0:00:02 > 0:00:04Families can be driven apart for all manner of reasons.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07Oh, I had no information at all about where my mum went.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10And when you do lose touch with your loved ones...
0:00:10 > 0:00:12You don't know who you are, where you've come from.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15..finding them can take a lifetime...
0:00:15 > 0:00:18I might have a brother that's still living here.
0:00:18 > 0:00:23..especially when they could be anywhere, at home or abroad.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26And that's where the Family Finders come in.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28From international organisations...
0:00:28 > 0:00:32Hi, it's The Salvation Army Family Tracing Service.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34..to genealogy detective agencies...
0:00:34 > 0:00:37For someone to say that it's changed their life,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40it makes coming to work, you know, really, really special.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42..and dedicated one-man bands...
0:00:42 > 0:00:46It's a matter of how much effort you really want to put into it,
0:00:46 > 0:00:48how badly you want to solve the problem.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52..they hunt through history to bring families back together again.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Finding new family is wonderful.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59In this series, we follow the work of the Family Finders.
0:00:59 > 0:01:04Suddenly, you get one spark of breakthrough and there they are.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Learning the tricks they use
0:01:06 > 0:01:08to track missing relatives through time...
0:01:08 > 0:01:13I didn't think I'd ever find sisters, but I have.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17..and meeting the people whose lives they change along the way.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20I've been waiting to meet John my whole life.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Since we've met, I feel part of a family again.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26You've just completed my life for me.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33In the search for long lost relatives,
0:01:33 > 0:01:38if finding a distant family member can be an extraordinary moment,
0:01:38 > 0:01:40then finding a sibling can be a momentous event.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Across the UK, there are hundreds of organisations who specialise
0:01:45 > 0:01:50in bringing brothers and sisters who have lost touch back together.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53But many people decide to turn family finder on their own.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Today, we follow two stories of sisters who started out
0:01:56 > 0:01:59by doing it for themselves.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02First, we meet Jacqueline, whose quest to find out about her
0:02:02 > 0:02:05birth mother uncovered a sibling she never knew she had.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Suddenly, there was someone in my life...
0:02:10 > 0:02:14..who I could identify with, really.
0:02:14 > 0:02:15I cried.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19And it was my sister.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23And we follow the story of Teresa and Tracey as they search
0:02:23 > 0:02:26for the sister they haven't seen for 40 years.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29- I've got butterflies in my stomach. - Have you?- What about you?
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Uh, I've got a massive moth, I think.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34Oh, this is getting almost unbearable.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Actress Jacqueline Clarke has spent a career playing out the fictional
0:02:40 > 0:02:44dramas of other people's lives on both stage and screen.
0:02:44 > 0:02:45Good Lord!
0:02:45 > 0:02:48You haven't started throwing crockery at each other already?
0:02:48 > 0:02:53Yes, it does take two - your husband and his secretary.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57But the true story of Jacqueline's own family life has also taken
0:02:57 > 0:02:59several dramatic turns.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04She was born in 1942 and grew up in south-west London.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08I remember my mother always, because she was a pianist,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11playing in the morning, which was glorious,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14so I was brought up with a lot of music.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Not that I understood much about classical.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20And I remember going down to the local sweet shop with my father
0:03:20 > 0:03:24because we had coupons in those days, it's just after the war.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29While Jacqueline was still a young child, her mother revealed
0:03:29 > 0:03:32something that was to change her world forever.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36I was nine when I was told and she called me in from the garden.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39She said, "Sit down, darling, I want to tell you something.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42"It's something important. Your father didn't want to tell you,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45"but I think it's important that you know."
0:03:45 > 0:03:48And then she said, "Do you know Daddy and I adopted you?"
0:03:50 > 0:03:52"Yes. What does that mean?"
0:03:52 > 0:03:57So she said, "Well, I'm afraid your mother was a young girl
0:03:57 > 0:04:00"and she couldn't keep you, darling, and we went and chose you,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03"you're very special and we love you very much." All that went on.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06And I said, "So, do you mean I don't belong to you?"
0:04:07 > 0:04:12And she said, "Well, you do belong to us, darling, of course, you do."
0:04:12 > 0:04:15I went to the bottom of the garden and sobbed.
0:04:22 > 0:04:23I was...
0:04:26 > 0:04:32..so disappointed that they weren't my real mummy and daddy.
0:04:33 > 0:04:38And I thought, "OK, it's all right, you know, it'll be fine."
0:04:38 > 0:04:43And I thought, "I'm not going to talk to them about it,"
0:04:43 > 0:04:47because I know my mother found it so difficult to tell me
0:04:47 > 0:04:50because Father really didn't want to tell me.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54And I thought, "OK, it'll be all right."
0:04:54 > 0:04:59OK, then got myself together and decided, that's it, I'll just go in.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02I went in had tea and it was never spoken about.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Jacqueline's parents never mentioned her history again,
0:05:06 > 0:05:11but as she grew older, she did glean some information about her past.
0:05:11 > 0:05:16When I was going to France, I remember coming in
0:05:16 > 0:05:19and I went up where my father was sitting
0:05:19 > 0:05:23and I went over his shoulder to give him a cuddle and I looked down.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25Now, I think it was a passport.
0:05:25 > 0:05:30I needed my passport for France and he had written Valerie Wilson
0:05:30 > 0:05:34and I looked at it and I said, "Who's Valerie Wilson?"
