Stopover in Dubai

I'm currently stopping over in Dubai for a couple of days with my brother, before traveling on to Australia tomorrow. Having popped down to the Kite Beach by the Burj Al Arab earlier, I came across a great wee thing - a beach library! Take whatever books you like, read them, and return when finished!

This would be a great idea for our beach back in Largs, Scotland - except for the lack of sunshine, heat and the almost certain risk of hypothermia on most days of course...

I'll be traveling to Brisbane all tomorrow, and arriving on Monday, in advance of my first talks on Tuesday with the Unlock the Past Researching Abroad roadshow, so no posts from me again until early next week. See you soon! In the meantime, a few more pics from Dubai... :)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. 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.

Heading off down under for Unlock the Past roadshow

I'm heading off in a few hours to Australia and New Zealand, though not before a short four day stopover in Dubai on the way there to see my brother. There's no better time to be going, as August is National Family History Month (http://familyhistorymonth.org.au) in both Australia and New Zealand, and I'm looking forward to speaking at various cities on the Unlock the Past roadshow, entitled Researching Abroad: British Isles & European Ancestors, as well as at the Auckland Expo in New Zealand from August 11th-13th (see http://www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/EN/Events/Events/pages/familyhistoryexpo.aspx).

The first place I will be speaking at is in Brisbane, at the Kedron-Wavell Services Club in Chermside South, on Tuesday, August 8th, where I will be giving the following talks:

• British and Irish newspapers
• Scottish research resources before 180
• Irish family history resources online
• Down and out in Scotland: researching ancestral crisis

I'll also be at the same venue on Wednedsday 9th, when Dirk Weissleder will be speaking on several European themed topics, and I would be more than happy to give advice on any Irish, Scottish or British themed queries (if I can!) whilst there! For the full Brisbane itinerary, please visit http://www.unlockthepast.com.au/events/researching-abroad-british-isles-european-ancestors-brisbane.

Whilst away I will do my best to keep posting, not just on the roadshow's progress but on the regular genie news.

One thing to note is that in addition to the main blog, I am now utilising my GENES Blog Facebook page considerably more at https://www.facebook.com/BritishGENES/, where you can get a few more bonus features, video shares and all sorts of other goodies - so why not follow the page for a wee bit extra?! :)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. 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.

TNA podcast - The women's First World War in the Middle East

A podcast released by the National Archives in England whilst I have been away is Big Ideas: The women’s war in the Middle East – women’s First World War service in Egypt, Gallipoli, Mesopotamia and Palestine.

The talk is a 42 minute lecture by Nadia Atia, and and be freely accessed at http://media.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php/big-ideas-womens-war-middle-east/ or as a download on iTunes.

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.

TNA podcast - Finding my father in Mesopotamia

The latest podcast from the National Archives at Kew is entitled Finding my father in Mesopotamia, a 28 minute family history talk by Jenny Lewis linking the First World War to the recent 2003-2011 Iraq War.

The podcast is available at http://media.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php/finding-father-mesopotamia/ or download for free from iTunes.

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.