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Jan 2022
2m 52s

Coming Soon

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

A summer's day, 1970, and a mum and her four kids are on a beach in Australia. They're migrants, newly arrived from the UK, part of the generation of "ten-pound poms" looking for a fresh start down under.

The oldest child, Ricki, takes his little sister, Cheryl, up to the changing blocks. Cheryl is never seen again.

This is the story of what really happens to a family after a child goes missing. It's the story of Ricki's guilt and how it changed his life. And it's the story of a mystery that won't go away. Because nearly half a century after Cheryl disappeared, the case is moving again...

Fairy Meadow is presented by BBC News correspondent Jon Kay and produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Chris Ledgard.

Up next
Jan 2022
1. When the Wind Changed
The Grimmer family moved from the UK to Australia in 1969. They were "ten pound poms" - part of a huge wave of migration down under. Months later, Three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer disappeared from Fairy Meadow beach in New South Wales. She was never seen again. In the moments before ... Show More
27m 57s
Jan 2022
2. A Ransom Note
The Grimmer family are thousands of miles from home, and the Fairy Meadow migrant hostel is a lonely place in the days after Cheryl's disappearance. Then a note arrives from someone claiming to be the kidnapper. There's a rendezvous and a demand for cash... BBC News Correspondent ... Show More
29m 3s
Jan 2022
3. Somebody of Interest
The Grimmer family have always hung on to the idea that somehow Cheryl might still be alive. Then, out of the blue, Ricki gets a call from the police which seems to put an end to their hopes. BBC News Correspondent Jon Kay continues his investigation into the disappearance of 3 y ... Show More
20m 17s
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