More than 100 guests attended the launch of Richard Holdsworth’s evacuee book, Six Spoons of Sugar, at Waterstones Reading on the evening of September 25. Invitations came in the form of WWll Ration Books that had been specifically requested by over 120 people phoning Waterstones, e-mailing Richard or simply popping into the Broad Street store. Many took up the theme of the war years and wore clothes that were the fashion in those austere times; the store was dressed up as though it was summer 1944 (just before D-Day) with many re-enactors representing the military - GI’s from the 101^st Airborne “Screaming Eagles”, the Queen’s Regiment and Home Guard. Our great leader, Winston Churchill, popped in to wish everyone well while Blitz & Peaces, singing duo, entertained the troops with songs of the day.  There was not a dry eye in the house!
	Bundled Off Six Spoons of Sugar is set in Upper Basildon (re-named Bumblethorpe in the book) where Richard, his Mother and older sister were bundled off to by his Father who, in the Overseas Office of the Midland Bank in the City of London, could see war coming.  Dad Holdsworth joined them shortly after and was made Assistant Manager in the local branch of the bank.  Soon he was known as the Overdraft Man, being responsible for granting – or otherwise – overdrafts for the hard-pressed butchers, bakers and candlestick makers of the village. Life was not easy in the tiny village for the newcomers, Townies, as the Holdsworths were called, and Richard’s Father was arrested on suspicion of being a Nazi spy when it slipped out that he had been to Germany before the war (Dad Holdsworth was an avid Wagner fan and excursions to Bayreuth was almost an annual pilgrimage).  Richard and his Mum were caught in one of the bombing raids over Reading and Richard’s Gran was killed in the Blitz. But there is humour in Six Spoons as Richard deals with the ups and downs of his new life and makes friends… and enemies… on the way.  By the time the men from the 101^st US Airborne arrive in the Village, Richard had found his feet and he and his chums surrounded the good-looking men from across the water and the words rang out… “Got any gum, chum?”
Scrapbook Richard maintains a scrapbook throughout the book and there are many facts and figures to back up the view of the war as seen through the little boy’s eyes.  Anthony Eden announces the Home Guard and W S Morrison tells us food rationing has arrived.   Stalingrad is surrounded and the first US troops land on British soil – it’s all in Six Spoons of Sugar! “There are two definite streams of buyers for my book,” Richard says.   “Parents buying for their children studying WWll at school and people like me who want to reminisce about being sent off to escape the bombs.” Richard looks up from signing his books.   “There were bad times in the war – but there were good also.   I remember it vividly… in a way I wouldn’t have missed it for all the world.   And it’s so nice to share it with all these people here tonight who, like me, are fascinated by the Second World War.”