The Gift Horse

Well how did all this begin? it was one of those dull drizzly Tuesday mornings where you wish something exciting would happen and just change your life a little....well this Tuesday it did...

The BBC called and asked me to appear on a show in an hour's time...apparently in
2007 I answered an advertisement saying I was interested in researching my family
who are admittedly a pretty intriguing bunch...

Embarrassed I had to admit I had done nothing in two years about the research so declined to appear initially. I went home and got out the little brown battered suitcase with all the airmail letters, photos, alien registration cards, ration books and even a pair of spectacles...I looked through the spidery handwriting and dusty remains of my ancestors' mystery lives and began to wonder and regret declining the offer from the BBC - looking a gift horse in the mouth and all that...if only someone would just come along and do all that investigation work for me...

Then to my surprise a little later a very nice gentleman, (quite posh) from the BBC rang again asking if I would appear on a two-part show, with Anne Diamond to look at all the questions I have about my family...on BBC Radio Berkshire at 11am Sept 1st 2009.

I would be accompanied by an expert in research who would look at my family history and go off and try and answer the questions I have and then in 3 weeks come back and put the jigsaw together again. Just like the BBC TV programme I love 'Who do you think you are?'...soon I would know much more about all those naughty and nice ancestors of mine!

YES! my answer was easy this time as it seems my wishes were answered and how exciting to be part of such a journey of exploration.

First I had to go off and speak to my father, brother, aunts and uncles and explore with them the details and check they were ok with me discovering these details, sensitive in many areas as you will soon see.

It took time but it was lovely to chat and discover how each of them had a little more of the jigsaw to piece together. Then it was time gather more information and to look again in the battered brown old suitcase stuffed with letters, telegrams, birth, marriage and death certificates

...what more would I discover? Already I was finding out things that were making me uncomfortable...

All of the relatives already have become much more alive and real to me.. I am losing sleep thinking about them all - how crazy is that?

Now I am ready - it's the morning of the first interview and off I go - soon I will begin this journey to find out who I really am...