Be in the Audience for Digging Up Your Roots on 29th July

As announced in the blog in March, there will be a special programme of Radio Scotland's Digging Up Your Roots to look at the Scottish Diaspora.

The family history programme will be recorded at BBC at the Quay in Glasgow on 29th July from 12 noon to 1pm.  Presenter Bill Whiteford will be joined by a panel of special guests including expert genealogist, Professor Bruce Durie and Professor Marjory Harper.

You can be in the audience with free tickets but their website says
registration for tickets closes on Monday 16 June at 4pm.

Good luck !

D Day Commemoration

Prince Charles says a few words at  Bayeux (Queen seated center, the Princess of Wales to her left and Prince Philip extreme right)

Just back from Normandy and the 70^th. anniversary of the D-Day landings. What an absolutely amazing and unforgettable few days.

Being possibly the last official commemoration and with so many world leaders attending had expected large crowds but not the enthusiasm of the welcome.  Every building was bedecked with flags, so much was happening and the veterans in particular, and so rightly, were feted everywhere they went.

Was fortunate to be able to get into the veterans’ enclosure for the British ceremony at Bayeux Cemetery attended by the Queen and various members of the Royal Family as well as cabinet ministers and various political leaders. Afterwards able to mingle freely with all (although the Queen left promptly) and the Prince and Princess of Wales in particular seemed determined to shake hands with absolutely everybody.

In the afternoon at Sword Beach again in a good vantage point to see all the world leaders (29 in all). The Queen and President Obama particularly wildly applauded although the reception to President Putin somewhat more mooted and so revealing to watch the body language (everything shown on a very large screen on the beach).

All sorts of fly pasts, parachute drops and re-enactments but for me perhaps the most poignant moment to hear to hear the skirl of the pipes above the noise of battle particularly perhaps the portrayal (by a French piper) of  Bill Millin, Lord Lovat’s piper piping the Scottish troops onto the beaches under heavy gunfire. May the  pipes long continue to be associated with the British army.

The real highlight though was speaking with all the veterans and hearing their tales. No book or film could so bring history alive. From a genealogy point of view so often have I heard it said “if only I had spoken with some of the older generation”. The lesson to me was don’t let the opportunity pass.

Everything though in perspective.  At one point as the television cameras scanned someone near me said “smile the whole world is watching”; only for one very esteemed veteran from Hawick to retort. ”not in Hawick they won’t -  it’s the Common Riding!”

Revive your Family's Connections with Berwick-upon-Tweed and Visit in 2015

The Old Bridge, Berwick-upon-Tweed

Throughout 2015, Berwick-upon-Tweed will be celebrating 900 years of its turbulent history and unique cultural heritage and they would like you to attend.

They're planning a dozen themed weekends running from Easter 2015 to the end of October and they'll be celebrating each theme with a mix of exhibitions, events, talks, workshops, plays and hopefully, even a bit of street theatre. The themes are churches and Christianity, the barracks and World War 1, the annual riding of the bounds, fishing, seaside and maritime activities, food and drink, family history, art and crafts, sport, and the Berwick Guild. 

There are many surnames which have had connections with Berwick-upon-Tweed, Tweedmouth and Spittal over the past 900 years. Some of them are ones which can still be found in the area today but many have now disappeared with their descendants living all over the world.  They’re planning to highlight family names and their connection with Berwick whilst fitting in with the overall themes. They want everybody to come to the themed weekends, especially people whose ancestors left the area – they want people to revive their family's connections with Berwick-upon-Tweed and visit in 2015.

Look at the main Berwick 900 website, their Berwick 900 blog,  and follow them on Twitter, @Berwick900. I suggest you subscribe by email to the blog (there’s a subscription box at the top of the blog under the picture) and follow them on Twitter.

Download the provisional Berwick 900 programme.