The Suicide

As Henry hit the water its icy tentacles reached out to ensnare him. Drifting further and further into its murky depths he felt at peace for the first time in ages. “Quickly! We’ve got to find him. Someone run and get the constable,” yelled the man as he dove into the canal. Just as the …

Bloxwich Cemetery

Bloxwich is a town located in Walsall in the West Midlands of England with a rich heritage and history. Historically it was contained within the county of Staffordshire but in 1974 it was moved into the newly formed West Midlands county.1 Bloxwich Cemetery is located in the heart of Bloxwich and is full of history serving …

Waves in Time Conference

Over the weekend I attended the Waves in Time, Family and Local History Conference held in beautiful Caloundra.  I made a family weekend of it and rented a home through Airbnb with my children and their friends spending the days at the beach.  In the evenings we went out to eat at local restaurants.  It …

House Histories Seminar

On Saturday I attended a House Histories seminar hosted but the Brisbane History Group at State Library of Queensland.  It was an interesting and informative day of talks.  I have learned so much about researching houses in Brisbane.  I even came away with a book! Shhhh don’t tell my son.   Caylie Jeffery – Under …

Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes

Have you ever seen the movie the Imitation Game?  Have you ever wondered how and where computing truly started?  Have you heard of Bletchley Park?  When we started planning our UK trip my computer nerd brother said to me, you need to go to Bletchley Park. It’s the birthplace of computing.  It sounded more like …

Tracing Your Ancestors in the Scottish Highlands

Over the weekend I attended a seminar at the Genealogical Society of Queensland (GSQ) on Tracing Your Ancestors in the Scottish Highlands.  The presenter was   Graeme Mackenzie, a historian with a Masters Degree from the University of Cambridge.1  He is also the Chairman of the Association of Highland Clans and Societies (of Scotland) and …

The Kelpies and The Falkirk Wheel, Scotland

On our recent trip to the UK we encountered many people and saw many beautiful places.  We stayed in Airbnb accommodation for the entire trip. I love that in most locations you do get to meet your hosts.  They have a wealth of local knowledge and you can often find out about great places to …

Black Country Living Museum

Finally I am getting around to reviewing some of the great places we visited in the UK last September.  One of my absolute favourites was the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, Birmingham.  My cousin Helen took us for this day of adventure and it was amazing even with the rain that accompanied our trip. …

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – Week 52: Resolutions

We are heading into another new year, 2018 is behind us, and as usual it has gone quickly.  The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge this week is fittingly Resolutions.   Week 52 – Resolutions   I will admit I had much greater aspirations for my genealogy and blogging in 2018.  It started out well, …