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Messages - Aguella

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The Lighter Side / Ancestry's new 'Recognise Ancestors' feature
« on: Friday 26 April 24 14:14 BST (UK)  »
Discovered today Ancestry's new 'Recognise Ancestors' feature: the idea is that you can select a face from an uploaded photo which you are trying to identify, and Ancestry will scan other members' uploaded photos to try and identify a match.

It's obviously nascent technology, and I'd say "mixed success" is a generous assessment.

Of genealogically inconsequential interest is that it can identify some near doppelgängers - attached is a great-aunt, born in Kent in 1879 (on the right), which Ancestry has suggested could be what appears to be an earlier century Prussian woman in someone ele's tree. The likeness is indeed uncanny, in my opinion at least!

Any successes with this feature?

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The Stay Safe Board / Re: DIARY: Christmas Day to New Year’s Eve.
« on: Wednesday 27 December 23 07:10 GMT (UK)  »
I'm sure I'm not the only one still having leftovers, bubble & squeak etc!

Huge storm today, taking the time to finally send out some emails, Ancestry messages, and draft some letters to send out to distant relatives ... hopefully I get some positive responses!

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The Lighter Side / Re: How has your family history been doing in 2023?
« on: Wednesday 27 December 23 06:01 GMT (UK)  »
Probably the highlight of this genealogical year was an unexpected DNA match which revealed that my grandfather had a half-sister we never knew about! Their father certainly had greater fertility than morality!

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The Stay Safe Board / Re: DIARY: Christmas Day to New Year’s Eve.
« on: Tuesday 26 December 23 06:36 GMT (UK)  »
Hope everyone had a smashing Christmas. Ours is the same every year, and I mean that in a positive way: so many traditions and all 3 generations make a great effort. A new event, a family cocktail making competition (as it sounds - everyone had to design & create their own cocktail, and everyone had to then select their favourite) was a great hit. Salmon, ham, pork, lamb chops, chicken, everything delicious.

Over breakfast, as a memory-testing activity everyone wrote out all the addresses they've ever lived at. It was a lot of fun and generated interested memories and anecdotes, and of course I've whisked away the lists to enter any new info into the family tree ;)

Onwards to New Years' now, which is my favourite holiday. Such a refreshing time. After the Christmas party season I must admit I feel like I could sleep from now until then!

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The Stay Safe Board / Re: Diary week ending 24th December
« on: Thursday 21 December 23 09:21 GMT (UK)  »
Quote from: louisa maud on Thursday 21 December 23 08:43 GMT (UK)
Anguilla
I often have family members ask about the family tree,  I start to chat then watch their faces,  that will  tell you if they are really interested or not.
One side of my husbands family thought they were related to a Sir, well, no they are not, interested disappeared  straight away, didn't want to know anymore.
I consider myself the holder of the family tree as not many are interested at all, their loss.

LM

I read somewhere that we genealogists are "the chosen ones" and it certainly does feel like a privilege to gain so much pleasure from such a stimulating & versatile hobby!

As for sharing the interest, I get a little burst of adrenalin when a relative rings up and asks for a copy of an old photo I showed them, or asks 'what was so-and-so's name again?' - I bet they come to you too as the resident Keeper of Lore - every family must have one !

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Other Countries / Re: Ceylon/Sri Lanka - 20th century research & newspapers
« on: Thursday 21 December 23 09:16 GMT (UK)  »
Quote from: garstonite on Thursday 21 December 23 07:33 GMT (UK)
what is the surname - we can see if someone has a family tree for them ?

Some of this family are still alive (and I last caught up with them earlier this year!) so don't want to fall afoul of the living persons policy, but suffice to say I'll be having a lot of fun with the directories and making good progress! Many thanks

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Other Countries / Re: Ceylon/Sri Lanka - 20th century research & newspapers
« on: Thursday 21 December 23 09:15 GMT (UK)  »
Quote from: ShaunJ on Thursday 21 December 23 08:29 GMT (UK)
Searchable PDFs of Ceylon/Sri Lanka directories 1871-1999:

https://www.historyofceylontea.com/ceylon-publications/fergusons-directory/

Search for Colombo Cricket Club. Here's the 1957 entry:

Colombo Cricket Club—{1863)—Maitland Crescent, Colombo 7. President—H. Broome. Hony. Secretary—G. A. Robinson. Hony. Treasurer—P. G. Wand. Captain—K. J. Baker.

Bloody fantastic! Thank you very much ShaunJ. I picked the 1960-1 directory and searched the relevant surname; immediately found my cousin's entry which confirms both his address at that time and the businesses he was involved in at that time. Now to find out more about the English & Scottish Jt. Cooperative Wholesale Society ...

Really appreciate this link. Will enjoy playing around with these directories and hopefully answer my cricket question while I'm at it. Cheers again!

Edit to add: after some head scratching I've realised 'Jt.' stands for Joint - obvious with 20/20!

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The Stay Safe Board / Re: Diary week ending 24th December
« on: Thursday 21 December 23 08:19 GMT (UK)  »
One of my goals for the new year is to be more intentional with my genealogy, and I think one good way to facilitate that is becoming more active on here!

It's been a good week. Friday was the final meeting of the year for my local law society, followed by a very long luncheon. I have the honour of organising our bursary dinner for next year - a wonderful initiative we run with a nearby university.

I spent the weekend camping out in the beautiful Blue Mountains west of Sydney, attending an art & music retreat. Amongst other things, I participated in a meditation workshop, swam in a lake with a butterfly atop my head, and played King Charles II in an improv play! Most importantly, I spent some much needed time in the great outdoors with truly incredible people. A weekend to remember!

Like most, it was my final work week of the year. Nothing out of the ordinary, and only one day in court. Struggled home today (I walk to/from the office) carrying a large and unwieldy framed artwork which was a spontaneous lunch break purchase.

Got plenty of genealogy done during the weekday evenings, mostly searching FindMyPast's newspaper archive, and found a snippet on my relations in Colombo which now necessitates some further research - love it when that happens!

Now looking forward to a night at the Museum of Contemporary Art with a friend tomorrow, then Saturday will be a seaside feast with friends before going to an old 1930s cinema turned events space for a friend's birthday - very keen to see everyone! Sunday onwards is strictly for family. Excited for that too.

Hope everyone else is looking forward to the celebrations ... now to gauge how much I can bore the living relations with all my tales about the deceased ones!

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Other Countries / Ceylon/Sri Lanka - 20th century research & newspapers
« on: Thursday 21 December 23 05:49 GMT (UK)  »
Hi

A branch of my family were based in Colombo from the 1930s to the 1960s. I am interested in any resources covering that period that may help me find further biographical data, especially newspaper coverage of that time period.

I am particularly interested in the Colombo Cricket Club in the '50s to the '60s. My grandfather's cousin was either the first president to allow non-whites to join, or the last president not to so do. It'd be nice to find out!

Many thanks

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