Home Fires (British TV series)

Cast and characters

• Francesca Annis as Joyce Cameron
  Joyce is a pillar of the community, and the historical leader of the Great Paxford Women's Institute. The first series examines a conflict between Joyce, the "old school," and Frances Barden, the new leadership, all in the shadow of the beginning of World War II. Joyce is sophisticated and serene, and even her ex-nemesis Frances observes that she is a natural leader. Even though she can appear stern, pompous and vindictive, she is actually quite sympathetic to other people and proves herself to be a substantially good person.
• Daisy Badger as Claire Wilson
  The former maid of Joyce Cameron. When Joyce sacks her following her supporting the Vote of No Confidence, Frances Barden and her husband hire Claire out of kindness. She is married to postmaster Spencer Wilson.
• Mark Bazeley as Bob Simms
  An aspiring author following the minor success of his first book. He was a journalist in the First World War and suffered injuries to his arm and leg from shrapnel, though he admits it was nowhere near combat. Volatile, self-centered and pathetic, Bob is physically and emotionally abusive to his wife Pat; he bans her from attending WI meetings and demands she wait on him hand and foot, never once showing gratitude. In season 2 Bob is called to London to serve as a correspondent and leaves Pat behind; however, he makes occasional visits back to the village.
• Leanne Best as Teresa Fenchurch
  Great Paxford's new local teacher. She becomes a tenant in Alison Scotlock's home, eventually becoming friends and falling in love with Alison. It is revealed during the run of the series that Teresa has had relationships with women. The woman she was most recently involved with, Connie, arrives in the village and tries to convince Teresa to go to America with her, but Teresa turns her down. Teresa is devastated when she later learns that the ship Connie was on sank.
• Samantha Bond as Frances Barden
  Leader of the WI. Frances becomes head of the reformed WI following her urging for a vote of No Confidence in Joyce Cameron. Frances believes in a bright future for the WI and is overjoyed whenever anything good happens to the WI or in the lives of one of her friends. While Joyce's efforts to bring down the newly reformed WI are a constant source of frustration, Frances remains civil and calm. She is very supportive of Pat, and orchestrates her husband's transfer to London after realizing how abusive he is. She soon becomes a mentor to Claire Hillman and advises her not to wait on Spencer Wilson. Frances constantly supports and advises her sister, Sarah; when Sarah's husband goes off to war, Frances encourages Sarah and gives her a shoulder to cry on. When the evacuees from London come, Frances meets them expecting a child but instead gets a blind young woman from Liverpool, Isobel. Happy that she has someone to care for, Frances takes her in. Frances is a very skilled gunwoman, much to the surprise of her sister and Steph.
• Clare Calbraith as Steph Farrow
  A farming wife who comes to enthusiastically support the WI after some initial reluctance to join. Steph is very happy with her husband and only wants what is best for him; when he decides to enlist, she supports him through love rather than reason. Steph also offers many ideas to the WI and becomes good friends with Frances and later Teresa, who gradually realises that Steph is illiterate and offers to teach her to read and write.
• Chris Coghill as Stanley Farrow
  The local farmer and Steph's husband. He is brave and wants to enlist in the war, despite having unpleasant memories of the last conflict in which he served. Stanley loves his wife and son and works hard to provide for them.
• Ruth Gemmell as Sarah Collingborne
  Frances Barden's sister and a member of the WI. She offers advice to her sister frequently, hoping for the WI to move on from the corrupt ways of Joyce Cameron. When Frances remakes the Institute, she becomes a prominent member with wits and ability. When her husband, the local pastor, shows a desire to enlist, Sarah is heartbroken and cannot cope, yet when he leaves she begins to be attracted to the dashing pilot who has been billeted with her. At one point they almost kiss but she pulls away, feeling guilty, saying "I might, but I can't." She looks happy when Joyce leaves and reconciles with Frances.
• Frances Grey as Erica Campbell
