We wanted to take the opportunity to wish all our readers a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Enjoy the festive season, catching up with family and sharing the stories you've discovered in your research this year. See you in 2010!

We've just found some great-looking family trees online at:

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2009/11/jen-oneills-modern-genealogy-charts.html

Maybe you can take some inspiration for them when creating yours? They would certainly make excellent Christmas presents. 

Today is Trafalgar Day, marking the anniversary of the famous battle where Lord Nelson led the Royal Navy to victory over the French and Spanish fleets.



To mark the occasion we've decided to wear our best naval attire in the YFT office and give you the chance to relive a recent case study. Discover how our reader Laura Brown tracked down her ancestor who fought aboard HMS Defiance during the 1805 battle here.

Enjoy.

Actress Kim Cattrall is the celebrity discovering her family history in tonight's episode of Who Do You Think You Are?

Though famous for starring in American TV shows, it's set to be an emotional experience as British-born Kim tracks down her family over this side of the pond.

Tune in to BBC1 from 9pm tonight.

With the new series of Who Do You Think You Are? starting with Davina McCall this Wednesday 15 July, we've been discussing our highlights from previous series of the ground-breaking genealogical show.

Russell was moved by Stephen Fry discovery in series two of his Jewish ancestors who were killed at Auschwitz – a terrible revelation that other celebrities have encountered since. Lara remembers Rory Bremner finding about his heroic father in World War II, where as I enjoyed Alistair McGowan's trek through his ancestors who lived in India. Meanwhile Alex's favourite was the Ainsley Harriet's surprising discovery that he had ancestors on both sides of the slave trade.

Why not tell us your own favourites at yfted@futurenet.co.uk or join in the discussion on the YFT Forum.

We've just received news of a Gloucestershire genealogist who has found a family link to a famous author. You'll have to wait until YFT 79 goes on sale on 26 June to find out who (all we'll say is that he has a large fellowship of admirers), but it has prompted us to wonder how many people have famous ancestors?

Apart from a few sportsmen in our trees, the YFT team can sadly boast no claims to fame. However, if you have found a link to someone famous or of notable worth, why not email us or let people on the YFT Forum know?

Adam

One of the most important offshoots of family history research is that our discoveries resurrect memories of our forebears that had been long-forgotten, and making a detailed record ensures they are kept alive for future generations.

As a result, everyone at YFT is alarmed at how little the next generation knows about World War II, an event that has had a major impact on every family in Britain since.

According to new research, 22% of under-16s don’t know if their family members were involved in the War, and what's more, 27% aren’t bothered if stories about their family’s War experiences are forgotten.

To me World War II has always been one of the most fascinating periods of history, and I especially love finding out about my family's incredible experiences during the conflict, from relatives fighting in North Africa to others escaping on the last boat to leave Malta in 1942. What's more I plan to make sure these stories are kept alive for generations to come.

No matter where the blame lies for this shocking lack of interest and knowledge – the results also show that 13% of children think World War III has already taken place – we must get the next generation interested in such important events, and continue to keep the memory of our heroic forebears – from WWII and before – alive.

The research was undertaken by Leger Holidays, which offers trips to the battlefields of northern France. It is currently marking the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings with the Keep the Memories Alive campaign to educate people on World War II and their relatives’ part in it. You can ensure personal stories, memories, anecdotes and memoirs are never forgotten by posting them here.

Adam

Your Family Tree HQ is a good place to be right now – we've put issue 78 to bed just in time for the bank holiday weekend. We think you're going to enjoy the June issue, it's crammed with great ideas for furthering your research, from how to use  social networking websites to how to trace Irish ancestors through Church records. It's out on 27 May. Have a great long weekend.

As promised in our Computer Science section in Issue 59, here is the PDF file from YFT 48!

Explaining how to use Audacity to incorporate sound files into your family history research, the PDF should be most useful in your efforts to make a family history podcast as explained in the latest issue!

Just click here to access the PDF and good luck with your podcasts!

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