0:00:02 > 0:00:05Families can be driven apart for all manner of reasons.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08My mum went away and didn't come back.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10And when you do lose touch with your loved ones...
0:00:10 > 0:00:12I never saw Kathleen again.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14..finding them can take a lifetime.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17I wonder where he is, I wonder what he's doing.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19You don't really know where to begin.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Especially when they could be anywhere.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23At home, or abroad.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28And that's where the family finders come in.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Hi, it's the Salvation Army Family Tracing Service.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34From international organisations...
0:00:34 > 0:00:37There's never been a day when we have never had new enquires.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40..to genealogy detective agencies...
0:00:40 > 0:00:42When is it you last had contact with him?
0:00:42 > 0:00:44..and dedicated one-man bands.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47I like to do the searches that other people can't get,
0:00:47 > 0:00:49because it makes me feel good.
0:00:49 > 0:00:54They hunt through history to bring families back together again.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56You are my biological...dad.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59In this series, we follow the work of the family finders...
0:00:59 > 0:01:02This case came from our Australian colleagues.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06..learning the tricks they use to track missing relatives through time...
0:01:06 > 0:01:10I'm 68 years of age, she's 75 years of age, and we're just starting off!
0:01:10 > 0:01:14..and meeting the people whose lives they change along the way.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16I said, "Well, this is your younger sister."
0:01:16 > 0:01:18It's a miracle.
0:01:18 > 0:01:19I was struck speechless.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21And I couldn't stop crying.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23It's a proud moment. For Dad.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25It was the thought of finding my family.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37Tracking down lost family members has never been easier.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40The internet has made the tools of the trade available to anyone.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43And for those who lack the time or expertise
0:01:43 > 0:01:45to search for themselves, there's a whole host
0:01:45 > 0:01:49of family finding organisations, big and small, ready to help.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55Yeah, that's what we do, we trace people on a daily basis.
0:01:55 > 0:02:01The busiest of them all is the Salvation Army's Family Tracing Service.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Who're you trying to trace?
0:02:03 > 0:02:05Your brother, all right...
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Over the year, we are looking at over 2,000 cases
0:02:08 > 0:02:13that were successful in finding the family members who have,
0:02:13 > 0:02:17for one reason or another, lost contact with each other.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19Just a few months ago,
0:02:19 > 0:02:23the Salvation Army Family Finders were approached by a man desperate
0:02:23 > 0:02:27to track down the cousin he hadn't seen since they were small boys.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Often, a death in the family can be the reason why people contact us
0:02:31 > 0:02:35to look for relatives relating to that family.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40This was a case with Brian, who wanted us to look for his cousin, Denis,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42after his brother, Tony, had passed away.
0:02:48 > 0:02:5378-year-old Brian Read grew up with his brother Tony and cousin Denis
0:02:53 > 0:02:58in south-east London during the Second World War.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Born a long time ago, 1937.
0:03:01 > 0:03:06My brother was born two years before me, but lived mostly in Abbey Wood.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11Brian and Tony grew up with their mum, Doris, and father, Don.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14And life centred around the house of their grandmother,
0:03:14 > 0:03:15Nanny Stubbington.
0:03:18 > 0:03:24Mum was a Stubbington and Abbey Wood Road was the centre of life
0:03:24 > 0:03:28as far as the Stubbingtons were concerned.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32Wherever the uncles and aunts may have lived, they were always back
0:03:32 > 0:03:36at number 34 for various reasons, weekends and what have you.
0:03:39 > 0:03:45Another regular at number 34 was Brian and Tony's cousin, Denis.
0:03:45 > 0:03:50Denis was born on the 8th of December, 1934,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53and Tony was born the very next day.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57So both my mother, Doris, and my Auntie Gertrude, Denis's mother,
0:03:57 > 0:03:59were in the hospital at the same time,
0:03:59 > 0:04:04and I think this is why they grew up together and were great friends.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08It was a very happy time, despite the Second World War.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15As the war escalated, Brian's father was called up to fight in Italy
0:04:15 > 0:04:18and the boys were evacuated to Scarborough.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21NEWSREEL: By sheer weight of numbers, the enemy again and again
0:04:21 > 0:04:23broke through the coastal defences.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Hello? Gunfire in the south-east. Right.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34With urban areas under threat from German bombing,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36as soon as war broke out,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40the British government appealed to families living outside the major cities
0:04:40 > 0:04:43to take in children considered most at risk.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Nearly 2,000,000 children were sent away to live
0:04:47 > 0:04:51with strangers in the relative safety of the countryside.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55But for many, the upheaval proved too upsetting for them and their families,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58and they returned home, despite the dangers.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Which is just what happened to Brian and Tony.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05We missed Mum, we missed all the Stubbingtons,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08and all we wanted to do was get home.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10And I think eventually what happened was that...
