Press Release

Sixty school children travel back in time to WW2 to honour Remembrance Day

Lotte's War: Bunkers, Bombs & Barrage Balloons launches at the London Corinthian Sailing Club
 
Photos from the event available for download and use: http://bit.ly/2eTL1Us 

London, United Kingdom: Sixty primary school children were transported back in timebyChiswick-author Lotte Moore at the London Corinthian Sailing Club on November 10^th2016. In a beautiful Thames-side room decorated with camouflage, bunting, British flags, artefacts such as gas masks and a rationing table displaying the meagre amounts of food allocated to individuals each week, the children were immersed in the story of Lotte's War. Published by Urbane Publications and officially released on Remembrance Day 2016 (November 11^th2016), Lotte's War: Bunkers, Bombs and Barrage Balloons tells the story of a five-year-old girl's experiences living in Britain during World War Two: a time of hardship, heroism and hope. As a child, Lotte may not have been fully aware of the dangers and struggles around her, but her memories of rationing, evacuation to Herefordshire and the Home Counties, barrage balloons, blackouts, air raid sirens and bunkers give an incredible insight into life during wartime Britain. 

The eight to ten-year-old children from two local primary schools (St Stephen's, Shepherd's Bush and St Peter's, Hammersmith) made a huge effort dressed in 1940s costumes as soldiers and evacuees, one girl had chosen to wear a dress worn by her grandmother during the 1940s when she was a child that had been passed down to her mother and then on to her. They sang "We Will Meet Again" and "Pack Up Your Troubles" and listened intently to the air raid siren, Lotte's stories from the War and asked many questions including: "What toys did you play with?", "How long did you not see your parents for?" and "What sweets did you eat?".

The event was an important part of Lotte's Legacy: the 80-year old's mission to inspire the next generation to remember and understand more about this incredible period in history. Lotte has spoken about her experiences of the War to more than 50 schools across the country. She says: "Children today are shocked by the concept of rationing, the harsh truth about being separated from your parents and your home, and the frightening thought of bombs, air raid shelters and sirens - which became part of daily life for so many children during World War Two".

Lotte, as a child, socialised with the Prime Minister Winston Churchill, her brother almost drowning him in the pool at Chartwell (by accident, of course!), and Lotte has many more stories to tell. She is the author of more than 20 books including children's picture books, novellas, short story collections and an autobiography called Snippets of a Lifetime.

As a child, Lotte lived in Kent with her parents who enjoyed entertaining, political debate and literary discussion with the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Winston Churchill, H E Bates, W H Auden and Benjamin Britten. She was often lonely and turned to writing (stories, diary, poems and letters) to express her feelings of isolation. In her early teens her commitment turned to ballet, point shoes replaced the pen. She was selected by the Royal Ballet School to dance in the Opera Ballet. When rejected for growing ‘too tall' Lotte turned to acting and intermittently to writing. She finally married aged 38 to her loyal husband Chris (who continues to support Lotte by typing out her hand-written stories). Lotte became immersed in her stepchildren and then her own two girls. When her daughters left home she describes "empty years" filled by illness and family problems, and she turned to writing once again. First published aged 70, Lotte is now 80 and enjoying the release of this fabulous book aimed at those children in Key Stage Two in Primary Education who are learning about WW2.

Notes to editors

Lotte Moore is available for interview at her home in Chiswick, at the London Corinthian Sailing Club or in the studio. Copies of the new book, Lotte's War, can be requested for review and competition prizes.

Clips of the event and photos can be found in the press folder alongside other press information:http://bit.ly/2eTL1Us

Category:Children's, School Books, History, Education & Reference

Publisher:Urbane Publications

Format:Paperback (eBook to launch in spring 2017)

Available on Amazon & in all good book shops and libraries

Price:£5.99

Release Date:Remembrance Day 11^thNovember 2016

Website:http://www.lottemoorewriter.com

For more information, editorial opportunities, interview requests or review copies please get in touch HelenLewis@LiterallyPR.com