From the Forces Reunited newsletter:
The RAF Museum is searching the UK to find female veterans who served within the Service and are willing to share their stories and experiences on a new online exhibition, which willhighlight the roles that women have played within the RAF over the years.
An electronic version of the popular 'Women of the Air Force' is under construction and the museum is appealing for previously unheard tales from women who have served in the RAF, the Women's Royal Air Force or the Women's Auxiliary Air Force to appear on the website's interactive forum.
The original exhibition, which is currently on view at the RAF Museum in London, aims to highlight the roles that women have played and still play within the RAF and how their responsibilities have changed over the years.
Nina Burls, the exhibition's curator, said:
"If you consider that in recent years we have seen the appointment of the first female Red Arrow pilot, 3 female Air Commodores, and the award of the first female DFC [Distinguished Flying Cross], the museum felt that now is an appropriate time to raise awareness about the contributions that women have made to the development of today's Royal Air Force. Building on the overview provided by the exhibition, the personal experiences of women who have served are vital in order to do this.
"Every woman has her own unique story to tell, as do her friends and family, and over the coming months we will be highlighting such first-hand accounts held within the museum's collection. The Royal Air Force Museum invites all former and current Service personnel, their friends and families, to further aid this understanding by telling their stories in the Women of the Air Force's interactive forum, which can be found on the museum's website."
The URL of the RAF Museum website which covers both Hendon and Cosford is www.rafmuseum.org.uk. Collecting the personal stories of female former Air Force personnel, it will not only help to highlight women's contribution to the development of the RAF, but will create an important historic archive to inspire the next generation of young women to recognise that when it comes to their own futures the sky is, quite literally, their only limit.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
Monday, 6 July 2009
PRONI closed Mon 13th and Tues 14th July
The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (www.proni.gov.uk) will be closed on Monday 13th July and Tuesday 14th July, as part of the annual holiday connected to the 12th July, the anniversary of William III's defeat of James VII at the Boyne in 1690.
If you turn up, there'll be no-one at home!
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
If you turn up, there'll be no-one at home!
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
Sunday, 5 July 2009
Am Baile publishes papers on real Dad's Army
The BBC has a story online at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8104728.stm about the release of papers on the Am Baile (The Village) website (www.ambaile.org.uk ) concerning the real Dad's Army, the Local Defence Volunteers created in 1940 to resist a potential German invasion, and later renamed as the Home Guard by Churchill.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
Saturday, 4 July 2009
Ancestry re-indexing WW1 soldiers' service returns
Whilst reading through the proposals on the major changes to be implemented at The National Archives, I've come across mention that TNA has asked Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) to re-index the records that they have digitised for records from WO 364, the soldiers' service returns from the First World War, in order to include the names of regiments. There is no timescale on when this may be implemented, but TNA has promised to maintain the provision of the records on microfilm at its facility until this has been completed.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
Friday, 3 July 2009
Ettrick and Buccleuch church surveyed by RCAHMS
After a great deal of research in 2008, we at Scotland's Greatest Story were able to confirm a client's claim to be descended from the family of James Hogg, better known as the 'Ettrick Shepherd', a famous writer from the Borders. As such I now tend to keep an eye out for stories on the great man, and earlier today came across the following from the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, posted about a month ago:
The Parish Church of Ettrick and Buccleuch, best known as the final resting place of the writer James Hogg, is being considered for closure by the Church of Scotland. RCAHMS Threatened Building Survey Team visited the beautifully-preserved post-reformation kirk to record its important historical features, many of which may be lost if the building is put to a new use in the future.
James Hogg, the celebrated ‘Ettrick Shepherd’, was born into poverty in the late eighteenth century and was baptised in the church. A self-taught farm worker inspired by Robert Burns, he became a well-known member of Edinburgh’s literary community and a friend of Walter Scott.
Hogg continued to live in the Borders as a shepherd throughout his writing career, and it was only after his death that the quality and importance his work was truly recognised. Scholars and authors in the late nineteenth century rediscovered and celebrated Hogg’s writings, in particular his novel The Private Memoirs and Confessions of A Justified Sinner, and in 1898 an elaborate obelisk monument was erected on the site of the poet’s birthplace. Hogg’s gravestone is also found nearby in the parish church graveyard. Both of these monuments were recorded as part of RCAHMS survey.
It's a beautiful building - for more on the RCAHMS survey visit the following links: Ettrick Church survey and Ettrick Church picture
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
The Parish Church of Ettrick and Buccleuch, best known as the final resting place of the writer James Hogg, is being considered for closure by the Church of Scotland. RCAHMS Threatened Building Survey Team visited the beautifully-preserved post-reformation kirk to record its important historical features, many of which may be lost if the building is put to a new use in the future.
James Hogg, the celebrated ‘Ettrick Shepherd’, was born into poverty in the late eighteenth century and was baptised in the church. A self-taught farm worker inspired by Robert Burns, he became a well-known member of Edinburgh’s literary community and a friend of Walter Scott.
Hogg continued to live in the Borders as a shepherd throughout his writing career, and it was only after his death that the quality and importance his work was truly recognised. Scholars and authors in the late nineteenth century rediscovered and celebrated Hogg’s writings, in particular his novel The Private Memoirs and Confessions of A Justified Sinner, and in 1898 an elaborate obelisk monument was erected on the site of the poet’s birthplace. Hogg’s gravestone is also found nearby in the parish church graveyard. Both of these monuments were recorded as part of RCAHMS survey.