0:05:10 > 0:05:15When Mum came up and she took us home, the war wasn't over,
0:05:15 > 0:05:17she just came and took us home.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21She realised that, you know, we weren't having a good time.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26Brian's mum managed to find them a home above the local fish and chip shop,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28but while living there, they almost fell victim
0:05:28 > 0:05:31to German bombing themselves.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34We were actually down in the chip shop buying some chips,
0:05:34 > 0:05:39and this bomb came down with one hell of a whistle.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43And the chippy just grabbed hold of Tony and I
0:05:43 > 0:05:46and shoved us under the counter.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Thankfully, the bomb missed the chip shop,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51but the jam factory next door wasn't so lucky.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53SOUND OF FALLING BOMBS
0:05:53 > 0:05:55There was Tony, there was me, there was Denis.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59Were quite pleased, because we went around gathering tins of jam.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01HE LAUGHS
0:06:01 > 0:06:05And I think we had bread and jam for tea for the next several months.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Brian's father survived the war, and on his return,
0:06:10 > 0:06:14the family moved to a new house a few miles away.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17We had two very happy years at Red Lion Lane,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20but then Dad came home one day and said, "Mum's ill".
0:06:20 > 0:06:25She'd been taken ill at work. That was in 1948.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28And that was another thing, the first thing that Dad did was to take us
0:06:28 > 0:06:31back to 34 Abbey Wood Road.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36So that Gran, Grandad, could look after us down there
0:06:36 > 0:06:39while he was toing and froing to hospital.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Brian's mum's condition soon got worse.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49We visited her once and while we were there, she was sick,
0:06:49 > 0:06:54so we were immediately taken out, and that was the last time we saw her, in actual fact.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Yeah, um...
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Dad came home one day,
0:07:06 > 0:07:13he came in, I was out in the scullery with Gran and Auntie Gertrude.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Gran was feeding the washing into the mangle
0:07:19 > 0:07:21and I was turning the handle, I remember.
0:07:23 > 0:07:24And Dad came in the door.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32His face just collapsed.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38And he just said, "She's gone."
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Always remember what Denis said.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55First thing he said was,
0:07:55 > 0:08:01"Does this mean that Tony and Brian can come and live with us now, Mum?"
0:08:01 > 0:08:04Which other was quite... Rather nice.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07I've never forgotten that.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15I think we stayed there for about a week.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17And then Dad took us home to Red Lion Lane.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22His wife's death hit Brian's father hard,
0:08:22 > 0:08:24and the family closed ranks.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Years passed, and Brian and Tony lost touch with Denis
0:08:27 > 0:08:30and they started families of their own.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Tony got married.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36I got married shortly thereafter.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40But Brian never forgot about his cousin.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43I was thinking about him all the time and what had happened to him.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47I thought, "Right, I'll try and find Denis now."
0:08:47 > 0:08:50And, um... But I couldn't.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Then, just last year,
0:08:52 > 0:08:54tragedy struck once more.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56Tony was killed in an accident.
0:09:00 > 0:09:01When Tony died...
0:09:04 > 0:09:05We were very close.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10And I just felt that I...
0:09:10 > 0:09:13That was a time when I just felt that I had to,
0:09:13 > 0:09:18I HAD to contact Denis, because I knew that he would have
0:09:18 > 0:09:23some good memories that we could share together. Yeah
0:09:23 > 0:09:28Despite having seen or heard nothing of Denis in 70 years,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Brian was determined to track him down.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34I started to do some serious research just to try and find him,
0:09:34 > 0:09:38but I just kept coming up against brick walls.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42Brian's digging took him via various family finding websites
0:09:42 > 0:09:44on a journey into his family's past.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48But despite unearthing various nuggets,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51his main quarry proved elusive.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55I found children, grandchildren, where people
0:09:55 > 0:10:00had got married etc, but then always came up against a dead end.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04Brian gave up all hope of ever seeing Denis again.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08But a chance encounter was about to open new doors to his search.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21Andrea Wood lives in Surrey with her husband, John,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23and sons Luke and James.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27A classic nuclear family,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30and very different to her own experiences, growing up.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37My mum and my dad got married at a very young age.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39I think my mum was 17.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42And she fell pregnant and had me at 19.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46But things obviously didn't work out, because it was way too young.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53By the time of Andrea's birth, her father had already left home.
0:10:53 > 0:10:59When my mum had me, at that point they'd split up.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02He hadn't got involved, I think.
0:11:02 > 0:11:07I'm not too sure of the whole history of it,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10but he didn't see me.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Andrea was brought up by her mum and her grandparents.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18The father she'd never met simply wasn't discussed.
0:11:18 > 0:11:23My mum didn't really speak to me about him.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27I'd, on the odd occasion, ask a question,
0:11:27 > 0:11:31but it wasn't really a very discussed subject.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34But Andrea would soon have a father figure
0:11:34 > 0:11:38and it was party thanks to her that her mum remarried.
