I was reading a book on the Kindle last night - Writing Your Family History: A Guide for Family Historians by Gill Blanchard.

I am at the stage where I can now start putting together the information I have found so far on various branches to get an idea of just how those people fit into my lineage.

Coming up to the end of the book and she is talking about various platforms, and ways you can produce your books/booklets/pamphlets. With regards to the software products she recommends,  she includes a link to serif.com. https://punster.me/images/biggrin.gif

The book was dated from 2014 so I am assuming she was talking about something like PagePlus, but of course, now it leads to the Affinity-Serif website so I suppose that leads people to the Affinity Publishing software.

I did actually treat myself to the recent promotion of all 3 V2 Affinity products as it was a too good to miss low price. It's been so long since I used PagePlus it might be easier to familiarise myself with the newer version. At least I have options, this way.

I also found myself getting rather more emotional than I have ever been watching the Festival of Remembrance on the BBC on Saturday night. Perhaps it's just getting older; perhaps it's because of what is happening in Ukraine where it looks like 'never again' does not actually mean anything at all. https://punster.me/images/crying.gif

But I think the catalyst was that on that very afternoon I had come across a person in my family tree, a 2nd cousin 1x removed, Herbert Fewster, a wireless operator who died in a raid over Berlin in 1944. https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/107559/ I also found a photo of this young man, just 22 when he died, which gave such a real connection. I knew nothing about this lad, nor my 2nd cousin 2x removed, Thomas Cattell, who died in Belgium in WWI, before starting the family tree research last year, but I could remember their sacrifice this Armistice weekend.

I found Herbert as I am trying to link with another part of the family, also in the north-east. I've been chasing down a family story and the free weekends that Find My Past have run recently allowed me to find out more, including the above. I am also now connected with another (probable) family member and together we hope to find the link between the Thornaby Laws and the Sunderland Laws. We've both come to the conclusion that the family story, of claiming a vast inheritance in Scotland is just that, a story, as facts as stated in various newspaper articles of the 1920-30s just do not add up. So sorry Dad, it looks as if your uncle was chasing a fantasy.

One thing though, if you want something to keep your mind active, with twists and tangles to figure out, genealogy is one way to do it. Great fun, but also incredibly frustrating at times. I just wish that one of the looks-like genuine links didn't lead to a traitor at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. But hey-ho, that's the way the cookie crumbles... https://punster.me/images/whistling.gif

I have been on Win 11 for quite a while now, and use CraftArtist 2 Pro quite frequently. In fact, I'm currently using it to make scrapbook pages of my recent holiday in Northumberland, which included not one, but two nights of aurora photos (more than 300 in total https://punster.me/images/whistling.gif). I've already made up a scrapbook album of our Lindisfarne visit, which also had rather a lot of photos to incorporate.

I also used it back in September for another three sets of scrapbook pages (more than 50 in some projects) and on the whole, it's not causing any problems.

I do find it a good idea to save my work before attempting  to add any text to pages, as that does sometimes cause a crash. But it would do that on Win 10 as well, so no real change there. I am also in the habit of saving every time I finish one page before moving to the next.

It will crash at times, but I have now got used to saving my project whenever I've done anything I don't wish to have to re-do in the event of a crash, so basically I am very pleased that I can use it pretty much as well as I did when on Win 10.

3

(11 replies, posted in Art & Literature)

Alfred wrote:

Somewhat related to the topic of this thread:

https://www.endangeredalphabets.com/202 … versation/

My late mother-in-law could do beautiful calligraphy work. She wrote out our wedding invites and the names in the front of our wedding album. I've added the photo of a piece of her work that hangs in the darker area of our upper landing.

I do love following some of the calligraphy artist on Instagram, and one of my FB friends, a fellow Ricardian, is also a calligrapher. It was he who designed the Coronation invites for King Charles III, Andy Jamieson. The biggest thing seems to be that patience is required and a slow and steady pace.

I did impress my EFT Mentor at one of the mentoring workshops a fair few years ago. We were working with each other in a role-play, which involves asking questions and noting the answers to use them in the EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) process. As I was asking the questions I was writing on my pad on my lap, but keeping eye contact. The writing was actually decipherable, too, albeit off on a slant. https://punster.me/images/tongue.gif
https://i.postimg.cc/PCVwhyN8/IMG-3022.jpg

4

(328 replies, posted in General Discussion)

Sandy wrote:

You know me - footy jokes and hope I'm not repeating myself...

