Category Archives: photographs

Family History places are precious.

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I’m sure that as family historians you will appreciate the wonderful experience of discovering special family history places.  It’s such a thrill to discover places where significant events took place and to be able to think, “I’m here! This is where it happened!” I have enjoyed this experience on numerous occasions. During a visit to the UK in 2014, I had the good fortune to stay in the home where my paternal grandmother, Florence Wright had lived. In fact, she … Continue reading

Little Daddy

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How do you engage children in family stories or in fact any stories? I have been contemplating this recently and luckily was able to attend an interesting talk by Kate Simpson, a children’s author during the GSQ Mini Seminar on 4 June, Sharing Family History: telling, writing. In her talk, she spoke about preserving stories for the next generation of your family and the importance of knowing your audience and making sure your story was focused on their age and … Continue reading

A Storyteller’s Voice Found in a Decades-Old Letter Adds to the Family Tree Story

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By Victoria MacGregor An old, yellowed, typewritten letter resurfaces and creates a context to wrap around a family tree and some photographs I’m always surprised, pleasantly of course, by who responds to the private family album invitations I send. There’s certainly no formula to it, no pattern, no particular demographic, but there’s always been an enthusiastic, almost giddy interaction by those who come back to me, those who leave comments and share stories, just seem to get it. A few … Continue reading

What Ignites the Spark in the Storytelling Process?

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By Victoria MacGregor. Since the late 1980s, when my mother gave me a detailed family tree document, I’ve lingered around the perimeter of getting into family tree research. It recorded the names, birth and death dates of her father’s side of the family. Mostly his distant cousins. I pulled that old, faded Xerox chart out the day after I finished my fourth 1500-piece jigsaw puzzle about three weeks into Covid19 lock down in 2020 and was struck by the fact … Continue reading

Two Weddings.

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For many years I have been intrigued by wedding fashion, in particular the bride’s gown, and how much thought and consideration goes into the planning of this dress. A dress which is usually only ever worn once then packed away carefully, treasured but then mostly forgotten, the glory days of the preparations and the wedding itself fading into the background as the cares, worries and humdrum of everyday life take centre stage. The wedding of my grandparents, Margaret Ann Lewis … Continue reading