0:11:38 > 0:11:43When my mum first met my stepdad, we were on holiday and I actually made
0:11:43 > 0:11:49friends with his daughter and his son and then my mum and he got chatting.
0:11:49 > 0:11:54They got married not too long afterwards.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58From being an only child, Andrea was now part of a growing family
0:11:58 > 0:12:03and as she got older, she began to question just who she was
0:12:03 > 0:12:05and where she'd come from.
0:12:05 > 0:12:10Growing up, I was never made to feel the odd one out in the family,
0:12:10 > 0:12:14but I knew I was different from my three brothers.
0:12:17 > 0:12:23My stepdad pushed me - you need to go and find your dad,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26you need to meet your biological dad, but obviously,
0:12:26 > 0:12:30I didn't act on that straight away, sadly.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35When you're younger, you don't tend to think about things like that
0:12:35 > 0:12:37so much.
0:12:37 > 0:12:42I wondered about him, just wondered if I was anything like him,
0:12:42 > 0:12:44but at that point in time,
0:12:44 > 0:12:50maybe I wasn't quite ready psychologically and emotionally.
0:12:51 > 0:12:56And then, after a lifetime with no contact from her father,
0:12:56 > 0:13:01Andrea's 18th birthday brought a wholly unexpected surprise.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04I actually got a birthday card from my biological dad,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08but at that point, I was a very hot-headed teenager
0:13:08 > 0:13:12and I looked at it and I thought, "Oh - happy birthday from Pete.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15"Well..." And I didn't really think much of it.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17Sadly.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23Putting the card to the back of her mind, Andrea got on with life,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26meeting and marrying John and starting a family of her own.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33It was only with the death of John's father that Andrea
0:13:33 > 0:13:36decided the time was right to go looking for her dad.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41It made her realise that life's a bit too short,
0:13:41 > 0:13:46so I always used to wind her up and say, "You'd never actually do it!"
0:13:46 > 0:13:51John turned round and said, "Oh, you'll never trace him.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53"You've been saying that for years. You won't do it."
0:13:57 > 0:14:00John's teasing spurred Andrea into action.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03She went straight online and with just a few clicks of a mouse,
0:14:03 > 0:14:07brought up the name of a firm of family finders.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11All right. That sounds like something we can help you with.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13What information do you have?
0:14:13 > 0:14:17Finder Monkey is one of a number of agencies that use
0:14:17 > 0:14:20a combination of experience, contacts
0:14:20 > 0:14:24and publicly accessible information to track people down.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26When Andrea first came to us,
0:14:26 > 0:14:31she supplied us with some basic information, so she knew the name of
0:14:31 > 0:14:33the person she was looking for,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36so she knew she was looking for a Peter David Bond.
0:14:36 > 0:14:41She knew his father's name and she also was able to tell us
0:14:41 > 0:14:45that he'd married her mum in 1966 in Reading.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50For the experts, this was plenty to be going on.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54What we managed to find in this case was a Peter D Bond,
0:14:54 > 0:14:56born in Reading in 1946.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Could this be their man?
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Everything hinged upon whether the available information
0:15:01 > 0:15:05about this Peter's parents matched the details Andrea had given.
0:15:05 > 0:15:12What we found was that a Norman Peter Bond had married in Reading in
0:15:12 > 0:15:151941 a Nellie A Bendell,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18so we were then confident that the birth record we'd found
0:15:18 > 0:15:22related to the right person because it related to the right
0:15:22 > 0:15:26father's name, was right age and in the right area.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29It was the breakthrough Andrea had been waiting for.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34I got a phone call saying, "OK, we've found your man."
0:15:36 > 0:15:40I was so excited, so nervous.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43So then I had to think about - OK, well, I need to write him a letter.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47I've got his address, I need to write him a letter.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51But how do you go about writing to a father you've never met?
0:15:51 > 0:15:53Andrea gave it her best shot.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59"Dear Peter, I'm not sure if I need to introduce myself,
0:15:59 > 0:16:01"but I will in case of doubt.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04"I'm Andrea Wood and my birth name was Bond.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08"I know this letter may come as a surprise after all these years,
0:16:08 > 0:16:13"but it has been written in my head so many times over many years.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16"However, I know now that I'm mature enough to deal with whatever
0:16:16 > 0:16:18"the outcome.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21"This letter is sent with no blame or malice.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25"Take care and I look forward with warm anticipation
0:16:25 > 0:16:28- "to your response." - Andrea posted the letter off,
0:16:28 > 0:16:32crossed her fingers and waited to hear back from her father.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34I was going crazy.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38"You heard anything?" "No." "You got anything?" "No." And I was getting...
0:16:38 > 0:16:41You remember? I was getting a little bit tense, thinking,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44"Obviously, he just doesn't want to know me. Maybe he's just..."
