Goodbye to 1940, by William Henry Gayton (Baddesley Ensor)

Edited and produced by Annette Sweet, & published privately, 32 pages. A4 size booklet (A21N13WSO)

From the inside front cover: This is one man's 1940. His daily jottings are a history of Baddesley during one year of the war, incorporating as it does, reference to the international, national and local happenings. It is an often humourous, sometimes sad, fascinating account of the life of a village baker, and one can read into his writing exhaustion, satisfaction, frustration and a whole range of other emotions that lift this diary into a superb read that takes one back into the war years.

There is a wealth of financial and social detail about the area that will jog the memories Of those 'young in heart' enough to remember those days, and will give food for thought to those younger readers whose problems are still similar to those of yesteryear, but with terrorism, not bombing. We are indebted to the Gay ton family for allowing us to print this for the 60th anniversary of V E Day, and hope that reading it will give you the same enjoyment it gave us.