I'll Take That One: An Evacuee's Childhood

Kitty Baxter was born in 1930 in Camberwell, London, daughter of a road sweeper father, a toilet attendant mother and one of five children. At the outbreak of war in 1939, Kitty was evacuated, the first of three times. The wrench of being taken away from her family was temporarily eased by her mother giving her a new pair of pyjamas, when up to that point she only had hand-me-downs. Kitty brings to life her experience with strangers' families in Ipswich, Hastings and Blackpool. She found herself in an environment radically different from home life in working class London and some of the experiences were joyful but many less so. While she survived the war, others in her family were less fortunate: her beloved father killed at Monte Cassino and her baby brother died of 'shelter cough.' Kitty also tells us of her fascinating life in the decades since the war when she ran an Italian restaurant in the West End for thirty five years. As one of the last generation of women from this era, Kitty brings us an unbelievable account of a most unusual childhood.

• | Author: Kitty Baxter
• | Publisher: Allison & Busby
• | Publication Date: Jun 23, 2022
• | Number of Pages: 224 pages
• | Language: English
• | Binding: Hardcover
• | ISBN-10: 0749028394
• | ISBN-13: 9780749028398