  During the first months of 1940 Prior worked on what he described as ‘a large book, on “The Theology of the Church of Scotland”’. Life in London went on almost normally during this time of Phoney War, but the situation worsened dramatically after the fall of France in June. A German invasion of Britain seemed imminent. Chillingly, Winston Churchill warned of the coming fighting ‘in the fields and in the streets’ (Churchill 1940/2007). For the Priors, it was time to go home.