DIGGING about in our own history has become something of a national pastime.

Increasing numbers of people spend their free time peering into the past to see what they might find. Some are just interested, some are perhaps seeking some sort of hidden truth about who they “really are”, while others are desperately hoping for a rogue ancestor to add extra spice to the mix.

It seems to be a harmless, but interesting occupation. Knowing about the past can illuminate the present, which is no bad thing. All we would say is that once you starting rooting around in the old family wardrobe, you never know what skeletons might tumble out.