General Chat

Isn’t it great though to have these lovely memories and be able to talk about them? Loved the meets that I went to, Bristol twice, Webb’s Wychebold twice, Newport and Swansea.

I used to laugh so much at BC’s ‘exploits’ with Fred. And does anyone remember when we did a GR pantomime and BC was the old woman who lived in a shoe? Alan was in that one and Barbra I know. So funny.

Ann, I remember the pantomime thread. It really was funny, a great spoof, as all pantomimes should be, although I'm not sure that it would pass muster today :-(

It took me a long time to join in on the various threads, as, despite all appearances to the contrary, I'm a very shy person.

My sense of humour is such that I have to know people for some time before unleashing it :-)

Sharron's posts about Fred had me in stiches and her many threads since also have the same effect.

Although we have never met, Barbra and myself have many geographical connections from when I lived in the UK :-)

does anyone remember 'Scarlet Ribbons' and who that person became known as?

When I first discovered the boards, quite some time after joining in 2003 chat seemed so cliquey that I was sure everyone lived in the same street. The boards had different titles and uses then, there were some very rude people who behaved as if they owned the site and demanded that those who asked for help stayed on their computer - too much time on their hands I guess. Very off putting though, I wonder how many people gave up asking?

Needless to say I didn't bother looking in for quite a while. Then going through a difficult time I needed something fairly mindless to focus on especially if I couldn't sleep. GR boards ran round the clock then but now all's quiet by 8pm. Am I the only member who has other stuff to do during the day? :-S

I miss Wend, we met a couple of times at London meets. She gave me some of her favourite runner bean seeds - Wisley Magic - which I have grown every year since.

I loved Maddies Auntie Motie thread, it was hilarious, we wondered how we got away with some of the double entendres perhaps they went over the rr's head? Is 'Cooper' still around?

The lam cam threads were great, we all became 'experts' at knowing the signs of an imminent lambing.

The 'bike shed' was hilarious' - I'll raise you a woodbine - I know Sharron's still but where are the others?

I enjoyed evening laughs with Wend, Prickles, Mersey, Budgie etc. not forgetting Merlin and Julia bantering over woolly hats and shallots - where did 'young Master Piers' go? Sadly a few mean spirited members - who are no longer posting! - made unfair comments which rather put a damper on it for me.

Something I've never understood is how someone can quietly post and be largely ignored for months only to suddenly be incessantly picked on and in some cases hounded off the boards? What goes on in the background to cause this? Likewise, members who just can't resist being baited.

It's lovely to see Madge back :-D

Have a nice day
:-D

Allan - Snap! :-D

:-D :-D :-D@Island

I think there are secret boards which I have never had access to :-0

:-D

Well, I am a Freemason ;-)

No Allan you just like wearing your trousers in a certain way :-D

Trousers?

Just a pinny ;-)

Allan think you were the first person. I spoke to on GR self taught on comp so found this site thought would have a dabble i am not a good mixer but you can.be whatever you want on here & I thank people for help with family.tree & when I have had my ops the support from strangers helped me x oh the pantomime thread was. really funny wish it was in.the archives somewhere .good old days.then .but still some good people on here now .I have left to never come back but here I am for 12months now really ;-) it's cheaper :-D than all the coming & going Barbara :-D

Sorry Allan....does the pinny match your hat?? :-)

Thank you Island , as I was reading I was thinking does she mean me :-S as I can not remember us ever falling out, I do remember you posting with Mersey and Wend and you did tend to keep yourselfs to yourselfs and did not get involved with any rows.

I miss Daff, we met a couple of times and I got to spend most of the weekend with her and Mr Daff along with Itsmytelly just before she became very ill again. You had to wait for her to pause during a conversation so you could actually get a word in. That was a nice weekend we met Ann in Glous and Mr T Gwynne in Kent Julieanne Jude and Jean RIP I still have the photos. :-D

Nothing incriminating I hope. Do I remember you doing an auction of some sort?

I did indeed Ann talk about pressure :-D


I was trying to think who else was there and remember Sue and Himself she'll have me for that for forgetting :-D

Island .............

there are some of us around during your night time!!

