Episode 12
Documentary series. When Paul Smith set out to track down the father he hadn't seen since childhood, he knew the odds were against him - because his father's name is John Smith.
The amazing story of John Haydon and his American half-sister Diane Messer, who found each other recently after a lifetime apart. John's mother Eileen walked out on him and his father when John was still a young boy - and went on to live an extraordinary and colourful life of adventure. Via Paris, Africa and New York, Eileen ended up in New Orleans, where she married and had a daughter, Diane. 58 years later, Diane and John have finally found each other - and this emotional transatlantic reunion has an extraordinary twist, when a necklace Diane had been given by her late mother turns out to have a huge and unexpected significance...
When Paul Smith set out to track down the father he hadn't seen since early childhood, he knew the odds were against him - because his father's name is John Smith. It was never going to be an easy case for the family finders of the Salvation Army - but after some sterling detective work, they get their man. Drawing on their shared love of classic cars, John and Paul plan a road trip through their past - but can John explain just why he felt obliged to walk away from his marriage, leaving a young family behind?
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