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OPEN DAY AND FAMILY HISTORY FAIR 2013

Another successful Open Day and Family History Fair was held at Woking Leisure Centre on Saturday 26th October with attendance of about 750 people. After a year full of difficulties including a change of date and uncertainty over parking arrangements making us wonder if we should go ahead with our Open Day this year or not, we are delighted that having decided to press ahead the event itself went very well. The attendance was at the same level as last year so that was very encouraging too. We have received lots of good feedback from visitors and stallholders alike who had an enjoyable and successful day.


Jean Follett and her team on the Society's bookstall were kept busy throughout the day and the new CDs on sale were very popular.





As usual there was a wide range of interesting stalls manned by various family and local history societies and commercial organisations selling a range of genealogically related items from software and family tree charts to postcards and second-hand books.

Left: The free talks on a range of subjects were well attended and tickets went very quickly.
Right: The Research room manned mainly by our Society volunteers who provided access to the Reference Library, Parish Registers on microfiche, Monumental Inscriptions and Members' Interests as well as specialist help. Computer look-ups were provided by Jeanne Bunting, Graham Walter and Helen Williams as the Census Detectives and a number of Society volunteers. This year in addition to Ancestry, Findmypast and the Society indexes there was also access to the British Newspaper Library Online.

Tony Kelly at the Monumental Inscriptions table and display. Many people do not realise how much information is available if you find an ancestor with a monumental inscription.


Capt. Graham Bandy was kept busy all day helping people with their military queries.

Left: The Mayor of Woking Councillor Anne Roberts visited the Open Day and was accompanied by our President Ray Anstis and our Chairman Sue Turner looking around both halls and meeting some of the stallholders and volunteers.
Our Vice-President Rosemary Cleaver was awarded a Certificate of Recognition by the Society of Genealogists for her exceptional contribution to genealogy, specifically for her continuous back room contribution to all aspects of West Surrey Family History Society over many years. We are delighted that Rosemary has been recognised in this way. The Mayor presented Rosemary with her Certificate following a short speech given by Jeanne Bunting on behalf of the Society of Genealogists.

Right:Rosemary Cleaver with her Certificate and some of the many West Surrey FHS CDs she has been (and still is) involved in producing amongst many other tasks for the Society.


This year's Open Day will be on Saturday 1st November 2014. Put it in your diary now!

Photographs courtsesy of Ann Sargeant, Joyce Sampson and Maggie Burnett.
Report by Chris Leech and Maura Sellars


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Copyright © 2024 West Surrey Family History Society   Last modified: 10 July 2015
Copyright © 2024 West Surrey Family History Society