General Chat

I didn't notice his nipples but did notice that his voice seemed to drop a few octaves as the programme went on. I did enjoy it thought - and yes, I agree with other posters, Mrs C is a complete snob! Lisa

I think a hair merchant dealt in horse hair for stuffing things like mattresses and chairs

I noticed his nipples too lol and he wore some shocking tops!! Zoe, how are you looking at the Booth's map please m'dear? oh and thanks for explaining the hair merchant - I'd thought that was a bit creepy! Have to say I do love Julian though, he is so gorgeous looking! Maz. XX

Maz booth.lse.ac.uk easiest way to do it is to 'search for street in 2000' and then when it brings up page choose 'view map' this brings up recent map and the 1898 poverty map - the 1898 is really difficult to make out so having the 2000 map orientates you don't know how to find streets that no longer exist in 2000 tho - used to be able to but the search changed about two years ago

I would have hated to be Julian when he 'came out ' to his mother! Anyone else notice, right at the very start how the cat chased Valerie...pehaps that is why i didnt notice Julian s nipples....

I didnt enjoy the programme as much as the one last week with Stephen Fry. I thought the Family Ties programme on BBC4 was very good. I had a similar thing happen (as the German family thing) in my father in laws family. My mother in law was raised as a Roman Catholic. Her husband had always denounced them, much to do with the way his mother in law treated him as she didnt accept him a none catholic. He always assumed that her family originated in Ireland. Not true. I have gone back to 1750's and no Irish ancestry. When we started to research his family tree, it was difficult as his father had run away from home to join the army in 1913 and refused to talk about his family. We found out, by process of illimination and his army record, that he was decended from Irish Catholics. He didnt believe us and I think still doesnt. His older brother does and just accepts it. I must admit I did tease him about it. Apologies to anyone who is Irish and Roman Catholic. This is a fact, not my opinion. I don't mind where anyone originates from or what their religion is. Margaret

Maz to search booths, it helps if you know the parish the family were living in, on the 1901. You can search by parish 1898.

I must admit to having a giggle when it was revealed that his mother was also from German stock, that will teach her for being so snobby, and looking down her nose at her husband, and yes I heard his dads chuckle when Julian told his mother about her ancesters...... Bev

Thanks Zoe and Shelli, will have a look tomorrow. Maz. XX

i thought the reason that julians nipples seemed so pronounced maybe because they are pierced??? liked the opening comment bout him not having 3 cameraman in his room.................................................least not all at once Bev

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

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

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 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.

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

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.

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.

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 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

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 :)