Genes Reunited Blog

The first episode of Who Do You Think You Are certainly didn't disappoint us this week. It was the story of EastEnders actress Samantha Womack (nee Janus). We did wonder if her story might be as exciting as a soap opera, and it certainly didn't disappoint us. It started with her talking very emotionally about her father's suicide. She thought that learning more about his family might give her clues as to why he took his own life. That's often the way with family history isn't it? There will be some trigger that starts off your curiosity.

If you haven't already spotted it, we have just released a new version of the tree. It has taken us a while, but the tree team have been working really hard trying to get it right. Over the last few months many of you have taken the time to send in your feedback and let us know what you think to the new tree. We have listened to what our members have said and as a result of your feedback we have made some exciting new changes! Our members said ...

As we all know, Family History is a very addictive hobby. However, it can be really confusing when you start out. There's so much information out there, but you just don't know where to go, what to do or who to ask. Even for the experts, there'll often be something that you are unsure about. We have gone back to basics and stepped away from the computer. We asked some of the family history experts we know to come up with a list of 10 useful books to help you with your family history. From beginners to experts, we've got something for you all.

Last night we saw the last episode in the series of Long Lost Family and what an emotional one it was. Firstly we heard the story of James, who found out the person he believed to be his real dad was actually only his mum's boyfriend. He always wondered why he had a different surname to his dad and that's when alarm bells started ringing. When his dad left home and split up from him mum, that's when unanswered questions needed answers.

I've been scouring through lots of old news this week, to show everyone what great things you can uncover in the British Newspaper Archive on the site. As the Queen's Jubilee is fast approaching, I thought it would be a nice idea to search for all things Jubilee and royalty. From Jubilee named horses winning races, a newly built royal train, to Diamond Jubilee unique souvenirs and gifts, here's what I found:

Anne Clegg is 48 and a mother of three but she has always wanted to find her birth mother and has been looking for nearly 20 years without success. She was only 6 weeks old when her mother gave her up for adoption to a couple who lived in Essex.

After a week's break Long Lost Family returned to our screens this week. It was another episode that tugged at the heart strings where two people were both looking for their parents. First of all we meet Bridget. She had no idea that she had been adopted until the age of 11. She was at an interview at a local boarding school and her mother turned to the House Master and told him that Bridget had been adopted. She had simply presumed that Bridget had already worked it out for herself.

Did you see the fourth episode of Long Lost Family on Thursday? It featured two very different but extremely emotional stories.

Family history isn't just about finding your ancestors. For some of you it can be about reuniting with your living relatives. We have put together a short guide on how Genes Reunited can help you find your family.

Did you miss episode 3 of Long Lost Family, or need a refresh? It was another great watch, so here's a quick recap. In last night's episode Peter Arundel and Maureen Saville were both searching for their birth mothers.