0:05:34 > 0:05:35And he just...
0:05:35 > 0:05:36There was a pause and he said,
0:05:36 > 0:05:41"Well, dear, that was your name before you became Jacqueline."
0:05:41 > 0:05:46I thought, "Oh, well, that was what my name was, forget about it."
0:05:47 > 0:05:52During my teenage years, during growing up, getting married,
0:05:52 > 0:05:57it never crossed my brain about even thinking about finding out
0:05:57 > 0:05:59about my birth family at all.
0:05:59 > 0:06:05It was only after that my father died that I sort of thought,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08"Ooh, I might want to know about it," but I wouldn't have done
0:06:08 > 0:06:10because Mother was still alive.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14When she died five years later, then I thought, "Hmm."
0:06:16 > 0:06:20So, in 1991, after the death of her adoptive parents,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24Jacqueline began to search for her birth mother.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26At the time, she was appearing in a theatre near
0:06:26 > 0:06:29St Catherine's House records office in London.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33Between performances, Jacqueline began browsing the family registers
0:06:33 > 0:06:35for any trace of her birth mother.
0:06:35 > 0:06:40I just looked through loads of marriages because I had figured
0:06:40 > 0:06:43that if my mother had had me at, I believe 17, actually.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47I didn't know she was 20, I believed she was 17.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51And I thought, "Well, if she's had the baby and had it adopted,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54"then she might meet somebody and then she might marry."
0:06:54 > 0:06:58So, I gave a timescale whereby I thought,
0:06:58 > 0:07:04"Right, I'll look between '43, '44 and '47."
0:07:04 > 0:07:12My partner was a bit concerned that if I found my mother in 1991 -
0:07:12 > 0:07:16and now I know that she was alive then - he said,
0:07:16 > 0:07:21"How would you really feel, Jackie, if you are rejected again?
0:07:21 > 0:07:24"In other words, you make contact, but she doesn't want to know."
0:07:24 > 0:07:29It's a long process of crosschecking
0:07:29 > 0:07:33and you have to keep applying for birth certificates, then if not,
0:07:33 > 0:07:37you have to apply for death certificates
0:07:37 > 0:07:41or go through an electoral roll to see if someone lives there
0:07:41 > 0:07:43and it can be so daunting.
0:07:44 > 0:07:49When the records failed to throw anything up, Jacqueline gave up.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53Before the advent of the internet, trying to trace family could be
0:07:53 > 0:07:56a lengthy and complicated endeavour.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59If you were trying to do your family history, it would've meant
0:07:59 > 0:08:02writing away, waiting for a response, taking a trip to look at
0:08:02 > 0:08:05birth, marriage and death indexes.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08And that would have meant for many, many people sometimes days
0:08:08 > 0:08:11of travelling to get there and get back.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Only to go home, assess the information,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17find out it's the wrong one and have to go back again.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20But today, there are a wealth of family finding options
0:08:20 > 0:08:21to suit all budgets
0:08:21 > 0:08:26from bespoke search companies whose fees vary to charity-funded
0:08:26 > 0:08:28family tracing units.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31And with the rise of genealogical resources online, many people
0:08:31 > 0:08:34are deciding to turn family finder themselves.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39These days, what we can do online is we can condense months,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42if not years of work into the turning of an hourglass.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47You know, it is just so quick and easy to do that today.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50You know, we talk about the democratisation of history and
0:08:50 > 0:08:54I think that is what the technology has brought to family history
0:08:54 > 0:08:56and history more generally.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01Following the death of her husband in 2008, Jacqueline decided
0:09:01 > 0:09:04to resume the search for her birth mother.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07By then, the growth of interest in genealogy has opened up
0:09:07 > 0:09:09a wealth of new resources.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14I decided to find out about my past
0:09:14 > 0:09:17when a friend, who was living in the Cotswolds with me at the time,
0:09:17 > 0:09:22said she was going off to a family history fair in London
0:09:22 > 0:09:23and would I like to go.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26And I thought, "Ooh, that might be..."
0:09:26 > 0:09:29I said, "Yes, of course, I'll accompany you," but I knew
0:09:29 > 0:09:33in my heart that I would probably want to find out something.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37Sure enough at the fair, Jacqueline found a genealogist
0:09:37 > 0:09:39who was willing to take on her case.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43I knew I didn't have time to follow the vast amount of work that
0:09:43 > 0:09:45has to be done to finding it.
0:09:45 > 0:09:50I was told it would take probably six to eight hours.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Eventually the genealogist hit gold.
0:09:53 > 0:09:59It took eight months before I actually got a positive result,
0:09:59 > 0:10:03but my birth family had been found and an aunt.
0:10:03 > 0:10:09And it was her granddaughter, in fact, that sent a letter
0:10:09 > 0:10:15to the genealogist saying, "Yes, my aunt does remember."
0:10:15 > 0:10:18But there was even more exciting news.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21The family finder hadn't just found an aunt.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23My genealogist said,
0:10:23 > 0:10:27"Are you sitting down and have you someone with you?"
0:10:27 > 0:10:30I thought, "Well, why do I need that?"
0:10:30 > 0:10:32So I didn't sit down and I didn't have anybody with me
0:10:32 > 0:10:36and I rang and I was told,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38did I know I had a sister?
0:10:41 > 0:10:42Gobsmacked!
