It’s October which means it’s National Family History Month!

I set up The Memory Lab because I have a personal interest in my own family history and the desire to preserve it for my daughter. This is the perfect time to talk about family history and ensure your own heritage is kept alive for many years to come.

It seems more important than ever to keep in touch with loved ones and feel as connected as possible. Sharing old photographs, watching old VHS tapes or slide shows can be a really enjoyable way of engaging with relatives – particularly when we can’t be physically together. That’s why we feel digital preservation is so essential. It brings people together and gives us a way of keeping those precious memories safe for years to come; for our generation and beyond. 

But how else can we celebrate Family History Month and how do we start to delve deeper into our own lineage? Here’s a couple of things to think about:

  • Make the time to talk with family and friends. Relatives may be able to share amazing bits of information, or new stories you haven’t heard before. It’s so important to preserve these stories for the future.

  • It may sound obvious but start that Family Tree! Or if it’s already been started, ask to take a look at it and contribute to it further. This is also a fantastic way of visualising your lineage with younger generations. The Family Search website provides great  age-appropriate family tree templates.

  • Document your past. Heading over to a family search or geneology website is an excellent way of discovering people and untold stories from your past. For example, Ancestry offers access to the 1939 UK Register, which is an important resource created at the start of the Second World War.

  • Head on down to a historical museum in your area. Learning about your family’s history will undoubtedly inspire you to think about the goings on that they witnessed. I cannot rate The People’s History Museum highly enough for an immersive journey through modern historical events.

  • Similarly, visit your local library. Lots of Libraries will have local history collections. See if something in their collection grabs your interest.

  • Create ‘Family History’ gifts. There are so many different ideas for family history gifts, especially for Christmas and special occasions. Talk to us today if you’re looking for inspiration!

  • Join a local genealogy society. If you’re feeling like you’re really on the path for knowledge, there are loads of genealogy clubs across the country. Google ‘genealogy societies near me’ or take a look on Facebook at the hundreds of genealogy group pages for those who want to participate more ‘virtually’.

What’s really important however, is finding the time to engage with family history. We can help you with the ‘heavy-lifting’ of digitising and transferring of photos and artifacts but the desire to get going in the first place is the important bit.  Dont put off any longer that project that ensures your family legacy will be around after you’ve gone or your quest to start digging deeper into your history. Start scrap-booking, assemble an album or photo-book, transcribe letters, diaries and telegrams, write your lifestory, interview a relative, create a family history newsletter or calendar – whatever you do, it’s important that your heritage lives on. 

Happy Family History Month! Let’s keep preserving our past for tomorrow!