Heather Bellamy spoke with Arthur Wakelin about his search to find his birth father and his surprise discovery of a brother and sister.

Arthur and his long lost sister

Arthur Wakelin is a church minister in Stoke-on-Trent. Born in 1946 he had an unusual start to life living with his grandparents. A shock announcement when he was 17 changed his life forever and sent him on a long search for his birth father. Heather Bellamy spent time with him hearing his story.

Heather: For the time you were born, you had an unusual start to life, didn't you?

Arthur: I was brought up living with my grandparents and my mum, just after the war. I was born in 1946 and all I remember from about four years on is being with my grandparents and living in that environment. Apparently, my birth father and my mum separated just before I was born; that's all I knew as a child. It was happy; it was ok. I guess at times, looking back, maybe it had an affect on me, but by and large I was happy. I loved my granddad to bits; he was great and we did loads of things together. My mum was out at work all the time so my grandma was the one who was at home in the daytime; my granddad worked as well. My grandma was a bit of the old school ma'am type of character. If you'd done something wrong you knew that you were in deep trouble. I have to say that there were occasions when her voice boomed out and you didn't hesitate to return home; but it was ok nevertheless.

Heather: Were there many kids in the same situation as you?

Arthur: I wouldn't have thought so, no. I don't recall there being many in that situation. I do remember later on in school life being called all sorts of names because I hadn't got a dad around at the time, so looking back all those sorts of things were happening.

Heather: So what effect did that have on your life and identity growing up?

Arthur: I wasn't the most confident of children when I was young. At school I wouldn't be one who would stand up and say anything in front of the class. I wouldn't raise my hand to answer a question. People probably won't believe this, knowing me now, but I was quite quiet and shy and reserved.

Heather: Was your granddad your father figure back then?

Arthur: Yes, he was. Absolutely.

Heather: How long did you live with your grandparents?

Arthur: Until I was about five or six.

Heather: What happened then?

Arthur: My mum re-married and we went to live in Crewe, in Cheshire. I hated the place. I'm still not keen on Crewe. My mum wasn't all that keen either and eventually we moved back to Alsager around about mid 1953-54, somewhere around that time. From there on I lived in Alsager until we got married.

Heather: So how did you handle the transition into a new family life and a new dad?