This weekend saw the fourth Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE exhibition at Kensington Olympia. Hundreds of people visited the findmypast shop and kept our Edwardian shopkeepers busy selling vouchers and giving out free Family History Starter Packs.

The findmypast tram proved a popular feature with all the departures pulling a large crowd. Our clippies gave engaging and informative talks throughout the weekend which described in detail how to use findmypast when researching your family history. Here you can see the journey in action:

Our research bay was busy all weekend, with members of the findmypast team answering queries and helping people with their research. Mary, who uses findmypast.co.uk in her research, came to the exhibition with the hope of overcoming a problem. We helped Mary to track down her maternal great-great grandmother who was proving elusive to trace. Our experts also found Mary’s great-great grandmother’s parents, which meant that she now has new avenues of research to explore.

The event was hugely successful and we received lots of valuable feedback about our stand and our website. We’d like to thank everyone who visited our shop, tram and research bay and hope you enjoyed the event as much as we did.

The UK’s biggest family history event returns to London’s Olympia on 26-28 February 2010 for its fourth fascinating year and findmypast.co.uk will be there. Come and visit our stand where you can take your free seat on the findmypast.co.uk ‘tram’. There will be several ‘departures’ every day, each featuring a talk on how to start your journey into the past. There’s no need to book, just check the ‘departures board’ when you arrive to choose the time that suits you.

You can also pick up some fantastic deals from our Edwardian shopkeeper in the 1911 shop. Offers include £25-worth of PayAsYouGo vouchers for £19.99, a three month subscription for £45 instead of £50 and a 12 month subscription for £135 instead of £150. These subscriptions include access to the 1911 census records as well as all the other great features we have to offer. When you buy any voucher worth £9.99 or more you’ll get a Family History Starter Pack with a free copy of our new video tutorials, designed to help you get the most out of our site.

There will be free access to the findmypast.co.uk website in our research bay so come along and get stuck into your research - you can meet the findmypast.co.uk team and pick their brains for tips!

We look forward to seeing you there.

We thought we’d give you a few dates for your diaries as 1911census.co.uk continues on our UK tour with the 1911 census classroom, 1911 shop and free lectures on using the census to trace your family tree back through time.

The next place we will be is once again in London, at the Best Of Britain show at the end of March. This is a massive event dedicated to British travel and tourist attractions and is produced in association with VisitBritain, so it’s a great excuse to plan your holiday at the same time.

For more information, including ticket prices, see the official show website.

We can also confirm we’ll be attending two large family history fairs later in the year, so put these dates and locations in your diaries now and we will send further information nearer the time:

York Racecourse, York: June 27th
Gateshead International Arena, Tyne & Wear: September 12th

We’re frantically preparing for WhoDoYouThinkYouAre LIVE show which starts on Friday at Olympia in London. For those of you who are close enough to attend and want to visit, we have a 2 for 1 ticket offer below. Final tickets are selling fast so don’t delay - seminars are already sold out.

At the show we’ll be presenting the background to the census, how we disgitised it, some tips and hints for better searching and also unveiling some of the features that are to come in the following months on the site including your first glimpse of the RG78 (Enumerator Summary Book) images. We’ll also be on hand to answer your questions one-to-one. So make sure you drop by the findmypast.com stand: we look forward to meeting you.

BUY 2 FOR 1 TICKETS!

Findmypast.com is giving you the chance to buy two adult tickets for the price of one – that’s just £20*! To claim this special offer, simply call 0844 412 4629 or visit www.whodoyouthinkyouarelive.co.uk and quote FMP241 today!

Special Q Jump tickets are now SOLD OUT for Friday and Saturday.

*£2 transaction fee applies. 2 for 1 offer ends 20^th February 09. On Door standard entry tickets priced at £20 each. Q Jump tickets not available on the door. This is not a BBC event.

We’re very proud to announce that we will be taking the 1911 Census on tour - first stop is the ‘WhoDoYouThinkYouAre? LIVE’ show in London on the weekend of Friday 27^th February – Sunday 1^st March.

If you’d like to find out more about the census and get tips on how to use it, we’ll be hosting a series of workshops and lectures on all 3 days. Or just come and say hello to the team.

We’ve also got a special ticket offer for you:

BUY 2 FOR 1 TICKETS!

Findmypast.com is giving you the chance to buy two adult tickets for the price of one – that’s just £20*! To claim this special offer, simply call 0844 412 4629 or visit www.whodoyouthinkyouarelive.co.uk and quote FMP241 today!

Special Q Jump tickets also available for £22* each, including 3 workshops and fast track entry to Ask the Experts!

*£2 transaction fee applies. 2 for 1 offer ends 20^th February 09. On Door standard entry tickets priced at £20 each. Q Jump tickets not available on the door. This is not a BBC event.

Below is some more information on the event itself (from the organisers):

The countdown has begun! With only a few short weeks left until the biggest event in the family history calendar, Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE 2009 looks set to be another fantastic show.  The event boasts celebrities, record holders, expert speakers, family history societies, and a huge range of family history products and services to indulge your interest and aid you in your research. 

This year also sees the show dates changing to the earlier weekend of Friday 27^th February – Sunday 1^st March. With most people exploring their family history in the winter months, the event comes at the perfect time of year to bring family historians together and make incredible discoveries about the past! 

If your interest has been ignited by the release of the 1911 census, then Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE is the perfect place to find out more. Hosted by findmypast.com and in association with The National Archives, this exciting addition to the wealth of family history resources available to researchers will be showcased at the event, and there will be a whole host of experts on hand to help you discover how the census can aid you in your research. 

The show would not be complete without its celebrity time travelers, and this year Ainsley Harriott, Sir Matthew Pinsent CBE and Lesley Garrett CBE will be taking to the stage to recount their fascinating family stories. With slavery, royalty, determination and tragedy littering their ancestors’ colourful lives, Ainsley, Matthew and Lesley’s exclusive live sessions are guaranteed to entertain and inspire. 

With new additions including “Scottish Saturday” to help you research and celebrate your Celtic roots, a DNA Workshop supported by Family Tree DNA and a Regional Workshop supported by the Federation of Family History Societies, as well as old favourites such as the Society of Genealogists’ Family History Show and workshop programme, not to mention some 200 exhibitors, Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE is a one-stop genealogy shop like no other. 

So book your tickets today and don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to fill in the gaps in your family tree and make your connection to events in history.