ABSTRACT
Most of us expected that London would be subjected to a devasting aerial bombardment within minutes of a declaration of war. One had to force one's mind to imagine what life would be like for the survivors. Would they be more than a few blind men groping for food? The BBC had made plans to evacuate staff to various parts of the country to maintain essential services. In the last months of peace a mysterious character called the Defence Officer had been appointed and I did not envy him his chilling job. It seemed futile, and even frivolous, to imagine Audience Research could have any role in the kind of world that would be left. So I was not surprised when we were told that we were in Category B which meant that on the declaration of war we were to remain at home to await orders (if, one thought, there would be anyone left to give or receive them).
