Dear Member,
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 9th April 2024 when Dr. Alison Cathcart will be giving a talk on ‘Scots of the Southwest and the Plantations in Ulster’.
Our speaker Professor Alison Cathcart is head of Early Modern Scottish History and Archipelagic History at Stirling University.
The meeting will be held in Largs Museum starting at 7:30 pm.
All welcome.
Hope to see you there.
Many Thanks, Fiona Williamson (Secretary)
8 March 2024Dear Member,
Just to remind you that our next meeting will take place on Tuesday 12th March at 7.30 pm at Largs Museum
Bob McMillan will be delivering a presentation on Ayrshire & War
Many Thanks, Fiona Williamson (Secretary)
29 January 2024Dear Member,
It was lovely to see so many at our workshop on Friday.
Just a wee reminder that our next meeting is on Tuesday 13th February at 2.00 in Largs Museum.
It will be a Show & Tell afternoon where you are asked to please bring along a family photograph, or an item belonging to a member of your family and share its story with the group.
These afternoons are always enjoyable and I enjoy listening to all the stories!
Many Thanks, Fiona Williamson (Secretary)
14 January 2024Dear Member,
Change of Speaker
We have been informed by Barbara Graham that she is unable to attend our meeting on Friday 23rd February 2024.
Fiona Williamson will now give a talk on "Largs Houses Part 2 - Brisbane House to Brooksby"
Thanks to Fiona for stepping in at shortish notice. Once again this meeting will be at 2pm.
6 December 2023Dear Member,
Just a reminder that our next meeting takes place on Tuesday 12th December at 7.30 pm in Largs Museum. Our speaker is June Wiggins and she will be giving a presentation on Seaside Entertainers. June is well known to us because she has come to Largs on several occasions and always delivers interesting talks.
After the talk by June, we shall enjoy our Christmas Social and some tasty seasonal treats.
I am looking forward to seeing you next Tuesday!
Best wishes
Fiona Williamson (Secretary)
6 November 2023Dear Member,
I have just heard the final amount raised for our Coffee Morning and it exceeded my expectations!
Thank you to all who helped by selling tickets, donating items for stalls, baking, helping on stalls, helping in the kitchen, waiting on tables, etc, etc.
What an amazing team! So many people told me how much they enjoyed the morning. It was definitely worth all our hard work!!
Hope to see you at our next meeting!
Best wishes
Fiona Williamson (Secretary)
28 October 2023Dear Member,
Our Coffee Morning will be held on Saturday 4th November 2023 in the Dunn Memorial Hall, Largs from 10am till Noon.
This event is the Society's main fundraiser and will have Baking, Books and Bottle Stalls as well a Raffle.
Your support of this event would be much appreciated.
Best Wishes, Fiona Williamson (Secretary)
24 September 2023Dear Member,
It was great to see so many of you at our first meeting.
Emma Maxwell gave us an interesting talk on Overcoming Brickwalls when were still having meetings on Zoom and therefore it was lovely to see Emma face to face for the first time.
We are running our first workshop of the new session on Friday 29th September 2023 in Largs Museum from 2pm to 3:30pm. Come in anytime for a chat and a cuppa.
All welcome.
Best Wishes, Fiona Williamson (Secretary)
1 September 2023Dear Member,
I am attaching our list of speakers for the next session (check Meetings Page) and a request for any articles you wish to be included in the next journal, which is due to be printed shortly.
I have really enjoyed the 'show and tell' afternoons last session and so many of you brought along items of interest to your family. Would you be able to write a short story for the next journal about a family photograph, a member of your family or an item you have belonging to a member of your family?
Please send articles to anndtyler@gmail.com
I am looking forward to seeing some of you at one of our meetings, workshops or at the Coffee Morning.
Best Wishes, Fiona Williamson (Secretary)
1 May 2023Dear Member,
I am looking forward to seeing most of you at our AGM on Tuesday 9th May at 7.30pm at Largs Museum.
After the business part of the meeting refreshments will be provided and there will be a quiz which consists of photographs taken at various locations in Ayrshire.
The answers are multiple choice and there will be a prize for the winner/s!
Best Wishes, Fiona Williamson (Secretary)
07 February 2023Dear Member,
Just a reminder that we have two meetings this month (February).
The first on Tuesday 14th February is an informal meeting of "Show and Tell". Bring along a photograph or object belonging to your family and share it's story.
The second on Friday 24th February when Barbara Graham will give a talk about Alexander Graham Bell.
Both meetings will be held in Largs Museum and will start at 2:00pm.
Looking forward to seeing you there.
Best Wishes, Fiona Williamson (Secretary)
16 December 2022Dear Member,
I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped out at the Christmas Social Event on Tuesday evening.
A special thanks to June for coming up from Prestwick on a freezing night to give us such an excellent talk on her relatives who worked in domestic service and thanks to her husband for driving her to our meeting.
