BBC TV "WDYTYA?" Series 9 Episode #10 TRACEY EMIN

[julianb]

I also felt this was well filled with social history. Her response to it all was very natural.  I'm pleased for her that she felt empathetic to the outcome (or is it the prequel?)

JULIAN

[cati]

Other than the fact that I did my usual screaming at the TV set - "No! You don't know they were living with the grandparents - it says they were visitors!" and the phone rang in the middle, so I shall have to catch up with the bit I missed on I-player, I enjoyed this.

Hmm - I have gypsy besom makers from the Midlands - by the name of Hodgkiss, which is a variant of Hodgkins - I wonder.....

Nice to see someone explaining the use of wildcard searches, as well.

Cati

[Gillg]

I, too, enjoyed the social history as much as anything, as I had an gt-gt-uncle who was sent about  the same time to a reformatory at the age of 9 for stealing fruit. He also had a week or so of hard labour to endure.  His journey was the reverse of Tracey's ancestor - he went from rural Huntingdonshire to Leeds.  He didn't go to Canada, but returned home to live with his parents and take up a good job.  

I did envy her the beautifully presented family tree, though!  Better get my roll of wallpaper out and start mine again.

Gillg  

[candleflame]

I was worried the huge beautifully written tree would get dirty on the ground

[Paul Caswell]

I really liked this one. Tracey was natural and passionate and the stories were fascinating. The insights into the prison and reform school system was an eye opener.

Paul

[Nick29]

An interesting episode, but I got really annoyed by Tracey's outbursts which for any other person would seem rather theatrical, but maybe normal for her ?

[Suffolk Mawther]

I knew that the Suffolk Record Office had been filmed for one of the episodes so having got to the end with no appearance, it had to be Tracey Emin.  I was curious regarding her involvment with Suffolk it was a surprise to see Kerrison.

Enjoyed this episode, not at all what I was expecting.

I'm with you Gillg - I have my original tree on the back of a roll of wallpaper, it has been added to over the years - but I began writing it thirty years ago and I know where to find all the branches and all the ancestors  

Now what will I do on Wednesday evenings at 9pm  

Pat ...

[millymcb]

I thought it all very interesting social history etc...the prison stories were fascinating especially the hard labour.  And they did well finding all the specific reports on Grand-dad Henry....

And then - as usual - I started yelling at the telly!

They found Henry in the records which was fine. I'll believe it was the same one as they appeared to have lots of other info to back it up.

But then they show a record for his father Joseph.   Except we don't know how they know for sure it is his father. Especially as he gives a birthplace in Warwickshire rather than East End of London. They didn't show us any other census info to back up this birthplace. 

So - thinking "I'll just trust they have thought it through" I gave them the benefit of the doubt. They then went on to find out all about the beesom makers and the gypsies etc etc.  Then suddenly they have Joseph running off from his family and getting married in London, listing himself as an engine driver - with a father who is also an engine driver.  And instead of thinking - well perhaps it is not the same person - they say he must have been lying on the marriage certificate!!

No explanation as to how they verified it...

Now - most people here on Rootschat would be very wary of both the prison entry and that marriage certificate...but not WDYTYA!

Milly (about to watch it again so I can shout at the telly some more)

PS I still trust they did verify it all and didn't just go off what the man with the wallpaper family tree said was true.

[millymcb]

And...they just presented her with a photo of Joseph and the four girls but never told us where it came from!

Milly