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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Another day, another mind-bending, brain-frying #FamilyHistory conundrum 🤯

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Thank you for sharing this story, Paul.

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Looking forward to seeing the new logo 🙂

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Talk about more questions than answers! #FamilyHistory research makes my brain feel like it's going to explode sometimes! Two sisters marrying man with same name, in same parish, on consecutive days in same year! WHAT IS GOING ON??!!! Need a trip to @norfolkro.bsky.social. Not common surnames either

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Saw lots of sloes in the hedgerows yesterday when out on my walk. Didn't have anything to put them in 🙄

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Aww, great news - congratulations!

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

A great afternoon - the lovely @whoamiftr.bsky.social came to our local #FamilyHistory group to give a talk on Special Collections and Projects. All went home keen to explore some new sites and databases. (And I had a much needed 'prod' to get on with my 'plane crash' project - thank you Kelly! 😂)

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Totally agree! I could have done with that 30 years ago 🤣

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Reposted by Helen Brooks

Mish J Holman @mishjholman.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Do you have your copy yet? A History of the Census Takers - find out about the men and women who took the census and how your ancestors felt about them and the process of filling out the schedule. #Ancestry #Genealogy #GenHour

A book jacket on a dark grey background for A History of the Census Takers by Mish J Holman. Available this September from Pen and Sword, Waterstones and Amazon.

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Fabulous @pharostutors.bsky.social webinar this morning by @drkarencummings.bsky.social on writing effective family history reports. Given me lots of ways to improve my current woefully inadequate approach! Took lots of notes, so no excuse for not improving now!

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Isn't one of the best things about doing #familyhistory the feeling you get when you finally solve a puzzle that has been niggling you for ages? All the pieces drop into place, everything makes sense, and you can't help giving yourself a little cheer! So satisfying 🙂

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

An excellent series. Love how all the documents are used to piece together the stories which are told with such clarity and empathy by @davidolusoga.bsky.social

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

What a fabulous account! I have an interest in early plane journeys after reading my great-aunt's detailed account of her journey by Dakota from Nyasaland (now Malawi) to Paris. Owing to the many scheduled and unscheduled stops the journey took about 2 weeks! That was in 1947. Things have changed!

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Trying to stay on track instead of Googling the father of the mother-in-law of a 2xg-aunt who was an artist. ##familyhistory. I could make so much progress if I didn't keep getting distracted 🤣

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Thank you 🙂I grew up in the village in the parish of Rowley, and learned about the Rev Ezekiel Rogers at school. The story fascinated me and I'd love to travel to the USA to see what Rowley, Massachusets is like!

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Congratulations - and what a lovely dish! 🥂

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

My daughter recently moved to Norwich, so I have been creating a spreadsheet of addresses, street names, churches, churchyards etc to look at next time I go to see her!

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Sounds perfect to me! I'm continuing to research my Norwich MONEY ancestors - no Magnums unfortunately, so a Fruit Pastille ice-lolly will have to do! It is flippin' hot! #familyhistory

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

And the twist at the end in that phone call...Brilliant!

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Searching my Norwich MONEY ancestors and found that Leonard (1st cousin 3x removed) married a woman named Charity!

Snip from 1921 census - Leonard Money and his wife, Charity!

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

I think mine are saying, 'Get on with it!'

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

This is me at the moment. So many family history stories/projects on the list - threatening complete paralysis!

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Had a few drinks in there a couple of years ago! We were staying in the cottage immediately to the left - a holiday let. As a Samuel Smith's pub, there is no background music or TV, and use of mobile phones and laptops are banned.

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

My granny had them - my grandad Brylcreemed his hair!

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

I am lucky enough to have been for a spin in said time machine. I can tell you I am alive and well, other than that...my lips are sealed! 😉 It was great fun though! @familyhistoriespodcast.com Series 9, Episode 2, in case you're wondering!

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

What a fascinating - and sad - story! Never come across anything like that

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Just listened to this - such an interesting story, and John's passion and enthusiasm for family history really shone through. Hope he didn't get too cold at the end!

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Very poignant. Was fortunate to visit the Lochnagar Crater and Thiepval memorial a few years ago, before paying my respects at the grave of my g-g-uncle, Joe Lester, kia 1 July 1916.

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Thanks for that - I'll be watching 🙂

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Looks lovely! I've switched to iced coffee in this heatwave!

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

You'll have to go outside again in five minutes to bring it in before it turns into cardboard. I swear the towels I hung out an hour ago can pretty much stand up on their own now - will be like drying myself with sandpaper!

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

That's the one I've been taking. I think it has helped with sleep, and also I used to get very painful muscle spasms in my back but since I've been taking the magnesium, that seems to have eased significantly. Don't know if it's just placebo effect but either way glad of the improvement!

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

I take magnesium and I think it helps. One capsule before bed, and sometimes use a magnesium lotion too. Getting out for a walk after dinner is also good. If I'm particularly stressed (like now!) and wake during the night with thoughts churning round, I have to get up and have a chamomile tea. 🙂

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Oh no, that's grim! Hope you make some good discoveries to make up for it 🙂

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Totally agree with this 🙂

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Oooh, looking forward to hearing more!

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Helen Brooks @hbrooks.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Are any family historians still buying wills for their own research? I'm gutted about the huge price rise - I often found great information in wills, but when you don't quite know what you're going to get it seems hard to justify the cost. Just wondering... #Familyhistory #Wills

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