Genealogy Chat

I dont mind volunteering as the 'distractor' - you know when you want to nick at least half a dozen boxes from the drawer instead of your allocated two. Well this dozey middle aged woman could sit just in front of the drawers and when you give her the nod, her roll of film will accidently unwind right across the floor. This will give the old crones a chance to tut tut and the 75 year old randy old anoraks a chance to impress the middle aged beauty by running after said film and retrieving it - meanwhile you can have the local FHS transcribed marriages tucked up the front of your anorak and the particular parish you always wanted to look at but theres only 5 mins left now, down the front of your lycra trousers. Id be good at it - had the practice.

The worst 'family from hell' I encountered consisted of a woman in her very early twenties and her poor grandmother, whom she was berating loudly and at length for having given her slightly incorrect information. Eventually young woman phoned her mother, evidently to come and collect granny, but instead mum decided to stay and 'help' so that they got into a three-way slanging match over the microfiches! Then there was the guy who had brought two older female rellies along and was trying to tell them to start their search for a marriage twenty years before the first known child was born, and work forwards! He didn't appear to be doing any of the actual looking himself, just directing things. I was so tempted to go over and butt in to tell them not to waste their time! I am sure they would have got done much quicker if he hadn't been there! Kate.

Oooh, just had a thought (talk of the H & W 'team' reminded me) You will find H & W team will of course be trying to look in the same fiche drawers as you. To ensure either free access to said drawers, or a quick removal of said 'team' from'your ' drawers, eat lots of raw garlic before you go, so you can speak to them up close as and when necessary. Alternatively, if you have no desire to speak to anyone, you could try wearing no deodorant thereby allowing you to raise your arms at the appropriate moment - anything to ensure you get to the drawers!! maggie

Take a like minded friend along to bounce ideas off of saves you talking to yourself all the time

KimKat could look after drinks?

What a wonderful tongue in cheek thread Merry. Personally I think you should go in a little black dress and high heeled shoes, that would get you noticed and certainly give people something to talk about!!! Karenx

Tongue in cheek? I thought this was a tips thread. This must have so put off the records office virgins. There they are now sitting in front of their puters, faces glum, imagining having to pull on their lycra trousers and possibly increase their weight by at least 12 stone before they gain entry to the office, pushing their way through herds of Roy and Hayley Croppers to get to a fiche machine and then the horror of staring at Latin Hymns instead of Norwich St Faiths marriages micro film, because you picked up the wrong one, chatted up the elderly anorak to put it on for you and now have to sit nodding and smiling like you really are a Latin scholar who actually wanted these hymns for your research.

Heather, I AM a RO Virgin! I don't think ONE VISIT to the Family Record Centre, before It was called that, in about 1990, counts! Merry

Well, Im a virgin every time Merry, so dont worry about it! You can hear the archivists begging to go to their breaks when they see me signing in and dropping me see thru carrier bag on the way thru. Perhaps you could nip in and check out the list of prairie fork makers c1850 when you do go.

Not many volunteers are there? Erm, Glen (dragged by the ankle manacle chain fitted by Heather and Merry weeks ago), you could surely offer to be the slightly light on his feet junior archivist, couldnt you - with long floppy hair and striped shirt with red tie and patches of sweat when you lift your arm to push back your floppy fringe?

''nudge'' for Meercat

Heather Oh heck I thought i had deleted that pic from my homepage,i must be more careful when i select the priveliged few to my homepage,i'm finding out some of them bite!!!!!!!!!!! Anyhow who is the middle aged beauty you mentioned earlier,never heard of her before. Glen

Who?????? Merry

lol - thats you out of your mothers will.

Oops....thought you were writing an important letter?? M

I consider myself extremely fortunate that, although most of my family have expressed some interest when told of my findings, none of them has shown the least inclination to go out and find anything themselves - believe me, taking any of them to a RO with me would put any H&W team in the shade!

No more volunteers ?

Apparently not....... Obviously no one wishes to help me....... **flounces from room, tripping up over Kays sandal as she goes** (think Dick Emery!) Merry

Well I volunteered Glen

Haven't been around for ages..Christmas took a LOT out of me.. but I'm finding this thread very informative! Now I know what I was doing wrong when I was taken to the Bristol R.O by a kind 'cousin' . We went en famille, but Sis and my O.H elected to keep a seat warm in the cafeteria while cousin and I investigated the goodies.I was wearing a bag imprinted with an Aboriginal dotted painting (to advertise my origins, natch) but that was confiscated by the Dragon at Reception and I got a stubby little pencil as trade. Cousin luckily knew how to Work the System, so we found quite a bit in the time available to us. Hubby and Sis had plasticised sandwiches and cool tea waiting for us when we got hungry, then the Cafeteria evicted us before we could think about seconds. I'd love to have another go and am willing to volunteer for anything, Merry. I still have my afghan from Christmas, so I'm not afraid of the chill. Just say the word and I'll be over there in a shot. Beverley from Perth