Genealogy Chat

Trying not to refer to chocolate too much (drool, drool)... James in NZ, could it be that your ancestors came from somewhere like, for example, Scotland? You can indeed look at copies of the certificates online in that case, but for those ancestors who came from England, Wales or Ireland, I'm afraid we still have to order hard copies. Kate.

Oh Grumpy, I am so disappointed. When I read you message the first time, I thought you were saying 'free dairy chocolate', as in Free BMD. Wow, I thought, I could eat the chocolate AND buy the certs. Of course, just like Free BMD, there would always be some bits missing - like only being able to get the very, very large slabs of Galaxy when you really only meant to have a small one. Or no free Thorntons Continental available, but Belgium chocs there instead. Still, I thought, I could live with little difficulties like that. Then I read your message again. Oh, shame. What sorrow. Have had my ration for today so shall just have to go to bed I suppose. Where did I leave those cigarettes? Tina

YUK---dairy free choc---having tried the carob version I would suggest edible ants taste better!!! The only problem is you need to fly to south america for those---just think how many certificates that could buy!!!!!!!! Mind the holiday, less the ants may refresh the parts that certs don't , and just think of the tan you caould get : o /, Carol

Dairy free chocolate is definitely available. No idea what it tastes like, but Google will show you where to find it. Gwyn

okay so let me get this straight..... On your instructions I am to buy chocolate, eat loads of it in one go and then suddenly stop. I can't differentiate between this and my normal 'feeling miserable day' - should i be doing it more often than currently to take advantage of the certs offer? I already smoke and don't partuiclarly feel ready to give up now - does it count if I buy twice the number of packets I currently do and stash them in a cupboard over the week so next week I wont have to buy any and can therefore buy some certificates? Should I approach my boss about the economical sense of these actions and say I'm giving up travelling to work for a week to save myself £41 - in which case I could almost buy myself a new certificate everyday whilst pretending to work at home. Awaiting instructions from economical advisers. Zoe

nice and succinct Nell...... on the subject of chocolate..... does anyone know if you can get dairy free chocolate??? Yes I know its a bit of a DUMB question, but since I have given up dairy produce ( day 11), i was hoping there might be something suitable.

James 1. what is the advantage of ordering a cert? Sometimes its the only way of ensuring you have the right person. If your ancestor is called Zephaniah Snodgrass-Pendleton, it is probably easy to find his bmd certs, but if he's called John smith then it will be harder to know which cert is the right one. Certs give more information than the indexes, such as addresses, possibly fuller names, occupations etc. 2. How much do they cost each? £7 if you quote the GRO ref and order online - see the webaddress below. 3. Do they charge extra for mailing to New Zealand - do you think? Yes, of course they will! check out prices here: www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificate/index.asp#0 4. Do you think that because I haven't got the actual certs, that my info so far is flawed? Depends. If you are sure the index entries you have found are right, you might be right. But you may not have the right cert in the index. Sometimes you can cross check with info in a census, but not always. nell

You guys are absolutely mad !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Having never bought a cert, (just perved through the computer screen at copies of statutory entries), what is the advantage of ordering a cert? How much do they cost each? Do they charge extra for mailing to New Zealand - do you think? Do you think that because I haven't got the actual certs, that my info so far is flawed? Can you tell I'm a newby? James, way down here in NZ

Does giving up chocs and sweeets for lent count? I guess I could make lent a little longer this year!! Or maybe I should stop giving in to my kids and save the money they spend for me on a weekly basis---------hey if I did that I would be able to afford the 'Who do you think you are' team to do my tree for me!!!! Carol

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOhhh - I feel a bit 'icky' - Toooooo many malteesers !!!!!!!!!!!! Dea x

Tina, I used to smoke - 35 - 40 years ago - Now I sometimes have one after my Christmas Dinner, and , occasionally when I go away to work in Barcelona (because most Spanish people smoke).!! My husband smokes at least a packet per day, so, as long as you light one, every 15 minutes or so, for a week or two, you can let them sit in the ashtray and wither away BUT then, dont forget to 'stump' them out !! - My husband makes fun of me because when I do have one, i GET FED UP HALF WAY DOWN AND SPEND ABOUT 5 MINUTES STUMPING IT AROUND THE ASHTRAY TRYING TO PUT IT OUT.!! SSSSSoooo, - About 2 weeks should do it, AND, - If you have given up chocolate as well .....'More certs to your elbow' as they say!! Dea x

