Scary!

There’s a free online course starting on FutureLearn soon that explains the basics (sorry, haven’t got a link but google...)

Isn’t it funny how people read a thread then sneer...why not just ignore it?

Some U3As have a family history group - it could be a good way to get started without spending what could be a lot of money on subscribing to an online site Tessa.

There are some records which are free online which is how I got started. I think some of the censuses and some bmd records are free.
www.freecen.org.uk/ I haven't used that link myself but it could be useful

I think some of the records on FindmyPast and Ancestry are free to access, such as the 1881 census.

If you know the names of your grandparents and whereabouts they lived then start there.

Today is tomorrows yesterday. We cant explore the future but can learn an awful lot from the past.

I appear on a family tree as deceased before my children were born!

That’s a clever trick!

Re passing on info from your family tree, a few years ago I produced a book for my children and for their cousins. I included sections of the tree, 'memoirs' written by relatives of previous generations, interesting entries from the diaries of my grandfather, postcards sent from one relative to another in the last century, ancient photographs, stories I have heard over the years and so on. I loved putting it all together and when I'd printed it all out off my lap top I took it to a local printer who produced seven spiral bound copies for me which I gave as gifts the following Christmas. I think this cost about £70. I called the book 'Leaves from the Family Tree, It was well received and I now feel I have done my bit in passing on the knowledge I have gained over many years of family research. I'm now planning the next book which will be about my father as I have a diary of his for nearly every year of his life - and he was a very interesting character.

I started in 1995 when there was not much info available on the internet. I was visting Chester and Leicestershire record offices a lot.
The cost of that sort of transport was quite signifcant. A proper subscription is probably well worth it .

That’s a nice idea. Glad it was well received. I’d love one of those, hopefully containing all the answers to my many questions. Good luck with your father’s story. Bet that will be a hit too!