Katherine Preston was the landlady of the White Hart Inn in Brasted from 1932 until the 1960s. The location of the Inn nearby the Biggin Hill RAF airfield meant that she was witness to an extraordinary time in history. During the Battle of Britain, she created a temporary home for the young pilots, soldiers, Princes, prime ministers and strays who came through her door. Katherine is rare as a female narrator at the forefront of Britain in wartime and perhaps as a result, her story is clearsighted and profoundly sympathetic.