  Wife of Dr. Will Campbell and the local pharmacist. She is a member of the WI. Erica loves Dr. Campbell with her whole heart and always seeks support and advice from him. Her initial surprise at Jack's sudden engagement to her daughter Kate gives way to full support. After noticing the abusive relationship between Bob and Pat Simms, she concocts a mixture of Lithium and lies to Pat that it is for Bob's stomach ailments. Pat surreptitiously puts the elixir into Bob's tea, causing him to be calmer and less cruel. However, Dr. Campbell learns of this when Pat accidentally gives Bob an overdose and confiscates the drug. Outraged that she would risk their profession and reputation, Dr. Campbell forces Erica to admit the truth to Pat, who is similarly angry; however, Erica maintains her belief that she did the right thing.
• Rachel Hurd-Wood as Kate Campbell
  First daughter of Erica and Will Campbell. Vivacious and outgoing, she is more extroverted than her sister Laura. She and her husband Jack, who is in training to be a pilot, are caught up in a whirlwind romance. She is the first of the daughters to marry, wearing her mother's dress. They are about to move into their own home when Jack is killed in a training accident. Kate is devastated and goes into mourning; however, with the encouragement of her father and Joyce Cameron, she gradually learns to open up again.
• Leila Mimmack as Laura Campbell
  The second daughter of Will and Erica Campbell. She is considered the more selfish of the two, constantly concerned about her looks, but when Kate asks for help she always pulls through. Laura is part of the WAAF, but is dishonourably discharged after her affair with Richard, a married superior officer, is exposed.
• Mike Noble as Spencer Wilson
  The local postman. Spencer takes a fancy to Claire after coming to her rescue in a bicycling accident. He is cheery and supports the WI's new form. Upon receiving his notice to enlist, however, he abruptly ends things with Claire, leaving her confused and upset. When she learns he did this in an attempt not to burden her, she is annoyed but continues to pursue him. When he refuses to enlist on grounds of being a conscientious objector and is so outed by Joyce Cameron, Spencer is shunned and harassed by the people of Great Paxford, particularly Miriam Brindsley, until Joyce comes to his defense. Nevertheless, his relationship with Claire continues and they are married in the series 2 premiere.
• Claire Price as Miriam Brindsley
  The wife of local butcher Bryn, and a member of the WI. The thought of war terrifies her, as she knows it will eventually take away her son David. He, however, is determined to enlist, which she vigorously resists, going so far as to falsify their ration card so the government does not know they have a son and asking Dr. Campbell to lie that David's childhood asthma is more serious than it really is. When David sneaks out in the middle of the night to enlist, Miriam is heartbroken and takes her anguish out on both her husband and Spencer Wilson, a conscientious objector. She also goes several days without sleep, writing letters to soldiers on the front and preparing care packages whilst shutting out her husband. Frances Barden, upon reading the letters - which are not at all encouraging or even positive - takes Miriam to task for her behavior, and they reconcile, though Miriam's antagonizing of Spencer continues. When a telegram comes to the house, Miriam fears for the worst and hides it in a sudden fit of panic. Bryn finds the telegram and advises her to open it. Miriam is very happy to learn that David is only reported missing and not officially dead. In the Series 1 finale, Miriam finds she is pregnant and is utterly thrilled at the thought that David will get a brother or sister.
• Claire Rushbrook as Pat Simms
  A member of the WI. A battered wife, she has been a victim of her husband Bob's physical and verbal abuse for many years. She makes every effort to keep him happy, but remains with him out of fear, lying about and making apologies for his behavior. Erica Campbell's elixir, meant to treat Bob's supposed "stomach troubles," is in fact a mild dose of Lithium that causes his cruelty to abate; Pat, however, is so pleased with the result that she uses it too often and accidentally gives Bob an overdose, nearly killing him. When Erica admits the truth, Pat furiously refuses to admit that Bob is abusive. However, the notion that the village can see this for themselves causes her to realize how much she hates her husband and his daily acts of cruelty, including banning her from remaining with the WI and forcing her to give up her job as a switchboard operator. However, when she attempts to leave him he successfully cows her with threats that she cannot hope to survive on her own. When Bob leaves for London, Pat is immensely relieved and rushes to tell Frances Barden she can rejoin the WI. Frances admits that she used her connections in the Home Office to have Bob posted to London, and the two share an emotional hug. When refugee soldiers are brought to Great Paxford, Pat becomes close to a Czech soldier named Marek; however, this draws suspicion and ire from Bob, who continues to make occasional visits to the village.
