one of the Northumbria list members kindly posted this. i'm sure some of our members fall into this category and be interested :-) ~~~~~~~~~~~: I have just seen the following on the TV Teletext, and I thought it would be of interest to some researchers:- 'CLAN'S BLOOD NEEDED FOR SURVEY' If you are an ARMSTRONG, ELLIOT or NIXON, you might be able to help scientists with a new project. A team from Newcastle University is looking for people with 'Border Reivers' surnames to donate blood to find out if names signal genetic make-up. The Reivers were clans who fought bloody confrontations with each other from the 13th.century onwards. Potential volunteers are being asked to attend the Northumberland and Border History Fair in Hexham on 2 December. Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com