South London in the 1930s. Mrs Hilda Jones is fed up with her dull husband. She thought marrying would liven him up, but after 25 years he's just as boring as the day she married him, and now she wants to lead her own life. Her newly married daughter, Olive, is shocked, but Hilda is adamant. Meanwhile, a heavy East End gang has moved into the area from Shoreditch and has established a lucrative protection racket, bringing drama and anxiety to this close-knit neighbourhood.
