Zenobia

BOMB SCARE AT THE TOWER OF LONDON

An act of chivalry becomes a bomb scare and a unique moment in family history with repercussions that stop just short of a hanging… A historic event, for surely the mighty fortress Tower of London has never been abandoned to its fate? By Terry Walker 03032024 8 minute read from My Life, in Words Two […]

Ancestral mystery of desert warrior queen

No camels so we trek 250 km by Yak

I had requested a camel train to take us across the Syrian Desert to Palmyra, the hometown of the legendary Warrior Queen Zenobia whose ancestry is unclear. She may have been raised as the daughter of her brother who had married the widow of her father who was the brother of them both. Palmyra was […]

Last outpost saves the mother tongue of Jesus

Donkey vendor has Coke at Biblical prices

One language of ancient Syria was Aramaic, as spoken at the time of Jesus of Nazareth and unchanged even today in remote mountains. It was the language of Jesus, his disciples and most of the people who attended their gigs. It has survived wars and changing dynasties and remains the language of Christians and Muslims […]

Ghosts secure five stars for derelict hotel

A fairy tale grand hotel that welcomed Royalty became haunted after the mysterious deaths of guests and the three brothers who owned it. The Berengaria Hotel in Cyprus has been padlocked and decaying for 40 years and now ghosts have secured five stars for the totally derelict hotel. Ghostbuster tourists, who provide 5-star rankings on […]

Hard day’s night for the Beatles, JFK and Harry Evans

The death of a president. The birth of Beatlemania.

On November 22, 1963, as The Beatles performed in Stockton-on-Tees, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. That night, Beatlemania was in full force; the Beatles performed amidst fan hysteria, leading to many fainting. The release of their second album “With the Beatles” earlier that day had marked exceptional sales. An interview with the band was difficult due to chaos, which escalated when news of JFK’s assassination reached the reporter. Northern Echo Editor Harold Evans scrambled to cover the tragedy, sidelining Beatlemania in the next day’s paper. Despite tight press schedules and the overshadowing event of Kennedy’s death, the reporter still cherished witnessing The Beatles concert phenomenon twice in one night. This personal account contrasts professional duty with the cultural milestones of the time, encapsulating a historic moment when global tragedy collided with emerging pop culture.

We published on time... with seven minutes to spare...

Getting started on this short story publishing website was relaxed but we published on time with seven minutes to spare. Amid the lockdowns and government strictures of the COVID-19 era, I stayed cooped up in my office with its panoramic view of Dead Lane as inspiration… For centuries that North Essex track has been a […]

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How to find your ancestors and their endearing stories and share them with the world. Our Ancestry Blog offers advice, practical experience and pro help.

Ancestor Gold - check for Blue Plaque ancestors...

Once you start digging into your family’s past you may strike “Ancestor Gold” in no time at all. A Blue Plaque in the family? Your newly discovered ancestor may turn out to be “famous” or “infamous” or merely have been an “associate” of someone who was. “Heroes” or “heroines” or “do-gooders” excite the immediate family […]

Secret agent served Britain and four terror groups

His PSYOP role brings peace to Cyprus, Isle of Spies

A secret agent served Britain and four terror groups in 1950s Cyprus but 30 years later he discovered how his multiple PSYOP roles brought peace to the strife-torn island of spies, Cyprus. Armed with a 9mm Sten sub-machine gun and a pistol he was ever-ready for action, but never fired a shot in anger. by […]

Fire reveals ancestors' secret of Peterboat inn

by Terry Walker

A fire revealed an ancestors’ long-held secret. There were surprising revelations when a family history researcher discovered the secret of Peterboat Inn, which her innkeeping ancestors owned. What they had been up to for 300 years at the River Thames fishing village was finally exposed in a 150-year-old official forensic report on the blaze recently […]

Samaritan sea captain saved my ancestor

Then false papers for fleeing army draft dodger

A Samaritan sea captain saved my ancestor, a Russian Imperial Army draft dodger with Cossack bounty hunters hot on his trail. My great-grandfather Jacob fled with his 12-year-old wife-to-be, Rachel and her daughter Leah, a baby in arms not yet a year old. by Terry Walker AS01030724 11 minute read From My Life, in Words […]

Bar brawl in Bahia Blanca

Blow by blow - for the records

Every family history is unique and the brutal bar brawl detailed in this seaman’s story came after a month of fierce Atlantic gales that drove Tyne-based cargo boats hundreds of miles off-course, flying the signal “Not under command” because “we could just not steer”… by Bob Harrison AS8042024 8 minute read They were heading for […]

A night out on the tiles with an Italian corker

When Italian business people go for an impromptu night out on the tiles in a famed gastronomic city it comes with a Sicilian corker and tableside performances… However, what happened afterwards provided “la ciliegina sulla torta” for the diners. by Terry Walker AS06042024 9 minute read From My Life, in Words | Bottle image, courtesy […]

Every family history has a story to tell that echoes down the ages

The Covid era has persuaded people to do more talking and reading – and taking up creative writing. With record levels of online chat; new demand for short reads and many wannabe authors, the biggest genre is “Family History”. An article length of around 1,400 words is an easy 7-minute read! Every family history has a story to […]

Library +

Our extensive Library aids family history research and enduring ancestry stories. Share the lives of our ancestors worldwide and their descendants Share the lives of our ancestors worldwide and their descendants (us!) who may or may not be enjoying the benefits we’ve inherited… Be inspired by our published ancestor stories…we look forward to sharing your […]

Searching Writing Publishing

All short articles about your ancestors are welcome at Ancestry-Stories. As are those of today’s generation living adventurous lives, achieving their lifetime goals or inspiring our readers in their fight against adversity and disease. We can help you to share your family history. Ordinary families have achievements, traditions and golden moments. There have been times […]

BOMBED OUT OF CYPRUS

Turks invade and tourism hit for decades

Trouble was brewing, even in the remote Troodos Mountains. In 1974 I witnessed the first signs of events that would see us bombed out of Cyprus and change it forever. Soon there would be rebellion, invasion, ethnic conflict, deaths and an occupying United Nations peace-keeping force that’s still on patrol 50 years later. By Terry […]

Stargazer soars into his nation's rich list galaxy

Rise and fall and rise again to great wealth

Visionary, Andreas Kaisis lost his booming businesses as Turkey invaded and stripped Cyprus of its most lucrative tourist and industrial assets, including his vehicle manufacturing factory, still trapped in a post-war no man’s land… But with good church connections and strategic landholdings, this swanky stargazer has recovered his lost fortunes and soared into his nation’s […]

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