Travelling with Children - no consent form, no father to sign it...

[Kflori]

I don't have any immediate plans to travel with my children, but thought I'd better start now to sort something out, just in case, as a consent form seems to be necessary in more and more countries if the children travel with just one parent.
I have two children who both live with me, and we haven't seen or heard anything of their father since April last year - apart from a Christmas and birthday card for them without return address. I have no idea where he is at the moment, though it would probably be easy enough to find out. The problem is that I don't necessarily want to get in touch with him, as both the children and myself are much better off without (he is an alcoholic, and emotionally abused us quite a bit - though never physically). He has also fully blamed me for breaking up (a joke if ever there was one, hah!), and would probably deny consent to travel out of spite.
We have never put anything in place legally after the split - my solicitor sent him a couple of letters saying that if he wanted access to the children, it would have to be under supervision (to which he never replied), but that was that. Then he moved to who knows where, and nothing else was done....
Has anybody else been in this situation, and if you have, what can you do, if anything? Or do I have to bite the bullet and try to find him????

Didn't read all the replies but just take a copy for their birth certificates with you if you have different last names and if they are young.
My nieces mum was stopped coming back in the country they said just carry birth certificates as it shows your the child's mum.

I’ve an’Child Arrangement Court Order’ that Saudi can travel upto28 days with child without consent from the father will that do Togo to Cape Town?
Also is ‘unbridged’ birth certificate same as uk birth certificates ?

I’ve an’Child Arrangement Court Order’ that states I can travel upto28 days with child without consent from the father will that do Togo to Cape Town?
Also is ‘unbridged’ birth certificate same as uk birth certificates ?

My ex is on the birth certificate. but has little things involvement, so I travel with my ds and don't bother telling my ex. That way, he doesn't have a chance to say no. I always take birth certificate so I can prove I have pr.

What does ‘unbridged ‘ birth cerificate mean? I’m going to South Africa with my 9 year old son and need it alig with court order to say I can remove him without consent from father ..I cant my original birth certificate only one made a year later thati amended to add my name into his ..will that do?