Skip to content

Funny where life takes you…

Stories from beyond the family trees

  • Home
  • Families
    • Brevoort
    • Brock
    • Coolidge
    • Collingwood
    • Dibben
    • Levens
    • Mayhew
    • Twohey
    • Wackrill
  • Themes
    • ⚕️ Health, Medicine & Mental Health
    • ⚔️ Military & Wartime
      • American Revolution
      • Earlier Conflicts
      • First World War
      • Second World War
        • Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham Gas Company Roll of Honour (1939-1945)
        • Kent Electric Power Co Roll Of Honour (1939-1945)
    • 🌐 Migration & Emigration
    • 🗺️ Places
      • Americas
        • Canada
        • New England
        • New York
        • Other States
      • Asia & Pacific
      • Britain & Ireland
        • England
        • Guernsey
        • Ireland
        • Scotland
        • Wales
      • Continental Europe
        • Alps & Switzerland
        • France
        • Germany & Poland
        • Italy
        • Netherlands
    • 🔍 Mysteries & Brick Walls
    • 🛠️ Occupations
      • Art, Sport & Performance
      • Business, Trades & Professions
      • Domestic Service
      • Farming & Agriculture
      • Seafaring & the Navy
    • 🏡 Social History
      • Childhood & Family Life
      • Poverty, Hardship & Resilience
      • Religion & Social Reform
      • Women’s Lives
  • Recollections
  • More stories
  • About
  • Contact

Author: Natalie Mayhew

Originally a London girl, now living in Rochester, Kent. Fascinated by social history and passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion

Music and records

This story is not about a human ancestor, but about something else very close to my heart: popular music. Nowadays, anyone with access to the internet can listen to their choice of music instantly via a streaming service like Spotify or Apple Music, or via YouTube. Long gone are the days when the only way … Continue reading Music and records →

Natalie Mayhew England, Recollections December 12, 2023June 24, 2026 9 Minutes

Off and on the beaten path

The turquoise waters of Lake Louise with mountains in the background

Reflections on the relative wilderness and popular destinations in and around the Banff National Park, Canada

Natalie Mayhew Canada, Recollections November 26, 2023June 24, 2026 12 Minutes

Alberta’s playground

Gravel road and landscape in the Spray Valley Provincial Park with forest on each side of the road and mountains in the distance

Following the path less travelled through Kananaskis Country, with a hike to Karst Spring a scenic drive through the mountains

Natalie Mayhew Canada, Recollections October 30, 2023June 24, 2026 6 Minutes

A snakes and ladders life

William Mayhew (1882-1918): Against the odds, a disadvantaged Englishman embarks on a journey to secure a better future for his family in the US

Natalie Mayhew Canada, 🌐 Migration & Emigration, England, Other States, Poverty, Hardship & Resilience October 25, 2023June 24, 2026 13 Minutes

Exploring the Yoho National Park

photo of the Emerald Lake, British Columbia, looking more pale greenish blue with pine forest and a mountain in the background beneath a partly cloudy sky

A visit to Yoho National Park reveals a remarkable array of both natural wonders and man-made creations

Natalie Mayhew Canada, Recollections October 9, 2023June 24, 2026 12 Minutes

A prairie roadtrip to the Badlands

Image of 'hoodoos' a rock formation made of sandstone capped with a rock in the middle of the Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada

A roadtrip across the prairie to explore the stunning Badlands of Alberta, Canada, followed by an unforgettable steak lunch

Natalie Mayhew Canada, Recollections September 26, 2023June 24, 2026 11 Minutes

Protected: How it all began

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

Natalie Mayhew Canada, Recollections September 19, 2023June 24, 2026 10 Minutes

My visit to Canada 2023

photo of a red and white Canadian flag set against a blue sky

While the stories from my recent visit to Canada may initially appear unrelated to family history, they are, in fact, deeply intertwined

Natalie Mayhew Canada, Recollections September 18, 2023June 24, 2026 1 Minute

My grandmother’s house

The back garden of an old cottage with washing drying on a line and a young child holding a black and white cat

Wyke Regis is a village and ancient parish in southern Dorset which looks out over the Isle of Portland to the south, Portland Harbour to the south and east, and Chesil Beach and the Fleet lagoon to the west.  Historically, the area gained a reputation for both smuggling and the looting of wrecks thanks to … Continue reading My grandmother’s house →

Natalie Mayhew England, Recollections August 29, 2023June 24, 2026 12 Minutes

One of the lucky ones

Black and white postcard photo by JH Hall of 88 Kingswood Road, Fulham, Swan Athletic Football Team, 1909-1910 showing 11 young men posing as a team in football gear. Ted Mayhew is L/H side back row.

Ted Mayhew (1890-1971): A journey of service from volunteering in 1914 to returning home

Natalie Mayhew England, First World War, France August 9, 2023June 24, 2026 18 Minutes

Posts navigation

Older posts
Newer posts

Funny Where Life Took Them
Some of the surnames on this site — click one to find stories behind it

Bailey Baker Banfield Banfield aka Wackrill Barrett Baynes Booth Bovill Bowes-Lyon Brevoort Bristow Brock Carson Chaldecott Collingwood Conway-Gordon Coolidge Cooper Cotton Courtauld Daley Dibben Dowman Down Earle Finch Fitzgerald Gordon Hall Harvey Hill Irving Kirby Krug Lane? Levens Mayhew Mayo Napier Obee Payne Poulton Rose Saumarez Sheldrake Todd Twohey Wackrill Whetten

Follow Funny where life takes you… on WordPress.com

Create a website or blog at WordPress.com

Loading Comments...