Notes of Life

2007 is just about done, so I guess it’s time for my review of the year.

I think I’ve done well on the family history front this year. I discovered a couple of forgotten family bibles in the bookshelves, giving me a whole generation of birth, marriage and death dates. I found information on a great uncle who nobody seemed to have heard of - He was dead by the age of 20 and spent his last years in a lunatic asylum, poor soul. I also met up a long lost cousin and his wife (found through Genes Reunited) and discovered one or two more distant relations. I discovered I had a rare marriage certificate in my possession (the bride & groom, their fathers and the 3 witnesses all shared the same surname) and it was published in the Family Tree Magazine. I also discovered my Great Great Uncle served in the British Army by finding some military records on Ancestry, when previously I’d only got 1 reference to him in the 1871 census.

This year I ventured abroad for the first time since 2001. Dad & I went on a World War 1 battlefields trip to Northern France and Belgium.

We stayed in Tournai (Belgium), spending some time in the Ypres area visiting the city as well as Tyne Cot Cemetery, Hill 62 and Santuary Wood, Hooge Crater, The Yorkshire Trench near Boezinge, Poperinghe with its 2 death cells, execution pole and military cemetery, and Menin Gate for the Last Post.

We also spent some time in the Somme area (France) visting Historial de la Grande Guerre (The Museum of the Great War) in Péronne, Guillemont Road Cemetery, Delville Wood, Lochnagar Crater, Sunker Lane and the memorial to the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Newfoundland Memorial Park and Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.

It was a very interesting and informative trip, and we were blessed with beautiful weather.

As usual, I attended a few gigs. I saw James Marsters at Rich Mix and Union Chapel in London, Anthony Head in Milton Keynes and Take That in Birmingham. I should have seen James Marsters in Cardiff too, but the floods prevented me from going anywhere that weekend in July!

I also went to 2 or 3 motorsport events this year. I saw the DTM and Superside at Brands Hatch in Kent (Mika Hakkinen nearly ran me over with his scooter that day!). I couldn’t afford to go to the British F1 Grand Prix at Silverstone, so I went to watch the Big F1 Test instead (not as good as watching racing, but it was still great to see the F1 cars blasting around the track). I also went to the Charity Open Day at the Honda Racing F1 Headquarters in Brackley. While there I met F1 driver Antony Davidson and commentating legend Murray Walker - another great weekend.

Work has been very busy this year, especially the 2nd half of it. A colleague was on sick-leave for a couple of months and I don’t think I’ve ever been so stressed before! So, I was ever so glad when the time came for my Christmas break!

Christmas was a quiet one this year. Nan didn’t feel up to coming over for Christmas Day, so Mum, Dad & I went over to my grandparents for Sunday lunch and spent Sunday with them instead.

Christmas morning was spent giving and opening presents. Dad & I surprised Mum with a fairy statue/bird bath from us both and I surprised them both with giftbags of goodies - a book about Passendaele and a bottle of whiskey for Dad and a silk scarf, purfume and kitchen bits for Mum. I received a subscription to the Family Tree Magazine, a few books (including Cheshire’s Execution Files by Derek Yarwood, Michael Palin’s New Europe and On The Edge by Richard Hammond), a calendar, money, a gift voucher and some other bits & bobs.

My brother joined us later on in the morning and stopped for Christmas dinner (the best meal of the year!), but my sister-in-law had to work as she’s a carer. The evening was spent relaxing in front of the TV. This year I watched a new-ish Christmas film - The Polar Express - a wonderful animated movie.

Boxing Day was quiet too. More TV and another roast dinner to finnish off the turkey!

I haven’t done as much as I wanted to do with my time off work so far. The weather has been so miserable! Before I go back to work I’m hoping to go over to Melton to visit my friend Lisa (and deliver presents) and make a trip up to Caernarfon. I also want to get out and take more photos, so I’m watching the weater forcast carefully.

‘Tis Christmas Eve and all is quiet… Well, all apart from the TV! I have ‘Blackadder’s Christmas Carol’ on at the moment. We’re having a quiet Christmas this year. My grandparents usually spend Christmas Day with us, but Nan isn’t well enough to travel at the moment. However, my brother will be spending the day with us as my sister-in-law has to work (she’s a carer). A quiet day it may be, but no doubt we will be full of delicious food and drink and will spending Boxing Day recovering (especially me as I’ll be eating all the things I’m not supposed to!).

