The Huddersfield Daily Examiner has a good little article on getting into genealogy with a humorous slant.
Excerpt from the article:
You may believe that an ancestor was related to the Duke of Wellington only to discover he was the landlord of the Duke of Wellington.
Or find the distant grandad four generations removed who reputedly died at Waterloo, actually fell down the station steps and broke his neck.
It doesn’t matter which is true, the fascination is opening that window on the past and discovering where you came from. Which is why tracing our roots is a growing compulsion.
“In many ways, genealogy is the ideal hobby,” say the authors. “It is something that you can pick up or put down when it suits you. After all, your ancestors are not going to disappear.”