I am Philippa Shelley Jones and Sydney is my home base. In case you’re wondering why I’m providing you with my middle name… I’m not… Shelley Jones is a two-word surname which I am not responsible for – it’s courtesy of my husband and some historic combination of surnames which I will get to the bottom of someday.

Let me tell you about Record My Past.

I used to be one of those people who listened, sometimes a bit distractedly, to anecdotes and meandering stories from a relative, only to find those wonderful memories lost once they could no longer be communicated.

Just short of his 65^th birthday, my father had a stroke which left him with aphasia – he was no longer able to produce readily intelligible speech, despite knowing exactly what he wanted to say. His abilities to read and write were also severely impacted.

My father was also responsible for sparking my interest in family history although, once again, his work on the family tree prior to his stroke was only a portion of the valuable information trapped in an uncooperative brain.

Needless to say, I have regrets.

My focus is now on future-proofing family histories and personal stories before they are lost to the passing of time, disability and the disconnect produced by fading memories.

Detail, research, collating, editing and writing are ‘my thing’. My passion for genealogy and helping others to explore their family roots means I am well and truly ready to explore your history and capture your stories.

•