who do you think you are

I'm not very interested in her. They are not exactly A posters this series. I suppose they're running out of likely candidates.

If they are not going to go right back in time and delve into generations of the family trees, just as far as WW2, then it is going to be repetitive and not worth watching imo.

Haven't seen any of the new series yet; I was going to watch PH on catchup but perhaps I won't bother now.

I certainly do not want more of WW2 , so repetitive

I don't always watch it but I prefer that 'find my family' programme with Davina McCall. I find 'ordinary' people far more fascinating and it seems more sincere. WDYTYA is very stage managed [at least, that's what John Hurt said and I do believe him]It has become a sort of benefit programme for 'celebs'[or am I just being cynical ?].

Polish/Jewish in the Warsaw ghetto for Jane Seymour. WW2 but not "where my dad fought" story.

Don't you think it has to be stage-managed, Tegan? The amount of paperwork you have to go through to get something remotely interesting in your own family tree is very time consuming.

Could be related to all the commemorations going on just now I seem to remember the last series had a lot of WW1 content.

I wonder if sometimes they do the research and find the celebs family tree is just too boring? Most people presumably have remarkably similar stories. Its the extremes that are interesting. Bruce Forsyth and that that Scottish actor whose Dad shot himself playing Russian Roulette in Malaysia were v interesting.

It's all the repetition in these sorts of programmes that drives me mindless. Long Lost Family is the same. After each advert they seem to have to repeat much of what went before, just in case your either didn't understand it the first time or have had an amnesiac attacked during the break.

Personally I think it's because the whole lot could be condensed into a 15-minut snippet but has to be drawn out as long as possible.

And all this hand wringing and agonising over long dead ancestors. I thought Una Stubbs would actually burst into tears.

It seems to be a condition of the contract that they all have a weep at some time.

Mind you, when I found out that one ancestor had died (in 1891) in Sussex just after an exceptionally long spell of cold weather, his death certificate blamed "the cold". That information went home. I didn't burst into tears over it, though.

I used to live in the area that Una Stubbs was researching.
I wouldn't have blamed her if she had burst into tears, having ancestors in the workhouse, which is now student flats, by the way, and could easily be turned back into a workhouse, complete with mortuary.

Give it a rest Dj

I have burst into tears when researching my ancestors , think it depends if one thinks of these dead ancestors as just names or accept they were living human beings with the same emotions as us. I have researched workhouses for articles published in a family history publication and have transcribe records for a Welsh archive. Also researched mental hospitals. If one reads of a couple married over sixty years, too old to continue working, evicted from their home and put in the workhouse, read their pleas that they are not separated , read the dismissal by the workhouse comittee , then read the wife jumped from a dormatory window , was buried in a paupers grave and her husband forbidden to attend her funeral because she had committed such a grace sin , takes a tough person not to cry

On Monday I was shown a photo of my great grandmother that I'd never seen and that, along with a photo of me and my father when I was a baby had me in tears.It felt so strange to be in the area where my family are buried yesterday; even though I couldn't find the actual grave I felt such a connection to the place; an almost tangible feeling [strangely but not surprisingly in the heart area] that I still have, even though I'm now back home.I know that sounds awfully melodramatic but it's true.

Give what a rest, Anya?
The houses I am talking about were the slums of York, and were knocked down when Joseph Rowntree built the village at New Earswick to replace them. One of my aunts lived there and was moved to New Earswick, where she met her husband.
The house I lived in was owned by the Rowntree family at one time.
So you are not bothered by social history, but I am.
I researched the house we lived in, as it used to belong to the cornmill at the back. A man from Australia came to stay with us, as he'd lived in our house during the war. It had been turned into a boys orphanage. He ran away and went to see his uncle who handed him back to the authorities.
While they were deciding what to do with him, he had to sleep in the workhouse above the mortuary. He didn't run away again!
I was quite upset by that story, on his behalf. He told us how many boys had lived in each room.

'And could easily be turned back into a workhouse...'

Give that sort of gumph a rest.

Thank you for sharing your story about some long dead 'man from Australia' but you're mistaking me for someone who's interested. My late MiL used to regale me with sad tales of people I didn't know too, you'd have loved her

PS don't take this too personally, I had a bump on the head earlier so I'm not quite my usual sunny and caring little self!

That's not nice Anya. I found it interesting, as did, I would imagine, a lot of other people . The comment was uncalled for imo .

But that's your opinion of my already Tegan so why should I bother to please?

It's a grade 11 listed building, so it could be turned back into a workhouse. The history of workhouses is becoming quite well known at the moment. One of my mother's cousins was a teacher in a workhouse. Isn't there a thread on here about Southwell, which has the best workhouse in the country, where the programme about Victorian forebears was recorded, with Ann Widdecombe among others?

Believe it or not, I do not care if you read my posts or not, or what stories your mother in law told you.
The man in Australia was very much alive the last time I saw him, less than ten years ago. If you are going to comment make sure you get the facts correct.

You underestimate me Anya I'm afraid; I'm not like that. I'm sorry that you think it.

Touché DJ I wouldn't hold that against you

A good, honest retort!

I find anyone's social history fascinating.

I did not like Jane Seymour - and to be honest had no idea who she was. She really fancied herself, as when she squinted at a document and said "Even I cannot read that", as if she was a superior being and if she couldn't read it then no-one else would be able to.

I don't think it matters who the celebrity is. I had to google Paul Hollywood to find out who he was. It is whether they unearth anything interesting that matters.

There seems to be a great deal more time spent on individual ancestors and WW2. involving a lot of standing/wandering around. Not sure if this is because there isn't anyone more interesting, or because they can't afford to pay for any more research. Getting a bit bored.