• Daniel Ryan as Bryn Brindsley
  The local butcher and husband to Miriam. Bryn fought in the First World War and survived. However, he was scarred by the events and Miriam forbids him from enlisting again. He cares greatly for his family and offers advice to his son David, who is determined to enlist. He at first supports his son's ideas but later decides it's best for the family if he does not fight. However, when David sneaks out in the middle of the night, Bryn chooses to let him leave with his blessing. This leads to considerable friction with a distraught Miriam, although Bryn does his best to comfort her. Bryn is supportive of the WI due to his love for his wife. When a telegram comes after David goes off to fight, Bryn and Miriam agonize for a while before deciding to finally open it; it only says that their son is missing. While Miriam is hopeful, Bryn suspects that, as their son is missing at sea, it is very unlikely he will return home.
• Ed Stoppard as Will Campbell
  The local physician. He lives to help people through medicine. His relationship with Miriam Brindsley is strained when he refuses to lie that her son is asthmatic and therefore unfit to serve in the army. He then discovers he has lung cancer, much to his wife's horror, making him ineligible to enlist. However, he chooses to keep this a secret from everyone except Erica, reasoning that it would be better for his family to live happy and unknowing than fearful with the knowledge.
• Fenella Woolgar as Alison Scotlock
  Alison is a member of the WI. She lost her husband George during WWI, and his name can be seen on the memorial wall. Frances tells her husband that the WI is essential in Alison's case, because if she was not a member she would never leave the house and her life would revolve around looking at the memorial wall and caring for her dog, Boris. Alison takes in a tenant, Teresa Fenchurch, but later discovers that she is a lesbian, which leaves her utterly shocked and worried for her reputation. However, she takes to heart her late husband's belief that "it can never be a sin to love another human being", accepts Teresa and revealing that she and George were never legally married, due to his first wife refusing to grant a divorce. Alison is soon blackmailed into falsifying the accounts of war profiteers and attempts suicide when they use the threat of exposure to make her continue her illegal work. She is arrested in the Series 1 finale on suspicion of fraudulent activity and aiding and abetting tax evasion. She later falls in love with Teresa.
• Jodie Hamblet as Jenny Marshall
  Jenny is the switchboard operator for Great Paxford and works alongside Pat. For the first half of Series One she is Spencer's girlfriend. Jenny is often well-meaning, but can be rude and nosy, having a tendency to spread rumours and stick her nose into other people's business. She and Claire share a mutual dislike of one another.
• Jacqueline Pilton as Cookie
  An elderly member of the WI. Cookie is kind and worries for the WI when it becomes corrupt and selfish under Joyce's rule. However, she shows a lot of happiness when Frances takes over and happily supports the newly reformed WI's movements. She worried for Frances's blind evacuee when she constantly cannot find her way to the shelter.
• Eileen Davies as Anne
  The friend of Joyce and constant supporter of Mrs Cameron. She comments rudely on Kate when her husband dies, which prompts Joyce to defend the mourning Kate.
• Anthony Calf as Peter Barden
  Peter is a businessman of sorts. He is the husband of Frances and very supportive of her acts in the WI. When Frances puts herself down, Peter is always the first to pick her back up. He is the catalyst for Frances's jam-making campaign early in Series 1.
• Mark Rowley as Stephen Banks

  Series 1 (2015)

Summary

Episodes

Series 2 (2016)

Reception

Novelisation

Broadcast