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This is Staffordshire --
WHEN he was growing up, Derek Young never knew his father or anything about the family he had across the other side of the world.
Now the 68-year-old will finally get to meet the relatives he never dreamed of seeing 4,500 miles away in Canada and will also pay a final tribute to his parents.
After his mother Harriet James passed away two years ago, father-of-two Derek admits it 'put things into perspective' and he began to plan a trip to discover more about his own life.
His father Robert Joseph Young was a Canadian soldier and met Harriet in her home in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, during the Second World War.
But after giving birth to Derek, she was sent to live with relatives in England – leaving her baby behind.
Former bricklayer Derek was raised by his grandmother Victoria James and says details about who his father was were always 'sketchy'.
He said: "Back then it wasn't seen as acceptable that my mum was pregnant when she was a teenager and so she was sent away after giving birth to me. I was told that my dad had been killed during the war and that was just how things were back then.
"I grew up calling my grandmother, 'mum', and I remember my real mum would come over during holidays to see me." Derek moved to England after a brief spell in the Army and found work in Nottingham before a chance meeting resulted in him heading to the Potteries where he would go on to stay.
He said: "It was about 40 years ago when I came over here. I was a typical Irishman and wanted to travel around.
"I met a couple of lads in Nottingham while I was working and they said if I needed any more work then to go to Stoke-on-Trent and they would help me out.
"I took them up on the offer and ended up staying here. The people remind me of those back home – very friendly."
He settled in the Potteries and lived in Cobridge before moving to Fenton.
Derek received a knock at the door in Cobridge about 35 years ago and was greeted by two Canadians travelling around Europe who turned out to be Larry Young and Lorraine Bond, his half-brother and half-sister.
The grandfather-of-two said: "They had tracked me down and stayed for a week but we were all young back then and didn't realise what it meant."
Derek has stayed in touch and will travel to Vancouver next week where he will be reunited with the pair and meet nephews, nieces and an aunt. Derek will sprinkle his mother's ashes on his father's grave during his stay.
The retired bricklayer said: "I know she wrote to him and it will be nice to see the letters.
"Robert had cancer about 15 years ago and I never did meet him. But it will be nice to see some photographs of him, find out more and see if I am like him in any way." Reported by This is 14 hours ago.
Clik here to view.
This is Staffordshire --WHEN he was growing up, Derek Young never knew his father or anything about the family he had across the other side of the world.
Now the 68-year-old will finally get to meet the relatives he never dreamed of seeing 4,500 miles away in Canada and will also pay a final tribute to his parents.
After his mother Harriet James passed away two years ago, father-of-two Derek admits it 'put things into perspective' and he began to plan a trip to discover more about his own life.
His father Robert Joseph Young was a Canadian soldier and met Harriet in her home in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, during the Second World War.
But after giving birth to Derek, she was sent to live with relatives in England – leaving her baby behind.
Former bricklayer Derek was raised by his grandmother Victoria James and says details about who his father was were always 'sketchy'.
He said: "Back then it wasn't seen as acceptable that my mum was pregnant when she was a teenager and so she was sent away after giving birth to me. I was told that my dad had been killed during the war and that was just how things were back then.
"I grew up calling my grandmother, 'mum', and I remember my real mum would come over during holidays to see me." Derek moved to England after a brief spell in the Army and found work in Nottingham before a chance meeting resulted in him heading to the Potteries where he would go on to stay.
He said: "It was about 40 years ago when I came over here. I was a typical Irishman and wanted to travel around.
"I met a couple of lads in Nottingham while I was working and they said if I needed any more work then to go to Stoke-on-Trent and they would help me out.
"I took them up on the offer and ended up staying here. The people remind me of those back home – very friendly."
He settled in the Potteries and lived in Cobridge before moving to Fenton.
Derek received a knock at the door in Cobridge about 35 years ago and was greeted by two Canadians travelling around Europe who turned out to be Larry Young and Lorraine Bond, his half-brother and half-sister.
The grandfather-of-two said: "They had tracked me down and stayed for a week but we were all young back then and didn't realise what it meant."
Derek has stayed in touch and will travel to Vancouver next week where he will be reunited with the pair and meet nephews, nieces and an aunt. Derek will sprinkle his mother's ashes on his father's grave during his stay.
The retired bricklayer said: "I know she wrote to him and it will be nice to see the letters.
"Robert had cancer about 15 years ago and I never did meet him. But it will be nice to see some photographs of him, find out more and see if I am like him in any way." Reported by This is 14 hours ago.
