You can now find me at Notes of Life.

This domain will still be here for a while and in time will probably point to the new domain, so don’t worry if you forget to note the new address!

Happy Easter!

After much debating (and checking my finances) I decided to treat myself to a Nintendo Wii. I got mine from Argos yesterday as they’ve currently got a promotion on - spend over £100 and get a £10 gift voucher (which I used to get £10 off the 2 games for £30 promotion!).

So far, I’ve just been playing on Wii Sports and it’s certainly energetic (if you’re not a sporty person). My favourites are the tennis and boxing, although I’m not so good at baseball (but then I was never any good at hitting the ball in rounders at school!).

Even Dad has had a go (he’s in his 70s!). He chose boxing. He kept getting closer to the TV and I was getting worried he’d punch the TV if he got much closer! He certainly got into it.

I may invest in a Wii Fit when my birthday comes around in June. We’ll see…

The photo on the right is one I scanned in on Sunday afternoon. It shows my Great Grandparents stood outside their home on the Shropshire/Cheshire border. It helps show how my Grandparents lived. Unfortunately, I’ve been told that the house has long gone so I can’t see what it looks like today. However, the cottage they moved into in their later years still stands and looks a lot like it did back in their day.

The photo needed a bit of a tidy-up. It was under-exposed and torn around the edges. So I cropped it down and use a couple of different adjustments (in Photoshop CS3) including Brightness/Contrast and Exposure.

Other items I scanned on Sunday included a couple of family wedding photos, my Great Great Grandmother Mary Jane’s obituary and a wedding notice for a Great Great Aunt.

I really need to set aside more time to sit and scan more photos. Something which might help with this is the Spring Break Scan-a-Thon (29th March - 6th April) and the next Scanfest on 30th March (as mentioned by Miriam at Ancestories). I think I should mark those dates in my diary and maybe I’ll get through some of those photos.

On another side of my family… Yesterday I received the death certificate of my Great Great Great Grandfather John Middleton. In 1899 he accidently fell from his cart while driving and subsiquently died. Sadly, the death certificate doesn’t give any details as to any injuries sustained in the fall or the exact cause of death. I guess only the coroner’s report at the inquest can give me those details and that’s only if it still exists. A trip to the Shropshire Archives may be in order!

I’m still alive and kicking, but no results from the hospital yet. Not that I expect to hear anything for another couple of weeks yet and I full expect the results to come back negative… They always do with me! It’s good in a way, but also anoying because it means there’s still no proper answer. We shall see.

I gag at the meer thought of having a camera down my throat, so I asked the nurse if being totally knocked out would be a possibility. No, sedation would be enough, apparently. After signing a form or two and being asked if I was nervous (who wouldn’t be?!), I was led to a waiting area where I quietly began to panic. I just knew I would gag, why wouldn’t they knock me out?!

Another nurse came to take me to the treatment room (or whatever they call it). I climbed onto the trolley and they hooked me up with some oxygen and the clip on my finger to check my pulse. They then put the sedation line in, at which point I remember telling them not to hold back on that stuff (I hope I didn’t come across as a druggy - I was just panicking that I was going to gag). Next up was the “banana spray” (it tastes like banana cordial that hasn’t been diluted) which numbed my throat (quite an odd sensation!).

Then came the mouth-guard… They’d hardly put it in and I was gagging! I don’t know whether the sedation was starting to kick in or what, but they managed to get the mouth-guard in and then start with the camera. My memory is a little hazy from then on in. I do remember the Doctor saying where the camera had reached at certain points, but I don’t remember swallowing it or it coming out (thankfully!).

The next thing I knew I was being wheeled into the recovery room, still hooked up to oxygen, the pulse monitor and a blood pressure monitor. Sometime later I was discharged into my Dad’s care where I gulped down water and went in search of food!

All in all, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Still, it’s not something I’ll be having again in a hurry.

