Petula Matthews from Ammanford has been very successful so far in her search for her roots:

I started delving into my family tree as a course was being held at the newly opened Amman Valley Enterprise centre in Ammanford. I thought I'd start by using my father's surname - I though it unusual. I managed to go as far back as 1803 in my research of the Sellwood/Selwood family, where I was able to verify that my great-great-grandfather was a Richard Sellwood born in Brinkworth, Wiltshire in 1803.

He had 9 children - 6 sons and 3 daughters. His youngest son - Frederick (b:1852,Brinkworth) my great-grandfather - settled and married (m:1873) Pembrey. They had 7 children - 5 sons and 2 daughters. The eldest son William (b:1877 in Pembrey) married 1899 and had 7 children - 5 sons and 2 daughters. The second youngest son was my father Islwyn (b: 1914 in Llangennech).

I placed a search on the internet and had a reply from a relative whom I knew nothing about. Harry will be 86 this September, and was a first cousin of my father. He had been away working for 40 years in London as a Pharmacist, but bought a Pharmacy in Aberaeron where he now lives.

Harry is my first cousin once removed, and we have met since making contact. He has filled me in on a bit more of the family tree, but I stil have quite a lot more to find out before I finish.

Michael Jones from Aberystwyth sent us this story about his family history search:

"When I started my family tree, obviously the first person to ask is your Mum, when I asked mine she told me to let it be and not to delve into the past. I began to understand when I did start, there were a lot of skeletons in the cupboard, The most interesting info I had was from my Aunt, she told me all about the curse that was put on my Great grandparents, because my G-granfather jilted a girlfriend to marry my G-grandmother, and the curse was that all their children and their childrens children, to have their first child born out of wedlock, and it was so true, all my G-Aunts had children and were not married!!!. Before I started on the family tree I went to see a healer and he told me there was a curse on me from way back, and he removed it."