Save Home Fires campaign
I felt it was time I wrote a blog post on the incredible reaction i've had to the #savehomefires petition I started just 2 weeks ago. Please forgive me if this isn't as eloquently written as I would want it to be, but my illness means I can't always think of the right words to say and fatigue affects how my brain works. It'll take me a long time to write this and i'll keep checking it reads ok, but if it's not perfect then that's ok as nor am I.
On that day, I was sat in a car and decided to have a quick peek at twitter whilst I waited for my dad to return to the car. It was then that I saw Dan Ryan and Clare Calbraith tweeting that Home Fires had been axed!
I was in utter shock, as i'd not long watched the wonderful finale and presumed that with such a huge cliff hanger and so many stories left unfinished, that there would obviously be a 3rd series to look forward to. ITV were obviously not satisfied with 6 million viewers and beating BBC in viewing figures on 11 out of the 12 episodes. I was not only genuinely gutted but I was also really p'd off.
It was then that I went onto change.org and started a petition, thinking that I could maybe get other fans kicking up a bit of a fuss with me.
"The decision by ITV to cancel home fires is such a huge mistake! It was such a brilliantly acted and well written drama and has so much more potential. Series 2 was left on a cliff hanger! ITV must realise how brilliant a programme it was and that it's a terrible choice not to recommission it! To those at ITV in charge of commissioning, please change your minds and allow more series of one of your best dramas to be written!"
I honestly thought that i'd probably only get 100 signatures if that, but I thought it was worth the try.
What happened next went beyond anything I could have imagined!! Within hours the total was going up by hundreds and people were retweeting it all over Twitter. Not only were fans retweeting the petition, but the writers, producers, cast and crew. I was utterly gobsmacked and spent the whole of that evening on Twitter watching my petition spread around the internet.
In the following 2 weeks the campaign grew and grew. We've had Twitterstorms and have got #savehomefires trending. We've had media coverage, radio interviews and tons of social media coverage. The reaction i've had from people has been incredible and so many people are spending many hours working hard to get the campaign as well known as possible.
Here are links for all media we've had so far:
After the petition gained 20,000 signatures I printed off over 610 pages of names and hand delivered it to ITV studios in London.
Unfortunately the welcome was not very friendly and Adam Crozier's PA refused to come and collect the petition from me. I was directed to the deliveries building where I was told to leave it.
As things stand today, Monday, 23rd May, we've gained over 23,000 signatures and we are fighting hard to get much more than that.
I've been utterly overwhelmed and hugely touched by incredible support i've had from fellow fans as well as all those lovely people who worked on our beloved Home Fires.
As i've been chronically ill for 14 years, tv has become an important part of my "social" life. It's what keeps me entertained, up to date and connected to the outside world, when my body isn't well enough to function normally. I'm mostly housebound and have been unable to work for 14 years. I had a very active, normal life before ME took that away from me.
I feel that I can't achieve very much in my life now. My body doesn't allow me to live the life that I used to dream of and i've fallen behind many of my peers who are having careers, marriages, families and busy, fulfilled lives.
So this campaign has meant more to me than most people will realise. It's been something that has spiralled beyond anything I could have imagined and it's given me something to focus on. I never thought it would do as well as it is and it's given me a real sense of achievement.
I've spent a lot of time tweeting from my bed or settee, i've done a radio interview in bed wearing pjs, i've struggled and suffered being driven to London and back, but it's all been worth it. Yes it's caused me exhaustion and pain, but that's quite normal to me. The thing i'm choosing to focus on is the emotional benefit i've gained from it. It's given me some self esteem back, it's helping improve my very low confidence and it's showing me that even though I may not be able to do much of what I dream of doing, it is something I am able to achieve.
The internet isn't always a very friendly place but the way everyone who supports this campaign has been towards myself and others, has been truly heart warming. Friendships have been made, the camaraderie is uplifting and there is a real feeling that we are doing something special and worthwhile.
The way that the cast and crew have responded to us viewers has been not only exciting but really meaningful to us all. Social media has that wonderful way of providing an instant relationship between actors, actresses, singers, writers etc and their audience.. and has given them the opportunity to hear genuine feedback on their performances as well as us fans being able to share our respect and admiration for their wonderful storytelling.
Stories have always been important to human beings. We all need to have escapism, our imaginations widened and our minds inspired and I feel that the story of Home Fires was more important than just a tv show because of that. It not only told a really important part of British history but it also gave us really believable characters that viewers could grow to love and care about.
So this is why we'll all keep fighting for ITV (or another channel if ITV don't make the right decision) to recommission the show. The story deserves to be continued. It deserves to be completed and tied up. It deserves to finish telling the story that it was set out to do.
I can only thank every single person who has taken the time to sign my petition. Thank you to each and every one of you who have tweeted and shared posts on Facebook. Thank you to all who have sent jars of jam to ITV. Thank you to all who day after day make me smile because of what you are doing alongside me. Thank you to all who have said such kind things to me and made me cry with appreciation and genuine humbleness.
In true WI style, let's stick to what we believe in and fight these big corporations who presume to think they know best.
Let's keep the Home Fires burning!!!