There was a bunch of flies kicking a ball about on a plate.
One player turned to another and said: "you'd better pick up your game Jamie, we're playing in the cup tomorrow"

https://www.millan.net/minimations/smileys/groooansmileyf.gif

5

(328 replies, posted in General Discussion)

https://punster.me/images/laugh.gifhttps://punster.me/images/laugh.gifhttps://punster.me/images/laugh.gif

https://i.postimg.cc/bDJ4bq6X/FB-We-Love-Puns-Page.jpg

Found on the Facebook We Love PUNS page.

6

(11 replies, posted in Art & Literature)

Ah, that's good to know. https://punster.me/images/thumbup1.gif

7

(11 replies, posted in Art & Literature)

Alfred wrote:
KarenPL wrote:

In the last few months I have got into genealogy (and a more than a bit hacked off to find I did have a forbear at the Battle of Bosworth …

It seems that I’m cursed with a complete inability to encounter references to forebears without thinking of Goldilocks!

Ooops, yes, forgot the 'e' in forebear.  https://punster.me/images/blush.gif https://punster.me/images/whistling.gif https://punster.me/images/laugh.gif https://punster.me/images/tongue.gif

8

(11 replies, posted in Art & Literature)

I still write a lot of things by hand, if I'm just making notes for myself. I've always got notepads at the side of my desk and pens/pencils to hand. It's far quicker and less frustrating than typing it out.

And I am indeed far more likely to remember what I've written, which is just as well as whether I can actually read what I wrote at a later time may be a totally different matter, of course. https://punster.me/images/whistling.gif  It does often look like a spider has dipped all 8 feet in ink and scuttled across the page. https://punster.me/images/tongue.gif

In the last few months I have got into genealogy (and a more than a bit hacked off to find I did have a forbear at the Battle of Bosworth, but, damn, the beggar was a traitor, fighting against his king https://punster.me/images/yikes.gif), and part of the 'fun' is deciphering the handwriting on the old census returns. On my to-do list is reading up on palaeography for when I get further back in time. My schoolgirl Latin may start to come in useful again, too.

I am in a number of Facebook groups for family trees and all that, and quite frequently people request help in deciphering words or names they have come across. Most of us oldies can usually recognise the word(s) quite quickly and easily, because we have had to learn and use cursive handwriting in our younger days.

9

(328 replies, posted in General Discussion)

https://i.postimg.cc/K4PbNwN0/453259675-878283934325887-2871250942225283620-n.jpg

Punny Pete
>Scarlet Overkill<

10

(328 replies, posted in General Discussion)

https://i.postimg.cc/y3JsxnRh/image-2024-07-05-201828515.png

11

(328 replies, posted in General Discussion)

Punny Pete
>Scarlet Overkill<

https://i.postimg.cc/PPL3DX6j/449079071-855953453225602-4137787464953149591-n.jpg

12

(130 replies, posted in General Discussion)

GB wrote:

Amongst all the rubbish one sees on Quora there is occasionally something amusing! This caught my eye, and although I'm not too sure I like where the area I live in is positioned......

https://i.postimg.cc/5QCWQ5cw/catworld.jpg

https://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/haha.gif

Alfred wrote:
GB wrote:

I'm not too sure I like where the area I live in is positioned......

And thereby hangs a tail.

https://www.millan.net/minimations/smileys/groooansmileyf.gif

13

(675 replies, posted in MoviePlus)

Alfred wrote:
KarenPL wrote:

Even before I became self-employed, and certainly now in retirement, I have talked to myself. One definite advantage is that you can never lose an argument. https://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/haha.gifhttps://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/haha.gifhttps://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/haha.gif

You obviously haven’t tried hard enough, Karen! https://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/haha.gif

Too lazy, I suppose. Besides, I have to live with myself; imagine having to deal with the sulks. https://punster.me/images/tongue.gif

14

(675 replies, posted in MoviePlus)

GStree wrote:
Alfred wrote:

Nope, nobody at all! Sorry, Gordon, but you’ll just have to get used to talking to yourself

Working for myself for years on my own I am used to that !

