Genealogy is the study or investigation of ancestry and family history.  This involves collecting the names of relatives, both living and deceased, and establishing the relationships between them based on documented and circumstantial evidence building up a cohesive family tree.

Starting your genealogy.

Start with your own birth certificate - this should give you the exact date and place of your parents' marriage. With this information, you should be able to trace their marriage certificate which will give you their ages, although not their exact dates of birth.  This should lead you to their birth certificates and then backwards to your grandparents.

Talk to older members of your family as they should be able to give you some useful leads, e.g. “Your grandfather was a policeman in Wisbech”

Remember to take lots of notes about where you found your information as it may be necessary to re-check details.  Speak to other people who are doing family history research, they may be able to give you some good tips.