From left to right: Lloyd Deeble, Linda Puchert, Ishmael Deeble, Selina Medford and Derek Deeble
A documentary titled The Deebles airs today(4th Dec.2009) on BBC2 at 9pm. The film follows the story of the Deebles family who came to England from the West Indies many years ago....
Families make us what we are. They are our past, our present and our future. They define and identify us and, as we all know from personal experience, are hugely complicated.
The Deeble family is no exception. In this moving film, we follow as, over the course of one extraordinary weekend, they come together to confront and bury the ghosts of a past that has haunted all of them.
Like many others during the 1950s and early 1960s, Reginald Deeble came to the UK from the West Indies in search of a better life for his young family. But sadly, not long after settling in Port Talbot in South Wales, tragedy struck when Reginald's wife died leaving him to care for their five children.
Unable to cope alone, Reginald was forced to take drastic action. He had a photograph taken of the family, dressed up in their Sunday best, and sent it home to Jamaica with the aim of attracting a surrogate mother for his children. Months later 'Aunt' Nomi arrived on the doorstep and their lives and family would never the same again.
For nearly four decades Linda, Ishmael, Lloyd, Selina and Derek have buried their feelings about 'Aunt' Nomi and the dramatic impact she had on their family. Now, for the first time, all five Deeble children, surrounded by husbands, wives, children and grandchildren, are coming together to share the painful memories of childhood and finally face up to what happened to them all those years ago.
It is a weekend of extreme highs and desperate lows. But even if the siblings can come to terms with their difficult past, will it be enough to bring the family back together? Can this reunion kick-start a process of reconciliation that will bring the Deebles closer than they've ever been?
I too grew up with a Jamaican stepmother who left Jamaica to be a surrogate mother to me and my siblings. Fortunately for me I did not go through the brutality that the Deeble sibblings did.They are five very strong individuals whose children should be very proud of them.
ReplyDeleteI'm related to the Noami family and there seems to be a history of abuse. No one wants to speak up in fear of alienating themselves from the family. The truth will set everyone free!
ReplyDeletejust saw this programme and it touched my heart, and just wanted to say the deeble family that I and anyone would be proud to be part of such a wonderfu family!! and don't hold on to any guilt or shame from your past you are the victims of abuse and any shame and guilt should left upon the shoulders of the one responsible for that abuse, she had a choice and she (noni) chose to be a abuser, and nothing she did to you in your youth influnces you, because you have prevailed! look at each other and you will see this - you are deebles something that cruel woman never was!!!
ReplyDelete