It is 200 years since the first Intercity train carried passengers. In this year of Railway200, what better way to celebrate than with another year of Making Tracks with Pete Waterman OBE and the Railnuts.
Making Tracks 200 runs from Thursday 24 July until Saturday 30 August.
Opening hours Monday to Saturday from 10am – 4pm.
Find out more 👉 https://chestercathedral.com/events/event/making-tracks-200
The eagle eyed among you will have noticed that there has been no FHSC Newsletter this month.
Following on from our survey, we have taken member comments on board and are looking to revamp the newsletter. The new version will be launched in the next month or two. In the meantime, all FHSC news and events will be in the Chair’s newsletter at the end of the month.
Thanks go to Gay Oliver who originally started publishing the newsletter as the ‘Lockdown Newsletter’ at the start of the pandemic, how time flies, that seems a lifetime away now! Thank you so much Gay for all your work.
The new version will be akin to the Federation newsletter with a lead article of between 1000-1500 words and then snippets from around the various Local and Discussion Groups, as well as news and events. If you have story you would like to tell or share some research tips etc please send them in to me at Chair@
Don't forget the Chester Festival of Ideas
Happening this week 3-6 July, lots of events, talks etc
Full details 👉 https://festivalofideas.chester.ac.uk/
1st of the month means my usual list of free online events.
As always the link below each event has more information and full registration details,
Enjoy and do report back on anything that you attended.
FindMyPast and the British Newspaper Archive [also available via the newspapers at FindMyPast] have included a tranche of Cheshire content this week 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Philomena Cunk actor Diane Morgan traced her family history in Bolton, Germany and Scotland
Reviews below - but SPOILER ALERT - don't read until you've watched the programme
Cheshire Archives have released an artist's impression of both the new centres at Crewe and Chester in the form of a virtual fly through
Link to watch 👉 https://www.cheshirestoryshared.org/home/a-moving-story-take-a-virtual-tour-of-our-new-centres
A Second World War pilot, a colonial governor, and a medieval king are all all part of pop star Will Young’s remarkable family story.
Reviews below - but SPOILER ALERT - don't read until you've watched the programme
1st of the month means my usual list of free online events.
As always the link below each event has more information and full registration details, Enjoy and do report back on anything that you attended.
The latest edition of the FHSC Journal - The Cheshire Ancestor is now available to download from the website - simply click on the Cheshire Ancestor tap on the left hand side of this page and navigate to 'Cheshire Ancestor 2025' and then download the June edition.
Printed editions will be dropping on doormats soon, if not already.
Lots of interesting articles, Society news and a new feature, a quiz [Cryptic Cheshire] - enjoy!
Thanks as always to our Editor Rosie Rowley and the rest of the Ancestor distribution team - Geoff Johnson and Angela Moore
TV personality Fred Sirieix learns all about his grandparents' extraordinary WW2 love story
Reviews below - but SPOILER ALERT - don't read until you've watched the programme
Aisling Bea discovers the bold women and revolutionary men who shaped her family
Reviews below - but SPOILER ALERT - don't read until you've watched the programme
Actor, singer and dancer Layton Williams. Born in Bury, Layton starred in Billy Elliot the Musical on London's West End and BBC Three's Bad Education from 2012 to 2014 and in 2023, he appeared on the twenty-first season of Strictly Come Dancing.
Reviews below - but SPOILER ALERT - don't read until you've watched the programme
EastEnders actor Ross Kemp discoveres his great grandfather's adventures in the Merchant Navy
Reviews below - but SPOILER ALERT - don't read until you've watched the programme
We will be at the Family History Show at Aintree Racecourse on Saturday [tomorrow, 3rd May] talking all things Cheshire Ancestry.
Drop by and sell hello, we are always happy to meet members from near and far
Browse our bargain book box
Have a go at geting your name on our Leaderboard in our genealogical patience game, 'Branching Out'
Full detail of how to attend 👉 https://thefamilyhistoryshow.com/liverpool/
There is a special discount code on tickets for FHSC members, email me on to find out more
Happy May Day
1st of the month means my usual list of free online events.
As always the link below each event has more information and full registration details, Enjoy and do report back on anything that you attended.
BBC news broadcaster Mishal Husain uncovered a wonderful story with some unexpected connections.
Reviews below - but SPOILER ALERT - don't read until you've watched the programme
Series 22 opened with an interesting and emotional story with Andrew Garfield, best known for roles in Spider-Man, The Social Network, and Angels in America,
Reviews below - but SPOILER ALERT - don't read until you've watched the programme
Starting from the end of May, the current sub-groups of the Computer Club are being opened to the whole FHSC Membership as discussion groups. Additionally, we are launching our new 'Zooming in on Family History' chat session.
These groups are designed to allow members to chat about various topics with other members, building on the success of both the Computer Club and Research Buddies.
'Zooming in on Family History' – is a wide-ranging session whereby members can come along for help with their research, share success stories or just generally meet other members and chat about family history.
Offer from FindMyPast - expires on 22nd April
Link to find out more 👉 https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
Watch the T&Cs