0:16:44 > 0:16:49But I had to obviously remember that maybe that was what he wanted.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54Two weeks passed with no news, but 80 miles away,
0:16:54 > 0:16:58unknown to Andrea, her letter was lying unopened and unread.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Only time would tell if it would ever reach its target.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14These days, the first port of call for any family finder is
0:17:14 > 0:17:17the internet, but believe it or not,
0:17:17 > 0:17:21there's a limit to the amount of information available online.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25Sometimes, more traditional methods can pay dividends.
0:17:25 > 0:17:30Local newspapers are an amazing resource, not just for announcements
0:17:30 > 0:17:32of births, marriages and deaths,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35but to add colour and historical context to your search.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38You can stumble across fascinating nuggets,
0:17:38 > 0:17:42from old school photos to juicy local scandals.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46There are digitised copies of some newspapers available online,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49but often, it can be more rewarding to head to the local library
0:17:49 > 0:17:51and get digging.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00It's been nearly 70 years
0:18:00 > 0:18:03since Brian Reid last saw his cousin Denis.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08As small boys in wartime London, Brian, Denis
0:18:08 > 0:18:11and Brian's brother Tony were inseparable.
0:18:11 > 0:18:16Brian's been searching tirelessly for Denis, without success, but
0:18:16 > 0:18:20a chance encounter in a barber shop has just changed everything.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22For some crazy reason,
0:18:22 > 0:18:24I was relating to my hairdresser
0:18:24 > 0:18:28that I'd been trying to find my cousin and she said,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32"Have you tried the Salvation Army?" And I thought, "Crikey!
0:18:32 > 0:18:34"Salvation Army."
0:18:38 > 0:18:41Brian was able to provide us with Denis' full name,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44his date of birth and his last known address and often,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47this information is all that we need to start an inquiry.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51But what looked like being a straightforward case proved
0:18:51 > 0:18:52unexpectedly tricky.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56When we began the search to look for Denis,
0:18:56 > 0:19:00we used all the information given, but after two attempts,
0:19:00 > 0:19:03we were unsuccessful in making contact with him.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07I was thinking, "Oh, they're having problems.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11"If they've found anything, they'd let me know
0:19:11 > 0:19:15"if they were having some good luck or good fortune." And I was
0:19:15 > 0:19:19beginning to get a little bit sort of - it's not going to happen.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23The family finders decided to cast their next wider
0:19:23 > 0:19:26and their digging unearthed a possible daughter for Denis.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28We believed it was her,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31matching the information that we'd been given from Brian,
0:19:31 > 0:19:33so we wrote to that address,
0:19:33 > 0:19:38in the hope that she was the person we were looking for.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41Their hunch proved to be spot on.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44It turned out the reason Denis had proved
0:19:44 > 0:19:49so elusive is that he's relocated to the Costa del Sol.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51My daughter rang me and said,
0:19:51 > 0:19:55"Dad, the Salvation Army have been on, want to know -
0:19:55 > 0:19:59"do I know you?" And I said, "What's it about?" She said, "I don't know.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Do you mind if I give them your phone number?"
0:20:02 > 0:20:05I said, "No, I'm not hiding from anybody.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07"Give them the phone number, by all means."
0:20:07 > 0:20:11And then when I found out it was Brian, that was great.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14I just remember him in short pants and curly hair
0:20:14 > 0:20:16and about ten years old.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20Literally, that's the last time I can remember seeing him.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26After losing touch with Brian and Tony, Denis lived a colourful life.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29He served in the Household Cavalry,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32the famous regiment who stand sentry on Whitehall,
0:20:32 > 0:20:36before becoming first a policeman and then a private detective.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Retired and married for a fourth time, he now lives in Spain.
0:20:46 > 0:20:54Tony and Brian were my mum's sister's boys and I know we,
0:20:54 > 0:20:55as the older kids,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58were always trying to get rid of the younger ones.
0:20:58 > 0:21:03I still tell stories to my grandson
0:21:03 > 0:21:05about the boys during the war.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07We had great fun, we had great fun.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13But in post-war Britain, losing touch was easy,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16especially for a free spirit like Denis.
0:21:16 > 0:21:21Shortly after they moved, I also had to move down to Dartford.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25It was all due to the re-housing schedule that was
0:21:25 > 0:21:27going on after the war.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31Council houses were being built all over the place.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35So, I was a bit of a nomad for a while, moving from place to place.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39But despite the passing years and the move abroad,
0:21:39 > 0:21:43now the Salvation Army had tracked Denis down.
0:21:45 > 0:21:50Brian was at home with his wife Pauline when the call came through.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54When she phoned me and said, "We've made contact with a daughter
0:21:54 > 0:21:57"and he's living in Spain," I thought,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00"That's why I couldn't find him! Obviously!"
0:22:00 > 0:22:03And the first thing I did, I was...
