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I recently posted about how finding a photo from about 30 years ago triggered a search of Google Street View trying to locate a hotel I stayed at a couple of times on school trips to the Isle of Wight. Well, after having success with that, I remembered another little mystery I had from my family tree.
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Whilst going through some childhood photographs, I came across some from a primary school trip to the Isle of Wight. Alongside a visit to the beach and Arreton Manor were a few taken in the hotel lounge, one of the bedrooms, and out of a bedroom window.
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Before I continue, may I just get something out there now? I. Hate. Fancy. Dress.
I rarely see the point of it. Does anyone actually care what or who you come to a party as? Do I really have to spend time and money finding a suitable costume, either by scrabbling things together, buying new, or even renting?
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Almost 40 years ago, the UK's answer to Dallas and Dynasty hit our screens. Howards' Way, the BBC 1 drama based on the south coast of England, was the epitome of 80's Britain - big aspirations, big business, big hair, and big boats.
But I rewatched it recently with one question in mind: how often do the characters say the word "business"?
Read more: How many times do people say Business! in Howards' Way?
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A Facebook post from my former university's Information Services got me thinking: it's coming up to 20 years since I graduated from Aberystwyth University. I'd worked towards my degree in Information and Library Studies, with my undergraduate dissertation looking at the increased use of automated systems in libraries.
Now, then, seems to be a good time to look back at what things were like then, how I got interested and involved in them, and how things have progressed since then.
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I bloody love maps, don't you?
For me, they're not just a navigational tool, they're little snapshots in time that help you visualise the past. They can reveal how modern-day areas got their name, when houses were built - or demolished, or give you a better understanding of just what life was like for your ancestors.
They're also a work of beauty with intricate details and artistic flourishes.
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For whatever reason, over the years of my genealogical research, there are a couple of lines of my family tree that I haven't really looked in to too much.
It could've been because I just didn't have access to the records, or that I was bored of finding yet more agricultural labourers. Most likely it was because I was focussing on my parents' name lines.
This week, for the #52Ancestors topic of branching out, I've been revisiting these lines to dig a little deeper and discover more ancestors.
Read more: Branching out, discovering new ancestors, getting a headache
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If you're playing along at home, you may have noticed that I skipped last week's #52Ancestors post and it was purely because the topic - favourite photo - was just too hard!
I'm currently in the process of scanning thousands of photographs that belonged to my great-uncle and great-aunt, Jack and Mary. Amongst them are so many fantastic photos, they, too, are becoming some of my new favourites. I'll keep working on my favourite photo article and publish it at some point over the year.
On to this week: all things curious.
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This week's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks topic is favourite find, and is one that didn't take too long at all to think about.
It's a find that involves a house of ill fame, a basket of walnuts, a "nearly capsized" fishmonger, a pheasant, a "tiger"... and my 3x great-grandfather.
Yeah, that's got you interested, hasn't it?
Hi, I'm Chris. I run the online shop for one of the UK's largest charities.