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Simon Gentry

@simonq189.bsky.social

Interests primarily in researching my family tree, singing with the Over Community Singers & Drummers and following Brighton & Hove Albion. Researching for over 30 years but so much still to do! Live in Cambridgeshire, but a lot of Essex roots.

470 Followers  |  1,036 Following  |  29 Posts  |  Joined: 15.11.2024  |  2.3937

Latest posts by simonq189.bsky.social on Bluesky

Kentisbeare?

28.05.2025 22:51 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Not sure I can help but have to say that once again a great series. Additionally, The Lost 57 is a great read. Thank you Andrew for my weekly fix.

28.05.2025 21:19 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Trying to catch the moon

05.05.2025 21:34 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

All donations will go to Over Day Centre.

18.02.2025 08:22 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Over Community Singers & Drummersโ€™ next event is a Big Sing at Over Community Centre on Sunday 23 March.

18.02.2025 08:21 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Fantastic. I wish I had similar for my family who worked on the orchards for Elsenham Jam Factory

15.01.2025 12:13 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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A soft glow in the sky over the Ouse Meadows at St. Ives this afternoon

14.01.2025 15:24 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 5    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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It appears there were two versions of the truth about who my paternal grandmaโ€™s dad was. I reckon Aunt Ada knew!

10.01.2025 18:44 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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My paternal Grandma Myrtle received a postcard from her 8 month old cousin Beryl in 1906 when my Grandma was 6 and Beryl was 8 months! Beryl was born and spent her early years in Aberporth. Rose Phillips nee Creasey was my great grandmotherโ€™s younger sister who had married the local rector.

21.12.2024 21:52 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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As my mumโ€™s father died before she was born, my mum ended up being brought up in the 1930s by her mum, her aunts and uncles and her grandparents. This included numerous trips to Cleethorpes from Essex to stay with her Aunt Kizzie. The trips north were a family affair.

20.12.2024 20:31 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Thank you so much. I was involved in a North Evington local history project at the Leicester archives in 1990 so will have to check if Marilyn published the research findings.

18.12.2024 17:42 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Sophie, I hadnโ€™t so thanks for the link. I certainly will now๐Ÿงถ๐Ÿ˜€

18.12.2024 16:43 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I watched the recording yesterday and found the whole talk fascinating. Lovely to hear Marilyn Palmer mentioned as she was my wonderful tutor at the University of Leicester back in the early 1990s.

17.12.2024 12:44 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Looking back at 2024, one of the outstanding discoveries for me was โ€˜The Coupleโ€™ standing 5 meters tall and 300 meters off the coastline at Newbiggin by the Sea. A smaller couple was located on land, looking out to sea.

17.12.2024 00:00 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Yes there is a cost to see images. I use an annual subscription as there are so many records I need to access. It is much better value at ยฃ103 as a day is ยฃ20.75. Also options for a week, a month and six months

14.12.2024 16:33 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Thank you for this blog. Agree totally. Iโ€™m lucky that I have a lot of Essex connections and can use the fantastic Essex Record Office indexes and can subscribe to the digital images on the Essex Archives online website.

14.12.2024 09:20 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I was 2 or 3 when my Great Gran moved from there so it is all a distant memory. Someone from the village has told me he thinks it is called Tumbleweed!

09.12.2024 16:02 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Great Granny Brewer nee Shelley ( my mumโ€™s paternal Gran) at her front door at her cottage in Elsenham. Her husband Frederick George had looked after the horses for the fruit orchards that belonged to the Elsenham Jam Factory.

08.12.2024 21:50 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

And many thanks for the bonus podcast. Will be looking out for the Nightingale tale!

04.12.2024 18:14 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Task for self. Can I name everyone in this 1928 family Easter gathering in 1928 at Woodgates Farm, Broxted, Essex? Great Grandparents Fred and Sarah Gentry in the middle. Sarah was one of the Barker family from Stebbing. Fred was born in Mountnessing.

04.12.2024 09:12 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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The Christmas Tree at Kingโ€™s Cross station this evening

30.11.2024 01:18 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 8    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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The Albert Arms which my paternal Grandparents ran in the 1930s before moving to Newport. Was located in Railway Place (now Malcolm Place) in Stepney. Unfortunately long gone.

26.11.2024 08:14 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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My dad wrote about memories of Whiteditch Farm during World War 2. In a Dunmow History Soc book he recalled when a doodlebug was shot down 100 yds from the farm blowing out the front windows of the house. Years later my grandad sold the remains of the bomb to a scrap metal merchant for 10 shillings!

24.11.2024 18:26 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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When I was younger I got to visit a derelict Whiteditch Farm with my dad. That was before the a big chunk of land was dug up for the M11

21.11.2024 18:38 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Before retiring and moving to Bricketts my grandparents owned Whiteditch Farm, also in Newport, having purchased the farm at a relatively low price. They moved there in August 1939 having run the Albert Arms in Stepney. Some timing! Neither Bricketts or the farm exist today.

20.11.2024 22:08 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Received today. Written by my paternal grandmaโ€™s cousin when he and his family journeyed through Southern Africa in 1962. Not sure what to expect but it will be insightful. Not sure I will get to read John Creaseyโ€™s other 900+ books!

20.11.2024 21:51 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Wow, I was really moved. Just a wonderful podcast.

20.11.2024 19:13 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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If you love singing and / or drumming and live in mid Cambridgeshire

20.11.2024 18:46 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Have put up a view of Bricketts on my profile. The bungalow was the 1st building as you entered Newport, Essex from the south on the old A11. It is where my paternal grandparents moved to when they retired in 1959. Grandma had a large area of land to keep chickens there until 1975.

20.11.2024 18:23 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

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