0:22:03 > 0:22:06I think Pauline was sitting in the lounge,
0:22:06 > 0:22:11watching a bit of TV or something and I was in there and...
0:22:11 > 0:22:14"We've found him! We've got him!
0:22:14 > 0:22:17"We're going to make contact!" Absolutely terrific.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Although Brian hasn't seen or heard from Denis for so many years,
0:22:21 > 0:22:26he has a very special meaning in the whole scheme of things
0:22:26 > 0:22:31and it's just so special and so special for me to know
0:22:31 > 0:22:36that I can see Brian gain some comfort after Tony,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39by meeting up again with Denis.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43It's the best thing, in my point of view, that could ever have happened.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46- Mm-hm.- After Tony.- Yeah.
0:22:46 > 0:22:52And the upset and the devastation that you went through then.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57- It's the best thing that could have happened for you.- Yeah.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59And I hope that when you
0:22:59 > 0:23:05and Denis get together, that you'll get the comfort from that.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10- I think I will, Pauline.- That nobody else can give you.- That's it.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13And if you don't give me a hug right now, I'm going to hit you.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22Overjoyed, Brian couldn't wait to arrange the reunion.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Before I could do anything, Denis phoned me,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27so that was absolutely terrific.
0:23:27 > 0:23:33You know, we spoke after 70 years, I think, as far as I can remember...
0:23:33 > 0:23:36We were only sort of ten years old when I last saw him.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41After 70 years apart,
0:23:41 > 0:23:45the two cousins wasted no time in arranging to meet up.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48I don't know if I'm not going to break down.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52The mere fact that we had this connection, I think, is going
0:23:52 > 0:23:55to be quite emotional for me.
0:23:55 > 0:23:56Yeah.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Denis has flown over from Spain and today,
0:24:02 > 0:24:06he and Brian will meet for the first time since they were small boys.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12I'm very excited for Brian. Really excited for him.
0:24:12 > 0:24:18This is about Brian and Denis, with Tony there on their shoulders.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21I just hope I'm not going to get too emotional.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23- Well, it is going to be emotional. - I know, but...
0:24:23 > 0:24:27I'm so much looking forward to it, after all these years. Yeah.
0:24:27 > 0:24:32I'm feeling a little bit nervous about it, but at the same time,
0:24:32 > 0:24:36it'll be great to see him again and it's exciting, really.
0:24:36 > 0:24:41It's 2,000 miles and 70 years between us.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45The fact that he's flown all the way over from Spain, I think,
0:24:45 > 0:24:48is absolutely terrific, absolutely wonderful.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51It'll be great to see what he's like now, anyway.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54And I'm sure he feels the same.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56I don't know if I'm taller than him, shorter than him,
0:24:56 > 0:25:00fatter than him, thinner than him... It'll be great.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52- Denis.- Ha-ha!
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Hello, mate!
0:25:54 > 0:25:56Oh!
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Oh, Denis!
0:26:00 > 0:26:03You are a little bit shorter than me.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06I was wondering if you were bigger or smaller.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09- No, I knew you'd be up there somewhere.- Oh, great.- Gee whizz!
0:26:09 > 0:26:11- I should have put my tie on, Denis.- No!
0:26:11 > 0:26:13It's the old army training, ain't it?
0:26:13 > 0:26:16- I left it off at the last minute. - Good luck to you.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19- You're comfortable, I expect. It's great.- Oh, dear.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22You're looking all right. What have we got...? That's me Lifeguards...
0:26:22 > 0:26:23Old Comrades Association.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26- Brilliant.- Lifeguards Association. - Absolutely wonderful.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28- Shall we sit down?- Yeah, great.- Yeah.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31I got a few photographs in there for you, Denis.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35Yeah. And you've got some for me that I haven't seen before.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39It's brilliant to see you. Really fantastic.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Fantastic's not the word for it, Denis.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44A lifetime may have passed since their last meeting,
0:26:44 > 0:26:48but it's like these two old friends have never been apart.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51I've got to recognise you. Come on. Where are you?
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Er...
0:26:53 > 0:26:56I can't see you, Denis. I'm no good at these sort of things.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59- I think is it me in the middle. - Ah.- Yes.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01- Right in the middle, at the back. - I can see you, yeah.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07There's a few of Tony and I.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12That's the last time I sort of remember you, as it were.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14- The last time I remember seeing you. - Right.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Was when you were about... Like that.
0:27:16 > 0:27:17- Like that.- Around that time.- Yeah.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Cor, look at the cheeky smiles on those two!
0:27:22 > 0:27:24Chubby chops.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27- Tony looks great, doesn't he?- Yeah.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Brian and Denis have lived separate lives as adults,
0:27:30 > 0:27:33but their childhood was spent very much together.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36And today, they've planned a pilgrimage
0:27:36 > 0:27:38to the streets where they grew up.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41I tell you what. That is so familiar, isn't it?
