General Chat

Daniel I am a writer and I thought I'd let you know that this is really very good, especially considering your age and I should know 'cos I have boys of 15 and 16! Some things you might consider - The spelling of wets as in 'wets the appetite' - I would usually say 'whets' - the explanation is below [v] sharpen by rubbing, as on a whetstone [v] make keen or more acute; "whet my appetite" Also as Brian said you might want to bear in mind the average wages in a particular era, in comparison with spending power. You might also want to say something about how easy it can be to make assumptions and how people have to be prepared to check on actual records or send for certificates to confirm what's right. But it's good, and very exciting to find teenagers interested in Family History - my two boys just reckon mum's on her dead people again. Good luck Annie

Thanks for the comments, especially Joy, you have been really helpful. Just for those who may think it does read funny at the begining, In my Opinion... is the title, Then my own title and then a strapline which i have never heard of but apparently that's what it is or meant to be at least. The main stuff starts As a sixteen year etc etc. Please say specfically what errors you find- its the only way i'll learn.

You are no bother, Dan. The article is coming alive now, it's good. There's a little awry with the grammar at the beginning. Please don't take offence. I'll have a think overnight. Mind you, I expect the powers that be at the magazine would edit / precis it? Glad you included some free sites (non-fee-paying ones). Most are free! Just as a matter of interest, when sorting out some magazines earlier, I noticed that one of the first genealogical mailing lists (ROOTS-L, I think) was in 1987! Joy (still feeling down, at being thought of as an older person!)

hi daniel, i think that is excellent,and very well written.....i have just an observation,not a criticism....when you quote an era,such as 1959,you have to bear in mind the cost of living,during that period...as i say,just an observation. bryan.

Congratulations. I've been reading your article with a critical eye and can find no faults. A pleasure to read. Sylvia

hiya daniel well done i give you credit you talk a lot of sense and are a better speller than me nice one x

I have completed my first draft and would again like you to comment. All critisism will be taken on board and If you find a mistake let me know. Again i thank you for you help. In My Opinion… The genealogical age gap closes in You don’t often hear the words youth and genealogy in the same sentence, but things are changing. As a sixteen year old, you may not expect someone of my age to be interested in genealogy. To some it is, `an old person’s sport`. I and many others disagree with this. In the past few years there has been an influx of people wanting to know their family’s past – young and old. I started my research three years ago at the even younger age of thirteen. Back then, I had never heard of the word genealogy but knew that I wanted to have a family tree. I have always had an urge to discover my roots and find out where I belong. I’m sure this is the case for many young people; they want an identity for themselves. Other young researchers are left family trees by relatives who have passed away and want to discover more. Some are told incredible tales of distant cousins which just cry out to be investigated. Family folklore whets the appetite of many and sets the imagination alight. Keen to find out more, we turn to genealogy to gather hard evidence in the form of certificates and the like, to see if there is any truth in granny’s far-fetched stories. Before the introduction of family history websites such as Cyndi’s List, Genes Reunited, Roots web and many others, research was much more difficult. Back then, younger generations didn’t want the hassle of dragging themselves off the football pitch to the local record office. Now you can pay a visit to the World Wide Web from the comfort of your own home and discover relatives you never knew existed; a 21st century luxury which makes life much easier. This isn’t to say that the record office has become obsolete in recent years. In fact, quite the opposite. They have become better used than ever before by people of all ages checking indexes, browsing old books and searching for clues for that long lost aunty or uncle. Visit any record office and you will be surprised at the diverse age range you will find there. I have seen people as young as ten helping their fathers and grandfathers in their quest for family knowledge. Besides, when my grandparents were teenagers they just couldn’t afford to take up the hobby which, as any family historian will tell you, can become quite expensive. Nowadays the youngest generation is reported to receive an average of £7.82 a week in spending money from their family. That’s a considerable amount more than what my grandparents or even parents received when they were my age. In 1959, a male manual worker received an average of £13.15 per week. With this meagre sum, a man had to support himself and his family whilst maintaining a decent standard of living. For those earning less than that, life was much tougher and their children would be lucky to receive money for some extra sweets from the corner shop, let alone £7.82! For youngsters who today have been bitten by the genealogical bug but are not old enough to earn a wage, this money is a great help in pursuing the hobby. Once upon a time it was mainly the older generation who researched their family trees. They had retired and had the time to spend dredging through libraries and grave yards. Often spurred on by some family event such as a birth or a funeral, they realised that they were indeed mortal and began to look for immortality. Now with the help of technological advances the interesting and rewarding world of family history has been made more accessible to all ages. With science moving so quickly in this day and age it is only natural that more and more people will be join in. Genealogy is definitely no longer, `an old person’s sport`.