General Chat

What sort of games did they play as children, - indoors and out? What about toys? What sort of clothes did they wear and were they homemade? How did they celebrate family occaisions such as weddings and birthdays.?

Daniel, if they were around in 1948, they May have gone to the London Olympics, or 1951 to the south bank exhibition. Festival of Britain

Ask them how and where they met their own partners and if they know how/where their parents/grandparents etc met. Maz. XX

What did older relatives look like/sound like/what mannerisms if any did they have? Photographs and documents tell you so much but I would give anything to know what they were like as people, to have even the vaguest physical description of those of whom I don't have pictures. My father told me he remembered that his grandmother grew cabbages in the garden, kept a tortoise, laughed a lot, and was sprightly and lively into her eighties. Those few words have told me as much about her as all the other documentary information I have found. Angela

How much pocket money/ wages did you get and what could you buy with it?

What about sending them a small ancestry chart to fill in any details they know/remember. Dates and names. You may get soemthing back you don't yet know. Although say it isn't compulsory!! Diane

Thanks for the ideas. I have made a note of them all.

Smells. They're always interesting to talk about!!

Daniel, Ask them to describe the kitchen they remember from childhood. Ask how they spent their leisure time and what entertainment they enjoyed. Ask them which national and international events they remember, and how these affected their lives. Rosemary(Essex)

Would any of them be interested in joining you,on your quest!..

Were your brothers / father in the army / navy / air force? Were your sisters / mother in service? Joy

do they know any family secrets? Maybe you don't know all you should!! :O)

Hi Dan I have an 'interrogation list' (lol) that another member sent me ages ago. I'd be happy to pass it on if you contact me with your email addy. Jeanette x

try to find out what the cost of living was like back then, e.g. wages, food, transport etc.. I had to do an essay some years ago when I was at college where I had to compare living in the 1930s with living in the present. To do this I "interviewed" my grandparents and great aunt.

memories of their childhood/games played disipline at school christmas's past

What was it like at school? what were the teachers like? at what age did you leave school? Did you go to church? What sort of heating / lighting did you have? How many lived in your house? Did you go on holiday? What did your father / brother etc do for a living? Joy

Daniel ask each of them for their earliest memory!

memories of shops & what you could buy memories of the war/evacuation/bombing memories of d day memories of coronation day Hospital memories & memories of diseases.

I know dates and names. Just thinking about the more 'real life' questions, if you know what I mean.

What date and where did Gt Gt Gt Grandma and Grandad marry and what was her maiden name :))))))))))))