Page 4 - The Spirit of Christmas 1940

Foreword

The Spirit of Christmas 1940 has actually been played out in
my mind so many times in varying formats. Believe it or not, it
actually started out life as a musical. Many songs were written to
carry the story through but the more and more I wrote, the more
the story became a Christmas tale that needed to be written as a
book.

I cannot begin to tell you the amount of influences that have
driven me to write this book. From a long and difficult military
career, to a deep interest of war-time Britain. There is even a hint
of Mr Dickens there, not that I would ever compare myself to the
great man.

Setting the story at the time of the Blitz gave me a unique
opportunity to develop a hidden story of everyday folk in one of
the most testing times our country has ever seen. I hope it pays
homage to those brave, resiliant soles who refused to let a bully
dictate their way of life.

Of course, there is a strong ficticious element as you will soon
see but I have endevoured to keep the story accurate for the time
period. However, I apologise in advance for any unintentional
inaccuracies. But please do bear in mind it is just a story.

Finally, I would like to thank my wonderful partner for her
support and encouragement while I wrote our story. Every man
needs a rock on which to build his church, Jane has proved time
and time again to be the foundation for my life’s Cathedral and I
would like to dedicate this book to her devotion.