-vault based family history. In some weeks WDYTYA winds me up with sequences painfully made to look complicated when a couple of clicks on Ancestry will sort it. This week, there were no gimmicks, just a story revealed from one document to another. It was worth the wait.
Chris
Scottish Research Online - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 26 SEP 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
There was a very different pace and feel tonight. For one thing, we went up a class or three to deal with the hoi polloi. That's not necessarily a bad thing, particularly this week, as there wasn't so much a long line of blue blood being chased (sorry Matthew Pinsent, the document was impressive, but only the document!), but particular stories, of which there were two. We also went back four hundred years - something which does not happen in the series so much these days.
The first half looked at William Lord Russell, an eight times great grandfather who was a Whig politician accused of plotting to kill a Stuart king. I warm to anyone with a dislike of the Stuarts, so was happy to listen in! He lost his head, and seems to have been deified somewhat in the history of democracy since then, though my own take on what democracy might have meant back then compared to now may have caused problems back then if I'd met him! But an interesting tale, particularly with its links into the Glorious Revolution.
The second half was a much better sequence though, looking at his own granny's tale - crikey, we had it all here! Murder, hanging, drawing and quartering, an unconsummated marriage, sneaky toffs, the Tower of London, more sneaky toffs, the lot. Fascinating twists and turns, and proof that it doesn't matter so much if you find blue blood in the tree, as to whether they had interesting stories worth pursuing.
The thing that struck me though was that the pace was much slower, because this wasn't a pair of stories you could Google or look up on a records site - this was a God honest get-the-documents-out-from-the-vault based family history. In some weeks WDYTYA winds me up with sequences painfully made to look complicated when a couple of clicks on Ancestry will sort it. This week, there were no gimmicks, just a story revealed from one document to another. It was worth the wait.
Chris
Scottish Research Online - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 26 SEP 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
The Gathering: Homeward Bound TV series
A new six part series, The Gathering: Homeward Bound, which is part family history and part advertisement for Ireland's 2013 Gathering, has just started to air in Ireland. Each week, a famous emigrant from Ireland goes back home to his home town to catch up with friends past, and to then extend an invite to the world to come and visit his or her wee bit.
Episode One, presented below, features comedian and singer Brendan Grace returning to Dublin's Liberties.
The Gathering: Homeward Bound's YouTube channel is located at www.youtube.com/user/Gathering2013/featured
Sounds like a good idea for STV to think about for the next Homecoming in 2014! :)
COMMENT: Just watched it, and despite the blatant plugs for 2013, it was surprisingly emotional, particularly the reunion between the gent from Surrey and his childhood friend. If you've left Ireland (and b*gger which part!), you'll twig where this is coming from - and Scottish Television, please watch and adapt for 2014!!! Wonderful programme, real feel good feeling at the end, and very much looking forward to the rest of the series.
UPDATE: Series trailer:
Chris
Scottish Research Online - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 26 SEP 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
Episode One, presented below, features comedian and singer Brendan Grace returning to Dublin's Liberties.
The Gathering: Homeward Bound's YouTube channel is located at www.youtube.com/user/Gathering2013/featured
Sounds like a good idea for STV to think about for the next Homecoming in 2014! :)
COMMENT: Just watched it, and despite the blatant plugs for 2013, it was surprisingly emotional, particularly the reunion between the gent from Surrey and his childhood friend. If you've left Ireland (and b*gger which part!), you'll twig where this is coming from - and Scottish Television, please watch and adapt for 2014!!! Wonderful programme, real feel good feeling at the end, and very much looking forward to the rest of the series.
UPDATE: Series trailer:
Chris
Scottish Research Online - 5 weeks online Pharos course, £45.99, taught by Chris Paton from 26 SEP 2012 - see www.pharostutors.com
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)
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