Thanks to everyone who donated lovely raffle prizes, delicious party food and drinks, made cups of tea and coffee, washed up, dried up, tidied up, put chairs out, put chairs away etc. Have I forgotten anyone?
It was such a fun evening. I am sure those who attended agree it is much better to interact socially in such a way - much better than zoom!
We wish you all a very Happy Christmas and Healthy New Year from all of us at NAFHS and look forward to seeing you all in 2023.
Best Wishes, Fiona Williamson (Secretary)
14 November 2022Dear Member,
The 2022-23 season is now well under way. Our meetings and workshops held in Largs Museum have been well attended.
A full list of dates and times of Meetings / Workshops for the next year has been added to the updated Meetings Page.
Please note that all Meetings in January and February will be held in the Afternoon at 2:00pm.
Looking forward to seeing all there.
Best Wishes, Fiona Williamson (Secretary)
01 September 2022Dear Member,
The 2022-23 season will start on the 13th of September. Due to restriction on numbers currently allowed in the Community Room in Largs Library we will be holding our meetings and workshops in Largs Museum, until further notice.
A full list of dates and times of meetings / workshops has been added to the updated Meetings Page.
Please note that we have added an extra talk on Fife and Fairlie by John Riddell which will be held in Fairlie Village Hall.
Looking forward to have face to face meetings / workshops again.
Best Wishes, Fiona Williamson (Secretary)
01 June 2022Dear Member,
It was lovely to see so many of you at our AGM, the first face to face meeting of the Society in over two years. Thank you for your continued support.
There were no changes to any Office Bearers or Committee so Stephen Martin will continue as Chairperson.
The meeting was the first opportunity to bestow Honorary Membership on two of our longest serving members, Sarah Goldie and Fiona Ferguson. The first meeting of the Society was held on 15 March 1988 with 40 people in attendance, Sarah is membership number 2 and Fiona membership number 40. All our thanks go to them for all the work they have done over the years.
Our next season starts in September and I have booked the Community Room in Largs Library and have started searching for speakers. Any suggestions on speaker or topic would be much appreciated.
We are hoping to produce a Journal in August so if you have a story you would like to share Ann Tyler would be delighted to hear from you! Ann can be contacted at anndtyler@gmail.com
Best Wishes, Fiona Williamson (Secretary)
26 April 2022Dear Member,
I hope you are staying safe and well.
The Society will hold it's Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 10th May 2022. This event will take place in the Clark Memorial Church Hall at 7:30pm. Last years AGM was held on Zoom therefore it will be nice to meet face to face once again. Although the AGM marks the end of our 2021-22 season, I am hoping this can be a wonderful evening where we can enjoy some chat and refreshments after the business part of the meeting is over.
Look forward to seeing there.
Best Wishes, Fiona Williamson (Secretary)
18 March 2022Dear Member,
I hope you are staying safe and well.
On Monday 28th February we held a workshop in Largs Museum from 2:00 pm till 3:30 pm. This was the first time we had been able to meet together face to face and many family history stories were discussed ! Our next workshop will be held on Monday 28th March in Largs Museum from 2:00 pm till 3:30. Please come along if you would like some advice about researching your family tree.
The Dunn Memorial Hall is booked for Afternoon Tea in April and the Clark Memorial for the AGM.
Please check the Meetings Page for Dates, Subject of Talk and Speakers.
Look forward to seeing you soon.
Best Wishes, Fiona Williamson (Secretary)
22 January 2022Dear Member,
I hope you are staying safe and well.
Apparently Largs Museum does not have Wifi yet so we would not be able to use computers to look up Scotlands People or Ancestry at a work shop in January. We have therefore had to cancel this months workshop, but perhaps we can meet there in February.
I have found speakers for the remaining meetings and the Dunn Memorial Hall is booked for Afternoon Tea in April and the Clark Memorial for the AGM.
Please check the Meetings Page for Dates, Subject of Talk and Speakers.
Look forward to seeing you soon.
Best Wishes, Fiona Williamson (Secretary)
13th December 2021Dear Member,
I hope you are staying safe and well.
We have updated our meetings for 2022.
Please check the Meetings Page for Dates, Subject of Talk and Speakers.
Unfortunately, COVID continues to dominate our lives and we think it best to continue with Zoom meetings on Tuesday evenings at the moment.
We are hoping that we will be able to hold some workshops, possibly in Largs Museum, on Thursday afternoons. The library is currently only allowing a maximum of six people in the Community Room so that is not an option at the moment.
We are also hoping that we will be able to have an Afternoon Tea, as a fund-raising event, in April and have our AGM in Clark Memorial Hall in May.
I look forward to being able to meet up together again at these events!
