By Your Side: My Life Loving Barbara Windsor

Scott Mitchell was visiting the care home where his partner and wife of 27 years, Dame Barbara Windsor, was being looked after. She was slipping away at the age of 83 after a career spanning seven decades and a seven-year battle with dementia. Scott sat by her bedside in her final days, telling her tales from their extraordinary life together, including her successful Carry On films and her role in Albert Square. By Your Side is an intimate, honest, and personal account of a life spent loving Babs, a warm, colorful, and heartfelt celebration of her rich, varied, and remarkable life.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 02 March 2023
Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

I am so incredibly grateful that you had the life that you did, Barbara. I am sorry that you are unable to remember, but my God, what a life! You have not wasted a single moment of it.

In December 2020, as the world was grappling with the impending third lockdown, Scott Mitchell found himself visiting the care home where his partner and wife of 27 years, Dame Barbara Windsor, was receiving care. At the age of 83, after a remarkable seven-decade career and a seven-year battle with the debilitating effects of dementia, she was slowly slipping away. Barbara's illness meant that she could no longer recall her illustrious career, and so Scott sat by her bedside in her final days, sharing 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, they endured the pressures of fame, drink, and addiction, heartbreak, and ultimately dementia.

Scott told Barbara stories of her remarkable achievements on and off screen, and the people who shaped 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 connections to the Kray twins, to her friendships with Sid James, Kenneth Williams, and more. By Your Side is a treasure trove for all of us who grew up watching and loving Dame Barbara. From the madness and mayhem, the glorious highs, and the devastating lows, to the fantastic camaraderie and support that she and Scott shared throughout their lives.

In conclusion, I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to know Barbara and Scott. Their love story, their life in showbiz, and their battle with dementia are all incredible tales that remind us of the power of love, resilience, and the human spirit. Barbara's legacy will continue to inspire and entertain generations to come, and Scott's dedication to her memory is a testament to the depth of their love and the strength of their bond.

Weight: 260g
Dimension: 126 x 198 x 35 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399602846