Who Do You Think You Are

[ferlew]

Lesley Sharp, fantastic viewing so far.

[ummmm]

Yes, very interesting.

[cupid04]

I'm enjoying it to. Glad times have changed for unmarried mothers.

[pusskin]

cant wait to see it on iplayer tomorrow, sounds really good.

[cupid04]

too.^^

[Octavius]

Well it was different, in that she ended up finding the grandson of a Barnardos boy her 85 year old grandfather looked after for 7 years befoire being shipped off to Canada.

I do find it very watchable and enjoyable, but its really episodes of social history dressed up for modern viewing isn't it.

[bibblebub]

Would you watch it if it was just ordinary members of the public whose family was being researched, or is it the "celebrity" factor that attracts you?

[emmie]

excellent, one of my favourite actresses..

[cupid04]

A bit of both. It's interesting to see places you've been to, then think I didn't know that lol.My other half has drunk in the Saracens Head. He won't
tell me who with!

[tonyav]

T'was me lol.

[Octavius]

Was that to me bibblebub?

If so, yes, I like history anyway and some episodes in social history are fascinating and you learn something. I know quite a bit about Barnardos as it goes so it was interesting to see it featured. I don't care much for the celebrity aspect but it does provide a window to their private world you wouldn't see except in a private interview I suppose. For the main part I usually try to predict which part of the world they will be flown off to next.

The 'out of the blue' telecon to the grandson was a bit staged though! "Hi is that X, I'm Y my great grandad looked after your grandad 90 years ago so I'll see you in Canada in a couple of days"

[bibblebub]

Apologies, Octavius, the question was intended for anyone, not you specifically

[DJHawkes]

my brother-in-law has spent almost 50 quid in the last 20 years trying to get his Nan's records from Dr Barnardo's, it made me sick watching how easy they made it look, the admin there is awful and very unhelpful.

[Octavius]

Ah, no worries, in context though as the programme sits in the 'something about social history' then I would watch it, but seeing an hour of some bloke called Gerald from Croydon researchoing his great great grannies aunties uncle would not be of much interest.

[ferlew]

My husband's dad and uncle were among those shipped off to Canada, to be used as cheap labour as far as I can tell. They were in their early teens.
I have found the passenger list, but the period between their mother dying, and being shipped to Canada is very hazy indeed.

[DJHawkes]

ferlew my ex's nan and 3 brothers and 2 sisters were all taken into barnardos in 1913 after both parents died, the eldest boy went to Canada never to be traced since, even though we have written over and over to the archives of barnardos with exact details of all the siblings, including a letter from the last surviving one (he died in 1992) who they put into the army at 16 as a boy soldier and he was a prisoner in the far east up to 1947. He knew where he'd been, what happened in there yet they kept fobbing him off saying records had been lost in the blitz. funny how they managed to find the records for lesley sharp.

[ferlew]

Really?
Hub's dad and uncle were part of a family of 7 children, who were farmed out all over on the death of mum.
I believe the older girls were put into service, no sign of them. Nor do we know what happened to the younger children. Thankfully hub's dad enlisted, and eventually made his way to the UK, via South Africa and other places.

[DJHawkes]

i was particularly surprised with the photos they turned up, it's incredibly lucky. (and I'm not a great believer in luck where family history is concerned.)

[FredPuli43]

If you have a whole load of researchers, experts with contacts, a production company with money , and the promise that the results will be shown on TV, with good publicity for all, it may just be easier to get quick results than if a layman tries it on his own, Dot !

[DJHawkes]

yuh think so fred DOH lol just what i've been saying since season 1!!!

[DJHawkes]

I did minnie drivers tree in 20 minutes from my own front room, the padding is curtosy of the producers bank balance