The lives and, often illegal, activities of the residents of a tower block in early 1970s Leeds, West Yorkshire, with the brassy matriarch, Queenie Shepherd, ruling the roost over her neighbours.
Queenie's not happy about how the men in her life have been behaving. Bunny realizes that her mood might have something to do with the date, and a neighbor reveals that the residents have been signing a petition.
The family is left devastated when the television has to go in for repair; Queenie suggests pretending to be famous people for a big debate, and Jack just wants to forget the whole thing so he can go for a drink instead.
The family packs a picnic. When an unexploded bomb is found at the flats, Queenie changes her mind when she's told of a compulsory evacuation, and a lance corporal remembers when he visited the flats back in 1944.
Queenie's questioned after she's seen out drinking with the local bookie; the men are horrified by a decision to stop in on a Saturday night, and a very expectant visitor discovers that money might be his finest feature.
Queenie demands to know why the police are swarming around the flat. Bunny reveals that the van actually belongs to a convicted lead thief, and the Builders are used as a courtroom to find out the truth about a bicycle.
Queenie's delighted when she's asked to speak at a school prize-giving; Douglas is forced to play a girl bearing flowers for the rehearsals, and work on the speech leaves the family eating nothing but fish and chips.
