General Chat

I think they didn't use so many names in the past, no "Brooklyns" or "Peaches" back then, so where cousins had the same name and lived in close proximity, it seems feasible that one of them would be known by a different name in order to distinguish between the two (I'm guessing here).

Mum has her mother's name - which is German - and was always known as the shortened version of her middle name. When she was about 8 or 9, she was told her real name by her dad and burst into tears! Apparently she was inconsolable for about a fortnight!

There are also some very odd names given to people - one of my great uncles, who died on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, was known as "Jum" and one of my mum's aunts was known as "Nin".

Yes that gave me one or two head aches with the name thing! It seems that lots of families didn't use the name for people that they were actually given and that's on the birth certificate! My dad was always known as Vic, yet on his birth certificate it's Harry, Johns were often called jack too weren't they. My Gt Granny on my dad's mums side was always referred to as Poppy...turns out her name was Mary!

Yes it does drive you nuts at times, but as you say it's just great to try atleast to find out about your past. I'm the only one who seems interested in my small family unit though.

I'd love to know more about my mum's side though.

Yes I suppose I am really, but it does get complicated:

Going back about 2-3 generations the eldest son was nearly always named after the father and the eldest daughter after the mother. Then they used the names of their brothers and sisters for subsequent children. As they all lived in the same area, I get cousins that have the same name born in the same year.

My G-G Grandfather also had TWO daughters both called Mary! Then I've got a great aunt who my mum told me about, who she knew as one name that bears no resemblence to her real name - that led me a merry chase for a while! (Mum never knew her real name - she was insistant it was the "known as" name)

Still, I guess that's one of the reasons why we love this hobby - unravelling the past.

I think you're very lucky, I have no brothers and sisters. My family that I have (ie) cousins are all over the place, and there's not many of them either. I've got one cousin in New York and a few in Australia who I've never met! I've got one cousin who is like a brother though. Thank god I've got my kids!

I'm overwhelmed with ancestors - my paternal grandfather was the youngest of 22 and one of my great grandfathers on my mum's side was one of 23!

Still, I suppose there was no telly or cinema in those days, so entertainment had to be sought in other areas ...

Yes it's frustrating when you come up against a brick wall with family history. My mum died when I was very young, her Grandfather was Danish and met his wife when he was in Scotland, mum said he worked on a fishing trawler. Other than that I'm stuck. Mum had a sister who I can barely remember (she died young too.)

Yes, the German side is something I've always wanted to do.

I do have a copy of her birth certificate - so that's something to start on.

I think it will need some very careful planning before I embark on that adventure though.

EDIT: Glad you liked the ice cream joke.

Yes the care thing, I work in council run care homes and it's really heartbreaking to see people having to sell their homes to pay for care to which they are entitled to.

I don't know what I'd do about Ronnie Biggs.

I do not think its in the public interest to keep him in prison - he is no harm to society anymore and it probably costs more to treat him in prison than it does on the outside.

I'd like to see him or his family pay towards his care though, bearing in mind that he has contributed nothing to the UK society for the last 40 years.

That will be interesting looking up the German side of the family Ed.

I think I enjoyed Evita because I saw the stage show with the original cast - I used to go out with a girl who's mum worked for one of the ticket agencies.

What's wrong with the Germans anyway? My maternal grandmother was German. Oddly enough she worked in a munitions factory in WW1 and my maternal grandfather served on the Western Front for three years!

I haven't started to go up that branch of my tree yet - I'm saving my German "bit" for another day.

Truth, as they say, is stranger than fiction ...

Going slightly off the film thread as we tend to do from time to time...well they did make the film Buster. Ronnie Biggs is in hospital here in our area Norwich Hospital. They've been talking about it on our local radio and I must say it's been about 50/ 50 with people saying he should stay in prison or come out.
Personally I think they should let him out now, for his son's sake really too. What do you think Ed?

EDIT: Just seen your ice cream joke Ed, very good. ☺

Ed you're back! I've been talking to myself most of the time...thank goodness David came on the thread...or I'd have been carted off to the funny farm!

Yes I enjoyed Cabaret too, even thought it was set in Berlin!

You won't believe this but I didn't go to see Evita and when it has been shown on the telly I got a bit bored with it. Yes even though Antonio was in it!

I think you're right though Ed, the reason they were popular years back is people led a simpler life.

Hello all,

I spent a couple of days away from the computer - working with them 5 days a week (sometimes more!) - makes you want a break now and again.

I do like the occasional musical, loved Cabaret and Calamity Jane, and quite liked Carousel too.

I think the reason that musicals have been on the decline is because the music of recent generations doesn't lend itself to the genre; the only musical of recent years that was made was the film version of Evita (which I'm sure you enjoyed Pam, considering who played Che Guevara!)

Yes they were a form of escapism, generally quite innocent compared to today's cinema, and perhaps an indication of how much simpler life was when musicals had their heyday.

nudge

I love all the Doris Day and Rock Hudson films David. You mention Jimmy Cagney as a hoofer, he was a brilliant dancer in Yanky Doodle Dandy.

Another bit of trivia, no nothing to do with films exactly, but when I was small and my mum was still with us people always said she looked like Lucille Ball, she certainly was a bit scatty in her ways like the 'I Love Lucy' Shows character and had the hair too! ( Natural too I might add.) But no, dad wasn't Cuban... he was born in Streatham!

Well yes David it was all a form of escapism for many working class people, seeing all these glamorous people on the screen in places and lifestyles they could only dream off...not changed that much really when you think about it has it?

All these over paid footballers and so called celebrities on these crap reality shows, all over paid and most of them with no talent. I mean how can you justify some of these salaries that they get...you just can't in my opinion. Ah well better climb off my soap box for the evening before I go too far.

You're correct Pam, and dancing on the wings of planes in fight etc.
I think it was to detract the viewer from the austerity between the wars

Many of the famous film stars male and female including Frank Sinatra and Jimmy Cagney started as "hoofers" in the musicals