Tracing schoolchildren what the records can reveal

The British merchant service was renamed the Merchant Navy after World War 1 to mark the vital role its sailors played in wartime. That role continued in World War 2 as merchant ships carried troops a

When I was aged 10, the farmers used to come round the schools to pick volunteers to work on the farms during the summer holidays, mainly to help bring in the harvest. The country was still building u

Dear Simon, The history of Pitman shorthand told by Angeline Wilcox in the July edition of Best of British (Write on Time) evoked so many memories. I was amazed to learn that Isaac Pitman actually cre

To some of us, post-1945 seems like yesterday – but if you are a younger researcher, this era could encompass several generations of your ancestors. More recent research is an important part of everyo

Our annual summer camp for many of my East Kilbride Scouts in 1977 was a choice between an expensive long distance coach trip to Switzerland or a cheaper and fun district camp at Glentrool, just an ho

Homesickness, little contact with family, and uber-strict regimes are just some of the outdated misconceptions about boarding schools. So what is the reality in 2025?