Is this a wedding photo? The male members of the family are wearing flowers. Alfred & Mary (the couple sat down) were married on October 1897, so that is certainly the earliest date for the photo. I’m confident that the people standing behind Alfred & Mary are Alfred’s children (Mary was Alfred’s second wife).

Alfred’s children from his first marriage were Margaret (born 1871), Mary (1873), Thomas (1875), Henry (1877), Martha (1882), Francis (1884), Maud (1886), May (1889) and Mabel (1893).

At the time of their marriage Mary had one daugher, Sarah (born 1895).

Once married, Alfred & Mary had 2 more children, John (born 1898) and Muriel (1903).

I am sure the 2 men stood are Henry and Thomas. I don’t think Francis was in the photo as he ended his short life in an asylum. If the photo is Alfred & Mary’s wedding photo then one of the infants would almost certainly have been Mary’s daughter Sarah. Dad thinks the 3rd woman on the left is Alfred’s daughter Mary.

I believe the photo was taken in Alfred & Mary’s garden as we have a couple of other photos situated in the same place.

It was cold and windy, but that didn’t stop some people enjoying the beach. One family braved putting their feet in the old Irish Sea water, while others were flying kites (perfect weather for it!).

(Click to enlarge)

JB was only supposed to be signing books for an hour, but I’m guessing he stayed a bit longer (depending on his schedule) as the queue stretched right down the High Street.

I took this photo (click to enlarge) while I was in the queue. A couple of police officers had come in and he asked if he was in trouble. It turns out the male police officer just wanted to take JB’s photo!

When it was my turn I had my photo taken with JB (which turned out awful - I was windswept and the Waterstone’s staff member who took the photo had obviously never used a digital camera before), my book personally signed and a smile, then I was off. Happy as Larry.

JB’s autobiography Anything Goes has jumped the queue and is now next on my pile of books to read. I’m currently half-way through Gary Barlow’s autobiography My Take (the updated paperback version), which is very interesting so far. I’ve also got Richard Hammond’s account of his life before & after his terrifying high-speed car crash while filming for Top Gear - On The Edge - waiting to be read, as well as one or two other books.

I still can’t find anything in the 1851 census records, however later census records brought some light to the situation. In 1871 Henry’s widow Jane and son Henry are noted as living with John & Elizabeth Pryce, although “Purslow” has been wrongly transcribed as “Purdon”. Jane Purslow is listed as Mother-in-Law to John Pryce, so that would make Elizabeth her daughter.

I then used Free BMD to find an Elizabeth Purslow born c1842 in Shrewsbury. Bingo! There was a birth registered in 1841, so I have ordered the birth certificate to confirm (or not) if Henry & Jane Purslow were indeed her parents (assuming I have the right certificate). So now it’s just a matter or waiting.

This still leaves a 10 year age gap between Elizabeth (born 1841 - assuming she is Henry & Jane’s daughter) and Henry (junior - born 1851), so maybe there were other children too.

Henry was born circa 1801 in Shropshire, England (most likely in the town of Shrewsbury).

The earliest record I have of Henry is in the Shropshire County Quarter Sessions. On 13th day of August 1835 Henry appeared before the Justices of the Peace for the county and gave a statement. One Timothy Jones and another youth had stolen a quantity of iron and tried to sell it to Gittins & Cartwright Foundry (Henry’s place of work). As well as a copy of the statement, I have a copy of a document which states that Henry must appear at the next sessions in the county to give evidence against Timothy Jones, if he doesn’t he will owe £30 (a great deal of money in those days!). The evidence resulted in Timothy Jones being sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and hard labour for his crime. (Thanks to Shropshire Archives for the copies of those documents).

Ten months later, on 20th June 1836 Henry married Jane Younger (or “Young”) at St. Julian’s in Shrewsbury. Their daughter Sarah (my Great Great Grandmother) was born on 21st April 1837 and baptised at Saint Alkmund, Shrewsbury on 14th May of that year.

We next see Henry and his family in the 1841 England Census living in Castle Foregate, Shrewsbury. He was working as a moulder.

