The St Pancras Travelling Library 1941, Civil Defence personnel: a slightly odd photograph as all the men look slightly posed as they pore over their books. Perhaps this picture was for a poster which might have said something like ‘make do and read’ or ‘read for victory’ or ‘your country needs you’ (to read); or perhaps it was just a civil defence promotion (while waiting for an air-raid you’ll have time to read a book). At the beginning of The Village it is clear that during the long years of being at their post together the two women did indeed have time for novels, knitting and chatting.