0:10:44 > 0:10:46I don't know what to think, I didn't know what I felt.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51I sat down, that's for sure, and I thought, "I've got a relative.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53"I've got somebody in this life."
0:10:57 > 0:11:0130 miles away in Reading, siblings Tracey and Teresa knew
0:11:01 > 0:11:05they had an older sister out there somewhere, but she had disappeared
0:11:05 > 0:11:09from their lives 40 years earlier when they were still children.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12The girls grew up with their parents in Hounslow in London
0:11:12 > 0:11:15and, for a few years, they knew nothing about another sister.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17When we were children, it's only
0:11:17 > 0:11:20forever felt like it's just the four of us and that was it.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23I think we kind of were reasonably close because
0:11:23 > 0:11:25of the upbringing that we had.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29But one afternoon in 1974, a visitor to their home would alter
0:11:29 > 0:11:32everything they thought they knew about their family unit.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36We were about ten and seven, our parents, they'd gone out shopping
0:11:36 > 0:11:39and I can remember before they went our mum said,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41"If anyone knocks on the door, don't answer the door."
0:11:41 > 0:11:44And lo and behold, there was a knock on the door
0:11:44 > 0:11:47and this couple at the doorstep, and a lady with dark air,
0:11:47 > 0:11:52that's all I can remember and they asked, "Is your mum and dad in?"
0:11:52 > 0:11:54It was like, "No. Sorry, Mummy's not back.
0:11:54 > 0:11:55"They'll be back in half an hour."
0:11:55 > 0:11:58And then my mum and dad came back from the shops,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01they greeted them as if they knew each other.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04I can remember feeling as a little child thinking,
0:12:04 > 0:12:06"How come they know them? I don't know them.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09"I've never seen them before. Who's that?"
0:12:09 > 0:12:12It wasn't until some months later that the girls learnt
0:12:12 > 0:12:15the true identity of the mysterious lady called Lesley
0:12:15 > 0:12:17who had turned up at their door.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21Mum said, "How would you feel if Lesley was your sister?"
0:12:21 > 0:12:24And being a typical little girl it was like,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27"No. No, I wouldn't like that. We'll argue."
0:12:28 > 0:12:32Then a couple days later, our dad sat us down and said,
0:12:32 > 0:12:38"Actually, Lesley is your sister." He was married before.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42- So, that was the first... - That was the first we knew.- Yeah.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Teresa and Tracey began to build a relationship with their
0:12:46 > 0:12:4917-year-old big sister, Lesley.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53It was quite exciting to know that we had another sister.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56I used to love going round there and staying overnight.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00I think they had a sofa bed thing and we used to sleep in the lounge,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03didn't we? And I remember...
0:13:03 > 0:13:07- Having Sunday dinner. - Sunday dinner there, yeah.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09We remember going to a function.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13- We are assuming it was her wedding that we attended.- Hm.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17But Lesley didn't stay in their lives for long.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21After Tracey and Teresa's parents moved house, they lost contact.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26It was very difficult really because it wasn't long after that...
0:13:26 > 0:13:29- I can't remember Lesley after that. - Yes.
0:13:29 > 0:13:30It's almost like she disappeared.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34I mean, we've always remembered Lesley and we've spoken about her
0:13:34 > 0:13:35quite a lot, sort of saying,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38"We've got another sister out there somewhere, you know?"
0:13:38 > 0:13:41As the years went by, Teresa and Tracey grew up
0:13:41 > 0:13:44and started families of their own, but thoughts of their
0:13:44 > 0:13:47long-lost sister were never far from their mind.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51I've never kept it a secret that I've got another sister, Lesley.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53It did feel like something was
0:13:53 > 0:13:55missing because obviously, we had met her.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58We've always wondered where Lesley was,
0:13:58 > 0:14:02always wanted to know how she was and where she was.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06So ten years ago, after taking up genealogy as a hobby,
0:14:06 > 0:14:08Teresa decided to look for Lesley.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12About 2006, I did approach my dad.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14I actually sat him down and said,
0:14:14 > 0:14:19"I'd really like to look for Lesley," and he said, "That's fine."
0:14:19 > 0:14:23But he didn't give me much else to go on, really.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27Teresa started with the two things she knew about their older sister.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31First, her name at birth, Lesley Probert.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Secondly, because Teresa and Tracey thought they remembered being
0:14:34 > 0:14:38at her wedding, they assumed Lesley had married.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41I found her birth and I found her birth certificate,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43but I was trying to find her marriage.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47And we were pretty sure it was around 1974. I tried everything.
0:14:47 > 0:14:52I thought maybe she'd reverted back to her mum's maiden name
0:14:52 > 0:14:55or anything like that but no.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57- We just drew a blank. - We just drew a blank, yeah.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04So I decided to start looking into Lesley's mum and found Rita
0:15:04 > 0:15:06and our, our dad's marriage.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10Unfortunately, because I couldn't ask anybody,
0:15:10 > 0:15:12I hit a brick wall again.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Very frustrating because I got folders galore,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16certificates galore, census galore,
0:15:16 > 0:15:21but the one person I was really trying to find, I couldn't find.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25Then in October 2015, something happened that was to make
0:15:25 > 0:15:29their quest to find their sister all the more urgent.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Brian, the father they shared with Lesley, died.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37I felt that she deserved to know that her dad had passed away,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40whether she had a relationship with him or not.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42You know...
