Grandmother shocked to discover she has three brothers when searching for younger sibling she last saw 50 YEARS ago on Long Lost Family – The Sun

FIFTY years after last seeing each other, Alice Jones had never given up hope of her little brother Sammy again – who she only met once but had never forgotten.

And the 61-year-old's determination paid off this week, as she was shockingly re-united with not just the brother she had searched for, but two others, on ITV's Long Lost Family.

Alice, who has lived in Peckham, South London, for her whole life, explained that she last saw her missing brother when she was just 12 years old, but had never stopped thinking of him.

Due to a messy family life – having been the product of an affair between a married man and woman that together came to England from Jamaica – there was no way for the grandmother to track him down.

"My parents were both from Jamaica, they had come here for a better life," Alice explains of her parents, who were some of the first Caribbean migrants to enter the UK in 1954.

"They did not know each other in Jamaica but they met on the boat. They were both married but not to each other. I think they had an affair and that I was the product of that affair."

Nonetheless, Alice and her parents settled down together in London where they lived happily as a family for 18 months before her mum and dad's spouses arrived in the UK.

Unable to stay together as a family, Alice was taken to live with her father and step mother – where she admits she had a 'nice, happy childhood' until she turned 12.

She was sent to live with her birth mother Emily in Catford, London, for a week because of her 'misbehaving' and 'rebellious' attitude – and there she met her brother for the first time.
"I walked through the front door and I expected my birth mother to love me, but she was very cold and very stern – there was no connection between us," says Alice.

"But there was this little boy there. He was introduced to me as my younger brother Sam – his smile made me feel happy and there was an instant bond between us.

I didn’t know that I had a little brother. It was a surprise and a shock. His name was Sam – we spent a week together, and then I never saw him again.

"I didn't know that I had a little brother [before that] – it was a total surprise and a shock. We spent a week together and then I never saw Sam again."

When Alice returned home to her dad, all contact was cut off with her birth mother, but she insists: "I never ever forgot about Sam. I tried to find him. I'd want to know if we had that connection again."

But the team at Long Lost Family track down Alice's mother through birth records – and while she died in 1983, they do find her son Sam alive and well, living five miles away from his half sister in Catford.

"I remember the knock on the door and my mum saying, 'it's your sister," Sam explains to Nicky Campbell. "And we couldn't exactly go, 'oh' or ask for details. There were no questions asked."

Sam reveals that Alice's mother 'never talked about her again' after she left, and that as she was quite strict – playing 'both mum and dad' when Sam's father passed in 1967 – you weren't to question her.

And while he admits he doesn't clearly remember Alice visiting, he imparts good news to the team that his sister also has two older brothers, John and Richard.

Sam and John admit they are ready to 'meet their sister' when they meet with Nicky, smiling as they gaze at Alice's photograph – while Richard remains off-camera, preferring to keep the reunion private.

Discovering she has not one but three brothers to meet, Alice is in total shock as Davina hands over a photograph of two of her brothers, as well as a hand-written letter from them.

I remember the knock on the door and my mum saying, 'it's your sister', but we couldn't exactly go, 'oh, what' or ask for details. There were no questions asked.

"I knew there was going to be twists and turns but I can't believe it," she laughs, as it is revealed her brother John lives minutes away. "This world is big but it's so small. I can't believe what I'm hearing."

While the grandmother is hurt to find out her birth mother 'didn't talk about' her or seem to 'care' or 'want' her, she admits finding her brothers 'very much compensates' for the pain.

One week after acknowledging they would like to meet, the three siblings head to a pub in Peckham for their emotional reunion.

"I didn't think this was ever going to happen," Alice says as she nervously approaches the pub. "It's a very important day. I've been wondering about my brother and now I've found him – and a second one."

most read in fabulous

PINK PALACE Woman spends 10 years transforming her normal Essex home into a pink palace

40 LOVES Body language expert reveals what's REALLY going on with Wimbledon power couples

I DON'T Wedding guests left ‘disturbed’ as the groom’s mum ‘spooned’ him during the photos

As she walks into the bar, the three immediately embrace as the grandmother fights back tears – telling Sam and John to 'never let her go' as she shakes from the excitement.

"I just can't believe that I've met my brothers," she admits. "It's a happy day. [It shows] anything is possible – you just need to grab it and embrace it."

With Sam agreeing, holding her hand: "The remaining time we have got, we're going to make it good."

Long Lost Family airs tonight at 9pm on ITV1.

Source: Read Full Article