A MOTHER and daughter have been reunited after 40 years and are celebrating their relationship by starting a business

A MOTHER and daughter have been reunited after 40 years and are celebrating their relationship by starting a business together in Weston.Jane Ellis was separated at birth from her mother, Elspeth Farrell, who was forced to give her up for adoption.They met for the first time a year ago this month and after a roller coaster 12 months are getting ready to open a designer clothes shop together in Waterloo Street.When Jane, aged 41, started searching for her birth mother, she had no idea Elspeth, aged 59, had returned to the UK after 30 years living in America to look for her.She was shocked to discover that one of her acquaintances in The Mumbles in Wales, where she grew up, was her cousin and she was born just a few miles down the road in Swansea.Jane, who also found out she has a half brother called Max, said: "My parents were led to believe my birth mother was from much further away. "But when I got my birth certificate I made one phone call to a close friend to ask if she had heard of Elspeth and found out straight away who she was."The Mumbles is a small place where everybody knows everybody."Amanda, who I knew through a broader circle of friends, turned out to be my cousin and was actually helping my mum search for me."I could have walked up to Amanda and said 'hey, I'm your cousin' but I wanted to do things through the right channels so I went through the adoption agency."Looking back, Elspeth said: "It was 1964, I was 17 years old and it wasn't the done thing to be pregnant and unmarried. "I was ferreted away to a private nursing home in the country and made to give Jane up for adoption."I'll never forget the phone call from the agency last year. The woman said Jane was searching for me and did I want to get in contact. "I nearly shouted into the phone 'that's what I'm here in the UK for, to find her.'"We met at a hotel in Bristol and it was amazing. It is the best thing that has happened to me in my life. "I can never be her mum. I just want to be her best friend."Jane, who has worked for some of the largest fashion companies in the world, said: "I had a very happy childhood growing up with my brother Simon, but coming up to my 40th birthday I needed to understand where I came from."It has also been a dream of mine since I was 14 to have a shop of my own."It's wonderful to be able to do this with Elspeth. We have the same sense of humour and outlook on life and work together well as a team."Ellis will open on March 21 and will sell designer ladies and gentlemen's fashion.