JERRY SPRINGER, American Talk Show Host
I never met a person who chose to be born. No. Life is simply a gift - from God - and those who came before us - the decisions they made - the burdens they carried - the price they paid. Who are we? We can't know unless we learn something of them - the journey of self-discovery, a futile effort - without a journey to find out who we were - before we were.
For the BBC, Sue and her team took my sister and I on a journey of a lifetime discovering people and circumstances of our past unknown and therefore unappreciated. Two and a half centuries back - but how close we came to not being. The Holocaust destroyed most of my family - my parents escaping to England literally days before the gates shut with Hitler's invasion of Poland. The details, the records they found - of both my grandmothers - of their last days - of my uncles and aunts and cousins - their deportation orders - the trains they were on - their final destination and extermination - it was all there and presented by Sue and her team with utmost sensitivity. To be there - in person - for all its intensity - was indeed a journey of a lifetime- capped off by meeting a cousin - also a child of survivors - I never knew I had - well, what a gift.
I highly recommend Ancestral Footsteps for your personal journey - and what a wonderful experience and video to pass on to your children.
BARBARA WINDSOR MBE, British Actress
Being a big fan of the first series of ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’, I was thrilled to be asked to be a subject and what an amazing experience it turned out to be. Having been born and bred in the East End of London, naturally I expected my ancestors would be the same. But what a surprise to find out not only did I come from Irish stock, but also from Suffolk, with a very, very famous relative, John Constable. The journey was made even more special because of the enthusiasm of Sue Hills. It was obvious from the start that she had a passion for this particular area of work, and at all times she made me feel that she was enjoying it as much as I did, and was generally involved and visibly moved as we discovered the various layers of my ancestors and their plight. With her care and attention to detail, and thorough professionalism, it turned out to be a joyous experience.
Favourite ancestor:
Mary Ann Collins (born Ireland, 1846)
Favourite ancestor? So difficult, as each one touched me in different ways. But if I was pushed I think it would be Mary Ann Collins, ‘the match girl’. She was a real grafter as I have always been, although I have never had to work in such cruel and dangerous conditions ( although the Carry On Films came a close second, - I'm joking). I also love the fact that she fought for a better working environment and was part of the famous Match Girl strike.
ALISTAIR MCGOWAN, British comedian and actor
Tracing your family history is a hugely emotional experience. I really went through the gamut: pride, loss, excitement, love, and wonder... But I always felt very lucky to have Sue alongside me throughout my journey. She was hugely supportive in every possible way. She knew my family's story well, helped reveal it piece by piece and enjoyed trying to patch together the intricacies with me and to bring to life those who had died often centuries before. She calmed my nerves about travelling to distant corners of the world and was always in control of everything but ready to have a laugh at situations too. She gave me energy when I lacked it, comfort when I looked like I needed it and was always unflappable.
Favourite ancestor:
Cecil McGowan (born India, 1904)
I knew nothing about my father's father who had died ten years before I was born. It was amazing to see pictures of him for the first time, to be told about his violin-playing talents and to hear about his incredible bodybuilding exploits from people who had known him and to see his house and his homemade gym in India. He was a popular, well-known man and a well-loved father who clearly had a huge influence on my own father and, therefore, unwittingly, on me. After ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’, I feel I really know him and that we would have got on well. He feels like a new friend.
TONY AND JOY, Melbourne, Australia
When my wife and I were over on a month long visit to the UK I also took some time out to meet the ancestors with Sue. It was great going back in time stage by stage and trying to decipher the clues. There was a revelation every decade of the way! Fantastic.
One of my grandfathers was a police detective and up in Oldham, North England, the local police archive even had his personnel record from 1894 where he was docked pay for letting a prisoner escape from jail and for being drunk on duty! I flick through my album all the time – its brilliant to have all the documents in front of me.
Favourite ancestor:
John Duffy (1871 to 1944) the police detective.
COLIN AND IRENE, Auckland, New Zealand
Over in England, Sue showed us more ancestors than we believed possible, from tea brokers to railway guards. The ancestral highlight is that there is actually a plaque dedicated to one of our ancestors up at the magnificent Ely Cathedral where he was the verger. Great to have something tangible which should be there forever, especially when you live thousands of miles away from your roots.
Favourite ancestor:
John Southby (1801 to 1880) verger and porter at Ely Cathedral.
ANTHONY RUDD Kent, England
Thank you so much for the amazing experience. I felt enormously privileged and humbled to enjoy the results of all your hard work and extensive research on our behalf - all done with such enthusiasm and good humour on your part. Apart from discovering our family history, the entire trip, including the ‘mystery’ element, the hotel, our driver and the luxury mode of transportation, all made for a very unique and memorable experience indeed.
Favourite ancestor:
Martin William Rudd (1766 to 1830)
Garrison Fort Major.
We found out so much about him and by visiting the places he grew up in and worked at, he really came to life - he was born plain Martin but added the William later. The son of illiterate parents he died with shares in the Bank of England. Quite a social climber!
