Genealogy Section

  • Search our BMD certificates
    Search our BMD certificates
    Information
    26 May 2014
    Data transcribed from birth, marriage and death certificates for some of the individuals listed in The Sticks family tree.
  • Uncovering our roots
    Uncovering our roots
    Information
    26 May 2014
    A chance question from a seven year old and an old manuscript from my ninety year old grandmother set me off in search of the 128 5th gg-parents of my daughter.
  • Useful links
    Useful links
    Information
    26 May 2014
    Links to resources we found helpful to our genealogy research.
  • One thousand years of family history
    One thousand years of family history
    Information
    26 May 2014
    Kings, paupers, highway men, eminent lawyers, newspaper tycoons, bigamists, slave traders, coal miners and cotton workers; just some of the ancestors uncovered.
  • Family tree database
    Family tree database
    Information
    26 May 2014
    Introduction to the interactive family tree database
  • From Refugee to Slave Trader
    From Refugee to Slave Trader
    Information
    16 July 2020
    After fleeing France in 1686 two huguenot brothers settle in England establishing themselves as successful business men supplying beads desired by slave traders
  • Victorian skeletons in the closet
    Victorian skeletons in the closet
    Information
    30 March 2020
    My 4x great grandparents never divorced but both remarried while the other was still alive. She first, him later but only he was prosecuted for bigamy.
  • Running away to join the church
    Running away to join the church
    Information
    29 January 2020
    In 1923 my great uncle left home to join a religious order without the knowledge or consent of his father. Will family love or religious divide triumph?
  • His uncle Daniel was killed in action
    His uncle Daniel was killed in action
    Information
    20 September 2019
    My grandmother knew her late husband's uncle had been killed in World War 1 but nothing else. A little investigation showed he had an interesting story ....
  • Two generations take mother's maiden name
    Two generations take mother's maiden name
    Information
    26 May 2014
    My family name descends from the maternal line four generations back although my 2x great grandfather was originally given his father's name. What happened?
  • The Mysterious Colonel Hallows
    The Mysterious Colonel Hallows
    Information
    26 May 2014
  • Alfred Bradbury Army Records
    Alfred Bradbury Army Records
    Information
    13 April 2024

