By Your Side: My Life Loving Barbara Windsor cover art

By Your Side: My Life Loving Barbara Windsor

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By Your Side: My Life Loving Barbara Windsor

By: Scott Mitchell
Narrated by: Hilary Evans, Scott Mitchell
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'I'm so glad you had the life you did, Barbara. I'm sorry you can't remember, but my God, what a life! You haven't wasted a minute of it...'

In December 2020, while the world was gripped with news of an imminent third lockdown, Scott Mitchell was visiting the care home where his partner and wife of 27 years - Dame Barbara Windsor - was being looked after. At the age of 83, after a career spanning seven decades and a seven-year battle with the debilitating effects of dementia, she was slipping away.

Barbara's illness meant she could no longer remember her magical career, and so Scott sat by her bedside in her final days, telling her tales from their extraordinary life together. From the unlikely moment they met to the challenges they faced, and the highs and lows of a life shared in the limelight. For theirs was an incredibly passionate relationship, but also a turbulent one - and along with a life of love and laughter, together they endured the pressures of fame, drink and addiction, heartbreak and ultimately dementia. He told Barbara stories of her wonderful achievements on and off screen, and the people who altered the trajectory of her life. From nine enormously successful and much-loved Carry On films to more than twenty years in Albert Square with the role of Peggy Mitchell. From director Joan Littlewood handpicking her for Sparrows Can't Sing and her first husband Ronnie Knight and his links to the Kray twins, to her friendships with Sid James, Kenneth Williams and more.

Weaving together an old-fashioned love story, a glittering life of showbiz and the true cost of dementia, By Your Side is a treasure trove for all of us who grew up watching and loving Dame Barbara. From the madness and the mayhem, the glorious highs and the devastating lows, to the fantastic fun she and Scott had along the way - this is an intimate, honest and incredibly personal account of a life spent loving Babs; a warm, colourful and heartfelt celebration of her rich, varied and remarkable life from the man who knew her best. Entertainment & Celebrities Politics & Activism Royalty Celebrity Marriage Heartfelt Career Feel-Good Inspiring Thought-Provoking Dementia
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I absolutely loved this book, Scott told of his and Barbara’s life perfectly
She was a beautiful lady and will always be remembered, Scott you did her proud well done, you to are an amazing person

Wow what a beautiful story

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Thank you Scott for sharing yours and Dame Barbara,s love story. A beautiful book and a stunning tribute to your beloved wife. I highly recommend this book …my sincere regards to you. From Ann.

Heartwarming and agonisingly truthful.

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Very good read, I really enjoyed it and it outlined awareness of Dementia. A sad but sweet love story.

By your Side Scott Michelle

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We all know the ending before we start listening, even so it was a great listen and with such emotion from Scott and you could really hear Babs through him! Listening to Scott you could understand his love and devotion to a national treasure, it is a shame that the press for a long time misrepresented this for so many years!

The story is a love story to the end!

Laughed and cried!

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This is so very well written and goes right into my heart.
The story of Barbara Windsor and her beloved husband Scott Mitchell
is warm, heartfelt and very touching! Thank you!

Heartfelt

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