OPEN DAY AND FAMILY HISTORY FAIR 2014
Another successful Open Day! The organisation of the fair ran smoothly this year and we were fortunate to have improved parking facilities available under the new five-a-side pitches at the rear of Woking Leisure Centre. Attendance was lower then last year which seems to be the unfortunate trend for family history fairs. Despite that, there was still a very good atmosphere and general buzz of activity most of the day. We have received lots of positive feedback from visitors and stallholders alike who had an enjoyable and successful day.Jean Follett and her team on the Society’s bookstall were kept busy throughout the day with many CDs being sold. Anne Ross, the membership secretary, enrolled quite a few new members which was also very encouraging.
 |
As in previous years there was a wide range of interesting stalls manned by various family and local history societies and commercial organisations selling a range of genealogically related items from software and family tree charts to postcards and second-hand books. There was something for everyone…..from the beginner to the more seasoned family historian.
 |
|
The Research room manned mainly by our Society volunteers who provided access to the Reference Library, Parish Registers on microfiche, Members’ Interests as well as specialist help.
Computer look-ups were provided by Jeanne Bunting and Graham Walter as the Census Detectives and a number of Society volunteers.
There was a multi visual display of photographs and video highlighting St. Peter’s Church, Old Woking which was very informative.
The Mayor and Mayoress of Woking visited our Open Day and spent quite a considerable time stopping to talk to as many stallholders and volunteers as possible. They were very impressed by the variety of informative stalls that were in attendance. |
Below: Joyce Sampson helping visitors with their research in the library. 
|
|
Left: Chris Leech WSFHS Open Day Committee ex chairperson; WSFHS President Ray Anstis; The Mayor and Mayoress of Woking, Mr. and Mrs. Branagan and Ann Sergeant WSFHS Secretary at the WSFHS book stall. |
| Right: Anne Welch WSFHS Open Day Committee member, Ray Anstis, Mayoress Mrs. Branagan, Mayor Mr. Tony Branagan and Chris Leech. Alan Crosby's book 'A History of Woking' and a floral basket were presented to the Mayor and Mayoress. |
|
|
Left: The Guild of One Name Studies (GOONS) stall was very popular. Howard Benbrook and his team of willing helpers were on hand to inform visitors on how to go about starting a ‘one-name study’ and to promote their organisation. |
|
Again this year, there was a broad programme of free talks which were well received. The subjects included Welsh DNA, Military Medical History, The Lives and Experiences of our Ancestors and Cloud Computing.
There was something to interest everyone. Right: Alan Crosby giving his talk on 17th Century Sin and Sex! |
|
|
Left: WSFHS Open Day Committee members Shirley Forster and Anne Welch with a visitor selecting her ‘free talks’ tickets at the Volunteers Table. The task of co-ordinating volunteers starts early on in the organisation of the Open Day. Volunteering to help, no matter if it’s for a couple of hours or the whole day, is a very satisfying experience. All that is required is a friendly disposition...and a common interest...genealogy!! |
|
Right: Maura Sellars from the WSFHS Open Day Committee talking to newly joined member, Beatrice Meredith. Existing members are encouraged to make new visitors welcome, not only at the Society’s Open Day, but also at the centre meetings which take place in Farnham, Camberley, Woking, Guildford and Walton. |
|
|
Left: Anne Ross WSFHS Membership Secretary, seen with a visitor, enrolled fourteen new members to the Society at the WSFHS bookstall. At a time where FH Societies are seeing a drop in membership numbers, all new enlistments are extremely welcome! Below: We hope we found what they were looking for... |
| ‘Thank you for a well organised fair’ was said to us several times but without the much appreciated efforts of a large number of volunteers, the Open Day would not be possible. This year we had a challenge to fill all the volunteer helper slots, putting much pressure on those who made the decision to sign up to assist. Next year’s Open Day is in jeopardy if we do not recruit more volunteers for the Open Day Committee and to help on the Open Day itself. PLEASE, PLEASE think about what YOU can do to make YOUR family history society’s Open Day a continued success. Thanks to FFHS for sponsoring this year’s Open Day. |
|
Photographs courtsesy of Steve Welch and Maura Sellars.
Report by Maura Sellars