The series follows various families through the first world war. It can be both funny and heartbreaking. It began in 2014, 100 years to the day since the beginning of the first World War and I fully expect it to end November 11th this year. It goes to various regions in England, especially Folkstone, Devon and Tynemouth. I really love the Tynemouth episodes, as there were so many places I recognised (although Birtley is not near Newcastle, BBC, it is near Gateshead!). It follows the fortunes of several families and the effect the war has on them.

Today's episode was wonderful, a much less brusque, and far more pro woman, Hardy Walsh! What a rather lovely scene with Emily Colville. Hope everyone had the chance to listen!

Agree Rosie, there was quite a softening in his character in the Emily Colville episode. I like the way you put #an understanding developing' between Hardy and Emily. I found myself wishfully wondering if romance was on the cards, but that might be a bit too wishful on my part! Emily is not in Damien's next episode this Wednesday, so we won't find out!

Really enjoyed it, I think Damien's character fits in really well. Emily Colville was engaged but broke it off as she fell for someone else. It was one-sided and didn't work out. Her fiance was on the board who decided if someone's job meant exemption from serving as a soldier. The bloke she fancied was anti war and used her to carry information to those seeking exemption. He was a bad poet and even worse playwright. I think she loved his cause more than him. Her fiance was awful to those wanting exemption, no matter how valid. Her father said it was her duty to marry her fiance as he knew the land and could support her, but she mentioned his new wife earlier so looks as though she's back on the market. An Irishman would be an unpopular choice, though. But still . .
Kitty Lumley is back so she tends to dominate.

Love the way Hardy Walsh is gaining respect from the farming community in Devon. He is fitting in really well.
Kitty Lumley has two children, Peter and May, both have Dieter as father, not Victor. Dieter was living in Folkstone at the outbreak of the war, knew Kitty was pregnant and wanted to marry her. She didn't tell her parents she was pregnant. Dieter wanted to go back to Germany and Kitty to go with him but she pointed out that she wouldn't know anyone or the language. Dieter didn't want to be interned so went into hiding. He was discovered near the docks and fell into the sea. He was presumed drowned. Victor proposed to Kitty. He knew she was pregnant but his mother had had him out of wedlock and he had been brought up believing she had died giving birth to him. In actual fact Adeline had been incarcerated in a mental institution for being an unmarried mother. When it was decided that the hospital would be taken over for the war effort the family were told she would be released and they would have to support her. Victor was quite shocked to find his mother was alive!
It turned out Dieter was alive but Kitty didn't find out until after she was married to Victor. When Adeline finally got to see Peter properly the very first thing she said was "But he isn't Victor's" although how she knew was never explained.
Kitty's brother Adam ran away to Devon and ended up on the very same farm Dieter was working on. Kitty went down to get Adam and stayed in the area for ages, mainly to carry on seeing Dieter. She became pregnant again but realised that she couldn't pass it off as Victor's as he was on the front at the time or in hospital with blindness, I forget which. So she went to Tyneside, telling her parents she was staying with relatives of Victor there. After she had May she arranged for someone to look after her and returned to Fokstone. There has been a dreadful fire at the farm where Dieter was and there was a possibility that he had been killed, so she put coded adverts in the paper for several weeks, leading her to be interviewed about the possibility of her being a spy. Johnny Marshall, a relative of Victor, interviewed her and found out about Dieter, leading to both him and the woman who owned the farm being investigated - that is why Kitty was told in no uncertain terms that she wasn't wanted down there today. Dieter didn't know about May.
Folkstone was badly bombed, and Kitty decided to take advantage of the resulting confusion and people being missing by getting May back and passing her off as a baby she had found. Her family were distraught, thinking she had been killed, and delighted when she turned up again. She claimed she had been sent to an out of area hospital as the local ones had been full up and that the baby had been found beside her. It made the news and one day when she was out a woman turned up and claimed the baby was hers; Kitty's reaction was how her mother found out the baby was Kitty's.
Kitty then received a blackmail letter saying her children weren't Victors and hinting that he was homosexual. Kitty paid the blackmailler till she could no longer afford to and told Victor she needed to see him urgently. That is how he found out that May was Kitty's and that, once again, Dieter was the father. He wasn't impressed at being hauled back from the front by Kitty and told her she would have to deal with it herself. When she showed him the note he was horrified about the homosexuality allegations and burned the letter - he would have been shot of that had come out when he was at the front, it was illegal then. He probably is homosexual, but had definitely had sex with Kitty on several occasions.
Sorry for the long screed!

 

Ooh thank you for your insight into the characters and storylines Ellie!

I'm still holding our for romance Rosie!

Anyone else had a chance to listen?

 

 

 

 

Not long now until Damien is back on the radio in Home Front!

Monday's episode synopsis states "Emily Colville goes to the fair"...

is it too much to hope she is accompanied by a certain Mr Walsh?

It definitely looks as if Hardy's involvement from now on is Emily related -

he is in another episode in her name, on 1 August!

 

1 August 1918 - Emily Colville

did anyone listen to today's Home Front episode?

It certainly seems Hardy and Emily are becoming closer. I am increasingly moved by Emily and Bertram's father's story and the effect his condition has on his daily living and family. Home Front on a whole is rather moving and engrossing...and is becoming very moreish!

The weekly Home Front Omnibus airs tonight on Radio 4 at 9pm Rosie - you will catch Damien's episode, but it's well worth listening to the whole week! It will also be available online to download as weekly omnibus too.  Enjoy!

Just listened to the latest omnibus edition. Loved the way Hardy Walsh allowed Cyrus Colville to think Harry was his valet! I thought he handled the "there's a war on" quite well, too. Loved his plans for the estate - they could always tell Cyrus the idea was his if he found out about any changes.

 

 

"Ridiculous..."

"Ridiculous...."

 

What a gorgeous, gentle, heart warming, poignant episode it was. 

Did anyone else catch it?

Agree Ellie, that final scene was brimming with possibility... As we are approaching the very final episode of Home Front, a wedding would be the perfect way to end it all!