0:15:42 > 0:15:45I think you've got to know these things, haven't you?
0:15:45 > 0:15:48We decided we needed some outside help
0:15:48 > 0:15:52because I just could not find Lesley's marriage and...
0:15:52 > 0:15:54No. We just hit a brick wall.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Desperate to find their sister, it was then that Tracey and Teresa
0:16:00 > 0:16:04turned to a professional family finding company.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07So when it came to Tracey and Teresa's search,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10we fairly quickly confirmed that
0:16:10 > 0:16:12there wasn't a match for Lesley with
0:16:12 > 0:16:14the surname that she was born with.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17We'd searched all the potential marriages and ruled those out.
0:16:17 > 0:16:22So, at that point, we then started to look at her mother
0:16:22 > 0:16:26and what she'd done after the separation from Lesley's father.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30But would the professionals have any more luck in tracing Lesley
0:16:30 > 0:16:31than Teresa and Tracey?
0:16:31 > 0:16:36All this waiting and finally...it's going to happen, isn't it?
0:16:36 > 0:16:37Oh, my God!
0:16:42 > 0:16:46Television and theatre actress Jacqueline Clarke hadn't been
0:16:46 > 0:16:48looking for siblings when she started delving into the
0:16:48 > 0:16:53circumstances surrounding her adoption, but now it looked like
0:16:53 > 0:16:56she had uncovered a sister she never knew she had.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00I didn't cry, strangely enough, which I thought I might blub,
0:17:00 > 0:17:05but I didn't and I thought, "Wow!"
0:17:05 > 0:17:08But because that sister was an unknown being,
0:17:08 > 0:17:10I didn't even think what she might look like,
0:17:10 > 0:17:12I didn't think anything about it.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14I just thought, "Oh, this is wonderful,"
0:17:14 > 0:17:15cos I'd always wanted a sister.
0:17:15 > 0:17:20And I thought, "Oh, this is another adventure and I've
0:17:20 > 0:17:22"got to follow this one up."
0:17:22 > 0:17:25The next stage was to make contact.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28The genealogist wrote a letter to the woman she suspected
0:17:28 > 0:17:31to be Jacqueline's sister.
0:17:31 > 0:17:3670 miles away that letter landed on the mat of Sylvia Bowman.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39When I opened it, that was a shock.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42It was from an adoption agency
0:17:42 > 0:17:46questioning if I could kindly help
0:17:46 > 0:17:49because they were seeking some
0:17:49 > 0:17:54relatives from a person named Valerie.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56When I saw that name...
0:17:57 > 0:17:59Well, I did, I cried.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02And it was my sister.
0:18:03 > 0:18:04Oh, yeah.
0:18:06 > 0:18:07Sorry.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16And this lady asked me...
0:18:19 > 0:18:20..if I wanted to find her.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25Anyway, yes, I did. She had given me a date.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32I couldn't wait for two o'clock.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37Then suddenly, the phone goes and it's two o'clock, dead on two
0:18:37 > 0:18:41and I pick it up and I hear, "Could I speak to Mrs Gosney, please?"
0:18:41 > 0:18:44And I went, "Hello, sister."
0:18:44 > 0:18:46She went, "Oh, I don't believe it!"
0:18:46 > 0:18:47It was my sister.
0:18:49 > 0:18:5169 years later.
0:18:51 > 0:18:52It was amazing.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57And she's absolutely great. We must've...
0:19:00 > 0:19:03We must've been on the phone for an hour.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06After the phone call, I sat on the edge of the bed, I did have a cry.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08INHALES SHARPLY
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Cos...
0:19:17 > 0:19:20SHE SOBS
0:19:22 > 0:19:24Suddenly, there was...
0:19:25 > 0:19:31..someone in my life who I could identify with, really.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41And...it was a strange journey because I didn't know quite just
0:19:41 > 0:19:46after a phone call, how do you know where that quest is going to go?
0:19:48 > 0:19:52Jacqueline had found her sister and now they had made contact,
0:19:52 > 0:19:56the sisters could start filling in the blanks about just what
0:19:56 > 0:19:57had happened 70 years ago.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Sylvia was born two years before Jacqueline.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04She was adopted at the age of four.
0:20:04 > 0:20:11Being told I was adopted was because of my friend, close friend,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14she was adopted too.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19And so, I remember talking about her and saying to my mother that she
0:20:19 > 0:20:24was adopted and I probably wasn't aware what it meant.
0:20:24 > 0:20:31So then Mum chose to tell me that I was similar to her,
0:20:31 > 0:20:35that I was adopted, they cared for me.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39When Sylvia was born in 1939, her birth mother Margaret
0:20:39 > 0:20:42had been 18 and unmarried.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Two years later, Margaret went on to have another daughter who
0:20:45 > 0:20:47she called Valerie.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51During the Second World War, Margaret met a US serviceman
0:20:51 > 0:20:54who she started a new life with in America, but she couldn't take
0:20:54 > 0:20:58her daughters, so she left them in the UK to be adopted.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02As time wore on, well, I begrudged
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Mum, my birth mum, you know,
0:21:06 > 0:21:11for having at such a young age...
