I started doing my family history a couple of years ago and it's been an exciting journey.

On my maternal side we traced the female side of the family back into mid-Wales after believing for years they came from the Valleys. They hopped over the border occasionally just inside Herefordshire and the far west of Shropshire around Clun but all roads eventually lead back to Wales, Radnorshire especially.

The male side of Mum's family came from Essex (the Rodings) and we think some may have originally come from Scotland too. My great-great grandfather was a coachman who worked in the stables at Windor during the glory years of Queen Victoria's reign. It must have been some sight.

My father's side led to the real surprises though. We had rumours of French, gypsy and Irish in the family but it wasn't until I contacted a great Uncle that we began find out the details. One side of the family were gypsies who worked the canals and eventually settled in Southall in West London; at the time it was well-known as a gypsy are. One great-great grandmother had twenty-two children by two different husbands! Another great-grandmother was Irish but I am researching the details at the moment.

By far the greatest story came down from my rather wayward great-great-grandfather. He was born in Shoreditch as was his father. His mother was too, but her maiden name was Cameroux and it turned out her family were Huguenots who came to England in the 18th Century intow waves; one via Berlin and Mannheim where the family fled to escape persecution where they originated from, near Nimes in the south of France. The others came from Rouen and Uzes and went straight to England where their marriage is recorded.

I'm hoping to travel there this year to see where my ancestors came from.