Gray Robert Brown

And it was set in a cinema in 1948.

Oh, wow.

And the premise was that the cleaner and the caretaker would fall in love and they both have visions.

The cleaner of the past, no, the caretaker of the past, which was 1941, so he saw the Blitz and the cleaner saw the future, so she saw 2010 or whenever it was, I was writing this, 2009.

But it was set in 1948, so I did loads of research about that period as well, and I was fascinated in that period.

Because, of course, you have the Olympics.

Yes.

You've got the Olympics in London for the last time before 2012.

Yes.

And, of course, it's immediately post-World War II for Britain.

And I want to be clear about this, because the book is clear about this as well, which is really brilliant and interesting.

World War II is ongoing in...

uh japan when the book is set but of course world war ii was over for great britain by 1945 it can't not that the book is peppered with world war ii references because it's set a bit early at the book isn't it yeah so it's not quite the end of the war yeah when the book is set

There's mention of rationing, which is ongoing even till 1948.

And beyond.

And beyond, yeah, yeah, yeah.

But especially in the period we're talking about, the bit where he says, do you think he can get another suit from the Board of Trade?

Oh, yes.

With his coupons, do you think he can get another suit because his suit is ruined?

Exactly.