Don't know what got me started on this family tree thingy! If you are just starting out, BEWARE! This can become addictive - my daughter thinks I spend more time with the dead than the living.

I have spent two years tracing NAYLORs back in time, and occasionally been diverted into associated names, in-laws and even occupational history. All very time consuming, and could work out to be quite expensive.

Last year I visited the Black Country. I had been to Dudley once when I was very small, to see my mum's aunt, Lilly WISE, nee NAYLOR. I don't recall much about that visit except that she made me eat the white of a boiled egg!!! Yuk.

This time was much nicer, as I could choose what to eat, although dare I say, it wasn't Grey Pays! I met up with a distant cousin, Chris, who I first met on the STS list. He was following the SHARRATT family, and they had links with my NAYLOR's.  We had a great time. Friday night we ate and chatted. Saturday morning was spent at Dudley Archives, searching through parish records and microfische. In the afternoon we took a trip to Salop Street, to see The Struggling Man pub. This was run by Samuel NAYLOR and his wife Esther nee MARSH during the 19th century.  We got a warm welcome and a real flavour of Black Country life. The accents of the men playing cribbage reminded me of my grandfather, William Henry NAYLOR, who hails from that direction. On Sunday we drove down to the Black Country Museum. What a wonderful place! I recommend to anybody who wants to know about BC history, people, trades etc. On the canal, Chris volunteered to do a bit of 'Legging'. This is how the boatmen and women moved the barges through the canal tunnels. It involves laying on the deck and using your legs to 'walk' the barge along the wall. I imagine that ancestors, such as my gt gt grandfather, a boatman, must have had legs like hoover bags! The pub in the museum was cosy and doesn't sell lager. Only the best bitter or mild ale. I fancied fish & chips from the 1920's style shop, but the queue was too long for me. I hear I missed out a real treat.

Well, I am off to visit again, on 28th October 2006, mum in tow, camera in hand. If anyone feels like a pint, they can find us at the Struggling man on Salop Street, Dudley. Another contact of mine, Clive will be there, and hopefully his missus. Clive is another long lost distant cousin, once again, met on a postings list. It's surprising how many people are researching their family history, and I am very glad to be sharing my research with the BC folk, who are like myself, nostalgic and proud of their roots!

Finally, we will be going to Tipton cemetery, where there is a memorial for the girls who died in the Dudley Port Disaster. One of those girls was ANNIE NAYLOR, aged 14, my great aunt.