0:27:41 > 0:27:44- Huh?- Be nice to go and see what it's like now.- See what it's like now.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48- Yeah.- I doubt it's all individual shops. It'll all be sort of...
0:27:48 > 0:27:51- Mini-markets and things now. - Wonder what it is. Yeah.
0:27:51 > 0:27:52It'll be interesting to go and see.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54- Shall we?- Yeah, absolutely.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Let's go and see it, Denis.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58I'd really very much like to see that.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04- Let's give it a...- Yeah. - Let's give it a go.- Great stuff.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18As Brian and Denis get closer to their old neighbourhood
0:28:18 > 0:28:23of Abbey Wood, the memories start to flood back.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25- Yeah, this is Knee Hill. - This is Knee Hill.- Yeah.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28I've walked all the way up here.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30I never forget, because it was during the war.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35Brian's thoughts turn to his mother,
0:28:35 > 0:28:37who died shortly after the end of the war.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39Do you remember what you said, Denis?
0:28:40 > 0:28:42- About her? - When you learned that Mum had died?
0:28:42 > 0:28:46- You don't remember what you said to your mother?- No.- Oh, I do.- Really?
0:28:46 > 0:28:47I do. You said...
0:28:48 > 0:28:52"Does this mean that Tony and Brian can come and live with us now, Mum?"
0:28:52 > 0:28:55- Oh, God.- Yeah. I've never forgotten that, Denis.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57I thought that was lovely. Yeah.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03I really did. I've never, ever forgotten that.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05I've always thought that was...
0:29:05 > 0:29:09- Cos you were such good friends with Tony especially.- Yeah, yeah.
0:29:09 > 0:29:10You know?
0:29:14 > 0:29:16Ray Huntley lived in that house there.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18THEY LAUGH
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Cor, dear, oh, dear.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22- I tell you what. This hasn't changed, Denis.- It hasn't.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25- Apart from the cars and the wheelie bins.- It hasn't.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28An incendiary bomb went down the chimney in one of these here.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33For Brian, Denis and the rest of their extended family,
0:29:33 > 0:29:37life in the 1940s revolved around their grandmother's house.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39It's the obvious place to start.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42- Oh, this is fantastic! - It hasn't changed.
0:29:45 > 0:29:50- The hedge hasn't changed.- No. It hasn't. Still well kept.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52Well, I'll be jiggered. Look at that.
0:29:52 > 0:29:53Yeah.
0:29:54 > 0:29:55Brilliant, innit?
0:29:59 > 0:30:01Come on, let's give it a go, Denis.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07See who's here. Now, I can remember how proud I was
0:30:07 > 0:30:10- when I could jump down those five steps.- Yeah. Yeah.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15- It's our house.- Yeah. - Still the same.- Still the same.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17KNOCKING
0:30:24 > 0:30:26- Nobody's home.- I think we're out of luck here.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28I think we are, yeah.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30HE LAUGHS
0:30:30 > 0:30:32I can't jump down them now!
0:30:34 > 0:30:37That's... Both sides, as you say, were the bomb sites, weren't they?
0:30:39 > 0:30:43I suppose it's when you're a kid, this seems quite a long way,
0:30:43 > 0:30:45- doesn't it?- It does.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47Just around the corner from their grandmother's house
0:30:47 > 0:30:50was the chip shop where Brian lived during the war
0:30:50 > 0:30:51with his mother and brother.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55It's where I used to live! What does it say up there?
0:30:57 > 0:31:00- I can't read it. Provisions? - Grocer and provisions.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03- So it's been more than a fish and chip shop.- Yeah.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07Crikey. This used to be a big window. The door used to be there.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10That's where we lived. Up there in there.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14And when the bomb dropped on the jam factory,
0:31:14 > 0:31:17we were actually - Tony and I - were in there, buying some chips,
0:31:17 > 0:31:21and the chippy got hold of us and shoved us under the counter and said,
0:31:21 > 0:31:23"You stay there."
0:31:23 > 0:31:25Cos this bomb was bloody whistling down. Yeah.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33- Yeah, this was the off-licence. - Still is, look. Off-licence.- Yeah.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37Nan would say, "Go and get me a Guinness."
0:31:37 > 0:31:39- Yeah, a Guinness. Yeah. Yeah.- Yeah.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48- Look at the lock on the door.- Yeah.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52That door always used to be open.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54Yeah, always. And the jam factory.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56This is where the jam factory was, yeah.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02- The bomb dropped...- Sugar and jam everywhere.- Everywhere.
0:32:04 > 0:32:05For both cousins,
0:32:05 > 0:32:08it's been a welcome return to their old stamping grounds
0:32:08 > 0:32:12and the neighbourhood they thought they'd never see again.
