The National Archives has this week announced their new Chief Executive, Jeff James, has now started his new role.
His official title is 'Chief Executive and Keeper' and his previous experience at The National Archives will no doubt be invaluable in his new role. He has previously been Director of Operations and Services at The National Archives, involved in a variety of tasks from managing customer relations to the development and delivery of public services.
More details on the appointment of Jeff James can be found on The National Archives website.
The first programme date and time has been announced for the new series of Who Do You Think You Are?
The first show features Julie Walters and will be screened on Thursday 7 August from 9pm to 10pm. Julie's roots take her back to County Mayo, Western Ireland ,where her great grandfather Anthony Clarke was one of the very first members of the Land League- a revolutionary organisation formed in 1879, which campaigned for more than 40 years for impoverished tenant farmers to have the rights to own their own land.
This weekend’s special offer from S&N Genealogy Supplies is 3 fold out charts (worth nearly £6) for free with every Window Springback Binder purchase. So why not get organised and show off your research at the same time? More details can be found on the S&N Genealogy website
The running order for series 11 of Who Do You Think You Are? has been released by the BBC. There's no date on the when the first programme is (we presume a mid August start) but the first programme will feature Julie Walters. The final episode, featuring Billy Connolly, will mark the 100th episode of the programme. It should be a great series.
The full running order is as follows:
1. Julie Walters
2. Brian Blessed
3. Tamzin Outhwaite
4. Brendan O'Carroll
5. Sheridan Smith
6. Mary Berry
7. Martin Shaw
8. Reggie Yates
9. Twiggy
10. Billy Connolly
As family historians we collect numerous valuable documents and heirlooms in our family history quest. With those family documents it's worth ensuring you keep a copy on file in case the worst happens and your collection gets damaged. One way of doing this is to use the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner. The scanner allows you to digitise framed photos, albums, medals and pictures larger than the scanner if required.
S&N Genealogy Supplies have produced a demonstration video on the use of the Flip-Pal Scanner which can be viewed below. Have you used a Flip-Pal? What did you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
The National Archives have announced a number of talks and events, many of them free over the coming months.
With the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, there's a free talk on the 5th August 2014 at 2pm entitled: "The Royal Navy and British Army Go To War: Mobilisation and their Roads to War 1914."
This talk will discuss what happened to the Royal Navy and the British Army between the end of July and the end of the first week in August 1914, how the two services were mobilised for war and what records The National Archives holds and what the records tell us.
The speaker will be William Spencer, the Principal military specialist at The National Archives. More details including how to book a place on the event can be found at The National Archives website.
As the weather has been generally good this summer, many of us will have neglected our research to spend time in the garden. So why not take the time now to make sure your family history documents and certificates are all organised and safely stored in time for the summer holidays? S&N Genealogy Supplies have a great offer at the moment, if you buy 100 sleeves you get a free A4 Family History Binder. More details at can be found on their website at http://www.genealogysupplies.com/offer-of-the-week.php
The Bafta award winning ‘Long Lost Family’ returns tonight at 9pm on ITV. Now in its fourth series, the programme travels as far as South Africa and Australia to trace and reunite separated families.
Across eight episodes, viewers are taken on a moving journey, from the moment relatives reveal how they lost contact with a family member, to being told their loved one has been traced, to their eventual reunion.
Series four features mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters and brothers searching for loved ones who they are desperate to find. The programme travels around the UK and overseas with the help of Nicky Campbell and Davina McCall, families are guided through the heart-rending reunion process.
Interviewed by ITV, Davina said: “Long Lost Family is unlike anything else I've ever been involved in - it's emotional, it's heart-warming and it's life changing for the people we reunite. It's such a huge honour to be a part of their stories and ultimately to help them find loved ones.”
It looks like being another great series, will you be watching?
After confirmation that the Who Do You Think You Are? Live show was moving from London Olympia to the NEC in Birmingham, the actual show dates have now been formally announced for the event next year.
The show is now scheduled to take place between the 16th to the 18th April 2015. Falling later than the usual February show, it's a real break with tradition, with the event organisers hoping a different date and different location (with easier parking) will enable more visitors to attend than ever before.
Will you be going and what do you think of the new venue for the show?
Recent developments at TheGenealogist have seen the release of over 650,000 individuals who died in the First World War. Details include name, rank, regiment, place of birth, place of residence, place of enlistment, service number and the cause, date and place of death. These records are uniquely linked to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to show you where your ancestor is commemorated.
Soldiers Who Died in the Great War has been added to the huge military collection on TheGenealogist, encompassing many unique record sets from Casualty Lists and War Memorials, to Rolls of Honour and much more.