The talk challenges the tenacious myth that the Great War liberated women, suggesting instead that many were instead preoccupied with mundane, but heroic struggles, to maintain their homes and families on limited budgets.
As the conflict wore on and submarine warfare escalated and food shortages became more severe, so did attempts to reduce waste and feed the nation more economically. Food preparation and preservation became issues of national importance.
Housewives faced a plethora of advice, guidance and surveillance even potential fines for wasting bread. As housewives struggled to cope, there were however often subject to criticism, not sympathy. The conflict entered the home in ways never seen before.