Barry, 77, became emotional as he met his half-sister Christine, 76, for the first time. The siblings, who were born to the same mother in Portsmouth just a year apart, did not know of each other's existence until they appeared on the ITV program 'Long Lost Family: Born Without a Trace'.
Christine was abandoned by her mother at London's Waterloo Station on December 12, 1949, at approximately five weeks old. She was discovered by a porter who heard her crying in a train carriage. Reflecting on her abandonment, Christine told the show that her mother might have been in a difficult situation, given that it was only four years after the end of World War II. Police investigations at the time yielded no answers, and Christine was eventually adopted. She later settled in New Zealand with her husband, raising two sons. The experience of having her own children made her ponder why she was left behind rather than given up for adoption. In her early forties, Christine returned to the UK and obtained her birth certificate, but both parent fields were marked 'Unknown,' prompting her to intensify her search for answers.
Christine also shared that at age 19, she had to give up her own child for adoption after a brief relationship. Three years prior to her appearance on the show, she was reunited with her firstborn son, Jonathan, an experience she described as liberating.
Through DNA analysis, the show's search team discovered that Christine had a maternal half-brother, Barry, who resided in Fleetwood, Lancashire. Barry, who was fostered and unaware of his mother, recounted a difficult childhood where he felt he did not belong and experienced a lack of affection. He revealed that he was placed in a dark cupboard under the stairs as a form of punishment. Despite this, Barry pursued a career as an engineer.
After completing his studies, Barry was informed by a social worker that his birth mother had left him at a hospital in Portsmouth and that he was not biologically related to his foster family, a revelation he described as a 'bombshell.' Barry's birth certificate provided the team with their mother's name, Joyce Norma Brockwell, and confirmed she had another child.
Upon seeing a photograph of Christine, Barry expressed his admiration, saying, "Oh my goodness, she's gorgeous." The siblings were able to meet in Lancashire, where Christine shared her relief at finding her brother and knowing her mother's identity. She also spoke of an affinity with her mother's situation, stating, "Having given up a child myself, to a certain degree I have an affinity with what she did. She obviously couldn't cope. I don't feel any animosity at all." Barry agreed, stating, "Nor do I."
Looking at pictures of their mother, Barry remarked, "To see a photograph of my mother was unbelievable, great. Now I can sit and look and try and get inside her head." He also commented that Christine was "totally different - she was better!" than he had expected.