Even before I became self-employed, and certainly now in retirement, I have talked to myself. One definite advantage is that you can never lose an argument. https://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/haha.gifhttps://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/haha.gifhttps://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/haha.gif

15

(328 replies, posted in General Discussion)

Alfred wrote:
KarenPL wrote:

https://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/bigsmile.gifhttps://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/tongue.gifhttps://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/bigsmile.gif

https://i.postimg.cc/2LFzc6Gk/430118707-790006743153607-1041164744723496307-n.jpg

Stealing…

https://punster.me/images/biggrin.gif

I am finding a new use for puns. I have become involved in an organization that matches Ukrainians with English speakers/teachers to polish/learn their English speaking skills. My student actually lives here in Britain at the moment. Her English is really very good; better, in fact, than that of some people I know https://punster.me/images/whistling.gif, but she just needs to gain confidence.

I showed her this one and she got it as quickly as I did. I think it is quite a fun way to realise you know words and their meanings, really rather sophisticated in some ways.

16

(328 replies, posted in General Discussion)

https://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/bigsmile.gifhttps://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/tongue.gifhttps://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/bigsmile.gif

https://i.postimg.cc/2LFzc6Gk/430118707-790006743153607-1041164744723496307-n.jpg

17

(328 replies, posted in General Discussion)

Guilty of the double clack! https://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/haha.gifhttps://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/haha.gifhttps://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/haha.gif

https://i.postimg.cc/TpLL9qMQ/Screenshot-2024-02-22-17-10-25-190-dev-mozzius-graysky-1.jpg

18

(328 replies, posted in General Discussion)

https://i.postimg.cc/wyFgGbwm/Punny-Pete-PUNdora.jpg

Pilotlon wrote:

I was finally able to assemble images I needed to complete a memorial page for my brother, who passed away last month. He certainly impacted many, and very nearly 300 people showed up at the church in Florida to give him a wonderful sendoff home. He will be greatly missed.


https://i.postimg.cc/zyTcnSB4/Alan-Memorial-Page.jpg

That is lovely, Lon. A fitting tribute to your brother, Alan.

20

(328 replies, posted in General Discussion)

Joe wrote:

A thief has stolen all the motorway signs in Yorkshire.
Police are looking for Leeds

https://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/haha.gif

21

(328 replies, posted in General Discussion)

From PunnyPete - ~PUNdora

https://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/haha.gif

https://i.postimg.cc/tnXtqBzs/417434025-773828931438055-4571632958237878251-n.jpg

22

(328 replies, posted in General Discussion)

Alfred wrote:
Alfred wrote:

I’ll take a look now and see if I can identify how I broke it.

All fixed! There was one measly little closing parenthesis that I’d accidentally deleted. https://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/detective.gif

I can confirm all is now fixed. https://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/yes.gif


Many thanks. https://punster.me/images/myopera/myg/bigsmile.gif

23

(328 replies, posted in General Discussion)

Alfred wrote:

A young man is attending a job interview. When the interviewer says to him “You’re asking for an awful lot of money for someone who has so little experience”, he replies “Of course I am. Think about how much harder I’ll have to work not knowing how to do the job”.

https://punster.me/images/laugh.gifhttps://punster.me/images/laugh.gifhttps://punster.me/images/laugh.gif

A little query, Alfred. I just tried to use the Opera smilies you host, but when I click on the smiley the copy and paste code does not appear in the box at the top. The Serif smilies do work OK. Have the Opera smilies started to have a mind of their own, and are being bashful? https://punster.me/images/whistling.gif

24

(328 replies, posted in General Discussion)

Joe wrote:

Somebody born in ‘33 was 45 in ‘78.

Is this some sort of record?

https://www.millan.net/minimations/smileys/groooansmileyf.gif

25

(328 replies, posted in General Discussion)

Alfred wrote:
KarenPL wrote:

From the Dwarves, Elves & Men FB page.
https://punster.me/images/biggrin.gifhttps://punster.me/images/tongue.gifhttps://punster.me/images/biggrin.gif

https://i.postimg.cc/G4cMZsj7/Dwarves-Elevs-Men-FB.jpg

Completely lost on me, I’m afraid! And why does that ‘rum’ have a head on it?

Ah, have you never seen the Pirates of the Caribbean films, then, Alfred? Orlando Bloom, Legolas in the Lord of the Rings films, also played the role of Will Turner , alongside Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow. Bit contrived re the rum bit, I'll grant you... https://punster.me/images/whistling.gif  https://punster.me/images/laugh.gif