0:32:12 > 0:32:13Brilliant. We've done well.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16It's been absolutely bloody marvellous, Denis. It really has.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22For Brian, having lost his brother Tony so recently,
0:32:22 > 0:32:24having his cousin and childhood friend back
0:32:24 > 0:32:26has come at just the right time.
0:32:28 > 0:32:29Give us another hug, please.
0:32:29 > 0:32:34- Another hug.- And one from Tony as well.- Oh, yes. God rest his soul.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37- Don't start me off.- God rest his soul. No, don't start now.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39I'm getting better now, Denis.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43- Yeah, that was from Tony.- Oh, great. - That's what all this is about.
0:32:43 > 0:32:44- Yep.- Yeah.
0:32:47 > 0:32:48Wow.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51It's been...absolutely marvellous.
0:32:52 > 0:32:57I've met Denis after all these years and... Oh, what a character!
0:32:57 > 0:33:01- There was a beautiful girl used to work in the jam factory.- Uh-huh?
0:33:01 > 0:33:02Long blonde hair.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04We used to see her walking to work every morning
0:33:04 > 0:33:08and all the boys were whistling at her.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10It really has been absolutely terrific.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14We've recalled so many wonderful, wonderful memories.
0:33:14 > 0:33:15Refresh my memory.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18Is it a little further down the road where there's the park with
0:33:18 > 0:33:19- the paddling pool?- Paddling pool.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23On hot days, we'd go down there and lay in the water.
0:33:23 > 0:33:28I used to fall in it, Denis. I used to fall in it, fully clothed.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32Gosh, he's... He's just grand. He's great.
0:33:32 > 0:33:33He's marvellous.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36He's what I call a real character.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38An absolute real...
0:33:38 > 0:33:40I just want to get hold of him and hug him all the time.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43They say absence makes the heart grow fonder.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46I suppose that's starting to ring true
0:33:46 > 0:33:49because I feel closer to him now than I've ever felt.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54Brian can only imagine what Tony would have made of meeting Denis
0:33:54 > 0:33:58and visiting their childhood haunts after all these years.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05I think - and I don't believe in that sort of thing - but if he were
0:34:05 > 0:34:09watching and listening, I think he would be absolutely delighted.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23Andrea Wood used a family finding agency to track down Peter,
0:34:23 > 0:34:25the father she'd never met.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30She sent him a letter, but two and a half weeks passed and still,
0:34:30 > 0:34:32she's heard nothing.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35There's me sitting there, thinking, OK, well,
0:34:35 > 0:34:38he obviously doesn't want to know me or he's still not around...
0:34:40 > 0:34:46It was the longest two and a bit weeks that I'd ever, ever had.
0:34:48 > 0:34:53But just when she'd given up hope, Peter returned from a long holiday
0:34:53 > 0:34:55to find Andrea's letter waiting for him.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01It was just something that I did not expect,
0:35:01 > 0:35:05and it was... It was really so unexpected.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09I can't think of anything else that would have surprised me more,
0:35:09 > 0:35:13seriously. I was well, well pleased.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17Shocked and delighted, Peter immediately wrote back,
0:35:17 > 0:35:20and Andrea finally knew her search was over.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28I felt so happy
0:35:28 > 0:35:31and so relieved.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35The relief was expressed through tears.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37I couldn't control the happiness.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43Peter lives near Newbury in Berkshire.
0:35:43 > 0:35:49Now 69, he was barely 21 when he married Andrea's mother.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53I decided that marriage was not for me.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55I was still a very young man,
0:35:55 > 0:35:59and I really thought that I knew my own mind
0:35:59 > 0:36:01and that I knew what I was doing.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05In retrospect, I certainly didn't.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10I remember when Andrea was born.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14You know, she was a lovely little thing, she really was.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18But I was still determined to do what I wanted to do,
0:36:18 > 0:36:20even though it wasn't the right thing.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23And it really wasn't the right thing.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27I've made one or two decisions in my life that I'm not proud of,
0:36:27 > 0:36:30and that is definitely the major one.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32Peter had chosen to walk away,
0:36:32 > 0:36:36but he never stopped thinking about his daughter.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39I always wondered what Andrea looked like,
0:36:39 > 0:36:42but when I did try and get in touch,
0:36:42 > 0:36:46it was a card on her 18th birthday.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50She made it quite plain that she didn't want to know,
0:36:50 > 0:36:53which is understandable.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56After that I left it alone, which is fair enough -
0:36:56 > 0:37:00you don't encroach on somebody if they don't want to know.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06Having given up hope of ever seeing his daughter again,
0:37:06 > 0:37:08Andrea's letter offered Peter the chance
0:37:08 > 0:37:11to start a whole new chapter in his life.
0:37:13 > 0:37:18They wasted no time in arranging to meet at Peter's home in Berkshire.
0:37:19 > 0:37:24The first meeting, when I actually drove into his drive,
0:37:24 > 0:37:26I had to get myself...
