ABSTRACT
At the outbreak of war in 1939, I was one of thousands of children evacuated from the cities to safer areas. I was a yo-yo evacuee who came back home when the bombing lulled and then got sent away again when it intensified. The experiences of war affected me deeply. During the London Blitz, death was ever near and, even as a child, I wanted to know more about the meaning of life and death. This spirituality has remained within me. I also identified with outsiders. My stealing led to my having to leave one foster home. In another, I had to endure hostility against ‘the vacees’ because we caused over-crowding in the school. I am not sure if these experiences shaped my career motivations but, after college, I became a child care officer in a local authority children’s department.
