We began this site one wet weekend afternoon in late January when like millions (it seems) of others we were sick and tired of the delay in waiting for the 1901 Census Online. we could either carry on getting cross or we could begin to laugh at:

a) the naivety of a government department that (allegedly) failed to predict the demand for such a service.
b) the peculiarly British way we all sit at home patiently waiting and tutting.

So, from the Dunkirk Spirit came Great Cockup library - One woman's struggle against technology and confusion. Edith Tintwhistle   was born.
 

Having created a short spoof of the PRO website updates I sent it to a few friends and posted a link on a couple of genealogy news group pages.

Over the next few days, thousands of people visited the site and the pages became wonderfully, interactively anarchic! If there are any radio or television sitcom script commissioners out there we have several scripts unconnected with Great Cockup which we could send to you.

All the letters, pictures and certificates that are received by Edith have come unsolicited from readers. This is great because none of us have any way of knowing where the story lines are leading If YOU write a good letter the ideas will be picked up and run with. However it just takes a new idea from another reader  and the story takes a new twist.

We have a simple mission statement:
We aim:
to make people laugh,
to produce ad-free low tech web pages, which load quickly,
to encourage others to write and share their humour,
to make and meet new friends,
to take family history research less seriously that we sometimes do!

We are, however, both passionate devotees of family history. You can see the surnames we are each researching by going to Sandra's page and John's page. You can contact us at john&sandra@staithes.demon.co.uk or follow the contact route to Edith via Great Cockup Library link
 

Love and Thanks
John & Sandra Wilson

Great Cockup Library Pages
Letters to Edith
Toadblower Saga
Felicity's page
Latest Update
Cockup 1901 Census
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Edith's secret
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