Taith Dewi O'r Galon

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-I'm feeling anxious now.

-A nervousness

-I've never felt before.

-My stomach's in knots.

-I've never experienced it before.

-I can't turn back now.

-But if someone said

-it's on hold until the new year...

-..I'd accept that.

-What have I done?

-DEWI LAUGHS

-Action!

-Dewi Rhys is a well-known actor.

-He's famous as Parri'r Barman,

-Duff on Pobol Y Cwm...

-..and Wyn Humphries

-on Rownd A Rownd.

-You both go together.

-OK.

-He's used to swaggering

-on the small screen.

-I expect I've been cast

-because of my looks...

-..the angry man.

-They're good parts to play...

-..the baddie.

-But behind the characters,

-who is the real Dewi?

-He was raised an only child.

-His parents died

-when Dewi was a young man.

-He has always known

-that he was adopted.

-I remember her telling me

-when I was about nine.

-We were in the living room,

-by the fire.

-It was a winter's night.

-I remember it was dark.

-She said I was "chosen"

-rather than "adopted".

-She made a simple story out of it.

-She said,

-"We went to the Liverpool area.

-"There was a place

-where there were babies in cots.

-"We chose you," she said.

-That's how she put it.

-I had a happy, loving upbringing.

-It was the 1960s.

-We were a big family,

-everyone did their part.

-Mam was the leader, as it were.

-Over Christmas,

-the whole family came here...

-..to eat and to get together.

-It was very sociable.

-I enjoyed it. It was very close.

-I knew I was cared for.

-Last year, Dewi decided

-to find his blood family.

-He contacted an adoption agency.

-It helped him find out more.

-This is

-your birth mother's signature.

-She signed to say she was happy

-for you to be adopted...

-..and for the adoption to proceed.

-Oh, yes.

-Mmm.

-It would appear your birth parents

-planned to get married...

-..before June

-discovered she was pregnant.

-A little later, she realized

-your birth father was married.

-He already had two children.

-"He stated that he was single."

-That must have been

-very difficult for her.

-She felt she couldn't raise you

-on her own.

-I think I was about 19.

-My parents were still alive.

-I started to research my background.

-I didn't tell them at the time.

-I don't think they'd have minded.

-I wasn't scared of them knowing,

-I was just curious.

-A few years later,

-I tracked down my birth certificate.

-I sent away

-to Somerset House directly.

-I received it through the post.

-It stayed in a drawer for years.

-My parents died in 1983.

-I didn't follow it up.

-I concentrated on my career

-and wasn't home much.

-It was in the back of my mind.

-This year, I made a decision

-to look for them next year.

-There's an English saying,

-"opening a can of worms."

-Someone said that to me.

-But it has.

-In the 1960s, the adoption process

-was at its height.

-It reached its peak in 1965...

-..when 27,000 children

-were adopted in England and Wales...

-..compared to less than 5,000 today.

-He was born Kenneth Gregory Thomas

-in Lytham St Annes near Blackpool.

-Dewi Rhys Humphreys Jones was raised

-in Caernarfon, where he still lives.

-The club is like a family club.

-After every game,

-the children go to the cafe.

-The adults come for a cuppa or pint.

-It's good here on Saturday

-afternoons or any night of the week.

-In the south years ago,

-rugby clubs were a focal point.

-Caernarfon and other clubs

-in the north have followed suit.

-Two months

-after his initial enquiries...

-..he made contact

-with his mother, June.

-Dewi received unexpected news.

-The agency discovered...

-..that my birth mother is alive...

-..and where she lives.

-She has remarried since 1984.

-But also...

-..when I was adopted...

-..her boyfriend, my father...

-..went away.

-I think he went back to his wife.

-He left with his work.

-But as these things happen...

-..they came back together.

-They needed the emotional support.

-They had another son.

-He was born in 1963.

-I've got a brother.

-I've found this out.

-But he doesn't know

-about my existence.

-It makes things interesting...

-..frustrating...

-..and a little difficult.

-But it's a new challenge.

-From what I understand,

-reading between the lines...

-..I think my birth mother...

-..is quite keen

-to know who I am too.

-So, who knows?

-In part two, Dewi's journey

-takes him to the north of England...

-..to meet his mother and Gary,

-his brother, for the first time.

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-The actor Dewi Rhys

-was adopted in 1960.

-He has since

-found his blood family.

-As well as finding out

-about his mother...

-..he has discovered

-that he has a brother.

-Today, he's going to Garstang

-in the north of England...

-..to meet them for the first time.

-I'm looking forward now,

-but I had a restless night.

-I woke up several times...

-..as if I was embarking

-on an illegal activity.

-I am looking forward now.

-To be honest, I'm looking forward

-to meeting my mother.

-I'm also hoping to create

-an impression on my brother.

-That shouldn't be a priority,

-but there's no turning back.

-I looked at the clock

-and it was two minutes to one.

-At one o'clock, a woman walked in.

-She was rotund and blonde.

-Before we were both

-overcome by emotion...

-..the big antidote

-was the bald head behind her.

-The brother, Gary,

-looked everywhere but at us.

-I reached out and said,

-"How are you, Gary?"

-It's remarkable how many

-on her side of the family...

-..have been film actors,

-dancers and public speakers.

-Her father was an actor in rep.

-Her sister Stella

-acted in films in London.

-She was also

-in The Fiddler On The Roof.

-Her son, my cousin, went to RADA

-to train to become an actor.

-He then became a stuntman.

-He appeared in many films,

-including The Italian Job.

-There's an emotional connection.

-I kept checking myself.

-"This is Mam, this is my brother."

-That went round in my head.

-I tried to be objective...

-..and think of them as two visitors,

-it's not like that.