Locality Section

History Section

Travel Section

  • Travel
    Travel
    Information
    12 January 2022
  • Europe
    Europe
    Information
    26 November 2018
  • The Southern States 2017
    The Southern States 2017
    Information
    26 November 2018
  • USA and Canada 1987
    USA and Canada 1987
    Information
    26 November 2018
  • USA First Visit 1983
    USA First Visit 1983
    Information
    26 November 2018
    The summer of 1983 was one to remember. Young, falling in love, not a care in the world, wonderful weather and my first trip to the USA.
  • Long drive South through the rain
    Long drive South through the rain
    Information
    28 January 2020
    We watch the bleak moorlands slowly pass by between the beating windscreen wipers. The rain shrinks the wide landscape, closing round us
  • Old Faithful and the hospital
    Old Faithful and the hospital
    Information
    30 October 2019
    Spot on time, apparently by luck as its reputation for regularity is myth, Old Faithful erupted accompanied by the click of hundreds of camera shutters
  • Volcanic Mud Pools & Yellowstone Grand Canyon
    Volcanic Mud Pools & Yellowstone Grand Canyon
    Information
    26 June 2019
    The canyon, with its eponymous yellow stone wall, is spectacular but the view point is swarming with mosquitos which seem to take a fancy to me.
  • Trail Ridge Road and on to Yellowstone
    Trail Ridge Road and on to Yellowstone
    Information
    17 February 2019
    Each state has been characterised by its vegetation: saguaro cactuses in Arizona, prickly pears in New Mexico, pine trees in Colorado, now the Wyoming grassland
  • Snow drifts in the sun and lots of motorbikes
    Snow drifts in the sun and lots of motorbikes
    Information
    08 March 2018
    There is snow on the trail. At first they are small drifts and no obstacle but it is strange to feel so hot under such a blazing sun and yet be negotiating snow
  • Misery guts in the Rockies
    Misery guts in the Rockies
    Information
    11 February 2018
    Struggling to make a phone call, a historic town and, arriving in the Rocky Mountain National Park, preparing to spend another cold night camping.
  • Road to the Rockies
    Road to the Rockies
    Information
    08 January 2018
    The options for eggs is baffling: easy over, easy up etc and we take a guess. Stewart orders easy up and fortunately it's what he wanted, a plain fried egg.
  • Jemez Valley and the Indian Pueblos
    Jemez Valley and the Indian Pueblos
    Information
    02 January 2018
    After a long day in the heat exploring the pueblos we drive up into the mountains and realise we are ill equipped for camping in the near freezing conditions.
  • Headache at El Morro and shivering in the Ice Caves
    Headache at El Morro and shivering in the Ice Caves
    Information
    24 November 2017
    Finding ice in the scorching desert and the realisation that the diversity of American languages is hidden by the predominance of English.
  • Petrified Forest and Painted Desert
    Petrified Forest and Painted Desert
    Information
    02 November 2017
    If we see anyone picking up pieces of petrified wood we are asked to fill in a report card! Interesting technique for instructing us not to nick the stone wood.
  • Caves, mountains and flags
    Caves, mountains and flags
    Information
    31 October 2017
  • In the land of the Saguaro
    In the land of the Saguaro
    Information
    22 October 2017
    The next stop on our route to Tuscon is the Saguaro National Monument. I shouldn't have been surprised it was all cacti.
  • Out of fuel on the Apache Trail
    Out of fuel on the Apache Trail
    Information
    18 October 2017
    The road becomes very rough, a potted, rutted track, steep and twisting. What we had estimated was more than enough fuel is disappearing rapidly.
  • Journey to Phoenix
    Journey to Phoenix
    Information
    07 October 2017
  • Underwhelmed at LAX
    Underwhelmed at LAX
    Information
    07 October 2017
  • The Creole Nature Trail
    The Creole Nature Trail
    Information
    06 July 2020
    After only two stops on the Creole trail, the Blue Grass trail and the Wetland Walkway we realise it is much later than we thought & jet-lag is setting in.
  • Equador
    Equador
    Information
    04 December 2014
  • Peru and Galapagos Islands (October 2000)
  • Equador - Galapagos
    Equador - Galapagos
    Information
    12 June 2023
  • Equador - Quito
    Equador - Quito
    Information
    12 June 2023
  • Peru - Machu Pichu
    Peru - Machu Pichu
    Information
    12 June 2023
  • Peru - Sacred Valley
    Peru - Sacred Valley
    Information
    12 June 2023
  • Peru
    Peru
    Information
    04 December 2014
  • Peru - Cuzco
    Peru - Cuzco
    Information
    04 December 2014
  • Journey through India and Nepal  (1981)
    Journey through India and Nepal (1981)
    Information
    04 December 2014
    Travels through India by bus, train and plane, 1981
  • The Golden Temple
    The Golden Temple
    Information
    31 December 2014
    I didn't want to be outdone by the Queen, especially as I had met the guy and benefitted from his knowledge of Sikhs and the temple.
  • Amrtisar
    Amrtisar
    Information
    31 December 2014
    We went into a small house off a backstreet and up a narrow, steep flight of stone steps. A rope had been stapled to the wall as a handrail.
  • Rest day in Delhi
    Rest day in Delhi
    Information
    31 December 2014
    Here I am accepting luxury, free accommodations and yet travelling India trying to experience the lives of the locals.
  • Ill in Varanissi
    Ill in Varanissi
    Information
    31 December 2014
    I bought "Entrostrep Capsules". I didn't chose them myself. The pharmacist, at least I hoped he was, matched them to my description of the symptoms.
  • Varinassi and the Ganges
    Varinassi and the Ganges
    Information
    31 December 2014
    This was something new for me: a completely different culture, an openness with the rituals of death I had never seen before.
  • Patna
    Patna
    Information
    31 December 2014
    Two weeks ago I would only drink bottled water and now I was trying exotic juice from a dirty glass.
  • Trouble at the airport
    Trouble at the airport
    Information
    30 December 2014
    He took Jane's passport & said we couldn't leave unless we paid more. The flight was being called and we saw our bags trundling across the tarmac to the plane.
