Jane Hough 🌳🧬🏡

Take care, and while it’s pointless to say ‘try to relax’, try at least not to do too much in this heat.

Funnily enough, at the weekend I used a mop to apply a ‘laminate floor refinisher’ treatment to our kitchen floor while the furniture was still in other rooms post decorating. It’s done a great job, and I still have half a bottle left for another treatment.

Oh my word - what an amazingly awesome talk from @scientistsoph.bsky.social tonight with @gloucestershirefhs.bsky.social!!! So many little nuances about the 1921 Census that I’ve never picked up on until now. I’ve made lots of scribbles, but I’m looking forward to downloading the notes.

I’ve recently revisited my Haag / Haig ancestors, who originally came from Germany. They’re only step in-laws, but interesting because of their background.

A hand drawn family tree demonstrating how Margaret’s aunt Mary Ann married the father of her husband, William Bowdler.

It may be the heat, but I was struggling a little with a note on my tree: “Margaret’s aunt married her father-in-law”. I’ve drawn it out to check. 🤪

I suspect archives are one of the coolest places to be this week! 😎

I’ve just moved from working in the study to Mr H’s desk in the sitting room to avoid the heat.

Sadly I can’t make it tonight. But if it’s recorded I’ll certainly watch it tomorrow. #OnePlaceWednesday

Give my love to Looe!

Indeed. Many of the pits in the Forest of Dean were - quite literally - *in* the forest. My ancestors worked at Lightmoor and Northern United Collieries. My 3xGGF was an engineer at the Cinderford Iron Works and lived on site. It’s amazing what information you can turn up with a Census address!

A photograph of Cannop Colliery in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. It was taken in 1930.

And a photo here.

Aside from definitions of the ‘West of England’ I’m fascinated to see that Cannop Colliery in the Forest of Dean was important enough to have a bus route terminate there. I need to look at a couple of books to see how many people worked there at the time.

I’ve finally had time to do some #FamilyHistory research today. I’ve been looking into a reputed illegitimate link between my ancestors and a very wealthy mine owner in the #ForestOfDean. However, the #DNA evidence suggests that the paper tree I’ve researched is most likely correct.

Are you studying with IHGS at the same time as doing the Pharos Advanced Certificate? That sounds extremely demanding!

This is my Forest of Dean lot on my Mum’s side. I’m doing more on the Yorkshire side at the moment, as I shared one line with Joanna (formerly Sibs&Nibs on here). I’ve going back through all our emails, and have found a few things I’ve overlooked. Her daughter has now picked up her research.

I’ve saved a picture of the cover to my ‘books to buy’ list. 😉

It’s a short list compared to the ‘books to read’ list! 🤣

What an interesting project to research. I’ve been told by a distant cousin who I connected with as a #DNA match that we’re descended from a wealthy mine owner. While there are plenty of coal miners in this family branch, it would be interesting to see if there’s anything in her story.

I’m still at the stage where doing one job creates another, but it certainly beats doing the painting.

Today is the day for putting stuff away and sorting out what can go to the charity shop. We’ve already been to the tip. 😊

A woman riding a bicycle with two parrots sitting on the handlebars. A road sign in the background shows that she is on the D143 road leaving the village of Waben. This picture was taken in northern France.

Returning from holiday a few years ago, we stopped in Le Crotoy on the Somme estuary briefly. We then cut up through back roads to rejoin the autoroute. Leaving Waben, we passed this woman on her bicycle, along with her two parrots.

I share 3,480cM with my parents, so 2,994cM with someone seems very close. But from what you describe, it sounds like there are multiple lines of family connection - hence the high level of cM. Sounds like a fascinating case to research!

How to make perfect fresh tomato pasta – recipe | Felicity Cloake's How to make the perfect … With such a simple dish, and so many ways to make it, can one really distil the ultimate version of pasta al pomodoro crudo? Our resident perfectionist finds out …

When you have shed-loads of homegrown tomatoes, I can recommend making this recipe. I ignored the anchovies, and added Pecorino cheese, but otherwise it’s vegan.

www.theguardian.com/food/2025/au...

I’m so sorry to read this. 💔😢 The way you’ve written about Freya, ever since I’ve followed you on Twitter / Bluesky, conveyed the deepest love and affection that exists between a human and a dog. It’s only in the past 3 years, when we got our dog, that I learned what this meant. Sending love.

There’s a fair amount of cleaning and sorting still to do, but Mr H and I are going out for dinner this evening.

We’ve finished the painting! Five and a half days of hard slog for both of us. Tomorrow we treat the floor, then move furniture back, and generally restore order. Lots of things to take to the charity shop though!

A hexagonal red post box located on a cobbled pavement. A cookware shop is in the background.

For #PostboxSaturday here’s a much-photographed Penfold letter box in the Pantiles, here in Tunbridge Wells in Kent. I understand that it’s not an original.

This is an interesting development. There’s already an excellent museum dedicated to Cromwell in Ely, in his former home. I wonder whether consolidating the collections might be a better option.

There was an entertaining misreading of information on Radio 2 today when someone was described as a ‘king beaver’ at a wedding. He was actually a ‘ring bearer’. 🤣

I can’t recall if it was an auto correct error or just a simple misunderstanding, but it gave me a chuckle.

An old photo of a woman bending forward with a black and white cat sitting on her shoulder.

I’ve posted this before, but being a dog family I don’t have many cat pictures to share. This photo came from my Gran’s collection and is simply inscribed ‘Aunt Bessie’. I still have no idea if she’s an ancestor or just a person someone knew. #InternationalCatDay

There’s a water leak a few minutes walk away from me and it’s been bubbling up at a considerable rate (not just seeping) for a week now. SE Water keeps texting me to say how “every drop counts”, along with the same patronising advice you’ve shared. Just fix the flipping leaks!

I was regularly taken on walks to Old Sarum as a child, and also to the mill at Harnham. I was only just four when we left Salisbury, and I don’t remember these experiences. But I revisited five years ago and clocked all these locations, and even found the house we lived in back then.