Richard Madeley is fascinated by the speed of change in family life and how being a father has changed since the time of his father and grandfather Richard's grandfather had a childhood of betrayal and sadness His family abandoned him as a child to older relatives and emigrated without telling him Without any positive parenting role models, he passed on to his son a sense of his discomfort and occasional frustration and anger He remembers no affection, or endearments from his dad and was packed off to a desolate boarding school in an echo of his own father's betrayal In a bucking of the family trend, Richard's mother, a Canadian, introduced more loving and demonstrative relationships which Richard has continued with his own son and step-sons