General Chat

I don't care what JC wears, he is still beautiful!!!!! I didn't think this was as interesting as I thought, but I did find it quite sweet how Julian felt he 'knew' his grandfather Jack better even though he died so young. I didn't like Mrs C from the start. I could understand her prejudice against 'foreigners' even if I think it is wrong, but she seemed like an awful snob. God forbid she find out her gt granny was a washer woman or even worse, a pauper!! She SOOOO wanted someone famous in her tree didn't she? I didn't realise how the British had segregated german men living here during the war. That was an education for me! Claire xx (looking forward to Jane Horrocks)!

CB, I love quite a lot of the old German architecture and their 'Altstadts', brings back happy memories of my time sight-seeing places when I was living there. On first impressions, Trier reminded me quite a bit of Bonn.

I put my initial thoughts on this programme on another thread, so I won't repeat them, but I'd just like to echo what Louise has said. My own mother (of English-Scottish descent and born in Wales) would have been horrified to learn of 'foreign' ancestry. Although I've not yet found anyone born outside the British Isles on her side, my father's side has a few names from other nationalities 'married in', and current generations on both sides contain my mother's dreaded 'foreigners'. I think it's great and look forward to exploring those family connections in due course. I didn't warm to Mrs Clary or agree with her distaste for Germans, but I could see the reasons behind her holding her views - as usual, it was down to conditioning and wartime propaganda. Re Julian himself, I don't care what he's talking about - I find his quips amusing and he's just beautiful to look at .- AND I loved the way he dresses, especially the 'special' shirt with the pink stripes. One for Paul to add to his collection, perhaps? ;>) I'd gladly have looked after Valerie when Julian went off to Germany. Seeing Trier, with it's typically picturesque architecture, brought back memories of a trip to Germany many years ago. I must go again. ... and what a stark contrast between the German records office and the dingy, utilitarian place we have in London! CB >|<

Have to say I was disappointed with last night's episode but this was more because of the bar that had been raised by the quality of the first three episodes. Whilst I'm not doubting the poignancy and intrigue in the stories behind the ancestors but the way events were told didn't really capture my imagination like the other episodes did. Glad I wasn't the only one who didn't take kindly to Mrs Clary!

Dont hink anybody has mentioned his great aunt aged 91. I thought she was a wonderful person. Felt sorry for her as she said that talking and thinking about the past is very upsetting. GLoria

Apart from her desire not to find any foreigners in her tree, I thought that the weirdest thing about Mrs Clary was the way that she said 'Thank you for coming' to him each time she saw him. I can understand why one would say that to visitors - but to your own son? I was glad that Julian and his sister seemed quite close, and it was great to see him with Valerie.

Well I didn't notice his nipples but did notice his voice was deepening and he looked almost straight on some occassions. He did look rather girlie in his pretty vest. I never knew of my german connections until recently. My great grandparents emigrated from Prussia Germany to New Zealand. GLoria

Your right Gwynne He seems a very kind and sensitive guy.

I wonder how she coped with Juians sexuality,,,,if she didnt like germans , i bet his 'comming out' went down a storm,,,but then again,,he must earn quite a bit of money and she was obviously approved of wealth...what a snob, Julian is a lovely guy,,bless him

His mother, or some other family member, might have lost a close friend or relative during the war which could explain her attitude to Germans. MB

Nell I think Georges Road is classed as on the poorer end on Booth's map. My great grandfather was living there in 1901 with his brother and sister-in-law. He spent the rest of his life in Eden Grove just round the corner and they were definitely at the lower end :)

i am really annoyed with myself! spent the day whizzing round, made sure i got the t.v. to myself, sat down to watch, then was so tired i kept falling asleep and so missed most of it! i did see the nipples though! lol. tina x

I have found we are descended from Jews and Germans so is my husband, I reckon most people are in some way. Julian is gorgeous but the programme was quite boring.

I LIKED Julian's shirts - oh dear, what does that say! Some of my lot were Prussian (but from the bit that is now in Russia) so does that make me less 'posh' than German Prussian or even German, lol, what a snob Mrs C is, we're all 'foreign' after all if you go back far enough.

Missed most of the programme as I had to go and check on my elderly neighbour, recently widowed. Hubby and I did laugh at the German connection as his dad hated them with a vengeance. Blamed them for the war and everything that befell him after it. On the day of his funeral hubby's sister produced a family tree she had been working on. Their mum's grandfather was German. FIL never knew. Don't know if MIL was aware of it either. Then again if she was she kept very quiet about it. Ever time the family have a get together this gets brought up and we have a good chuckle. Think even FIL wherever he is would see the irony of it all.

We also enjoyed the programme although we both agreed that J Paxman was the best so far. I kept looking at my husband for any reaction during it as his family came to England from Berlin in 1947 and until my M-I-L died in 2004 she still faced some anti German feelings. He was amused by Mrs Clarys views especially when she found that her family had been `Prussian` not `Russian`. Looking forward to watching the rest. Love and Peace Marianne.x

I think that as the Holloway Road is quite long, some bits of it must be posher than others. I am quite sure that Georges Road, off Holloway Rd (just south of the tube station) was poor, as my grandmother was born there and she wasn't posh! My grandfather (whom she married) lodged briefly in Forston Street, off Eagle Wharf Road, in 1901. I think Julian Clary's family history isn't as interesting as the others, but I was intrigued that BOTH sides of his family had German ancestors. Did they both settle in the same part of London or was there a vast influx of German immigrants at the same time? nell no German ancestors, but my uncle (son of the above grandparents) did marry a German woman after the war and I think they had a difficult time of it over here. They returned to Germany and lived with her family.

Talk about prejudices! My friend's husband said he wouldn't watch this one because of what JC was! Can you believe that? Yet he watched Stephen Fry last week (and thought it was good)! As long as someone does no harm, what should it matter about anything else? Those tops were a bit offensive however! Cheers Allie

I think we are all descended from Germans as the Angles and Saxons both came from Germany. David

well I love Julian Clary and his nipples!! Shame about his sexual preferences though ~ what a waste!! As for the programme, it was not my favourite one this series, J Paxman wins that award. Roll on Jane Horrocks! Claire