White Nanny, Black Child 10pm tonight Ch 5.

I have such a friend, her parents came to England as students from Sierra Leone bringing her with them as a baby. My friend was fostered by a white couple who eventually adopted her, not before parents, having returned back to Africa came back to England when my friend was aged about ten and wanted to take her back with them. By then my friend was completely settled in England, it was pretty much all she knew, no memory of her natural parents and she kicked up merry hell when the natural parents tried to take her with them.

She married a friend of my husband who has since died, and he was the one who related all this. However, it's not something she brings up so I don't go there as I think it may be a sensitive subject. I know she regarded the white couple who adopted her as her parents and had a happy childhood with them she does mention that part of her life often and brothers and sisters, one black brother and a couple of white siblings too. I think they adopted other children.

I doubt whether this adoption would be allowed now.

I have a young friend who came from Sierra Leone and was fostered unfortunately her foster father abused her She’s a married woman now with almost adult children.