ABSTRACT
Upon the outbreak of war, the London (Alexandra Palace) station, which was the only one in the British Isles, closed down for the duration. The final pictures were those of a Mickey Mouse cartoon, the closing words of which, appropriately enough, were 'I t'ank I go ome' - a catch-phrase of the time deriving from the famous Hollywood actress Greta Garbo. There was no closing-down speech. Just 'I t'ank I go 'ome'. Then silence for the next seven years. The blank screens were symbolic of the trading aspirations of Marconi-E.M.I. Ltd.
