General Chat

Bridget

I came on here with the hope of finding some relatives that I did not know - I have over 20000 names now - all technically relations connected some way or another - through blood and through marriages and all their relatives too. Some of my contacts think I am wrong to include everybody like that.

I have discovered EIGHT living first cousins in Canada and two in Australia and three in the Czech Republic, my family gets around - I also have a brother living in the United States - he emigrated there over 40 years ago - and his children have lots of children too.

I used to be a Weightwatchers meeting Leader, but they decided last year that they did not need my services any more after 22+ years (probably because I am in my sixties and set in my ways). Since April last year I have been a man of leisure (but still looking for work) and recently started doing some voluntary work for a Centre for disadvantaged people - which is rewarding, if not financially. :-)

I trust you are well and enjoying the sunshine.

Regards
Gerard

Hi Bridget (and everyone else).
I haven't been on the boards much lately. Just quick posts now and then before I tottle off to do something else (my genes tree, the garden, houseworh, shopping, reading, sleeping eating, etc).


I am now getting ready for my holiday to Devon. Going for an "all-in" holiday. So I just have to get myself and my luggage to the Coach Station in town, then the rest is down to the travel company.

Shall also be rather busy for much of the rest of September, meeting cousins that I don't see very often, going to a talk with sis-in-law, celebrating a family birthday plus all the usual stuff.
Gerald, welcome to the GR Boards. I have got around two thousand people on my tree. Partley because I want to know what happened to all my ancestors siblings and their off-spring

Val, sorry to hear that your are not renewing your subs. I have enjoyed chatting to you.
Have to go as it is now tomorrow!
Will try to drop in more often for a quick chat, but will be away from the internet for a week.


Tess

Good morning Gerard, and welcome to our thread. It sounds as if we have something in common in so far as I also place on my tree those who are technically connected in addition to direct blood ancestors. My tree on ancestry is where I keep more, whilst on here there are far less, about 2000 I think.
My overseas relatives include Australia, and sometimes I think that they were so brave to travel so far away.

Tess, enjoy your holiday, we shall be expecting great things and stories from you on your return!! Do not forget to relax as well!

As for Vall leaving us I feel very sad, I feel as if I have lost a good friend but have sent her a PM.

It is a cool morning and boy oh boy do we need this bit of respite. However I think it will be warmer within a coule of hours.

We are going inland this morning just to check the route to a place we have been invited to next week.,then some shopping and back home before the midday sun!
It is just becoming the time when we have more and more flies....horrible creatures. So lots of spray I am afraid to say.

Well must drink my tea now as it will be cold otherwise!


Bridget

Went shopping, did not go inland as it is far to hot!

Plenty of swimming in the pool for those who can swim, had a great BBQ for six of us, a quick quiz lasting about an hour, and then plenty of banter and chat. One couple gone home now so made up a picnic at home for their supper, I am now on the verandah with friends from Yorkshire, watching the sky getting darker and darker and hoping for the storm to arrive.

Hope to be back sometime tomorrow

Bridget

Good morning to you all, I hope that today there is someone who will reply to my entry
Last night whilst sitting on the verandah with my friend from th UK we had sight of a beautiful sky and rainbow. The colours of the rainbow were so vivid it was a delight, and we watched it as it moved away. Then the sky turned into an amazing bright bright pink to the south but dark and cloudy to the south, it looked very strange indeed.
We had hoped for a rainfall, to reduce the heat and stillness but that didn't happen.

Not quite as hot this morning at 05.00, hrs as yesterday so we may hsve some respite......

Our BBQ yesterday went very well, and Jet And Joe, my lovely Cocker Spaniels enjoyed a good treat at the end of the day eating the bits of chicken etc that was left over. We normally only give them dried food, as advised when they were puppies, but now and again we give them a treat.

On Sunday, my eldest son sets off for India with his girlfriend to go across India suppling clean water systems in areas were currently people live without something we take for granted. He will be filming this as well. (no pun intended)! He will have his 40th birthday whilst out there. I shall miss sharing this special event but will be thinking about him.
Please keep him and his partner in your thought and prayers. The organisation he is travelling under was started by an English lady about 12 years ago as she was so shocked when she saw people dying from contaminated water.

Well that is about all for this morning, I do hope that someone adds to here soon or else I shall be speaking to myself everyday, and I miss hearing from you all.

Take good care, have a good day,

Bridget

Good morning

A lovely September day in London - just had some toast and peanut butter for breakfast and I am ready for the morning (what's left of it).

I enjoyed the football yesterday - England winning 3-0 and Wales winning 2-1 and it was great to hear that Robin van Persie had scored 4 goals against San Marino (come on Arsenal!)

What a brave son you have going to India - of course I will remember him in my prayers and his partner too - such good works being done. It makes my little bit of voluntary work pale into insignificance.

I have a friend who gave up her really well paid job in the UK and went to Roumania and started working for a charity for the orphans and the mentally ill in a couple of small villages following Ceaucescu's downfall. the Roumanians were encouraged to dump their backward children in 'mental hospitals' - but they weren't being 'cared for' properly.