I have been unable to find Henry and the family in either the 1851 England census or the Wales census, but they may have moved to Montgomeryshire, Wales (which borders with Shropshire, England) by then. Later that year, a son is born to Henry & Jane in Puzzle Square, Welshpool and is named after his father.

Henry Purslow died on 20th March 1857 at Puzzle Square, Welshpool aged 56 years of asthma (not certified). He was an ironmoulder (journeyman) at the time.

Henry’s daughter Sarah married Thomas Williams in May 1861 and died in December 1871.

His wife Jane and son Henry can be found in the 1881 Wales census living together in Welshpool. Henry (junior) is listed as working as a nailor. I believe Jane died in 1885, but I’m awaiting the death certificate.

Ah well… A family historian’s work is never done!

When I got it out of the box the day it arrived Leo (the cat) had other ideas. I think he thought it was a cat tent because he marched straight up and sat in it. It’s just the right size for him too! Unfortunately, my camera wasn’t too hand at the time.

So this afternoon I did a bit of product photography.

(Click on the thumbnails to enlarge)

The pewter pig belonged to my Great Auntie Polly. It was used for carrying matches and it has a bit on its base to strike the matches. Unfortunately, it’s missing its tail and ring through its nose.

Another show I’m looking forward to is Torchwood season 2, starting 16th January on BBC2. The first episode of the season not only stars the wonderful John Barrowman (obviously!), but it also stars another favourite of mine, James Marsters as Captain John Hart. Videos (including spoilers - so BEWARE!) can be found over at the Episodes section of the website - Link.

Talking of John Barrowman… His autobiography (so far!) Anything Goes (written with his sister) is released on 24th January (UK) and in April (US). Yet another book for me to add to my growing pile, but one I’m sure I’ll enjoy. John will also be doing book signings… and I am very tempted! The book will also be available as an abridged audiobook.

Everybody Loves Raymond is currently in my DVD player. I finished season 7 last night and will probably start season 8 at the weekend. I have yet to buy season 9 though, so I guess I’d better hurry up on that score!

I couldn’t help myself last weekend while passing through WH Smith. They had a sale on DVDs, so I couldn’t resist taking a look… and buying 4 DVDs (including In Pursuit of Happyness)! I had a bargain though. The DVDs cost me £19 in total, with one of them only costing £1. I also found a bargain in Woolworths. I managed to buy Take That’s official 2008 calendar for £2.49 - Definiately a bargain!

If you haven’t heard of Ancestry Aid then you’re missing out. It’s a genealogy community that is free to use and has a wonderful community. Everyone is friendly and willing to help others break down those genealogy brick walls. It is geared towards those researching their British family history, but has members from all corners of the world. I have been a member for some time now and recommend anyone who’s interested in genealogy and family history to come and have a look around.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Website: www.ancestryaid.co.uk

I think I’ve done well on the family history front this year. I discovered a couple of forgotten family bibles in the bookshelves, giving me a whole generation of birth, marriage and death dates. I found information on a great uncle who nobody seemed to have heard of - He was dead by the age of 20 and spent his last years in a lunatic asylum, poor soul. I also met up a long lost cousin and his wife (found through Genes Reunited) and discovered one or two more distant relations. I discovered I had a rare marriage certificate in my possession (the bride & groom, their fathers and the 3 witnesses all shared the same surname) and it was published in the Family Tree Magazine. I also discovered my Great Great Uncle served in the British Army by finding some military records on Ancestry, when previously I’d only got 1 reference to him in the 1871 census.

This year I ventured abroad for the first time since 2001. Dad & I went on a World War 1 battlefields trip to Northern France and Belgium.

We stayed in Tournai (Belgium), spending some time in the Ypres area visiting the city as well as Tyne Cot Cemetery, Hill 62 and Santuary Wood, Hooge Crater, The Yorkshire Trench near Boezinge, Poperinghe with its 2 death cells, execution pole and military cemetery, and Menin Gate for the Last Post.

