Letters from Stockholm : a year as a British Embassy secretary

Betty Fenton sets sail from London in summer 1948 bound for the British Embassy in Stockholm. With a combination of extracts from her letters and additional research, this the story of the highs and lows of embassy life, from thrilling parties and dancing, cinema and fashion, to being on the front line of the emerging Cold War.

A young secretary’s letters home to her family are written at her desk at the British Embassy in Stockholm. They reveal domestic and world affairs, fashion, food, culture and love in post-war Britain and Sweden.  Betty Fenton sets sail from London in summer 1948 bound for Sweden. She and her friend June are former WRENs determined to put their typing skills to the test working at His Majesty King George VI’s diplomatic mission in Stockholm.  During her year abroad, Betty will record every aspect of embassy life, from thrilling parties and dancing, cinema and fashion, to being on the front line of the emerging Cold War. She will encounter loneliness and homesickness amidst the rigours of rationing, fall in love and forge friendships which will shape the course of her future life.  ‘10 June 1948: My own darlings, you will want to know everything, so I’ll start from where we left each other at St Pancras …’ With a foreword by Betty's son, Tim Taylor. About the authors: Betty Fenton (1924—2001) was a former WREN and British Embassy secretary. She was married with two children. This book has been written in collaboration with her son, Tim Taylor. Lorna Brookes is an editor and author with a specialism in historical fiction and research. She is the founder of Crumps Barn Studio and lives in Gloucestershire with her husband.