It's a beautiful building - for more on the RCAHMS survey visit the following links: Ettrick Church survey and Ettrick Church picture
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
New series of Who Do You Think You Are
The next series of Who Do You Think You Are kicks off on Wednesday July 15th, with Davina McCall pursuing her ancestral story back to a supposed royal connection, though her finds at Windsor are not quite what she expects.
Other participants in the series will include Chris Moyles travelling to the slums of Dublin and to Ypres, Kate Humble visits the coalfields of Northumberland and a WW2 POW camp, David Mitchell visits Scotland to find links to the Clearances, Kim Cattrall visits Liverpool to trace the mystery of her disappearing grandfather, and Martin Freeman uncovers a dark chapter in social history. The series will be shown weekly on BBC1 at 9.00pm. A further eight editions of the series have been commissioned from independent TV company Wall to Wall for transmission in 2010.
Other participants in the series will include Chris Moyles travelling to the slums of Dublin and to Ypres, Kate Humble visits the coalfields of Northumberland and a WW2 POW camp, David Mitchell visits Scotland to find links to the Clearances, Kim Cattrall visits Liverpool to trace the mystery of her disappearing grandfather, and Martin Freeman uncovers a dark chapter in social history. The series will be shown weekly on BBC1 at 9.00pm. A further eight editions of the series have been commissioned from independent TV company Wall to Wall for transmission in 2010.
David Mitchell visits Skye in WDYTYA (BBC Publicity)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
Belfast Social and Cultural History diploma
The University of Ulster has issued a press release on one of the first 21 graduates of the new Belfast Social and Cultural History diploma, Moya Buchanan.
You can read it at http://news.ulster.ac.uk/releases/2009/4500.html - and congrats to all my fellow Norn Ironers for their achievement!
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
You can read it at http://news.ulster.ac.uk/releases/2009/4500.html - and congrats to all my fellow Norn Ironers for their achievement!
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
Thursday, 2 July 2009
Freshly shot haggis and family history...
Recently I researched the family history of the Paton family of Largs, a line unrelated to my own (which heralds from Perthshire), but an extremely well known name to many in Ayrshire, with the family having been involved in the butcher's trade in the town, and in neighbouring West Kilbride, since 1840.The family have now created a new website for their business, which not only includes the research report that I gave to them last December, based on two days research, but many other old photos from the family's history over the last century and more. An old family tradition has it that the family are descended from the famous Covenanter Captain John Paton - sadly my research could only place them within three generations of the good captain, but it is still a fascinating history that includes suffragettes, bankruptcies, emigration and more.
I should also mention that Allan and his staff are extremely proud of their freshly shot haggis (lagopus idioticus rex), which is only available in season, sourced from the Highland parishes of Crathie and Braemar, and named by many as perhaps the best in Scotland. There is a page on this on the site also.The website can be viewed at www.patonbutchersayrshire.co.uk. (And I recommend the haggis!)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
Burke's Peerage gets a shake up
Burke's Peerage and Gentry is to get a radical overhaul. For the first time in 173 years it is to include illegitimate children, and from now on will list children in the order that they were born, rather than eldest male first. In addition the book will also include the names of children and grandchildren for daughters listed.
The full story is in yesterday's Daily Mail.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
The full story is in yesterday's Daily Mail.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
Major changes proposed at the National Archives at Kew
The National Archives at Kew has announced proposals regarding major changes at its facility, in a bid to make efficiency savings. The proposals are to be discussed in public meetings tomorrow (2nd) at the facility and on the 11th and if agreed are expected to be implemented from early 2010. TNA staff and trade unions have already been briefed on the changes.
The following are two of the main proposals, from a TNA press release:
Closure to the public on Mondays
Reading rooms will open from Tuesday to Saturday only. Closing on a Monday will allow us to reduce our ongoing running costs whilst continuing to provide a high-quality service.
Monday is already one of the quietest days so will have a lower impact on the public than any other day of closure.
Introducing car parking charges
Introducing charges for the use of the public car park will allow us to cover the costs of providing onsite parking and bring us in line with the Government’s green agenda. There will still be free parking available for visitors with a disability.
The National Archives is relatively unusual in providing free onsite parking for both visitors and staff (for example there is no onsite parking for staff or readers at the British Library’s St Pancras site or the National Archives of Scotland, while our neighbour Kew Gardens charges £6 flat rate for a day’s parking).
The facility also intends to introduce a new ordering service for documents, to restrict access to expert staff advice at the site in the evenings, and more.
Full details are available at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/changes-general-info.htm.
Expect this not to go down well...
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
The following are two of the main proposals, from a TNA press release:
Closure to the public on Mondays
Reading rooms will open from Tuesday to Saturday only. Closing on a Monday will allow us to reduce our ongoing running costs whilst continuing to provide a high-quality service.
Monday is already one of the quietest days so will have a lower impact on the public than any other day of closure.
Introducing car parking charges
Introducing charges for the use of the public car park will allow us to cover the costs of providing onsite parking and bring us in line with the Government’s green agenda. There will still be free parking available for visitors with a disability.
The National Archives is relatively unusual in providing free onsite parking for both visitors and staff (for example there is no onsite parking for staff or readers at the British Library’s St Pancras site or the National Archives of Scotland, while our neighbour Kew Gardens charges £6 flat rate for a day’s parking).
The facility also intends to introduce a new ordering service for documents, to restrict access to expert staff advice at the site in the evenings, and more.
Full details are available at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/changes-general-info.htm.
Expect this not to go down well...
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
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