Memories and Memory - how good are yours ?

The first meeting of our new programme is this Sunday, 29th September, at 2.30pm in the Corn Exchange & Ormiston Institute, Market Square, Melrose, TD6 0PN (see map) when Anne Reid of SpeakingLives will give a talk titled 'Memories and Memory - how good are yours ?'

Anne is an oral historian who has travelled all over the UK helping folk record their family histories and life stories. She will share anecdotes and tips about how to find the missing pieces and record the stories behind your family tree.

Often we rely on written detail and photographs while the memories of those around us may be the real key to unlocking the tree for future generations. Come to the meeting and gain a fascinating insight into the process for recording the stories behind your family tree.

I warmly invite you to attend the talk whether you are a member or not.

Doors open at 2pm; the meeting begins at 2.30pm.
There is no admission charge.



We'll have a range of family history publications available to buy, and there’ll be light refreshments available after the talk (donation expected).

If you have a problem with your family history, please discuss it (no charge) with one of our volunteers.


Speakers at meetings occasionally need to be changed at the last minute, due to circumstances beyond our control.

Useful Free Websites for Family History Research

How much do you know about your great grandfather or another member of the family in his generation ? Or, if he was recently alive, somebody in the previous generation ? Family history is about much more than dates and places of birth, baptism, marriage and death, it is about their and their family’s lives, what they did at work, their interests, the history of the period in which they lived and so on. However, unless yours is one of the few families that kept meticulous journals, you probably won’t know much about them.

I’m giving the Society’s next talk on March 24th.  This talk is being held in the Volunteer Hall, St John St, Galashiels, so that we can have internet access for me to demonstrate the use of websites for my talk. Even for those that are experienced users, I hope to show things you haven’t previously considered. I want to encourage you to broaden your family history research so I’m going to demonstrate some search techniques and show some useful free websites, drawing upon my family tree. My family tree seems to have so many 'brick walls' that I have reason to hope that I can help you overcome some of yours.

There is another reason for coming along and that is to see an exhibition of photographs that will help people date their own photographs. This exhibition is based on a collection of 19th century photos donated to the society by Douglas Bain and collated and researched by Ian and Morag Carter.

If you need advice about any aspect of your family history, please do ask.

As usual, the doors will open at 2.00pm and the talk starts at 2.30pm.

Admission is free and we’ll have usual sales tables and refreshments (donations welcome) after the talk. I hope to see you there. Map.

As always, there’s a remote possibility that the speaker will need to be changed at the last minute. Where possible, we’ll put changes on our What’s On programme.




Book now for our Conference on 11th May 2013 in Galashiels, Scotland.

Looking after Old Photographs

Want to know more about looking after old photographs?

Then go to a free Photographic Workshop by Jim Walker on Saturday 26 March 2011, 9.30am to 12.30pm at Berwick Parish Centre, The Parade, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1DF, England. Map. It's next to Holy Trinity Church. Entrance is through the churchyard. The suggested car parking is near the Barracks and Wallace Green.  

The session will cover types of old photographs, techniques in looking after them  and restoration. The session is free of charge thanks to funding received from sponsors for the year of events organised to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Berwick Record Office.  Booking is essential as there is a limited number of places.  To book or get more information, phone Linda Bankier at Berwick Record Office on 01289 301865.

Facades of the Fifties

Berwick Record Office has organised an exhibition of photographs and films of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England in the 1950s and it will be held in the Guildhall at Berwick, TD15 1 BN on
Saturday 15th May from 10am-4pm and Sunday 16th May 11am-4pm.

Everyone welcome.

Free admission.
Map.