BBC TV "WDYTYA?" Series 6 Episode #1: Rory Bremner

[Marc Mc Namara]

Blasted digibox broke halfway through the recording so I've missed it.

You can catch up on BBC iPlayer at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00hhrp3/Who_Do_You_Think_You_Are_Series_6_Rory_Bremner/

Marc

[Benn2509]

I'm probably going to repeat what alot of people are saying, but as a massive fan of wdytya, I'm starting to find the programmes a little boring, yes it is very interesting finding out about past generations, but I want to see 'how' they get their information, not just the results. The fascinating part about genealogy is actually the research, including brick walls and mistakes etc.
Why dont the bbc have the programme starting with the celeb (or ordinary person), and working back through the generations, so not concentrating on one or two fairly recent generations, but really finding where this person came from.
I know my goal in family research is to go as far back as possible. Whilst learning on the way.
Anyway, thats my two pennies worth, Lets hope the series gets a little more interesting as it goes, hopefully showing them researching 19th / 18th century records.
Cheers.
Benn.

[DudleyWinchurch]

Hi
as someone who has thought vaguely about doing a tree but never really started (I found you guys when my one of my kids was asked to make a stab at a tree for class) I found the Rory Bremner episode really interesting.

I knew that someone on my mothers side had done a tree when she was young but have no idea what happened to it and the information/documents that went with it.  My dad's cousin has worked on their tree but I didn't know that until DS asked for help with his project and dad said 'Oh I haven't seen the tree since I gave R our ammendments'.  I think he meant me and my sisters broods as it seems they're expanding the tree forwards now.

Anyway back to Rory, I can see  that it was probably a bit thin for a genealigist but for us ordinary punters out there it was good.
Also it should (hopefully) mean less stupid questions of the archivers as it showed just how much might be squirreled away in the family coffers.

Puss

Yes, there can be lots of information hidden away in boxes throughout the family but not everyone may know of it.

I'd been working on my research for more than a year when my cousin found the materials that we both knew that our aunt had collected a long time ago (they were among some things left by his mother, the aunt's sister) and it was even later than that, that my sister remembered that she had a copy of a tree sent to my mother, by a cousin one Christmas many years ago.  Turns out all my siblings and even my older children knew about that (my excuse is, I'm sure that it must have been the Christmas that my youngest child arrived on Christmas day so I was too busy making family history to notice much beyond that).

Just because some of the research has been done before doesn't necessarily mean there is no work involved in finding/verifying and extending it now.

[Marc Mc Namara]

I agree with the point of there being too much  pfaff and not enough substance - that why i think that 'so you think you are a royal' is better - Nick barrat gets his hands dirtier and there is a little more how when why etc

Marc

[skewbald]

Blasted digibox broke halfway through the recording so I've missed it.

It is on again tonight at 7.00 on Beeb 2.   

[mentmore]

Ostler

Don't be upset for missing WDYTYA yesterday, it's repeated today Tuesday BBC2 7pm

Carol

[mentmore]

Hi

Sorry Skewbald didn't see your message

Carol

[Windsor87]

I thought it was pretty good in the sense that they tracked down some of the people who knew his father, or worked alongside him in Germany.

In the very last scene when he was looking for the Ogilvy grave in the small cemetery, I was fully expecting him to look through all the small graves only to find (shock) that his ancestor's grave was the massive marble one plonked in the middle.  But no - it was just a small shield.

[kerryb]

I found this episode interesting and quite thought provoking.  We children and grandchildren only know our parents and grandparents as that generally and seeing parents in another life is interesting.

A useful reminder too that letters and diaries can be of use to family historians as well first hand accounts from people still alive who knew our ancestors.

And so refreshing that Rory was thoughtful but didn't cry every five minutes   

He has ever right to be proud of his ancestry though.

Kerry