Has a movie ever influenced you? One of my favourite films is The Time Machine, made in the 1960s starring Rod Taylor. After watching it on our black and white telly as a child, I was awestruck by the concept of travelling forwards or back through time. I rushed out to my library and read the original book. I have always loved history. Having the ability to visit a period long ago has always been a dream.
MRS. WATCHETT: Mr Filby, do you think he will
ever return?
FILBY (quietly): One cannot choose but wonder. -
You see, he has all the time in
the world.
We haven't the scientific ability that the author H.G. Wells imagined in 1895. But, about 30 years ago, I discovered the next best thing after a long day trudging around a shopping mall in Essex. I espied a small paperback on the shelf of a tiny book shop, explaining how to research family history. It was what you would probably call an epiphany.
Many trips to London followed. I began researching census returns, ancient parish records and buying certificates. (This was before many archives were available online). Weekend visits to relatives now included me carrying a notebook, leading to my daughter Rebecca groaning, "dad's talking about dead people again!"
I became hooked and eventually completed a University course.
Five years ago I started my very successful genealogy business. Now I invite my clients to climb into my time machine, meet generations of their ancestors, see where they lived, worked and worshipped and learn their individual stories.
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