We were at the University of Worcester for our conference in 2014.  In the opening remarks of illuminating keynote. which focussed on the home front in a Derbyshire village, Karen Hunt light-heartedly touched on the plethora of First World War commemorations. They were everywhere, she reflected, but this should not make us immune to the many important aspects of the conflict that were still open for debate, particularly on the home front. The diversity of experiences in time and place that she then explored exemplified the extraordinary range of topics and themes that were evident at this year’s conference, from defending house and home in an ancient Greek siege to widows in the English Civil War, from non-combatant women in South Vietnam to the home front in the Falklands. With almost thirty panel sessions and more than 100 papers delivered, the richness and variety of contributions was a constant source of discussion throughout the three days.