Baldock/Fagg/Small Family History

On 3rd May 2009, I attended a family history event at the Barbican in London. It was imaginatively titled “The FHEvent”.

Smaller and more personal than WDYTYALive, it consisted mainly of family history societies and was established as a more affordable exhibition than the latter for the exhibitors. However, the presence of FindMyPast (and the 1911 Census) added an official air to this breakaway event.

I personally found the event worthwhile, having managed to visit the Kent FHS stall and obtain some CDs and microfiche, and talk to some experts. The tour of The Society of Genealogists was very well executed and informative, and revealed what a vast array of resources are available to us as genealogists at their nearby repository.

Let’s hope it was considered worthwhile by the organisers.

I look forward to visiting the event again next year.

Well, I attended the show on Friday 27th February, as planned.

I was quite surprised how many people were waiting for the Olympia train on the Earl’s Court platform ! Everyone carrying their bags of files & paperwork to “ask the experts”.

On arrival, entry was trauma-free and straightforward. I had gone with a route planned out on the show map, but this soon went out the window, as I was rushing at the start to make sure I found the location of the 12:00pm seminar and got a ticket! All the rushing around and searching got me very disoriented (as usual at Olympia!), so I threw caution to the wind and just zig-zagged my way between the stands.

 
Generally, I thought the seminar timetable was far too full. I would have liked to hear the “Getting the most out of Ancestry.co.uk”, but it clashed with Else Churchill’s “I’m stuck! Tracing your elusive ancestor“

I picked up some tips, spoke to some useful people, learned of some useful websites (including The War Graves Photographic Project – http://www.twgpp.org/), came away with lots of leaflets, restricted my spending(!) and managed to speak to an Army memorabilia expert who identified the uniforms in a mystery photo which may be linked to Noel HAGESTADT.

If I have anything else bad to say (other than the full timetable), then it might be that it was very commercial. But then I guess that’s what the sponsors expect/want. I was advised to attend The Family History Event (http://www.thefhevent.com/ ) at the Barbican Centre on Sunday 3rd May 2009. You’re more likely to see your local family history society, since the exhibition fees are more affordable!

Hope anyone else who went felt their trip useful. Comments welcome.

It’s all been a bit quiet here – I’ve had other diversions to deal with, unfortunately. However, I am preparing myself (and some material) to take to the Who Do You Think You Are Live! family history show at Kensington Olympia next week!

I’m hoping to speak to the Anglo-German Family History Society for some advice on tracing the HAGESTADT family, possibly the GOONS regarding a BALDOCK One-Name Study, and quite a lot of general info gathering.