How far back have you got in your family history? Have you come up against any stumbling blocks, or what genealogists call "brickwalls"? While historical records are flawed and incomplete by their very nature, there are often ways to search around the problem, or step sideways to look at siblings or alternative records you may not be aware of.

These are the kinds of skills an expert genealogist will offer you, so do contact us if you'd like some help to further your research.

It's not all about family however. Think about your own life and how you interact regularly with people who you aren't related to. This is something that happens if you look wider, into a one-name study or a one-place study. Then you're researching those related by a common surname or where they live. That type of research requires a different approach, as now you look at an entire census for a village, or a whole parish register, or records of a surname across the country or further afield.

That kind of research requires specialist software, which is why we recommend Name & Place. Unlike Sample FHS, this is not imaginary. Name & Place is very real, so do check it out at www.nameandplace.com. Tell them we sent you!