0:37:26 > 0:37:31I had to get myself under control. I was so nervous.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33Oh, I was a bag of nerves.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36I really was a bag of nerves.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39I think I polished everything about ten times.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42I was pacing up and down and God knows what.
0:37:42 > 0:37:47I was trying to find things to do, really, more to occupy my mind.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52I got out of the car and went and knocked on the door,
0:37:52 > 0:37:54and he opened the door, and he said, "Hello, Andrea."
0:37:54 > 0:37:58And I just put my arms around him and said,
0:37:58 > 0:38:00"Lovely to meet you, Pete."
0:38:00 > 0:38:04It was lovely. Absolutely. She looked a treat, she really did.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06I think there was a bit of a... SHE SNIFFS
0:38:06 > 0:38:10..from him, and I think from me also.
0:38:13 > 0:38:14Yeah.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17It was an immediate hug.
0:38:17 > 0:38:22We couldn't stop hugging one another. I mean, absolutely amazing.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25I've got to say, I had a tear in my eye.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29Since their first meeting,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32Peter and Andrea have been making up for lost time,
0:38:32 > 0:38:35spending weekends and family holidays together
0:38:35 > 0:38:37and giving Peter the chance to be a grandad.
0:38:38 > 0:38:44First when my mum didn't find her dad,
0:38:44 > 0:38:47she was a bit, like, sad and lonely,
0:38:47 > 0:38:52and a bit depressed. And ever since she found him,
0:38:52 > 0:38:56- she's been really happy. - She's woken up and everything.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00Instead of being all grumpy in the morning, she's like,
0:39:00 > 0:39:03IN A CHIRPY VOICE: "Hey, boys, how you been? Did you have a nice sleep?"
0:39:03 > 0:39:05And everything, instead of,
0:39:05 > 0:39:09IN A MONOTONOUS VOICE: "Uh, I'm going to work now. Bye."
0:39:15 > 0:39:19But there's one special occasion that Peter's never been present for.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22He's missed all of Andrea's birthdays,
0:39:22 > 0:39:27but what she doesn't know is that's about to change.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30Yeah, it's lovely. Can't wait. I really can't.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36Now he's planning to spring a surprise on her special day.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40Here we go. Awesome.
0:40:07 > 0:40:12- Oh, dear. Happy birthday. - Fancy seeing you!- Happy birthday.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15There's a surprise!
0:40:15 > 0:40:18- There you go.- Oh, my word! - Happy birthday.- Thank you.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21It was lovely when my dad turned up today.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25Yeah, complete and utter surprise, didn't expect it.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31When I saw his reflection in the mirror,
0:40:31 > 0:40:35yeah, it was just... It was just awesome.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39- You didn't tell us he was coming. - I didn't know he was coming.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43- It's a surprise.- Only your dad knew. - SHE LAUGHS
0:40:43 > 0:40:46You're looking nice. You're looking very nice.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49- It's nice to see you.- Lovely.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53Absolutely incredible.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57To actually get here on her birthday was a rare treat,
0:40:57 > 0:41:00and I know that she loved it. Bless her.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05I think Andrea liked the pretty pink ones.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10Sorted.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16After 47 years, Peter finally gets the chance
0:41:16 > 0:41:19to do something most dads take for granted.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25You do feel more complete.
0:41:25 > 0:41:31Since I've met Andrea, I've got, if you like, a tailor-made family.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33Blow the candles.
0:41:33 > 0:41:37Yes, that'll do. Awesome. Well done, Mum.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39I get on with John like a house on fire,
0:41:39 > 0:41:43and the little boys just add the energy to the mix
0:41:43 > 0:41:48which is something, perhaps, that was missing out of my life before.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55There was no energy, and they are energetic, those two.
0:41:55 > 0:41:56I love them to bits.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01- How long have you made this den, then?- We've had it for ages.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05- Have you?- Ever since we started knocking down that shed.- Right.
0:42:06 > 0:42:11And having missed out on the chance to be a dad first time around,
0:42:11 > 0:42:15Peter now intends to make the most of his time with his grandchildren.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19He came back to our house in our mum's car,
0:42:19 > 0:42:24and we saw him and the first thing we did
0:42:24 > 0:42:26was give him a massive hug.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29Yeah, and we hand-shaked him and everything.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31So over you went.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35He normally takes us out for a walk in the morning.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39- Yeah.- And then we, like...- He buys us sweets.- Yeah, sometimes.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43You've got a climbing tree as well? Awesome.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46It's down to Andrea, really.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49I mean, this was instigated by her,
0:42:49 > 0:42:52and if it hadn't been for her,
0:42:52 > 0:42:55then it wouldn't have happened.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59It's as simple as that, and I'm so pleased. I am so...
0:42:59 > 0:43:02Well, I can't really say how pleased I am. It's just...
0:43:02 > 0:43:04It has changed my life.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07Well, it's certainly changed ours.