But there is so little movement on these Boards (either this one of the search ones) that I now only look in briefly on most evenings.

I started my internet experience by first joining Friends Reunited, the elder sister of this site, joined GR soon after, but as I said earlier kept off Chat because my reception was so unpleasant and I couldn't believe the nastiness that went on..

GR has gone the same as FR did ......

............ when I first joined FR, some boards and threads moved so fast at all times of the day or night that I spent a lot of my evenings on there, and couldn't keep up with the posts. By the time you'd written and posted, 15 or 20 other posts would have appeared. But it began to slow down and eventually die after ITV bought the sites from the original owners.

I date the slowing down of this site to when it was acquired by FMP

Steve, one of the original owners got FR back and tried to resurrect it, but it was too late

Madge at Newport Sue was not there, at least not before we left, I think you may have joined up with them later. I seem to remember her daughter was ill.

Yeah Ann she did arrive later her daughter was ill.

I wouldn't blame the rows on here for the lack of interest in this site, I found it become busier when a row was in full swing, I said long ago that in the end with all the hand wringing and RR people will end up with the site they deserve. Also the lack of interest by the owners, for a start most genealogy sites improve and update their records this site hasn't moved on for 10 yrs. FB and snapchat came along why pay towards a site when you get more accessible records elsewhere and chat to people for nothing.

I read more than I post these days.
I got fed up of some of the controversial posts .

I am still a member and will renew next month again.

Genes really got me started on my family with the help of hot matches.
I enjoyed 2 meets,one in Cornwall at Bodmin Gaol,where I met quite a few old members and then went to Truro Reccords office as my maternal roots hailed from there.I also helped organise a meet here in NorthWales,where I met Hayley,Puss,MayBlossom,,LindaMcD.etc.

I also quite liked my chats with John,as at one time he had lived in my village and we had something in common..I don’t think he should have been banned as he wasn’t as bad as some on here and spoke his mind.!

I am on FB and see a few of you on there.

I got a lot of support from everyone when my OH was so ill,and also when one of my great granddaughters was so very poorly( she is 5 now and though tiny is doing very well).that was so comforting and I appreciated all the messages.

I will try to post more and join in again.




It really was a lovely interesting site and helped me so much as an interest when I couldn’t go out at all when I cared for my sick husband for so long :-)

Madge .............

what did you expect when the company that owned FMP and had the rights to Scottish People was allowed to buy GR??? This combined 3 of the largest genealogy sites in the UK under one roof, leaving Ancestry.

I've said since that time that this site would be driven into the ground, and FMP would be the site that would be supported, and that is exactly what has happened.

I've never understood why people insist on paying the Platinum and Gold levels as ALL the information on here is by access to records available on other sites ........ either for free (Freebmd) or often for subs cheaper than GR was charging!

What was good and valuable on GR, and still is, is the help provided by members to other members ................ and it seems to me that that is what is being supported!

After all, one of the conditions under which the company was allowed to acquire GR was that GR would be maintained ................. well, it is being maintained, albeit in the format that it first began!!

There were no records on here when I joined, and none until after access was obtained to BMDs obtained from Freebmd via FMP. It was a place to build your tree for free or a small sub that also gave you access to the Help Boards.

GR and FMP share the same office, office and technical staff.


And Scottish People is no longer in the FMP family.

Lots of lovely people who sadly are not longer with us like BC and auntie Jean who I met on many occasions. Daff and the lady who lived in holland ( sorry forget her name ) who we messaged privately .especially Daff who was wonderful when my daughter was going through chemo for Hodgkin's.
Even though Daff was poorly she boosted me up with wonderful supporting messages

Some lovely folks too who decided to leave with all the arguments and RR,s going on at the time

Don't misss though some of the bossy boots on the other threads who thought they owned the right to put you down if you dared to word a request wrongly .As a newcomer many moons ago I got trolled quite badly by one who thought they owned the boards and were in charge .it put me off asking for info at the time when the 1901 census was the latest and FreeBMD hadn't as many records as now

So I try very much to be polite now I am more experienced in searching and have others subs

;-)