A LOCAL adopted man's story has been detailed in a novel by his daughter, called Looking For Ivy.

Written by Laraine Cousins, the book, published in 2021, details her lifelong mission to find her father's birth family after he was born in Huish Episcopi in 1929 and adopted by a couple from Weston-super-Mare soon after.

Laraine says: "I found out my dad was adopted when I was 19, I had no idea until then. He didn't want to find out who his mother was, but I thought I'd like to.

"I searched for about 50 years, in those times there was no internet or anything like that, so it was writing to people really.

"My dad died in 2011, he never found out who his mother was or where he was born, it could have been anywhere.

"I phoned the court where he was adopted at Weston-super-Mare, they later moved his birth records to Bristol.

"The adoption clerk said they could do that, then he started to backpedal once he realised it wasn't the law."

Weston Mercury: Looking for Ivy back cover.Looking for Ivy back cover. (Image: Laraine Cousins)

At this time, once an adopted person had passed away, details of their birth family passed away with them and weren't able to be released to family members.

Laraine continues: "I wrote to the Bristol Family Court and they sent back a court case. I didn't think it was going to be an actual court case!

"The head of the family division went to the head of the crown court, Sir James Munby, for a decision.

"In 2014 they changed the law."

The book acts as a memoir of Laraine's father, including a family belief that her father had a small part in the Great Train Robbery. Laraine adds: "I tell what I know about it."

Speaking about the motivation behind the book, Laraine concludes: "A lot of people don't realise that they have the right to view the original birth records, some courts say you have to have an intermediary, which can cost up to £1000.

"I've had some people contact me who have read the book and I tell them what to do and how to apply to the court, sometimes I've emailed the court on their behalf."

You can buy copies of Looking for Ivy through retailers such as Amazon.