-It isn't now, almost 24 hours later.

-I feel they're by my side now.

-Adopted children

-can have difficult experiences...

-..when contacting

-their blood family.

-To Dewi, the support of the family

-that raised him is all-important.

-I'm going to Rhiwlas

-to see my cousin, Annes.

-I'll tell her about my research

-and the latest developments.

-Families can be odd

-and fickle about things.

-There are doubts about everything.

-There was a touch of "What for?"

-"Do you have to?" or "Why?"

-Rhiwlas, here I am.

-I remember that morning clearly.

-I ran upstairs and saw you

-in the cot that was once my cot.

-You were fast asleep.

-Most of all, I remember

-a shock of red hair sticking up!

-You were like a little punk!

-June showed me pictures

-of Gary as a baby.

-He was like me.

-His ginger hair

-turned blonde in the sun.

-You were almost white!

-He was the same.

-That was fascinating.

-Did you find out what happened

-to her after the adoption?

-Yes, and more about the background.

-I found out about my grandfather

-and these bohemian actors.

-Now you know where the interest

-in acting came from.

-It's obviously in the genes,

-the interest in acting.

-I'd like to think

-that in the future...

-..and this is how June feels...

-..they could meet the family.

-..they could meet the family.

-

-I'd love that.

-I'm sure she would too.

-Step by step, as you say.

-It's wise not to rush things.

-It'll be very interesting.

-It'll be very interesting.

-

-Yes.

-Bye.

-Bye.

-

-Ta-ra.

-It's interesting that he found out

-that acting is in his blood.

-That was not a part of our family.

-From finding

-this piece of the jigsaw...

-..Dewi will become

-a complete person.

-That's how I see it.

-I hope it'll help him.

-Annes is very wise.

-I feel she's shown me the way.

-Speaking with Annes

-makes me very emotional.

-Three months have passed since Dewi

-first met his mother and brother.

-Since then, he has visited Garstang,

-near Preston, several times.

-Each meeting brings them closer.

-That's how I used to run

-all the time, in small steps.

-My first reaction as I walked in

-with the other fella behind me...

-..my second son,

-ready to catch me!

-I thought, "Oh! I recognize

-this person. I know you."

-He came towards me

-ready to shake hands.

-But I wasn't having any of that.

-I just put my arms around him.

-And that was it.

-And that was it!

-Look at that blonde hair there.

-Gary was blonde there.

-That was his first car.

-That was his first car.

-

-Look at him. As proud as Punch.

-An old banger.

-But the memories aren't all sweet.

-Remembering the adoption

-is still painful for June.

-I've always tried to block that...

-..because it was

-such a traumatic time.

-Just basically...

-..Kenneth, the father,

-Dewi's father...

-..he courted me

-for months and months.

-And unfortunately...

-..I was stupid enough

-to become pregnant.

-I found out that he was married

-with two children.

-Of course, I was absolutely

-hit from one side to the other.

-What did I do now?

-Do I have the baby adopted?

-Do I go to one of these

-women's homes that you could go to?

-Did I stay at home with my parents,

-who weren't in good health?

-So I thought my best bet

-would be to cut it all off...

-..and get out of Blackpool.

-That was just a panic decision,

-you know, at the time.

-Because I couldn't see

-the way forward on my own.

-So that's what I decided to do,

-was to have the baby adopted.

-But as it so happens...

-..the baby's father

-wouldn't be shaken off.

-A couple of years later,

-we did get back together.

-Then Gary came along.

-It was then

-that you begin to think...

-.."Oh, my goodness me. What would it

-be like, the two of them?"

-And the regrets start.

-But you can't live your life

-with regrets all the time.

-You have to then build

-on what you've got.

-June isn't the only one

-who's there today.

-His brother Gary is also present.

-Every time I see them together,

-I'm just mesmerized.

-I keep comparing.

-One day, I think,

-"They've got this mouth."

-The next day, I think,

-no, I'm sure about the noses.

-But I'm not sure about the eyes,

-whose eyes.

-They're definitely both mine,

-let's put it that way.

-Mum wanted to know if I approved,

-so I said, "Well, yeah, of course."

-But a couple of days afterwards,

-I was asking questions to myself.

-"Why him, not me?"

-and such and so forth.

-You've got some questions to answer.

-I mean,

-you could have told me years ago.

-If Dewi hadn't tracked you down...

-If Dewi hadn't tracked you down...

-

-Dewi what?

-If Dewi hadn't tracked you down...

-If Dewi hadn't tracked you down...

-

-Yeah?

-Would you have ever told me?

-Probably not.

-I didn't think so.

-I didn't think so.

-

-But there wasn't any reason.

-I'll take that as a no, then.

-I've been stood around people

-thinking I'm the only child.

-They've knocked about

-with their brothers.

-They've played golf

-and drank with their brothers.

-"Our kid's coming down.

-Get us a pint."

-I wished I could say "our kid."

-I can now.

-Yes, same here.

-I should have got the cushion out

-for you two.

-She looked very proud...

-..looking at us two.

-I said,

-"The boys are here for you now."

-She replied,

-"Yes. The boys, my boys."

-I'm sure that lifted her spirit

-immensely.

-I hope so.

-I realize how lucky I've been...

-..to have had the home

-and upbringing I had over the years.

-I feel more complete, yes.

-The circle

-involves someone else now.

-It's a warm feeling.

-I haven't missed out or anything.

-This is just a bonus,

-another layer of whatever it is.

-Dewi has now discovered he has

-a half-brother and a half-sister...

-..and that his birth father

-is still alive.

-His journey continues.

-I don't like having my photo taken.

-I don't like having my photo taken.

-

-They're both a miserable lot!

-S4C Subtitles by Gwead

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