Our centre for the under privileged is at a Fun Day in the local park today and my wife and I are helping out .

I had a GR contact yesterday and the lady was most adamant that I didn't put her on my tree (even though I have her mother and father and etc.on my tree) - because her name wouldn't be hidden - Yet she still wanted to view my tree! :-)

Won't bore you any more today - enjoy the sunshine!
Gerard

Good morning from a sunny Sydney. Third day of Spring here - still a little cold overnight (6c) but it warms up to around 18 once the sun is up. I like it to be just a little warmer than that, but I can't complain.

Gerard - Welcome. In case you don't know, we should not enter the name of any living person into our trees, without their permission. However, you can go to "My Account" and alter your settings so that all people in your tree who were born within the last 110 years, will be hidden unless they show a 'year of death'. The information is then for your eyes only and you can give access to anyone, knowing they can't see the info on any living person.

Went to the library to collect a book "London2 by Edward Rutherfurd") and did a little research on the top floor.

Came home exhausted, had to go to bed for a sleep.
Have pottered around today, finishing my holiday preparations.
Off tomorrow for seven days (sis nights). Looking forward to it but hoping I won't be too tired to enjoy myself.

Perhaps I shall fall asleep in the coach on the journey south. I hope I don't snore!

Gerard, I must echo what Barona has said your contact has every right to insist that you don't put her name on your tree.
In the interest of good fellowship it would be a good idea to let her see your tree. Making sure that you are not giving her details of other living people whos permission you have not sought.
Just follow Berona's instruction/suggestion and you will be ok.


Bridget, the sky = rainbow sounds beautiful!


Back in a week (or so).

Good afternoon from a very rainy London - still Summer? for another couple of weeks.

Berona and Tess - I am totally aware of how to hide living relations - however, that wasn't my point - if she is a relation why would SHE not want to be on my tree? :-S
The biggest problem with the 120 year rule is that a lot of people are too lazy to research death dates and names that should be there, aren't there!

I am spending my afternoon watching cricket from Somerset - where the weather is beautiful.

I'm going to research dead Randalls now! at the same time

Tess - enjoy your break

<3

Gerard - I have a relative who is terrified to think his name might be on the Internet and although I have explained the 'hidden' part - he wants none of it!
We all have our own attitudes so all I can do is honour his wish and leave him off my tree - even though he is interested in genealogy! He just doesn't like his name on the internet! No further explanation.

If anyone refuses to remove a name, the owner of the name can contact GR and the admin people will first contact the 'offender' and will eventually remove the name, if necessary.

Hi Berona

Where's Bridget?

Well your story is much better than mine - How can he think his name is not on the internet?. Does he not have any utilities or credit card, and I must assume he doesn't pay taxes.

Everything is on the Internet - 'Big Brother is watching you' - George Orwell warned us many years ago before the internet came into existence!! <3

The weather has changed for the worse - it's more like early Autumn than late Summer now!

Looking forward to more news soon! :-)

Gerard

Bridget is still here but we lost internet connection until late morning then went out for lunch.

It is not an uncommon experience for us to loose connection and the longestbwas for 8 days. Have learnt to live with it!! Ha Ha.

Just got home from a delightful day. Meet with friends for a coffee or two and then had a really great meal, over looking the med , the beach and the families enjoying time together.

We strolled back to the car park and arrived back home in just a couple of minutes.

It is very hot here today and the sunshine is covering the whole area......I do feel privileged to live here.
As I write the siren has just gone off confirming that all the fishing boats have arrived in port safely.

Gerard, I always put "name known" if someone does not want their name shown,then no one needs to be offended, the right to privacy is in my opinion a very important right and should be respected. Just as I respect others views.

Well I am off to have a siesta now

Bye bye from Bridget

Haven't been on for a few days, as we have been very busy with end of season fund raising events for our church, sorting daughters garden out, finally painting our garden benches, having the decorators in, doing an Autumn clean....;phew worn myself out just reading it !!

Autumn has arrived mornings are chilly then you just hope for the best !!! Saturday was a lovely evening tho and we were at a BBQ and sat in the garden, and only saw one wasp !!!

I am still trying to catch up with all the jobs that got put off because there were more important things to do ....my it doesn't half catch up with you tho...............

Gerard, I suspect most people have relies in oZ I found some too...from aunts that my father never knew....its a smashing journey tho

Regards all

Jan Norfolk UK

Berona - I've just noticed you're researching Birchall's

I have a few in my tree from Crank/Rainford nr. St.Helens in Merseyside/Lancashire any relation to yours?

Gerard

Gerard - first, let me tell you I believe the fear of identity theft has a lot to do with not wanting names on the internet - and also the fact that every person I have known with this attitude, is 'computer ignorant/illiterate'. That same relative has never owned a credit card or a cheque book and has always paid for everything by cash and in person. Very old fashioned, I know, but I can't see him changing his ways now.

