Wild Child

'Wild Child' is set between the wars in Clewer newtown Windsor, and follows the life of Albert and his baby daughter Kathy. Albert had been shocked to learn that at the age of fifty one he was to become a father again for the fifth time, but when Kathy was born he and his wife Emily considered the birth of a healthy baby girl a blessing.

But life dealt Albert a cruel hand when his wife died suddenly, leaving him to bring up a nine month old baby, while struggling to work a twelve hour day six days a week. At first his many relatives promised they would help, but it soon became clear that they could not be relied upon. When Albert discovered Kathy was being left on her own he realised he had wallowed in his own grief for too long and he vowed to do something about it. He did the only thing he could think of and that was to bring Edith, his eldest daughter, out of service to look after her sister.

Edith, still only seventeen years old, had been in service since she was fourteen. She had already forged a new life for herself with the emphasis on fun. She loved to go out dancing with her friend every night. She was distraught when her father came for her, this was something she had been dreading since her mother died. Edie loved her life she didn't want to look after a baby, let alone her three brothers and her father.

It quickly became apparent that only Edith's life had changed dramatically, the others all carried on as before, she was expected to take over her mother's role, cooking, washing and caring for them. It all got too much for her and feeling full of resentment she left home following a blazing row with her dad.

Kathy was only three years old...

'Wild Child' is the true story of my own mother's early years, modified from all the tales she told me and the parts of her story that she wrote down.