I hope you’re tracking Santa this evening. Santa was in Pinsk, Belarus when I checked at 7.25pm. In a few more hours he’ll be here in Mid Wales, so I’d better get my Christmas stocking hung on my bedroom door knob (as is our family tradition) ready for me to trip over in the morning!

This time tomorrow it’ll all be over. But in the mean time, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, eat lots and be very merry!

Nadolig Llawen!

Remember that anonymous gift card I received a week or so ago? Well, all has been revealed! I was talking with Nan this afternoon when she asked me if I had received a blank card in the mail. I told her I had and that it contained a gift card. She enlightened me. The gift card is from a friend of my grandparents! It was a “Thank You” for the hand-me-down clothes I’ve passed on to her daughter. Now I know who to thank!

… Hopefully!

The other day I received a Virgin Megastores gift card in the mail, but it doesn’t say who it’s from! The handwriting doesn’t give it away as I don’t recognise it. The postmark is local, but there’s also a 2nd postcard hidden underneath that I can’t read. Whoever it is from spells my name wrong (but that could be any number of people!). I would love to know who sent me the gift card so I can say thank you.

Shortly after writing my last post I received a message from Russell Ash, the author of Potty, Fartwell and Knob: From Luke Warm to Minty Badger - Extraordinary But True Names of British People (click the link to read more about the book). If you’ve got a silly name (or know of somebody with one), why not visit Russell’s website and let him know… you may even make it into a future edition of Potty, Fartwell and Knob! I haven’t yet bought the book because I’m waiting to see what I get for Christmas, but if it’s not under the Christmas tree I’ll be buying it myself.

Another book I have my eye on is Cheshire’s Execution Files by Derek Yarwood. I had a quick flick through it in WHSmith yesterday and it looks quite interesting. I have relations and ancestors from Cheshire, not that I think any of them were executed, but Cheshire did have it’s own unique way of executing condemed criminals.

Now for a couple of recommended links. I recommend these 2 websites every year, but I think they’re great for kids and anyone who believes!

Santa Claus Live - This website gives a live web video of Santa Claus in his office on the Arctic Circle. If you log on to the website at the right time you can catch children visiting Santa and giving him their wishlists. There is also a live web video situated outside of the office for you to view.

NORAD Tracks Santa - NORAD have tracked Santa on Christmas Eve for years. This year you can track Santa using Google Earth

The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is Wish Lists. So here’s my Genealogy Christmas Wish List:

Dear Santa,

1. Great Grandfather Alfred’s birth certificate
I have found birth certificates for several of his brothers, including his eldest and youngest brother, yet Alfred’s birth certificate seems to escape me. I know it was in the early days of registration, but surely his birth was registered if his brothers’ births were registered. The closest thing I have to Alfred’s missing birth certificate is a copy of a Parish Register page which includes his baptism. I also have a family bible in which Alfred’s birth date is noted, but it was written in many years after Alfred was born and the birth year looks to have been edited. I’m guessing he as baptised the same year he was born, but still I can’t find his birth certificate.

2. For my Great Grandparents’ Gravestone to be restored
When I found my Great Grandparents’ (Alfred & Mary) gravestone in Malpas, some of the letters were missing. I would dearly love to restore the headstone to it’s original condition.

3. Great Great Great Great Grandfather James’ death certificate
I only recently discovered James, but I would dearly love to find his death certificate. He disappears from the census records and his wife Jane remarried, so I have a window to work to, but I’ve still not been able to find the right death certifiate. I ordered one a few weeks back, but it turned out not to be his. Why did he die young? If you could find it for me, could you send a copy to my distant cousin in Australia who would also be very grateful.

4. To be able to put names to photos
I have a big box containing photos of family, soldiers and friends of the family. Dad can put names to some of them, but who are the others?

5. A time-machine
Imagine how much research I could do with one of these!

I know one or two of these wishes are impossible, but maybe one or two could be completed. I have tried to be good this year.

Yours faithfully,

Nikki-ann.

What would you put on your wish list?

Submit your Genealogy Wish List here.