Wishing you all a Safe Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year,
Best Wishes, Fiona Williamson (Secretary)
12th August 2021Dear Member,
I hope you are staying safe and well
Due to the current restrictions we have been unable to hold any meetings, workshops and visits. It is hoped that in the coming months that the situation will ease and we will be able to get back to some sort of normality.
Until then, all meetings will be held on Tuesday evenings starting at 7.30pm on Zoom.
Details of Zoom Meeting Number will be emailed to all members just prior to the meetings.
Please check the Meetings Page for Dates, Subject of Talk and Speakers
With best wishes, Fiona Williamson (Secretary)
11th July 2021Dear Member,
I hope you are staying safe and well and enjoying this gorgeous weather?
It was lovely to see so many of you at our AGM on zoom. Thankyou for your continued support. The main change at the AGM was Ann Gregory's decision to step down as secretary of NAFHS, although she is remaining on the committee next year. I have been a member of the society for 15 years and Ann has been the secretary for the entire time, whereas there have been several different chairpersons in that same period of time.
I have agreed to take over as secretary and will continue to send you emails with information about meetings etc. Stephen Martin will take over as Chairperson and Anne Hind has agreed to join the committee.
We are not sure when we will be able to meet together safely so we are planning to organise some meetings on zoom starting in September.
We are hoping to produce a Journal in August so if you have a story you would like to share Ann Tyler would be delighted to hear from you! Ann can be contacted at anndtyler@gmail.com
With best wishes, Fiona Williamson
18th April 2021The 31st Annual Scottish Association of Family History Societies (SAFHS) Conference took place on Saturday 17th April 2021. This was an online event with over 400 people from all corners of the world listening in. If you missed it all the talks are currently available on YouTube (link below) for the next week.
19th March 2021Dear Member
I hope that you are staying healthy and enjoying the lovely weather?
I am attaching information about the speakers and topics at the SAFHS 2021 conference in April. I remember telling you that I was hoping to attend the SAFHS Conference for the first time last year but of course I made that comment before the Coronavirus pandemic and therefore the conference did not take place!
Their Press Release with details of the conference and links to their Facebook, Twitter and Webpage are here SAFHS Press Release
Details of the Morning Session are here SAFHS Morning Session
Details of the Afternoon Session are here SAFHS Afternoon Session
I saw that Robert Cathcart from Skelmorie has produced a brand new book 'A Timeline of a Coastline'. I bought a copy on Amazon and it has a whole lot of information about Fairlie, Largs, Skelmorlie, Inverkip and Wemyss Bay. It is the sort of book you can dip in and out of so it might be of interest to some of you.
I have also been informed that Kirk Session Records are now available on Scotland's People. I haven't tried to access them myself but if you manage to do so successfully please let me know how you get on.
I hope that you enjoyed our spring edition of NAFHS Journal? If you did not receive your copy please contact Anne Cowgill at anne_cowgill@yahoo.co.uk
With best wishes, Fiona Williamson
2nd February 2021Dear Member
I hope you are safe and well.
A date for your diary.
The 31st Scottish Association of Family History Societies (SAFHS) Conference, postponed from last year, will now Go Digital on 17th April 2021.
The Conference will be streamed live on Zoom and Facebook. It is free and open to everyone.
Their Press Release with details of the conference and links to their Facebook, Twitter and Webpage are here SAFHS Press Release
With best wishes to you all
Fiona Williamson (Chairperson)
4th January 2021Dear Member
I hope you are safe and well. This is just an update from NAFHS to let you know about our current situation.
CURRENT COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS (SCOTLAND)
Due to the current restrictions we have been unable to hold any meetings, workshops and visits. It is hoped that in the coming months that the situation will ease and we will be able to get back to some sort of normality. We have scheduled meetings and the AGM for April and May but these will only take place if restrictions are lifted and it is safe to do so.
We will contact all memebers when the situation does changes.
Until then please stay safe.
With best wishes to you all
Fiona Williamson (Chairperson)
30th June 2020Dear Member
I hope you are safe and well. This is just an update from NAFHS to let you know about our current situation.
AGM
Our AGM scheduled for May had to be postponed because of the Covid virus. Luckily we had a committee meeting just before the 'lockdown' and all our committee members agreed to stay on the committee in their present positions. I am very grateful for their support!
MEETINGS
Ann Gregory has done a fantastic job organising potential speakers for Session 2020/2021. With social distancing regulation we will probably not be able to hold meetings for a while but I will contact you again once we are able to do so.
FUNDRAISING
Our annual Coffee Morning schedule for November will probably have to be postponed until spring.
NEWSLETTER
We are planning to send out our Journal as usual at the end of August. Ann Tyler has already started to collect articles and would really appreciate it if you would like to write up a short family story for the Journal. Please send any contributions to Ann at anndtyler@gmail.com
With best wishes to you all
Fiona Williamson (Chairperson)