What's more, you can start the process anywhere, surrounded by family, and this is where the best genealogy apps come into their own. The internet opened up a world of possibilities for anyone eager to find out, at the click of a button, if a First World War soldier, merchant seaman or criminal lurks in their family tree. Now I can browse centuries of marriage records on my iPad while basking in the sunshine. A decade ago there was no point even considering researching your roots if you weren't prepared to spend days, months or potentially years trawling through dusty registers and reels of microfilm in an archive where the temperature is controlled at near Arctic conditions.