Well Donald, you raise a number of issues here. I know what you mean about what we are to do with family material when, once the subject's raised, the glaze comes over the eyes of children and grandchildren. If it isn't clear (that is, if no relative has asked for it), then there are 3 basic options (discounting the dustbin) : you could organise and offer it to a local record office or family history society where, I'm sure, items such as theatre programmes would be very welcome; or you could bequeath it specifically to the child or grandchild that you feel might come to appreciate it - or at least look after it ; or you could leave it to fall randomly into whichever hands catch your possessions when you go. It's astonishing how many of us begin to examine our place in the continuum and embark on research once a few letters, photos or mementos have fallen to us after a death in the family. You might even find that the youngest, geographically most distant descendant is the very one whose interest is most enthusiastically sparked. Basically, we have very little control over all that. I do remember the pork pie conversation (was it really 8 years ago?!) because I recollect expressing strong feelings which I still have about Proper Melton Mowbray pies! Do you feel that we shouldn't chew over old memories on a genealogy mailing list? I don't think it matters much, provided it doesn't go on for too long and trust we'd all agree. As has been asked oh-so-many times on these mailing lists : what are dates and names without stories and flavours? And delete buttons are literally to hand if it all gets too much. I'd like to mention a few more memories but will send them in another message. Jill -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Donald Hurd Sent: 15 February 2012 16:23 To: [email protected] Subject: [LEI] Memories I have followed the recent threads with great interest. I am a Leicester expatriate having lived in Canada since 1968. I was born and grew up in the North Evington district of Leicester. Went to Medway Street and City Boys. I share many of the memories especially those about Gallowtree Gate and the Market. I have accumulated a large amount of mementoes, photos and later movies and videos, much of it with a Leicester content. I am trying to weed out and organise this collection so that it might be more interesting to my family after I am gone. However my children were born in London and grew up here and my grandchildren were born here. They have no connection with and little interest in old Leicester. (My oldest granddaughter has emigrated to Australia so her children if any will have even less connection to my roots !) I am wondering if anybody could suggest a way of dealing with this material. My paper mementoes go back to the early 20th century and include old letterheads! and bills and programmes of concerts and competitive music festivals where my mother sang, although a large part is more personal - letters , cards etc. I also have a photo of the last tram outside City Boys School. In 2004 this list had a spell of Christmas reminiscences in which posted I a couple of times about mince pies and pork pie. This provoked some discussion about whether a genealogy site should devote time to memories. A little while back somebody asked what businesses were on the west side of Gallowtree Gate. The directories in the Historical Directories website only go up to about 1919. I wonder of the Leicester Libraries have later directories and if somebody on the spot could have a look. Before I stop, some of my favourite memories - trainspotting on Swain Street Bridge and the adjacent "Jitty"; The air raid shelters on Chesterfield Road; A sign "Land Mine" on Gartree Road or somewhere near, guarded by a policeman (I thought it meant that this was his land); a POW camp on ?Shady Lane; trams on East Park Road; Bradgate Park and Old John; Allens buses grinding up Mowacre Hill; and of course the market - especially a man selling crockery with an impossible display precariously balanced on his arm. My main genealogical lines that have Leicestershire roots - Cort (Market Harborough); Scott (Markfield); Wale; Poynor; Cartwright; Lee. My Hurd line goes back to Norfolk. Regards Don Hurd, St John's, Newfoundland, Canada. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I kind of think that, for listers who've never been here, reading our memories gives some context. Certainly reading about Leicester & Queni in the 50s & 60s helps to give me an image of where my mum lived & worked - I don't get much opportunity to ask her about it at the moment. Sent from my mobile device, please excuse lack of formatting. On 15 Feb 2012, at 17:21, <[email protected]> wrote: > Well Donald, you raise a number of issues here. > > I know what you mean about what we are to do with family material when, once > the subject's raised, the glaze comes over the eyes of children and > grandchildren. If it isn't clear (that is, if no relative has asked for it), > then there are 3 basic options (discounting the dustbin) : you could > organise and offer it to a local record office or family history society > where, I'm sure, items such as theatre programmes would be very welcome; or > you could bequeath it specifically to the child or grandchild that you feel > might come to appreciate it - or at least look after it ; or you could leave > it to fall randomly into whichever hands catch your possessions when you go. > It's astonishing how many of us begin to examine our place in the continuum > and embark on research once a few letters, photos or mementos have fallen to > us after a death in the family. You might even find that the youngest, > geographically most distant descendant is the very one whose interest is > most enthusiastically sparked. Basically, we have very little control over > all that. > > I do remember the pork pie conversation (was it really 8 years ago?!) > because I recollect expressing strong feelings which I still have about > Proper Melton Mowbray pies! Do you feel that we shouldn't chew over old > memories on a genealogy mailing list? I don't think it matters much, > provided it doesn't go on for too long and trust we'd all agree. As has been > asked oh-so-many times on these mailing lists : what are dates and names > without stories and flavours? And delete buttons are literally to hand if > it all gets too much. > > I'd like to mention a few more memories but will send them in another > message. > > Jill > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Donald Hurd > Sent: 15 February 2012 16:23 > To: [email protected] > Subject: [LEI] Memories > > > > I have followed the recent threads with great interest. I am a Leicester > expatriate having lived in Canada since 1968. I was born and grew up in the > North Evington district of Leicester. Went to Medway Street and City Boys. I > share many of the memories especially those about Gallowtree Gate and the > Market. I have accumulated a large amount of mementoes, photos and later > movies and videos, much of it with a Leicester content. I am trying to weed > out and organise this collection so that it might be more interesting to my > family after I am gone. However my children were born in London and grew up > here and my grandchildren were born here. They have no connection with and > little interest in old Leicester. (My oldest granddaughter has emigrated to > Australia so her children if any will have even less connection to my roots > !) I am wondering if anybody could suggest a way of dealing with this > material. My paper mementoes go back to the early 20th century and include > old letterheads! > and bills and programmes of concerts and competitive music festivals where > my mother sang, although a large part is more personal - letters , cards > etc. I also have a photo of the last tram outside City Boys School. > > In 2004 this list had a spell of Christmas reminiscences in which posted I a > couple of times about mince pies and pork pie. This provoked some discussion > about whether a genealogy site should devote time to memories. > > A little while back somebody asked what businesses were on the west side of > Gallowtree Gate. The directories in the Historical Directories website only > go up to about 1919. I wonder of the Leicester Libraries have later > directories and if somebody on the spot could have a look. > > Before I stop, some of my favourite memories - trainspotting on Swain Street > Bridge and the adjacent "Jitty"; The air raid shelters on Chesterfield Road; > A sign "Land Mine" on Gartree Road or somewhere near, guarded by a policeman > (I thought it meant that this was his land); a POW camp on ?Shady Lane; > trams on East Park Road; Bradgate Park and Old John; Allens buses grinding > up Mowacre Hill; and of course the market - especially a man selling > crockery with an impossible display precariously balanced on his arm. > > My main genealogical lines that have Leicestershire roots - Cort (Market > Harborough); Scott (Markfield); Wale; Poynor; Cartwright; Lee. > My Hurd line goes back to Norfolk. > > Regards > > Don Hurd, St John's, Newfoundland, Canada. > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message