0:21:13 > 0:21:15..decided to give us away.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Unlike Jacqueline, Sylvia was told she had a sibling
0:21:20 > 0:21:22by her adoptive parents.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26I was aware that I had a sister, I was aware that she was younger.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31I was given a shoebox and it had a china doll in it.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36And I remember naming that after my sister Valerie.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40Later in life, Sylvia tried in vain to find her missing sister.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43When I first wanted to make contact
0:21:43 > 0:21:48with Somerset House was in 1990.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52I regret not going any further and as it happened,
0:21:52 > 0:21:56as it's turned out, it's, you know, absolutely lovely.
0:21:58 > 0:22:03Now after 70 years apart, the two sisters were back in touch.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05They wasted no time in meeting up.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09My daughter was over from Italy and so excited for me.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11"Toe curl," she used to say.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14"Mum, it's terrific, it's going to be great." I went, "Ooh."
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Anyway, I had my hair done, I said I'd wear my linen jacket,
0:22:17 > 0:22:21I'd wear a yellow gerbera so that she would know it was me.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25We were going up the stairs and my daughter as we just got to the
0:22:25 > 0:22:28top of the stairs says, "Mummy, she's here."
0:22:28 > 0:22:32Fell into each other's arms, that was it. Just spontaneously.
0:22:34 > 0:22:35I can't believe it.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38We hugged and we cried.
0:22:39 > 0:22:44And then we went for a drink and we just stayed there for hours...
0:22:45 > 0:22:47..just talking and laughing.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49She is so lovely.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52And it's been great ever since.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00And she is such a live wire. She's lovely. And it just clicked.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03You're never quite sure how long you've got to look at each other
0:23:03 > 0:23:05cos I thought, "Oh, that's what you look like."
0:23:05 > 0:23:09I was really chuffed. She looked great.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13And we chatted from 11.30 to 3.45.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19She's so pretty, my sister. Curses! But anyway, she's very lovely.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21It's as if I'd known her for years.
0:23:23 > 0:23:29No airs and graces, it was just so natural
0:23:29 > 0:23:31and so lovely.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36I didn't think I'd be so lucky. Yeah, it's come at a lovely time.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40Now the sisters play a huge part in each other's lives.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42It's another new chapter in my life.
0:23:44 > 0:23:45A great chapter.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50We exchange confidences. It's very easy to talk to her.
0:23:50 > 0:23:55And we empathise a lot. There's a bond which I can't even explain.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Each time I go to the knock at the door and she shouts,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01"My sister! My sister!" I think the whole street can hear that.
0:24:01 > 0:24:07And yeah, we get on superb, superb life.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13The newly reunited sisters still have lots to catch up on.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Today, they are meeting up again to find out more about
0:24:16 > 0:24:18the years that they spent apart.
0:24:18 > 0:24:25I have never seen photographs of Jacq's album and her life
0:24:25 > 0:24:28and I've also brought a few of mine.
0:24:28 > 0:24:34Really, from the time of five, I can't go back any further than that.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37So, yes, it should be a giggle.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46SHE GIGGLES
0:24:46 > 0:24:51- Hello! Come in.- Thank you! - Sweetie, what you got? Ooh!
0:24:54 > 0:24:57- Love you to bits! Come in, come in. - Thank you.- Come sit down.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Right, I want you to really understand what I was like
0:25:02 > 0:25:06when I was first adopted, OK? Here we go.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09- Oh, wow! - SYLVIA LAUGHS
0:25:09 > 0:25:12I'm just worried about my mouth being opened, but perhaps I was...
0:25:12 > 0:25:16- Well, that's not... That's not old, is it?- No.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20- It's never been closed since, has it?- How lovely is that?
0:25:20 > 0:25:24But look, you've got to see this, which is hilarious.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28That's what I'm really like now, though. Have you got one like that?
0:25:28 > 0:25:32- A little bit older, I would say.- Ah! - This is in the same house.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36It's great, isn't it? That's lovely. I do look quite sweet, do I not?
0:25:36 > 0:25:38- Yes.- Apparently I was a very...
0:25:38 > 0:25:41One changes as they get older, don't they?
0:25:41 > 0:25:43First time dressing up, dear.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Beginning of the theatrical career.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51- Wow, this is you with long hair. - Yeah.- Gosh, how old were you there?
0:25:51 > 0:25:54- 15, 16?- Oh, I would say a little bit older than that.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59- That was me at school as a prefect. - I was one as well.- Were you?- Yes.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01- How long for?- Three years.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05I was meant to be a second year prefect and I walked into Ms Wade
0:26:05 > 0:26:08and told her I was going off to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts
0:26:08 > 0:26:10and she called it RADAR.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13"Are you off to RADAR?" I said, "Yes, I am. Is that OK?"
0:26:13 > 0:26:18And I actually left that morning and didn't complete a term or anything.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20- This is in Weybridge.- Is that you? - Yes.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22You've always remained a corker.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26- Gosh, you were pretty, darling. - I like that I was.- And still are.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Somebody said to me, "You used to be quite attractive."
0:26:29 > 0:26:32They said that to me other day. I said, "Thank you." Anyway...
0:26:32 > 0:26:35- But the real ones.- Ooh.- Yes.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40- And that's you there by the sea. Where did you go?- Pagham.- Yeah.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43You ought to see the sort of caravan we stayed in.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45- You stayed in a caravan? - SYLVIA LAUGHS
0:26:45 > 0:26:48- They're real old-fashioned, though, today.- A little round one.- Yeah.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52- That was my mum.- That's your mum? Oh, that's your mum.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55That's Tess, the dog. That's...
