Ada Hargreaves is a tough woman, which is just as well - she's needed to be. Born in the Portswood slums, she and her husband have worked hard to raise their own family in better conditions. When they take over the local pub, their ambitions seem realised - but not for long ... As World War Two looms, a stranger comes to the door. He's the estranged brother of the barman. Although Ada senses that the newcomer is no replacement for the reliable Doug, labour is hard to find, and fatally, she doesn't heed her instincts. It's a dangerous mistake. Only one thing's for sure: it will give Stockport a scandal to last for years.