We also spent some time in the Somme area (France) visting Historial de la Grande Guerre (The Museum of the Great War) in Péronne, Guillemont Road Cemetery, Delville Wood, Lochnagar Crater, Sunker Lane and the memorial to the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Newfoundland Memorial Park and Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.

It was a very interesting and informative trip, and we were blessed with beautiful weather.

As usual, I attended a few gigs. I saw James Marsters at Rich Mix and Union Chapel in London, Anthony Head in Milton Keynes and Take That in Birmingham. I should have seen James Marsters in Cardiff too, but the floods prevented me from going anywhere that weekend in July!

I also went to 2 or 3 motorsport events this year. I saw the DTM and Superside at Brands Hatch in Kent (Mika Hakkinen nearly ran me over with his scooter that day!). I couldn’t afford to go to the British F1 Grand Prix at Silverstone, so I went to watch the Big F1 Test instead (not as good as watching racing, but it was still great to see the F1 cars blasting around the track). I also went to the Charity Open Day at the Honda Racing F1 Headquarters in Brackley. While there I met F1 driver Antony Davidson and commentating legend Murray Walker - another great weekend.

Work has been very busy this year, especially the 2nd half of it. A colleague was on sick-leave for a couple of months and I don’t think I’ve ever been so stressed before! So, I was ever so glad when the time came for my Christmas break!

Christmas was a quiet one this year. Nan didn’t feel up to coming over for Christmas Day, so Mum, Dad & I went over to my grandparents for Sunday lunch and spent Sunday with them instead.

Christmas morning was spent giving and opening presents. Dad & I surprised Mum with a fairy statue/bird bath from us both and I surprised them both with giftbags of goodies - a book about Passendaele and a bottle of whiskey for Dad and a silk scarf, purfume and kitchen bits for Mum. I received a subscription to the Family Tree Magazine, a few books (including Cheshire’s Execution Files by Derek Yarwood, Michael Palin’s New Europe and On The Edge by Richard Hammond), a calendar, money, a gift voucher and some other bits & bobs.

My brother joined us later on in the morning and stopped for Christmas dinner (the best meal of the year!), but my sister-in-law had to work as she’s a carer. The evening was spent relaxing in front of the TV. This year I watched a new-ish Christmas film - The Polar Express - a wonderful animated movie.

Boxing Day was quiet too. More TV and another roast dinner to finnish off the turkey!

I haven’t done as much as I wanted to do with my time off work so far. The weather has been so miserable! Before I go back to work I’m hoping to go over to Melton to visit my friend Lisa (and deliver presents) and make a trip up to Caernarfon. I also want to get out and take more photos, so I’m watching the weater forcast carefully.

‘Tis Christmas Eve and all is quiet… Well, all apart from the TV! I have ‘Blackadder’s Christmas Carol’ on at the moment. We’re having a quiet Christmas this year. My grandparents usually spend Christmas Day with us, but Nan isn’t well enough to travel at the moment. However, my brother will be spending the day with us as my sister-in-law has to work (she’s a carer). A quiet day it may be, but no doubt we will be full of delicious food and drink and will spending Boxing Day recovering (especially me as I’ll be eating all the things I’m not supposed to!).

I hope you’re tracking Santa this evening. Santa was in Pinsk, Belarus when I checked at 7.25pm. In a few more hours he’ll be here in Mid Wales, so I’d better get my Christmas stocking hung on my bedroom door knob (as is our family tradition) ready for me to trip over in the morning!

This time tomorrow it’ll all be over. But in the mean time, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, eat lots and be very merry!

Nadolig Llawen!

So far, I have appeared in 3 censuses - 1981, 1991 and 2001 - and I hope to be in a few more! I was in the same village but in a different house for each of the censuses. In fact, I can see the roof tops of the other 2 houses from my window - one to the left and the other to the right. I haven’t a clue what details were put down for me in the censuses (apart from the obvious details) and I’m not likely to find out due to the 100 year rule.

Randy from Genea-Musings has added another challenge to the meme - “Who is your ancestor that appears the most often in Census records?”