0:26:55 > 0:26:57- Is that your mother?- It is.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59- Ironing and she's got a fag in the mouth.- I know.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01My mother used to smoke, but she gave up.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04No, Mum used to smoke a lot.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08- Love the knickers. Look at that.- No, that was a knitted bathing costume.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Every time I went into the water, it stretched!
0:27:13 > 0:27:18- Brilliant!- I know. It was yellow and brown. I felt like a bumblebee.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Not a good colour. How awful.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24- It is that beauty competition?, - Yeah, it was.- Did you win?
0:27:24 > 0:27:28- No, she did.- Well, she's very buxy.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Today, the sisters are also taking the chance to make up
0:27:32 > 0:27:35for all the birthdays they have missed out on together.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38- Aw!- Sister, this is your cake
0:27:38 > 0:27:40you made for me, though.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43- Well, it's... Our birthday's in February.- February 5th.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45And yours in a few days' time.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47- In three days' time.- Yes.
0:27:47 > 0:27:48So we must celebrate it.
0:27:48 > 0:27:49And you made this for me
0:27:49 > 0:27:52and I am absolutely astounded by how beautiful it is.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55- That's your artistry and I love you for that, thank you.- Pleasure.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57- So...- BOTH:- One, two, three...
0:28:00 > 0:28:01Happy birthday.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04How lovely is that?
0:28:06 > 0:28:10Finally, the sisters have one last piece of their family puzzle
0:28:10 > 0:28:11to put into place today.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14They're going to see the house where their mother lived
0:28:14 > 0:28:16when they were both born.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20Are you looking forward to seeing where we used to live together?
0:28:21 > 0:28:25Yes, I'm interested. I've never been interested before, but now I am.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27- Mainly cos it's us seeing it together, though.- Yes.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30- Ooh! - JACQUELINE CHUCKLES
0:28:30 > 0:28:31Here we go.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36That's where we used to live all those years and years ago.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40- I don't remember a thing. - You don't remember anything.- No.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42I couldn't even envisage where
0:28:42 > 0:28:44- or what the house would be like, actually.- No.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50- We wouldn't be here if we hadn't got in touch, would we?- No.- Right.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53Well, there you go, Mum.
0:28:55 > 0:28:56We're back.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01- Little did you think we would be. - Yeah.- Or even know about it.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03So that's good.
0:29:03 > 0:29:08Yes, I was actually born there, so that's a full circle now.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11Wow, all these years later. 74, in fact.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14Yes.
0:29:14 > 0:29:21I find finding Jacq a whole new life,
0:29:21 > 0:29:24a whole new venture for me and my family.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28She is great.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32Ooh, it has been a long journey, but it's been remarkable having met
0:29:32 > 0:29:37my sister and I think we both needed to be here together today
0:29:37 > 0:29:42and I think that will make it even more of a cemented thing,
0:29:42 > 0:29:44that we actually know this is the place we both were
0:29:44 > 0:29:45when we were very small.
0:29:45 > 0:29:50Incessantly we say it's great to have found each other, haven't we?
0:29:53 > 0:29:58Yes. Ooh, I'm so lucky, it's great.
0:29:58 > 0:29:59We're both lucky.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02And the fact that we get on so well.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05Yeah, we do, don't we?
0:30:05 > 0:30:08We laugh a lot, we chat a lot, we're everything...
0:30:08 > 0:30:10And I just know we can always be together
0:30:10 > 0:30:13and confide in each other and be there for each other.
0:30:13 > 0:30:14Yeah. Always.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18- Yes, we're proud.- It's good.
0:30:20 > 0:30:21Enough.
0:30:24 > 0:30:25In you go, Sis.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36In Reading, Tracey and Teresa's search for their long lost
0:30:36 > 0:30:39half-sister Lesley had hit a brick wall.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41Very frustrating because I got
0:30:41 > 0:30:44folders galore, certificates galore, but the one person
0:30:44 > 0:30:47I was really trying to find, I couldn't find.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51After the death of their shared father,
0:30:51 > 0:30:53they made one final attempt to find her
0:30:53 > 0:30:57this time with the help of a professional family finding company.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01There wasn't a match for Lesley with the surname that she was born with.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05We then started to look at her mother and what she'd done
0:31:05 > 0:31:08after the separation from Lesley's father
0:31:08 > 0:31:11and found that she'd remarried in the 1960s and saw that
0:31:11 > 0:31:14her surname had changed.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18The researchers discovered that Lesley had officially adopted
0:31:18 > 0:31:19her stepfather's surname.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23This is why Teresa and Tracey hadn't been able to find her.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26So, although this was a fairly short trace,
0:31:26 > 0:31:28we did find an awful lot of information and there was
0:31:28 > 0:31:30a lot to get through before we were then able to go away
0:31:30 > 0:31:33and trace her to her current address.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37The best part of our job is being able to phone our clients
0:31:37 > 0:31:39and tell them that we've been successful in the search.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42So it's wonderful for us to be able to do it because
0:31:42 > 0:31:46we know how much it means to the people that come to us.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49It was absolutely amazing because I spoke to her in the morning and
0:31:49 > 0:31:54by the afternoon, she had found out what Lesley had changed her
0:31:54 > 0:31:59name to and tracked her down and, yeah, found her within 24 hours.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01It was just...you know, amazing.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04- You phoned me, I was in the high street.- Yes.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07And I let out a big scream in the middle of the high street.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14The family finding company contacted the Lesley they had found
0:32:14 > 0:32:17to confirm she was the right person.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21When I spoke to the lady on the phone, she said,
0:32:21 > 0:32:25"Do you know this Lesley Probert?" I said, "Yeah, it's me."
