HERITAGE & FAMILY HISTORY DAY

NEXT HERITAGE & FAMILY HISTORY DAY WILL BE A FULL DAY EVENT - MAKE A NOTE IN YOUR DIARY NOW SATURDAY 14TH MARCH 2009 Read on for the report on the last event:- HERITAGE & FAMILY HISTORY DAY 15th March 2008 report. It does seem a while ago now since we held our Heritage and Family History day at the Village Hall in Brompton and what a day it turned out to be. Early morning, in fact 6 am I was putting all the direction signs out around the village area for our expected visitors from afar, then home for a cuppa and a bite around 7.30, down to the village hall for 9 as arranged. Harry, John and Ian had already started erecting all the tables and display boards so it was “ get stuck in time “, after a while the ladies arrived to set out the refreshment tables and so forth and soon a welcoming shout of “tea up “. After a bit of shifting around, the tables and boards were in place and we were ready to start adding the displays, the ladies had finished their bit so Dinah, Audrey, Jennie and Dianne all helped in the setting out of the photographs, maps, linen, reports on Brompton’s past heritage in fact as we say on our web page “every thing that is Brompton “. Picture below shows displays and tables being prepared

Our first other exhibitor David Cromarty arrived and was directed to his reserved table for his own family history display, soon after Jim and Robert arrived from the Northallerton & District Local History Society. They brought along census records for the area around both Brompton & Northallerton and a wonderful moving picture show of the work that the History Group are doing and lots more interesting bits for both family and local history research. Cleveland Family History Society was next up, once again with Alex Sampson at the helm with lots and lots of publications and books for family historians and of course advice is always available. George Appleby arrived at the same time and soon set up his table for display of Water End Upstream Downstream life in Brompton from his early childhood days, see our web site for the full story. Picture below shows things just about ready for our visitors

It took a while before I realised that Doreen Newcombe had already set up a display with lots of lovely photographs and stories of her family history in and around Brompton. Ruth Wrigley from the Allertonshire Civic Society was also ready for the off with their display of the work done by the Society on protecting both local and national history for future generations. Picture below shows Jim Sedgewick and team from Northallerton & District Local History Society prepare their exhibition

Picture below shows just before 1 o’clock and just about ready – one or two people have strolled in before the opening time but we are just about ready.

Then on time the doors were open and a few strolled in, so I was quite happy, it was working, no need to worry anymore. Harry and Dinah were soon hard at work with the lap top giving out information on our data base, showing a slideshow of old Brompton photographs and covering other enquiries about Brompton. My wife Sam, daughter Becky who I had press ganged into helping were also using their lap top and were busy and me with the third lap top. My first visitor was looking for five of his ancestors from Brompton and I was chuffed when I found four on our Burial and Death database and three more connections, great he said thanks, the first of many. Val our expert family history adviser was also hard at work helping those stuck on how and where to go next in doing research. Picture below shows Colin (in blue shirt on right) with his family of helpers

The next time I looked up the hall was packed, it was amazing, People busy going through all the census books, asking for help and information from the databases looking at all the photographs to find photos of some of their ancestors and talking to strangers to find that they had something in common, friends and relations met, even I met family I had never seen and friends I had not seen for years. Picture below shows George Appleby on left with his wife Sylvia standing talking to Brompton Appleby exiles Alistair & Caroline who are from New Zealand (now living back in Yorkshire)

Talking to some of the 200 or so visitors, they had come from far and wide, a couple had come up from Norwich just for the occasion and made a weekend of it, Manchester, Carlisle, Newcastle, Morecambe, Leeds, Doncaster in fact I wished I had put a guest book out on the entrance table that all could have signed.

So after all the worry or should I say concern it was a great success, will it happen again next year? Well as they say,” watch this space. “

Regards to all our readers far and wide.
Colin