I believe my ancestor who appears the most often in Census records is my Great Grandfather Alfred.

Alfred first appears in the 1851 England census aged 2, living in Ash Magna, Shropshire with his parents Francis (a Mole-Catcher) & Margaret, and brothers George, John, Thomas and William.

He next appears in the 1861 England census aged 12. Alfred is still living in Ash with his mother (an Agricultural Labourer’s widnow) and 2 of his older brothers - Francis (an Agricultural Labourer) & John (a Farm Servant). Alfred is also a Farm Servant.

In the 1871 England census Alfred is living in the parish of Adderley in Shropshire. Alfred is now a 22 year old Agricultural Labourer and married to Martha. They have a 3 month old daughter, Margaret. They live next door to a family which has not 1, not 2, but 3 Ellens!

Alfred appears in the 1881 England census twice! Firstly, he is shown age 33 with his wife and 3 children (Mary, Thomas and Henry), living in Wigland, Cheshire. Still an Agricultural Labourer. Alfred is also shown as a visitor in his brother’s household in Audlem, along with daughter Margaret. Alfred’s brother Thomas is shown as a farmer of 12 acres and is married to Mary.

In the 1891 England census Alfred is aged 44 and still living in Wigland. Alfred and Martha now have 4 children living in the household - Martha, Frank, Maud and May. Alfred is now listed as a General Labourer.

In the 1901 England census Alfred is still living in Wigland, but how has a new wife - Mary. 4 children are living in the household - May, Mabel (both from Alfred’s first marriage), Sarah (listed as a daughter, but is actually a step-daughter) and John. Alfred is again listed as an Agricultural Labourer. Alfred’s son Henry (now aged 23) lives next door with his wife, 2 daughters and his mother-in-law.

Censuses after 1901 are protected under the 100 years rule. However, I believe Alfred and family would have still been living in Wigland for the 1911 census and most probably for the 1921 census too, but by 1931 Alfred was living in Montgomeryshire, Wales. He didn’t make it for the 1941 census, but then there was no 1941 census due to the war.

I am eagerly awaiting the 1911 census (as are many UK family historians!).

The other day I received a Virgin Megastores gift card in the mail, but it doesn’t say who it’s from! The handwriting doesn’t give it away as I don’t recognise it. The postmark is local, but there’s also a 2nd postcard hidden underneath that I can’t read. Whoever it is from spells my name wrong (but that could be any number of people!). I would love to know who sent me the gift card so I can say thank you.

Shortly after writing my last post I received a message from Russell Ash, the author of Potty, Fartwell and Knob: From Luke Warm to Minty Badger - Extraordinary But True Names of British People (click the link to read more about the book). If you’ve got a silly name (or know of somebody with one), why not visit Russell’s website and let him know… you may even make it into a future edition of Potty, Fartwell and Knob! I haven’t yet bought the book because I’m waiting to see what I get for Christmas, but if it’s not under the Christmas tree I’ll be buying it myself.

Another book I have my eye on is Cheshire’s Execution Files by Derek Yarwood. I had a quick flick through it in WHSmith yesterday and it looks quite interesting. I have relations and ancestors from Cheshire, not that I think any of them were executed, but Cheshire did have it’s own unique way of executing condemed criminals.

Now for a couple of recommended links. I recommend these 2 websites every year, but I think they’re great for kids and anyone who believes!

Santa Claus Live - This website gives a live web video of Santa Claus in his office on the Arctic Circle. If you log on to the website at the right time you can catch children visiting Santa and giving him their wishlists. There is also a live web video situated outside of the office for you to view.

NORAD Tracks Santa - NORAD have tracked Santa on Christmas Eve for years. This year you can track Santa using Google Earth

Potty, Fartwell and Knob: From Luke Warm to Minty Badger - Extra Ordinary But True Names of British People

It’s written by Russell Ash.  He’s trawled through 900 years worth of parish registers and census records to present us with quite unlikely but true British names (you have to feel sorry for some of these people!). Each name has been checked for authenticity and it’s source is given, including extra notes where further fascinating illumination is possible.

