TALKS, COURSES AND TUTORIALS

Talks, courses and tutorials are run by Katrina Friess.  Katrina has over 45 years experience as a family history researcher, consultant, speaker and teacher (Cert Ed qualified).  

To book or just enquire please contact us, we love to hear from you.  Our local area is Northamptonshire and Market Harborough and the immediately surrounding areas.

Katrina can be contacted at katrina@picturemypast.co.uk  or on 07538 407267.

 COURSES (sorry, not currently available due to lack of venue)

 Beginners Course

£150 per person for the full course payable in advance

4 Weeks, 1 x 2 Hour session per week. Max 8 people per session. Includes free comprehensive handouts. You will need to have reasonable competence in using the Internet. Practical workshop time is incorporated into each week.  You will learn everything you need to know to get started - and keep going - with your family history research.  The detailed handouts make an excellent resource to keep referring back to.
 
Week 1 - Gathering information, basic research protocols and strategies. 

The very beginning is you!  A bit about personal histories. Standard formats for recording data. Tips on talking to elderly relatives. Basic principles and practices of research.

Week 2 - Using the three main sources - civil registration, census returns, parish registers.

The background to each main source, how to use them, where to find them online etc.

Week 3 - Other sources, website comparisons. 

Looking at other records such as probate indexes and wills, newspapers etc.  Which websites are best for which purposes and how to use them (Familysearch, Ancestry, Find My Past ect).  What to do when you don't know what to do - how to get around those brick walls.

Week 4 - Data storage, how to organise your new tree and workshop. 

Paper or computer? Online or offline? What is a gedcom? Final Workshop time- How are you doing? what difficulties are you having? working together to help you make progress.

TUTORIALS

£35 for one hour

If you prefer a more individual approach, I can offer personal tutorials for one person or family either face to face or on Zoom.  Completely bespoke, we can cover whatever you want and need to from how to get started, how to move forward, something you are stuck on etc.  You can book as many sessions as you feel you need and as often or infrequently as you would like.

FAMILY HISTORY TUESDAY TUTORIALS AND CONSULTATIONS

You can find us at Market Harborough Indoor Market where we have a permanent shop next to the café. 

On Tuesdays Katrina offers half hour slots for free basic advice as well as one hour tutorials.  The half hour slots are introductory, one-off sessions to ask a quick question or see if you would like to book in for personal tutorials.  Hey, but no turning up every Tuesday for a freebie lol!!!  She has her laptop with her and internet access so bring along your query or find out how to get started.  

Please book in advance by contacting Katrina on

07538 407267 or katrina@picturemypast.co.uk

TALKS

£85 for each hour or part thereof. Mileage charged at 30p per mile beyond 25 miles from Kettering

I am a registered speaker with the Northamptonshire WI. 

Most talks last 45 to 60 minutes  however if you want to fill the hour with two 30 minute talks that's fine.  Questions and comments are always welcome during and after the presentation, I'm quite informal.  Talks are given with a PowerPoint presentation for visual aids. I have my own projector, microphone, screen and extension cable - I will just need a power outlet and a table for the projector and laptop.

I also like to set up a table to show some of the pictures we sell if possible.

References from previous talks can be provided if you would like.

 Subjects offered:

  • What's YOUR hiSTORY?

     - About 60 minutes.  Recording a personal history – why, what, how!

  • Meat on the Bones

     - About 50 minutes.  How to learn more about your ancestors than just a list of names, dates and places.

  • Research Basics

     - 60 minutes.  How to get started with your family history research. 

  • The Familysearch website

      - 60 minutes. The largest worldwide online genealogical database... and it's free!

  • Brick Walls and how to get around them

     – 50-60 minutes.  for those who have already started their family history.  Strategies for when you get stuck with your research.

  • The 'Ag Lab'

     -  About 35 minutes.  Learn more about the humble agricultural labourer in our ancestry. 

  • What do we do with the Poor?

      - About 50 minutes.  Focusing on the Victorian workhouse and putting it in context with pre and post provisions for the poor.

  • The history of swear words and bad language!

      – Abt 45-50 minutes. A humorous talk by Andy & Katrina Friess looking at the origins and psychology of swear words, plus some old insults and  sayings.  We try to keep it clean but it’s not for the faint hearted!

  • My, how you’ve changed!

     -  Abt 60 minutes. A brief look at how the English language has changed over time. Some words that have flipped their meanings. A fun look at some old sayings and Victorian phrases that really need resurrecting!

If you would like a particular family history related talk on a subject that isn't listed, please feel free to enquire about it.