0:32:25 > 0:32:30"Do you know a Teresa and Tracey?" I said, "Yeah, they're my sisters."
0:32:30 > 0:32:34And she said, "Thank God we found you."
0:32:34 > 0:32:38And I thought they must've been looking for me.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42I don't know how long they'd been looking.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46Her first response was, "Oh, they're my sisters."
0:32:46 > 0:32:49- And, I don't know, it just really meant a lot...- Yeah.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51..that that was her first response.
0:32:51 > 0:32:57I felt really quite flattered that they wanted me in their lives again.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00It was just... It was amazing. to think that she actually...
0:33:00 > 0:33:05Well, right from that we knew she'd probably wanted to be in touch.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08After making contact through the family finding company,
0:33:08 > 0:33:11now the sisters could be put in touch directly.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14I said, "Yeah, I do want to be in contact, yeah,"
0:33:14 > 0:33:19so I gave her my e-mail address and it's just been constant.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23We sent an e-mail just to sort of say hi.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27We even worried about what to put in the subject line, actually.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29"What shall we put, what shall we put?"
0:33:29 > 0:33:31- And we just put...- It's Teresa and Tracey, sort of thing.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34- I think we were so more worried about putting her off, weren't we? - Yeah.
0:33:34 > 0:33:39There was no hesitation, no doubt. No doubt in my mind.
0:33:39 > 0:33:40I thought, "Well...
0:33:42 > 0:33:44"..I'm not going to reject them."
0:33:45 > 0:33:48For the last two weeks, Teresa and Tracey
0:33:48 > 0:33:51have only been in touch with Lesley by e-mail.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54Much of their older sister's early life is still a mystery.
0:33:54 > 0:33:59Lesley's parents, Brian and Rita, had married in 1954.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02Two years later, Lesley arrived, but her parents split up
0:34:02 > 0:34:04while she was still a toddler.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07I can't remember them being together...
0:34:08 > 0:34:12..cos I think I was only about two when they split up.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16But I do remember going to my father's house where
0:34:16 > 0:34:18he lived with my nan and grandad.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24Years ago parents didn't divorce too often
0:34:24 > 0:34:26and so I was sort of an outcast.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30"Ooh, where's your dad, then? Why don't you live with your dad?"
0:34:30 > 0:34:33And then I was bullied at school because of my surname.
0:34:33 > 0:34:38So the kids used to say Probert the robot.
0:34:38 > 0:34:43My mum remarried when I was six so my mum said,
0:34:43 > 0:34:45"Do you want to change your name by deed poll?"
0:34:45 > 0:34:50Think about it and she explained to me what's going on to do that.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52And I said, "Yes."
0:34:52 > 0:34:57From then on, everything was in the name of Cross.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03Lesley's birth father, Brian, had also remarried
0:35:03 > 0:35:05and had Teresa and Tracey.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08Although the two families lived near each other, there was no
0:35:08 > 0:35:11contact until 1974.
0:35:11 > 0:35:18I was 17. I knew by this time that he had remarried and got children.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21I think I just got up one morning and thought, "I'm going to go
0:35:21 > 0:35:25"and see if they still live in Sunningdale Avenue."
0:35:25 > 0:35:29I was intrigued to meet them.
0:35:30 > 0:35:35Um, I think that's what made me go and knock on the door, really.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38And I can remember Tracey answering the door.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40She was only little and I thought,
0:35:40 > 0:35:42"God, it it's like looking in a mirror."
0:35:42 > 0:35:44I thought, "Yeah, I've definitely got the right house."
0:35:44 > 0:35:46It's a little mini me standing there.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50I was getting married that year.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54I just really wanted them to be a part of it.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59In my wedding photos, you can see Brian standing behind me.
0:35:59 > 0:36:05You see a very small little head standing behind me.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08It meant a lot for them to be at my wedding.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14But her two half-sisters were soon to disappear from Lesley's life.
0:36:15 > 0:36:20For a couple of years, they were part of my life and then,
0:36:20 > 0:36:23I don't know, all of a sudden, they just moved.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25There's not really much I can do about that
0:36:25 > 0:36:30if they don't want to give me their address.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32I never heard from him again.
0:36:33 > 0:36:39I just put it down that he didn't want me in their lives, really,
0:36:39 > 0:36:43so that's another reason why I didn't look for them.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45I didn't really want to be rejected.
0:36:49 > 0:36:53Lesley had no idea that Teresa and Tracey were looking for her,
0:36:53 > 0:36:54until now.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00I'm bursting, I'm busting to get to know them.
0:37:00 > 0:37:05I mean, it's 40 years! That is so sad, isn't it?