It was published in hardback format (256 pages) on 14th November.

ISBN: 9780755316540

This might be worth checking out. Tin Man (you may recognise the character’s name from The Wizard of Oz) is a new mini-series about to be shown on the Sci Fi Channel in the US. After spending time looking around the website, I’m hoping it comes to the Sci Fi Channel (or any other channel) in the UK. It looks to be a lot darker than the original book/film, but that doesn’t stop me wanting to sing “We’re off to see the wizard….”!

A colleague recently went to see Wicked the musical in London and has been raving about it, so I’ve got a bit of a feeling for all things Oz at the moment. I’d love to see Wicked and from what I’ve seen and heard, it’s well worth going to see.

That

I’ve been looking through the 100+ photos I took at Take That’s concert on the 17th and decided to upload two or three more.

The rest can be found over at Flickr and here.

Dear Santa,

1. Great Grandfather Alfred’s birth certificate
I have found birth certificates for several of his brothers, including his eldest and youngest brother, yet Alfred’s birth certificate seems to escape me. I know it was in the early days of registration, but surely his birth was registered if his brothers’ births were registered. The closest thing I have to Alfred’s missing birth certificate is a copy of a Parish Register page which includes his baptism. I also have a family bible in which Alfred’s birth date is noted, but it was written in many years after Alfred was born and the birth year looks to have been edited. I’m guessing he as baptised the same year he was born, but still I can’t find his birth certificate.

2. For my Great Grandparents’ Gravestone to be restored
When I found my Great Grandparents’ (Alfred & Mary) gravestone in Malpas, some of the letters were missing. I would dearly love to restore the headstone to it’s original condition.

3. Great Great Great Great Grandfather James’ death certificate
I only recently discovered James, but I would dearly love to find his death certificate. He disappears from the census records and his wife Jane remarried, so I have a window to work to, but I’ve still not been able to find the right death certifiate. I ordered one a few weeks back, but it turned out not to be his. Why did he die young? If you could find it for me, could you send a copy to my distant cousin in Australia who would also be very grateful.

4. To be able to put names to photos
I have a big box containing photos of family, soldiers and friends of the family. Dad can put names to some of them, but who are the others?

5. A time-machine
Imagine how much research I could do with one of these!

I know one or two of these wishes are impossible, but maybe one or two could be completed. I have tried to be good this year.

Yours faithfully,

Nikki-ann.

What would you put on your wish list?

Submit your Genealogy Wish List here.

So, last night… was amazing! Take That just keep getting better and better. They’ve always put on a good show, but they always manage to out-do themselves.

Take That had 2 support acts last night, the first of which was Brown:Music. They’re a talented band and certainly worth checking out (Tash is Jason’s vocal coach). The second support act was Sophie Ellis Bextor. As Sophie is already a well established artist it’s quite surprising to see her as a support act, but she was certainly welcomed. If only we could all carry off the dress she was wearing!

I had a brilliant seat (Block A Row G) made even better by the shape of the stage, but even those sat near the back had a great view because once again Take That had a ‘B’ stage in the middle of the arena. Those in aisle seats had it even better… Take That walked from the ‘B’ stage to the main stage through the crowd. They obviously didn’t mind being groped when they did it last year!

Take That certainly put on a show. They had plenty of dancers (including Gary’s wife, Dawn), flames (they even set fire to various parts of themselves - covered in fire-proof clothing, of course), and sang old songs as well as new. They just keep getting better and better!

I took plenty of photos (of course), so I’ve picked out the best and uploaded them to Flickr.

The Rules

Pick up the book you are reading, turn to page 161, and divulge the contents of the sixth sentence on that page.

