Genealogy Chat

I've been waiting 12 years to order some certs.......I don't suppose a few more weeks will make much difference! I HATE cooking. That's nothing to do with this hobby, though! Merry

Paul I agree, no grumbling allowed!!! I love this genealogy lark - it's not just about finding my ancestors but all the other things it has opened up for me. I research their background lives giving me insight into their jobs and ways of life. I visit where they lived, allowing me to visit places I might never have thought in a million years of going to - and some lovely places they have been too. There is so much about his hobby other than just certificates - although they are an essential part of it, I just wish people would also realise they can order from the local registry offices too and so spread the load (or perhaps I shouldn't wish that!!!!). Snowdrops PS - It's so nice seeing so many men on here at the moment too!

i go to my local studies library every week, although i have totally exhausted most to do with my family, but ilike to scan victorian newspapers for interesting stories, what i will say about the last long wait for certs, i do not belive the tv programme had hardly any influence on it, watching the increase in newbies in my library for the first series, yes it was packed out with newbies, although most drop off when faced with hours of trawling micro fisches, but when the second series came on, ther was hardly any new faces at all coming, in fact some saturdays it was deader than at any time in lhe last 3 years, but what had happened and at the same time was Ancestry put the BMD indexs that had previously cost hundreds to view at 1837 on line for free and i know because of this i was ordering 10 to 20 a week, it was this that caused the back log this time around not the tv program and i dont think they will have the impact of the first series

Couldn,t agree more Paul. I have little more than 500 in my tree at present and was directed on one ancester by two very helpful guys on this board, but the rest I found myself and very satisfying it was too. Moaners are for general not our board. Rod

Good post Paul - nimbyism comes in all shapes and sizes. We can't expect to enjoy our hobby/pastime/addiction and not let anyone else in. :-) Keith

I am grateful to programmes like WDYTYA, as that is what started me looking into my family history and a few months down the line, I am totally addicted! My problem is not the waiting time for the certs to arrive, but the waiting until I have enough money to buy all the certs I want! I'm finding that other expenses like food and bills are preventing me from getting the certs, not waiting times.LOL Lynn

What would the great British public be if they couldn't have a grumble about something? Anyway totally love this hobby, it's fastly becoming a bit of an obsession, guess I'm in good company though.

Paul - you are quite correct. Great post. I started doing this FH tracing back in February as a result of WDYTYA..........as I saw it was rather easier than when I had an initial go 20 years ago as a teenager. I was initially really keen and found lots of links and certificate details, but the wait from the GRO was at that point about 1 month. Obviously it's eased now - but with another series of WDYTYA, it's going to increase. Hopefully another mass of people will be encouraged to start looking and of course this could result in lots of new links and names for everyone else. All in all, it's great there is another series, but that wait for those ordered certificates is at times a frustration. The GRO might well have more staff in place this time for all the extra certificate business they will get in the coming weeks.

Gave you a smile, didn't it ... :-) ?

Joy, I hope you're referring to genealogy!

I love it, too, Paul .... totally and utterly addicted, and have been so since 1999. Joy

I love my new-found hobby of genealogy, so I find it odd that there's so much grumbling on these boards. Surely the thrill of overcoming obstacles beats the satisfaction of getting an easy answer. Some of the comments I read sound like 'I couldn't bother with a decent meal because it takes too long to cook'. Top of the list of grumbles is the waiting time to receive certificates. When I send off for a certificate I then put it out of my mind and concentrate on other lines of the family tree. The regular comment that astonishes me most arises when a television programme boosts interest in family history. Instead of being delighted that more research will result in more chances for us all to find a match, people complain that it will increase the time for certificates to arrive. Duh? Surely that's a small price to pay for increasing your chances of finding new info?