When my adoptive father died, I was looking through his things and came across a shabby, old box which contained his legal documents, and there it was, my adoption certificate.



I always knew I was adopted but as soon as I saw my birth mother's name on this old piece of paper, something stirred inside me and I knew at that moment, I had to try and find her.



My husband told me to 'leave well alone' and in some respects he was right, as when I did find her I discovered a dreadful secret. I was devastated. But it didn't end there, as following her death some years later, another secret was revealed which shocked my family. Had my husband been right when he said, 'Leave well alone'?



This story is told over eight decades from just before the start of World War 2 and depicts life and times from then until the present day.