0:37:05 > 0:37:09That makes me feel really old. 40 years since I've seen them.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14The sisters found each other just two weeks ago.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16They still haven't met yet.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19Tomorrow, they will see each other for the first time
0:37:19 > 0:37:22since they lost touch all those years ago.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25It's been a whole mixture of emotions all the way along,
0:37:25 > 0:37:27but I think now that we're getting closer and closer
0:37:27 > 0:37:30to meeting her, it's just excitement.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34To meet Lesley, it's going to mean the world. I really can't wait.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36It will be fantastic.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40I've always wanted more of family, to be honest with you,
0:37:40 > 0:37:43and this might be the chance.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46I don't think I'm going to sleep properly tonight knowing that
0:37:46 > 0:37:48they're going to be here.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52It's hours away now and in 2.5 weeks, it's just gone crazy
0:37:52 > 0:37:56and now it's down to hours.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58Absolute... I'm... Oh!
0:37:58 > 0:38:01I'm bursting. I'm bursting!
0:38:01 > 0:38:05I'm no longer the older sister, I'm the middle sister.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07She can take the title of older sister now.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10THEY LAUGH
0:38:10 > 0:38:15It's that sort of churning, churning in your tummy.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17It's more than butterflies,
0:38:17 > 0:38:20this is a hippopotamus going round in mine, I think.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31Today, Teresa and Tracey are writing the final chapter
0:38:31 > 0:38:35in the story of their search to find their half-sister Lesley.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40- The big day's here now.- Yeah. I can't wait to meet her. No.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43- I wonder what she looks like. - I know!- Will she look like us?
0:38:43 > 0:38:44I wonder if she's as nervous as we are.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50All this waiting and finally, it's going to happen, isn't it?
0:38:51 > 0:38:56It's almost a lifetime...we've lost.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58All those years when we could've been...
0:38:59 > 0:39:03..we could've been really close all those years.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07But after so many years of looking, now the time has finally come to
0:39:07 > 0:39:09meet, nerves are beginning to get to everyone.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14- I've got butterflies in my stomach. - Have you?- What about you?
0:39:14 > 0:39:16I've got a massive moth, I think.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24Oh, this is getting almost unbearable.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31That's the road. That's the name of the road?
0:39:31 > 0:39:34- What, Lesley's?- Yeah.- Oh, my gosh!
0:39:37 > 0:39:38Oh, my God.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48After being separated for most of their lives, now the three sisters
0:39:48 > 0:39:51can finally be reunited.
0:39:51 > 0:39:52Oh, my God.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58ALL THREE SOB AND LAUGH
0:40:03 > 0:40:07- I can't believe it's been so long. So long.- 40 years!- I know.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09Where does the time go, huh?
0:40:09 > 0:40:13- This is the strangest thing, isn't it?- Yeah.- I know, it is.
0:40:13 > 0:40:18- Do we look anything like we did?- No. - No!- No!- Good, good.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21No, not a bit.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24- It's really nice to see you, it really is.- Yeah, it really is.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29Now they are back together, Teresa, Tracey and Lesley
0:40:29 > 0:40:32can start to fill in the blanks of the last four decades
0:40:32 > 0:40:35and solve some of the family mysteries.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38- Did you go through school as Lesley Probert?- No.- Oh!
0:40:40 > 0:40:44- I was getting bullied at school because of my surname.- Really?
0:40:44 > 0:40:49- Our surname.- Our surname, yes.- OK.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52Probert the robot. I think it must've been my mum. She said,
0:40:52 > 0:40:56"You can have your name changed by deed poll, if you want to."
0:40:56 > 0:40:58- Oh, right.- Until we all became...
0:40:58 > 0:41:00And that's why I couldn't find you on Ancestry.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05They have years to catch up on.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09And there's one photo that has special significance for them all.
0:41:12 > 0:41:13Pictures already.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16- Oh, there we are!- You've got that horr...that dress on.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18No, you loved that dress.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20It was long.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24- Wow.- You can just see your head.- You can see my little head popping out.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26So, it was your wedding day.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29And look at me in that yellow jacket, wow.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33Tracey, I'm so glad you put your head forward like that.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38Today, the three sisters have finally been reunited.
0:41:38 > 0:41:42And despite the years apart, there's clearly a strong bond.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44Oh, my!
0:41:45 > 0:41:49- Well, I'm blowed. We brought the same...- Bought the same thing.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52- We nearly went with a plaque. - We nearly went with the plaque.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54And then we thought, "Well, we'll get the mug."
0:41:54 > 0:41:57You see, we're all cut from the same cloth.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59That's weird.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01I said, "Tracey, the words on this mug is brilliant.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03"We'll have to get it, we'll have to get it."
0:42:03 > 0:42:07- Is true, there's nothing you can do about it now.- Absolutely not.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09THEY LAUGH
0:42:09 > 0:42:13While they reminisce about the years passed, after nearly half
0:42:13 > 0:42:18a century apart, the sisters can now look forward to a future together.
0:42:20 > 0:42:25It's been brilliant and I really feel like I know Lesley already
0:42:25 > 0:42:29even though it's just been today. And, no, I'll never forget it.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31It's been wonderful.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34I've only met her a few hours now,
0:42:34 > 0:42:36but I feel like I've known her all my life
0:42:36 > 0:42:38and we've got a lot of catching up to do.
0:42:38 > 0:42:39And I feel that we've missed out,
0:42:39 > 0:42:42I really do, but now's the time to make up.
0:42:44 > 0:42:50To be in contact with them is just the best. It's lovely.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52I'm not an only child any more.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55I wish it had happened sooner.
0:42:55 > 0:43:00I do wish it had happened sooner, but it's happened now and it's...
0:43:03 > 0:43:07That's going to be us. We're family now. That's it.