The Good Old Days!!!!!

[ElizabethHerts]

I too made many visits to the Family History Centre in Islington, sometimes going to the LMA as well.

The first time I went was with my Mum, and it took us ages looking at the 1851 census and finding nothing, but the joy of just two birth registrations! This took all day.

Then, the pleasure of going with my elder daughter and Mum and my daughter's positive delight at finding just the smallest snippet of information, and my Mum being so happy at being able to share an obsession.

[Phoenix]

How lovely to have three generations interested, Elizabeth.

Nell, there's nothing to stop us going back to Kew, you know. I have purist friends who can't understand why anyone should wish to visit a record office with a companion. Okay, my visits to the Norfolk Record Office have always been planned like military campaigns and executed like exams, but a giggle over a coffee (or something stronger afterwards) makes the day a success whether or not you find anything.

[JBee]

Have you ever come across someone you know at a records office?

My first trip to Kew and I didn't really know what I was doing. Anyway after ordering and viewing records for the 71st Regiment of Foot - finally thought I'd have a look at other departments to see what else they had which might be useful.

So who should I bump into whilst on the stairs but the boys barber at the time. Over 100 miles from home!! lol

OH had taken himself off to Kew Gardens!!! and it was his ancestors I was researching!!!

[marquette]

I remember my first visit to the local LDS library. It was really crowded and there was a separate room of microfilm and microfiche readers. Lot of people avidly peering at microfims. I ordered the 1841 census for Martock Somerset microfilm and looked at their various indexes and resolved to be better organised next time ! Waited three weeks for the microfilm. In the end I transcribed all 5 E.D.s for Martock, as there were so many rellies there, it was easier just to write them all down for later searching. I still used it sometimes even when the 1841 became available on ancestry.

I remember nearly falling off my chair and wanting to shout EUREKA very loudly, the first time I found something that was a missing piece - now I cannot remember what it was, but I remember the feeling of triumph and satisfaction, very clearly.

My first trip to the NSW State Library was also to use their microfilms - newspapers ! But now its nearly all on line with Trove ! Then there was the day, when I requested a book from the stacks - they said you have to sit over there, where we can see you and wear these gloves - wow, this was a rare book !

Di

[KiwiChris]

I remember sitting at the row of fische readers at the local library with a number of others, we all smiling when someone whispered loudly YES!

One memorable visit as I had trawled though several years of birth records looking for the birth of my ellusive grandmother and sighing loudly at yet another failure. The woman sitting at the next reader asked me who I was looking for and I gave her the name. "I collect information on Hendersons" she said "and I am sure I have her name somewhere, don't go away."

With that she left the library, returning about half an hour later with a large folder. There she had the information on the divorce of my great grandparents, and the information that my grandmother was adopted!

Thanks to that unknown woman who happened to be at the library at the same time as me that day, I found my grandmother!

On line does not even come close to that experience!

[Margaret in Burton]

I've told this story before but here goes again.

Hubby was working delivering wines and spirits for Bass at the time and finished earlier than expected. He was in Leicester and knew that we needed info from the record office there. He called his boss and asked permission to go, in his own time of course. Boss said yes as the lorry was empty and obviously parked safely.
When he got to the record office he asked for the fiche for baptisms, burials and marriages for Exton, Rutland. He's told that another gentleman had those out but as there was a seat vacant next to him perhaps he wouldn't mind sharing. He didn't mind and asked OH what name he was researching. OH told him, Newey. He was amazed and said, that's my name who are you? OH explained that it was my family and discovered that he was talking to a second cousin of mine. I knew of him as he'd met my uncle many years before, well before I started research and I did have a copy of the tree he gave my uncle. OH gave him our number and he called that night. His grandfather and my grandfather were brothers. His grandfather is a mystery, we still haven't found his death but that's another story. I still haven't met my second cousin but we do exchange Christmas cards and email and phone occasionally. He often remarks on the sheer luck of that visit to Leicester.

Goosebumps Marg.