Tag Archives: Publications

Clipboards, Cruises and Challenges of the Technological Kind (yes again) and books – always books!

by thehistoryinterpreter

A variety of activities this week. Firstly, I was lucky enough to win a free electronic copy of  Saving Sophie by Sam Carrington. This had to be emailed to me for me to email to my Kindle errr ummmm. This sounded like a technical challenge too far. After diligent research (I Googled for instructions) I was ridiculously pleased to discover that my Kindle does indeed have an email address – well who knew? Not me, obviously. Mission accomplished and I am looking forward to reading my prize.

More peculiarities on the telephone. During a boring car journey I decided to have a conversation with someone who wanted me to change my electricity supplier. Actually he wanted the phone’s owner to change their electricity supplier but was happy to talk to me when I explained that said owner was driving. After moments of incredulity on his part when I confirmed that there really was no gas supply to the property, the next question was ‘do you have your latest bill with you?’ Hands up who carries their electricity bill with them in the car at all times. Then not an unsolicited call but an attempt on my part to find out who could verify my identity for prevention of money laundering purposes, not many people apparently. This needed to be done in a hurry during the day, when those of my neighbours who might qualify were at work. I telephoned to enquire whether a retired accountant/doctor/teacher etc. might be acceptable (the village is stuffed full of those of a certain age). It seemed it had to be someone in office, presumably so that their identity could be checked on a professional register. The person on the other end suggested I popped in to the local bank. I had already explained that I lived in a small rural village. ‘Popping’ involves a six mile drive, many circuits of the block in search of a parking place and a six mile drive home. Oh of course, I could get a bus but not on a Wednesday. Did he have any other ideas? I could use my ‘local’ post office’s checking service. Ah my local post office was, thanks to the wisdom of someone who has never lived here, closed. The man is now sounding desperate, ‘Did I have a church?’ Oh yes, I have one of those just over there, a vicar though is a different matter. One and a half vicars for seven parishes and neither lives here. At this point I gave up, planning to  accost a teacher outside a school, or wait until later in the day. The urban/rural divide never seemed so wide, the chap on the phone clearly had no clue how the other half lived.

Want to know how to arouse fear and suspicion amongst your neighbours? Wander round in pairs carrying a clipboard, pausing now and again to stare meaningfully at a property. In fact, my friend and I were preparing a village trail but I am sure there are now rumours of extensive development or criminal activity.

UTP0263-2TMy Harnessing the Facebook Generation booklet, with ideas for inspiring young people with a love of history and heritage, is finally available in Canada (as well as the UK, Australia and as an ebook). Unlock the Past, for whom the booklet was written, have announced their genealogical cruising plan for 2017-18. If you are thinking about booking, don’t hesitate, you’ll love it.

The season of evening presentations is well and truly upon me. Quite apart from any school Swording and Spindling, did I really agree to do seven presentations to adults (I put ‘adult presentations’ there at first but it sounded a bit dodgy) in one month (one down six to go)? In addition, that is to finishing tutoring one Pharos course and starting another. Incidentally, there is still time to book for the online course  Writing and Telling your Family History, which starts on 28th September. It is lovely to see some familiar names amongst those who are signed up already. One day I will get time to write up more of my own family history!

Typos get you Noticed

by thehistoryinterpreter

The other day, my attention was drawn to the fact that my Thursday session for Who Do You Think You Are Live, entitled ‘Are you Sitting Comfortably?: creating your family’s story’, had been billed as ‘Are you Sitting Comfortably: creating your family’. This wasn’t quite the session I had planned. Offers of help came in from volunteers who had heard that some of my sessions involve audience participation, tickets began selling like the proverbial hot cakes. So much so, that advance tickets have sold out, although it may still be possible to pick some up on the day. I pondered over re-writing my introduction – ‘When a Mummy and a Daddy love each other very much…….’ I have now decided that some people might actually be expecting the originally intended session, so, sorry to disappoint but it has now been corrected to ‘Creating your family’s story’.

I have been marooned in my house all week, probably not any bad thing given the number of writing tasks I have on the ‘to do‘ list, which is rapidly assuming the proportions of a three volume novel. According to the Highways Department, the people who have closed the road that runs immediately past my house, in order to create large holes in it, have to leave me a way to get in and out of my drive. They do? What the road-digging types have not allowed for is the fact that my drive is barely wider than my car, so I need to be a long way across the road before beginning to turn, in order to avoid leaving my paintwork on next door’s wall. Pulling forward the required amount will take me through some attractive looking yellow barriers and probably in to a newly dug ditch. Men in high-viz jackets assure me that they will move said barriers and any stray heavy machinery in the vicinity, if I need to leave home. I have yet to put this to the test, or to see how I am supposed to negotiate the ditch.

Ones that got away coverI have finally managed to finish my booklet about elusive/migrant ancestors and the publishers have sent me a draft cover in record time. Looking forward to seeing the finished article. This is another that will be available digitally and in book form. More on publications:- It has been my pleasure this week to prepare for printing a booklet written by someone else. This is the enlarged and updated history of a local chapel. Watch this space for news of its publication Buckland Brewer fans.

 

New Book – Family Historians’ Enquire Within now available

by thehistoryinterpreter

Picture2At last, the advance copies of Family Historians’ Enquire Within have arrived. (I am still debating whether the editorial decision to move the apostrophe was the correct one – I have moved it to reflect my opinion). Those of you who have been waiting very patiently should now be able to get a copy from the publishers, Family History Partnership or I will soon have copies for sale myself. For those who aren’t familiar with this volume, last produced in 1995, it is an alphabetical pot pourri of information. Entries include sources, occupations, books, websites and much more. The idea is to cover something about almost everything the family historian might want to know and point readers in the right direction for finding more. It has my name on the cover but much of the text and hard work has been done by my illustrious predecessors who produced the earlier editions. All I have done is to update their efforts.

DSCF1288Getting copies to me was a feat of ingenuity on behalf of the delivery man. I know I promised not to harp on about the building work but currently my front door is out of action, I have no letter box and access to my remaining door is via a two foot six wide chasm. My friend was heard to accuse me of taking living history a little too seriously and she questioned why I had chosen to recreate a World War One landscape in what used to be my garden. There is a distinct resemblance to the Ypres salient and recent persistent heavy rain has not helped. I never really saw a moat as a desirable feature, particularly as I lack a drawbridge.

Whilst on the publishing front, an article I helped to produce on behalf of a late friend has now appeared. ‘Is Blood thicker than water?: Farm servants and the family in nineteenth-century north Devon’ is in the latest edition (strangely this is the autumn 2013 issue) of Local Population Studies.

It has been a busy week with three talks, one day course and a day in the time of the Great Fire of London. Only slightly disconcerted by the seven year old who, whilst discussing the food of the time, asked which animal bread came from – and this in a rural community!