Nell - how could you? That was cruel in the extreme. Thorntons Continental - drool, drool, drool. Tina - (going lukewarm turkey and suffering)

Perhaps Bob Geldof could be persuaded to help us by having a concert called Cert Aid????? 'Roight now, thousands of genealogists are stuck. They need certs NOW. Send us your money NOW'. I don't think Minstrels count as proper chocolate, do they? I was thinking more along the lines of Thornton's Continental Selection. nell

Dea - Help! I need your input on some of the wonderful ideas in this thread. Can you explain the following points further: 1. How many packets of cigarettes do you have to buy before you can give them up? 2. How many cigarettes do you actually have to smoke, cos' the first 2 have totally messed up my asthma and I'm not sure that if I smoke all 20, I shall still be here to mug the postman when he brings the first of the certificates I shall be buying with the money I shall have saved when I give up the cigarettes. 3. (Hopefully) - Does it count as having smoked the cigarettes if you accidentally put the packet through the washing machine in the pocket of your jeans? 4. On the subject of giving up chocolate (which I had already started prior to deciding to take up and give up cigarettes) - you can't save as much money giving up chocolate as you can giving up tobacco, and it's a lot harder. Also, putting a packet of Minstrels through the washing machine in the pocket of your jeans does not render them inedible, but is disastrous if you don't realise what you have done until you have ironed them. 5. I have now limited my chocolate intake to 15 Minstrels a night (I count them out into a little bowl - you would be amazed how long you can make 15 Minstrels last - how sad am I!). Do jelly babies count as chocolate? Tina - Eagerly awating your advice.

I was bored and I read this thread it has given me a good laugh! Smoker and certificate waiter.

Olde Crone - I just LOVE that one - Great idea - 'send a cert', or 'circulate a cert' - Imagine ending up with 9 million. - Heaven !! Anyway, I have received my long-awaited cert today but it hasn't taken me much further. With regard to the 10 I am going to order - I have found 7 so far and am working on the other 3 !! Dea XXXXXXXxxxxxxx (Feeling happy) GOSH - I'm glad I gave up those cigarettes that I didn't smoke - I have just bought myself a GIANT bag of maltesers so once I have eaten them I can give up chocolate too and save even more money for my certs. Dea Xxx

lol,,,,, i have really enjoyed the warped logic of this. And if you live in scotland as I do, you are banned from smoking in public places as from monday 26th march. I dont smoke and never have. does giving up chocolate count as a way to send for more certs?. I have gone dairy free, so no more chocolate for me. Received 3 on Thursday which i ordered on 3rd March, and am waiting for 2 more, despatch due 4th april. (add at least a week on to that). Dont know if i can justify ordering any more just yet. car going into garage today for fixing and car tax due end of march. LOL. or I'd cry. Go for it if you can afford to do it. ( I promise not to be too jelous)

Well, I've got an even better (and cheaper) idea. I'm going to collect up all the wrong certs I sent for, plus the ones which were right, but I forgot I'd already got them and tried to order them again...and put each one into an envelope and address them to myself. Imagine my pleasure when I open them, cos' I will have forgotten I've done it by the time I get them!! Or...OOOO..OR, (now this is BRILLIANT) Remember those Chain letters? You know, 'send a ten pound note to the top name on this list, add your own name to the bottom, send a copy of this letter to ten friends and in a month you will receive 9 million pounds' - why don't we do that, only with certs!!! Olde Crone (sitting back smugly, waiting for applause)

As I can't afford to get any certs at the moment I am going to do the next best thing and make them up! It's easy. Just call any males William or John or Thomas with the relevant surname. All the females can be Ann/Susan/Mary/Eliza. For variation you can occasionally have a Sophonisba or something exotic. The maiden name can be totally illegible. The town can just be a name. Ages on marriage certs can be 'full age' and all occupations can be ag lab or something that no one has heard of - invent one, like a grebewangler or somesuch. easy!

my postmen change that often I can't get to love them!!! But I can't help feeling deep dissapointment when that envelope isn't there --AGAIN!! How sad am I? Carol