  • More shopping in Kathmandu
    More shopping in Kathmandu
    Information
    30 December 2014
    For tea we had enormous American style pizzas then went for a final visit to a pie shop for pie and coffee. Our last evening in Kathmandu was drawing to a close
  • Budhanilkantha
    Budhanilkantha
    Information
    30 December 2014
    It wasn't what I had expected. No festivals, no golden roof, no flowers, nothing but a dull reclining statue and a bleak, grey pool.
  • Patan and the Pashupatinath Temple
    Patan and the Pashupatinath Temple
    Information
    29 December 2014
    In one village square an old man was at pains to point out the erotic carvings around the eaves of a central, prominent building.
  • Exploring Kathmandu
    Exploring Kathmandu
    Information
    29 December 2014
    Kathmandu is a colourful and picturesque place. At night the many and frequent power cuts give rise to a myriad of candles and lanterns.
  • The
    The "Monkey Temple"
    Information
    29 December 2014
    The Budhist temple, Swayambhunath Stupa, known as the Monkey Temple, sits at the top of a hill overlooking Kathmandu. I wish I'd known more about it at the time
  • Shopping and eating in Kathmandu
    Shopping and eating in Kathmandu
    Information
    20 December 2014
    We browsed the market stalls and shops, looking for bargains. Jane bought a bag and I bought a yak's wool coat.
  • Kathmandu
    Kathmandu
    Information
    20 December 2014
    Buying airline tickets, getting shoes mended, finding a bank, shopping and taking photographs. Our first full day in Kathmandu.
  • Bus to Kathmandu
    Bus to Kathmandu
    Information
    20 December 2014
    The road was blocked. Lorry drivers and bus passengers wandered around aimlessly in the damp drizzle. It seemed as though we would be stuck for hours.
  • Mazafarur to Raxaul
    Mazafarur to Raxaul
    Information
    20 December 2014
    From the railway bridge we could see into the town. It was flooded but life went on apparently as usual all around as though the flood wasn't there.
  • Train to Mazafarpur
    Train to Mazafarpur
    Information
    12 December 2014
    We didn't buy anymore food although we bought plenty of chai in little earthenware pots which we threw out of the train window, as appeared to be the custom.
  • A small town and a slow train
    A small town and a slow train
    Information
    07 December 2014
    He said this was the very slow train, the Jannata train. It would stop everywhere and take more than five hours. He said I should have waited for the express.
  • The Taj Mahal
    The Taj Mahal
    Information
    07 December 2014
    I expected to be asked to remove my shoes before entering the mausoleum but tender footed tourists like me were offered sack shoe covers.
  • Road to the Taj Mahal
    Road to the Taj Mahal
    Information
    07 December 2014
    The Taj Mahal: peaceful, quiet, smart, clean and stunningly beautiful with its white marble, carvings and jewelled inlays. I'm here at last.
  • Lost in Agra
    Lost in Agra
    Information
    04 December 2014
    The Rickshaw driver said it was his duty to take me to the marble factory, the jeweller and the silk sari shop. I went, there was nothing I could do to stop it.
  • Sikandra Mausoleum
    Sikandra Mausoleum
    Information
    04 December 2014
    Akbar the Great, 3rd emperor of the Mogul dynasty began building his mausoleum before his death but died before it was finished.
  • Rickshaw round Agra
    Rickshaw round Agra
    Information
    04 December 2014
    I had no idea of the route to the Taj Mahal, but I instinctively felt that we were not heading towards the river. The rickshaw man said it was "a tour".
  • To Delhi
    To Delhi
    Information
    04 December 2014
    Via the luxury of Dubai airport to the unwelcoming, dirty and intimidating transit facilities in Karachi, I arrive at Delhi airport just as it is getting light
  • Syria and Jordan 1993
    Syria and Jordan 1993
    Information
    30 January 2022
  • A musical evening in Aleppo
    A musical evening in Aleppo
    Information
    14 April 2023
    After a long tiring day we arrive in Aleppo and enjoy an evening of food and music and look forward to a lie in tomorrow.
  • The road to Aleppo via Homs, Hama and Ebla
    The road to Aleppo via Homs, Hama and Ebla
    Information
    31 July 2021
    Ebla: My fingers are almost too cold to use the camera, but this place is famous. I'm not likely to visit again soon so I must get a photograph!
  • Valley of the Tombs
    Valley of the Tombs
    Information
    26 March 2021
    I'd seen the line of towers in the distance yesterday as we wandered through the colonnades without realising that they were part of an ancient necropolis. 
  • Palmyra at sunset
    Palmyra at sunset
    Information
    04 September 2020
    On the road from Damascus to Palmyra I learn that Syrians are self sufficient in phosphate fertiliser.
  • First taste of Damascus
    First taste of Damascus
    Information
    17 February 2020
    My preconceived ideas of what a mosque would be like are overturned. I expected to see mainly men and a rather solemn, formal place but there are a lot of women
  • Is it all propaganda on road to Damascus?
    Is it all propaganda on road to Damascus?
    Information
    01 November 2019
    I realise I don't know much about Syria and can't reconcile what the guide is saying with my pre-conceived ideas. I am lost between two sets of propaganda.
  • Inside the walls of Bosra
    Inside the walls of Bosra
    Information
    13 January 2018
    We wander around among the ruins of the Roman city. People keep appearing from between the stones, going about their daily lives.
  • From Amman to Bosra
    From Amman to Bosra
    Information
    12 January 2018
    Our guide is very keen to tell us how well educated the people are and how they have all worked very hard to build their country which has no oil!
  • South Africa 2014
    South Africa 2014
    Information
    04 December 2014
  • Naples 2012
    Naples 2012
    Information
    27 November 2018
  • Santorini August 2013
    Santorini August 2013
    Information
    26 November 2018
  • Phone 3 : Naples 0
    Phone 3 : Naples 0
    Information
    02 December 2018
  • A day in old Pompeii with a bored teenage daughter