Raymond Briggs set this book in that period of time in the early 80's when
Mrs. Thatcher and
Ronald Regan were
at the helms of
Britain and the
USA, respectively. This was a time when increased tension between the
West and
Warsaw Pact countries heightened awareness and caused great anxiety within the
British population about the
threat of nuclear war. In an attempt to
allay peoples fears of
nuclear bombs,
radiation poisoning and the "
nuclear winter", the
British government published some 'helpful'
leaflets advising on how to improve your chance of survival in the case of a
nuclear attack. These "
top tips" included such
pearls of wisdom as
whitewashing your window panes, putting a paper bag over your head and sitting under the stairs.
Briggs' tale of an ordinary, middle-aged couple, (Jim and Hilda Bloggs), was quite shocking because it depicted the slow decay of a couple who had complete faith in the idea that they would survive the ravages of the bomb as long as they followed the government's farcical survival tips.