This is a message to the hundreds of people whom from around the world have written to me as a result of the article on the world service

Firstly I must apologise for not having written  individually but I couldn’t answer many of the queries.  Many of  your compassionate and heart felt  emails brought me to tears. Those and many others also gave me a sense of triumph and support.

For those who are in search of their parents I will say  this. Finding a parent or a member of family is not in practical terms a difficult thing  to do.   The  terrifyingly climactic journey is not the practical journey of piecing things together, but the emotional one.   This may be of no help but there is not one person, who has contacted me over the past twenty years, who  searching for their parents has not found them. But once you find them it’s  the beginning of the journey rather than  the end.

To the people who are wondering how I am – I am well. I take each day as it comes as best I can. Like the  most of us, living in the present is the desired state. That is to live in the present without denying the past and in anticipation of the brightness of the  moment.  Here is the artist.  It  came to  mind, some time ago now, that  I don’t want to survive any more. I want to live. And I do.

I just want to thank you for contacting me and wish you well on your journey that each person you come across has the same pleasure that you have given to me in your email. Should you ever want to catch up with me or should I be coming to your country it shall be on my website here. Good Wishes.