"Heir Hunters" #2

[Nick29]

I didn't watch this until last night.  What an interesting story !  One of the best so far, I think, and I'm not just saying that because it was about the uncle of a Roots Chatter.

[FraserandFraser]

Not one of My cases so I cant comment on the amount of family history given to Steve, I think it was Hoopers. By the way my great aunt founded the original Hoopers in 1923, the new one was formed when the Fraser family moved to our own Firm in 1969 we were formed a few days earlier because it is easier to form a partnership so really F&F are the oldest firm!!

Filming is very much something that happens in the background just 1 day a week we have now done 60 programs and had the crew in our office for 18 months so they are really part of the Frasers family now. There are rules about who they are allowed to talk to when research is under way so as not to disrupted the work. We work much slower when the film crew are around and often find that we have to repeat things to the camera so they can get a different shot. There are small errors in continuity mainly the length of my hair! but it is not too bad some of it is very hard to peace together when you think they film 3 case a day and may only use 1 then there are 2 cameras in the office and 5 on the road and we dont know who will let a camera in to there house so we plan the case to show every stem and have to go into detail on a stem only if they get in to film.

I think one of the best programs in Lee that is on tomorrow. 15/7/09.

[mother25]

I too enjoyed Steve's programme. What a lovely discovery to make, and plenty to tell your own children and grandchildren 
I would also like to know how much of the research is given to the families after the programme. For instance, do you get a 'family tree' print-out? Do you get the certificates? How marvellous if you do, and it might even start a new generation of genealogists 

[mshrmh]

Neil - thank you for answering the questions. It's good that the film crew are "part of the family" - a good relationship must make a big difference to the programme (and without it I suspect the series would have stopped after the first one). I'll be interested to see the one you mention tomorrow.

Interesting as the series have been they are still a classic lesson in why people should make a will (sorry Neil - not trying to put you out of business).

[kerryb]

Very interesting answer Neil, enlightening to find out some of what goes on behind the scenes.

I don't know about anyone else but I've been enjoying watching your hair grow and shrink and change style between scenes.  I'm now working out when each bit was filmed 

Kerry

[greggymum]

Hi Neil,

I've managed to catch a few of the programmes and find them fascinating! Well done!

You probably get asked this all the time but how do you go about recruiting research staff? I realise that your staff turnover is incredibly low but if you were looking for someone, where would you look? In other words, when can I start?!! No, seriously, it sounds like the most thrilling job ever and I would appreciate some advice on how to get into such a position.

Thanks for reading this.

Gabrielle

[oldwrinkle]

sing them.
After his illness subsided, he went to Paignton as a camp entertainer, then travelled throughout the UK, then, after changing his name to Baron Carl Franz EduardHiya guys, sorry for the delay in replying and thank you for all of your comments.
Thank you to Neil too for a good insight into the background of the making of the programme.  As Neil said, it was Hoopers that carried out the investigation regarding my Uncle Charlie.  My filming took place in mid March of this year and lasted about 2 1/2 hours.  I would love to say that there were Directors, Producers, film crew etc etc here, but, two really pleasant young ladies from Flame TV carried out the task and may I say, how really professional they were. As it happens, my Mum was asked to do the filming, but declined, so yours truly had to do it.

As the programme stated, Charlie died in 1994 and was somewhat of an enigma.
He appeared to have gone AWOL from about 1957 ish and the family lost contact with him. He served his time during the second world war and just after that, he contacted Meningitis.  This, his parents were told, would either leave him brain dead, or brilliant - the latter won.  My Dad, who would have loved to have been on the programme, but unfortunately died in December last year, said that Charlie would put on old gramaphone records of Ivor Novello at full volume, learn the words, then  Von Eudeni, to Europe, singing mainly Opera.   When his singing days were over, he worked for the Lord Chancellors office in the House of Commons for Lord Dougals Frank KG.  He worked there for approx 14 years, untill he was forced to retire in 1988 due to ill health.
His Dad fought in the Boar War and first world war, but due to Mustard gas poisoning, was unable to take and maintain a full time job on his return to civvy street. This is when he began his new career as a street musician. Some might say that this is where Charlie might have gained his love of music before his illness, but that is not the case, he wasn't that interested.  By all accounts, he was a loner and as stated before, an enigma.

[oldwrinkle]

Sorry for the above post, not sure why all the words have jumbled up 

[mother25]

No probs...just needed a little detective work to sort it all out 
Your programme was a great story and a wonderful insight into what can happen to someone following a major illness.
Your family history is all the richer for knowing the story about Uncle Charlie