The Book

I’m currently reading ‘White Night‘ (The 9th book of ‘The Dresden Files’) by Jim Butcher. To tell the truth, I’ve been reading it for a while now. I usually can’t put The Dresden Files books down, but I’ve been so busy with work in the past few months that I’ve just not had the energy. Still, as usual, Jim Butcher has excelled himself. His books just keep getting better and better. Some of you may have seen the TV series on the SciFi channel (it’s a shame there won’t be a 2nd season), but you really should read the books. I definitely recommend them!

Page 161 - Sixth Sentence

“Elaine just stared at the women for a long moment, then at Thomas. “Olivia,” she asked. “Is he telling the truth?”

I know that’s slightly more than a sentence, but I thought I’d bend the rules slightly!

Tags

Now I’ve got to tag 5 people. I choose:

• Karen
• Craziequeen
• Bobkat
• Simply Pink
• Miss M

All done!

Granddad Charlie was called up for service with the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers on 5th March 1917. He served as a Lewis Gunner on the Western Front, I believe in the Battle of Passchendaele (also known as the Third Battle of Ypres). We have been told he was rescued by another man in the field, but I don’t know any details (I can only be eternally grateful). Sometime in 1918 Granddad was reported as missing, but in October of that year the family received a postcard from the British Red Cross stating that though wounded he was reported as a Prisoner of War (Camp not stated). Granddad was repatriated on 4th December 1918 and transfered to Army Reserve on 22nd October 1919. He was given the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for his service in the Great War.

During World War II, Granddad Charlie served his country once again, this time in The Home Guard. Granddad was certified as having attended a practical examination at a Bombing Range and was qualified to assist in the throwing of live grenades (although I would have thought his time in the Great War trenches would have qualified him for something like that). During this time, my Grandparents also took in a number of evacuees.

As with most Great War veterans, Granddad never said much about his time on the Western Front. I can’t imagine what he’d been through and he probably didn’t want to think about it either. Granddad Charlie died at the grand old age of 86.

Joseph Groom wasn’t family, but he was close enough. I’ve been told my Great Grandfather Alfred took him in at a young age.

As far as I’m aware, Joe had joined the Army before the Great War. He certainly saw battle by November 1914. Joe was in the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry and by August 1915 was fighting near Hooge, Belgium. While there, he earned himself a Distinguished Conduct Medal. The London Gazette announced people who had won this prestigious medal and on 15th September 1915 they listed Joe and an account of why he’d been awarded the DCM. It says:

For conspicuous gallantry on the 9th August, 1915, during the attack on the Hooge trenches, when he was ordered to reinforce the captured trenches with a machine gun. In the advance he came under heavy shell fire, the gun was damaged and several of the gun team wounded. Although wounded himself, he bound up his comrades’ wounds, returned to Headquarters and reported, and successfully took another gun and team to the firing line.

A well deserved medal, in my opinion. I also know that he won the British War Medal, Victory Medal and the 1914 Star Medal. He also served in the Nigeria Regiment in West Africa during the Great War.

Joe achieved so much at such a young age, but sadly didn’t live much beyond the Great War. Regimental Sergeant Major Joseph Groom D.C.M. died on 7th April 1919 of “Acute bellow atrophy of the liver”, aged just 23 years old.

May they rest in peace.

After the disappointment of not seeing Meat Loaf live at Birmingham NEC (the tour was cancelled due to Meat Loaf’s ill health), I was excited to receive an email announcing Bon Jovi’s 2008 UK tour. I was less excited, however, to discover the £75 price tag for a “Golden Circle” ticket, especially as I’d only paid £50 for one last year! Bon Jovi are an excellent band, espcially live, but I’ve seen them a few times now and I’m just not willing to pay for a ticket that’s had a 50% increase since last year.

I do have good news though. In April 2008 I’ll be going to see John Barrowman at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff! It will be John’s first solo tour and he’ll be singing songs from his new album, Another Side. The album includes songs such as Elton John’s ‘Your Song’ (a favourite of mine) and Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time After Time’. John has a wonderful voice and is a true showman, so I’m sure it will be a great night out.

Anyway, we’re having visitors in a little while, so that’s all from me for now. See ya!