Zoom
On the Internet
Co-ordinator: Jane Thomas
Email: zoom@wsfhs.orgThere is no set day in the month for meetings. We fit around the terrestrial centres.
These meetings are for Members only; if you wish to join the Society, please go to the Membership page above.
You will need to book for the Zoom meetings. To access the Zoom page in the Members Area, click here.
From the above page, you may also be able to watch a recording of the meeting (see below for an indication of whether a recording is available).
'Doors' open 30 mins before the talk starts on the hour.
There will be a short introduction and explanation of how the meeting will work.
Anyone arriving after the talk has commenced may be denied entry.
2026
| Date | Doors Open | Start Time | Title | Speaker | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 3 Feb | 7.30 pm | 7.50 pm | Breach of Promise to Marry Now booking | Denise Bates |
| Tue | 17 Mar | 7.30 pm | 7.50 pm | Droughts, Deluges and Dust Devils | Ian Currie |
| Wed | 15 Apr | 7.30 pm | 7.50 pm | 25 Years of DNA and Family History. A Personal Viewpoint of Where We Are Today and What Is Importa | Brian Swann |
Forthcoming Meetings
January 13 2026
David Cuffley - 2 hr Workshop: Drawing charts and trees by hand as a research tool.We will be focussing on a Family Group Sheet (FGS) chart to understand the timeline and relationships of a family but will look at others.
Gaps on charts and re-occurring data may indicate trends that suggest future research needed.
David will also discuss other diagrams including ‘Drop Charts’, ‘Total descent charts’, ‘Birth brief’s’, Time lines and ‘Mind maps’; some of which by using templates, can be filled in by anyone and you do not need to be a draughts person. After the session David can provide templates in pdf format if any members want them.
We hope to run this as a proper workshop. It depends on the number of attendees. We would like to record it so if you are worried, please keep your video off and use initials.
It's good idea to bring a note book and pencil but the recording will allow you to revisit some of the concepts.
There may be more notes added so keep looking.
February 3
Denise Bates - Breach of Promise to MarryDenise has a degree in history, with a focus on the period c1800-1952 in Britain. Breach of promise was a claim for damages following a broken engagement. Using newspaper reports of cases heard in court c1780-1970, Denise considers how the cases reflect the society in which plaintiffs and defendants lived, how social assumptions changed over time and how a claim for breach of promise gave some women redress for wrongs that other laws denied them. When men behaved badly, hell had no fury like a woman scorned
March 17
Ian Currie - Droughts, Deluges and Dust DevilsIan is a full-time weatherman, broadcaster, author, columnist, speaker and editor of Weather eye magazine. He is a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society. His forecasts to gardeners and growers are on BBC Radio Surrey and Sussex. Ian correctly forecast the October 1987 storm!
His talk covers several centuries of weather with particular reference to SE England. From 7 metre high snowdrifts, cricket ball sized hail, blazing summers to violent tornadoes or devastating floods.
April 15
Brian Swann - 25 Years of DNA and Family History. A Personal Viewpoint of Where We Are Today and What Is ImportaDr Brian Picton Swann who began family history in 1967, is a founder member of the West Surrey FHS. Professionally, in 1980 he took part in the very first clinical trial of any pharmaceutical product made by recombinant DNA technology – human insulin.
He was first involved in DNA testing for family history in 2000, but began again in earnest in 2006, with his Picton ancestry, which is a classic type of surname for a One-Name Study. He has also worked as a DNA Surname Project Administrator at FTDNA on the Swann / Swan project.
The talk will focus on the now classic use of Y-DNA testing for family history, and why and how that has continued to change and evolve over nearly 25 years.He will also speak on his practical experiences of being a DNA Surname Project Manager at FTDNA.