Secondly - you are the first person to pick up on my 'research' names. The name Birchall is in my OH's tree and yes, your relatives could be part of the family, although I have not been able to delve into the aunts/uncles in any generation - only enough to know that there were an awful lot of them! Large families, and all from the area you mentioned. It has been made more difficult to research by the fact that I have found fourteen different versions of spelling the name! There doesn't seem to have been any education prior to the 20th century, so names were written as they sounded, and the signatures I have on marriage certificates, etc. are marked with a 'X'. One person 'fixed' it back in 1928, but he got it wrong - so since then, it has been Burchall and I don't think any of the living relatives are interested in changing it back again.

Berona and Gerard,

My family name on my grandfathers tree should be very simple. However the Spelling has several variants and I have learnt that many people could not write let alone spell, and often the person recording the document also could not spell. As a result the family name Ford is also spelt as Fford, Forde, Fored, and other variations.
Also some first names have been mis spelt
My mother has her name recorded as Winniefred. Her brother spelt the name!

Bridget

Hi All
Well I have been home in Spain for just over a week and at long last seem to have caught up with the mundane washing, ironing and housework.
We had a great time in UK seeing family, especially our two grandchildren, and friends. I also enjoyed shopping - the car was loaded up when we made our return journey.
We arrived in France to stay at our friends' for a few days to be informed that the next day they were having a BBQ and guess who was doing the cooking ? Yes, my hubby and me. It was for 14 people half of which were French - can we speak French - NO........ Anyway we managed the cooking bit even though it poured with rain.
My mom was pleased to see us but she has lost an awful amount of weight and has also had 2 falls recently - her guardian angel must have been at her side as she has only badly bruised herself - anyone else would have had broken bones.
We have some friends coming over in a few weeks - they have rented a large villa and all their friends have been allocated a slot to stay with them. We are with them 25th-30th September so another break to look forward to.
Sorry to read Val is leaving us - perhaps she will still read this thread even if not able to contribute.
I wish GR wouyld sort out the pages bit on long threads - perhaps my brain is not what it should be but I do find it difficult to get to the last page.
Well I hope the fridge has defrosted now and watch out freezer your turn next !!
Hope your granddaughter is ok Bridget - she is still in my prayers. Also I will remember your son and partner.
Enjoy your day everyone - see you soon
Love Mary xx

My major worries on name spelling have not been on my main branch I mean you can't really misspell Box or White or Wilson or even Devonshire but I have six versions of Randall!!

Just to let you know - all you sunseekers - that today was probably the second worst day of the summer in London (it still is officially summer) and I managed to get thoroughly wet - twice!!

I had the strangest info from a contact today - she reckons that two of our relations got married twice to each other, each time both of the couple used different names. Why!!??

Be back tomorrow to see everyone's news

Gerard xx

Mary - if you wish to go straight to the last page, just click on the little white arrow next to Post Date above the first post on any page and it will point down giving you Last Post First - same as the Index pages.

Bridget - I, too, have been thinking of your grand-daughter and also your son - how are things going with them?

Gerard - how can it still be summer in London when in other parts of England, Autumn started on 1st September? There was a discussion on one of these threads a few months ago, and those who looked it up came back with 1st September.

Well it is said that you learn something new each day and so now my most recent message is at the top. Only problem is now have to keep "going up " to remind myself what it is I want to say!!
Berona, thank you for asking about my son and my granddaughter

My so, well step son really, but like a son to me, is in much better form. He called several days ago to say that he had been to another meeting, and heeded our advice about taking hi Mum as well. He had also written each concern on a separate page of a hard back book where he is now recording what was and what wasn't discussed.
The meeting went very well,he has been promised a flat to live in big enough for his children to stay and a review of visits will take place. He may in the future six to twelve months gain full custody which would be fantastic.
The flat will be close to his mother so plenty of help there.

He still has other meetings to go to re court attendance to explain what has been happening etc.

He has received a full written apology from Social Services and has now been allocated a senior person for each meeting.

My daughter is feeling very down and is blaming herself for the accident which professionally I knows the normal thing to happen but as a mother it is heart braking. She is a very wonderful mother who is completely content to be with her children and is bringing them up to be respectful,kind and loving people. She nor Ior any one in the family is perfect but my heart hurts fro her and there is nothing I can do.

It is taking an eternity for her to see a social worker or any one who can help her financially as she still cannot go back to work. My granddaughter has become more aware of the damage and as she will be 12 in December she is finding it very difficult. I have tried to explain to her that every year doctors, nurses etc learn something new and by the time she is about 14 there will be more knowledge etc.
On aositive note she enjoys talking to Grandad 2 because he makes her laugh.

So we continue to pray, we try to look forward, I try to help financially and so on and so on.

Today we are going out for a chinese Lunch with visitors and two friends who have not yet met our UK friends.

Then this evening it is Quiz night so some fun to look forward to.

I do hope that this is not a sad message but that everyone can see that we are moving forward with the family difficulties.


Bridget