BBC WDYTYA Series 10 Episode #9: Marrianne Faithful

[Maggie.]

Valid point.

But perhaps her mother found it impossible to talk about in depth because of the trauma they suffered. It seemed apparent to me that what her mother and grandmother experienced was very deeply buried.

Maggie

[lookingforold]

Some on this board may remember my queries going into my own mother's history which she refused point blank to go into. She died a couple of years ago so the secrets will never come out.  She must have had very bad memories of it, so perhaps this is what happened in M.F's case.

[suey]

my own mother's history which she refused point blank to go into. She died a couple of years ago so the secrets willl never come out.  She must have had very bad memories of it, so perhaps this is what happened in M.F's case.

lookingforold you could be talking about my own mother.  We have discovered a lot about my   mothers early history but there are still some questions to which we will never know the answers.

As Guy says

[portrayed exactly the title of the program "Who Do You Think You Are", and gave the viewers an insight into why the subjects turned out as they did./quote]  and to quote Ms Faithful again  "Your family is the ground you stand on" and perhaps that is more important to some people than the many generations that went before.
 

[Meezer]

When I started trying to find out things about my family history (in the days before there was so much information readily available) my dad struggled to be able to give me much to go on as a starting point -and the things he knew to be "fact" turned out to be wrong! He was a child in the 1920's and said that in that era parents just didn't talk to their children in the same way as today. Whether they thought their children wouldn't be interested or whether they in turn hadn't been told anything that they could pass on I don't know. It's one of my greatest regrets that my dad died before I found out all the stuff I have - the times I've cursed at not being able to tell him the latest little snippet!

[loobylooayr]

This is my second post on this topic - but I just wanted to add-
Family history , of course, begins with the generation before you and as some have rightly said is crucial to "who we think we are". I don't mind the show uncovering the recent past.
But this particular episode had little content dragged out over an hour, in my opinion. Some photos and some papers - that was about all. Oh and of course the rolled out, professional tree which we are given a glimpse of. It didn't make riveting viewing. And Marianne's father's family would have been interesting subjects too and didn't even rate a mention.
I hope John Simpson's episode has the series closing on a high 

[suey]

John Simpsons grandmother ran away with Samuel Cody, looking at Wiki P it looks as though we shan't get back much further with his history, maybe we'll get a bit more on his grandma 

[stonechat]

Yes there was a bit of spoiler on TV last week

[LizzieW]

Samuel Cody isn't a blood relative of John Simpson, so I suppose they couldn't spend much time on him.  The write up about the programme states that they also cover his g.grandmother's career in touring shows and also hunt for the pub run by the man she dumped - I presume they mean his g.grandfather.

[california dreamin]

Hi All
Well I failed miserably last night. I did stay up to see this programme - saw the beginning then fell asleep     I think I woke briefly and saw the unveiling of the much despised ready made family tree, then feel asleep again.  I don't know why. Even in past series if the topic was not something that I was researching or overly interested in  I still never fell asleep.  It seems to be coming a habit!

I do agree with other comments in that the social history is important and all part of genealogy & family history, but there must be something in the way these programmes have been devised that just aren't doing it for me. 

I better make sure I have a strong coffee ready when I watch John Simpson's story!  Cheers.