This is the first of two memoirs written by Gavin Wigginton, an ordinary citizen who has had the good fortune to lead an extraordinary life. Being Who I Am is a heart-warming story of surviving and thriving in the rapidly changing world of post Second World War Britain. The book provides an account of both his personal journey and the society in which he lived.Conceived during the Second World War, but born during the peace that followed, Gavin can claim to be one of the first baby boomers. Like many of his generation, he had access to and obtained many advantages not available to those born in more recent times. Whilst the early years of his life were overshadowed by a struggling economy, food shortages, and the start of the Cold War, he grew up in a society where Harold Macmillan was keen to tell us that ordinary people had never had it so good. In particular, he had access to free tertiary education, an abundance of employment opportunities, an open world in which to travel, and freedom from national service.In this volume, which covers the period from 1945 to 1985, you will read of life in a family who survived the death of his father in a tragic post war accident, and the challenges of living in a small nuclear family with an indomitable single parent. You will read about his life in a relatively privileged public day school, and his time at university when tertiary education was about acquiring some kind of wisdom rather than training for a job.A major part of the book records Gavin’s career in two major public companies. His account reflects a time when economies were expanding, companies invested in people, and employees stayed with the same employer for many years. Moving through a succession of roles in Rolls Royce and then Imperial Group, his work exposed him to both the best and worst of organisational behaviour. And it took him to all corners of the UK including London where he had a near death experience. His career culminated with a hard fought takeover battle which, in 1985, was the biggest in UK history. His insider’s account is a gripping tale. The book also includes an account of Gavin’s political career as a member of the British Liberal Party in its various forms. This includes stories from his time as a Councillor, a Parliamentary Candidate, and a senior officer of the Party during the heady days of the 1970s and 1980s when the two party system was seriously under threat from the community activism of the third force. This book provides a vivid picture of post war Britain and, along the way, Gavin shares many anecdotes and stories which will entertain and inform the reader.