Liste des épisodes

Gertrude Morel struggles to adapt to her new surroundings after the family have moved to a mining village in Nottingham, where her alcoholic husband Walter works down the pits. Her marriage is not a happy one, and with little money coming by and another child on the way she looks back on how she first met her husband. She pours all her hopes into her children, in particular her eldest son William, but little realizes what has in store for them.

Gertrude hears that her husband has been involved in an accident in the street, laying him off work for some time. With little money coming in and son Paul out of work, she contrives to get him a position as clerk at Jordan and Sons factory. Meanwhile William has moved to London in order to find work, but Gertrude is perturbed when she hears that he has fallen in love and later engaged to be married. However, the family are ill prepared when tragedy strikes.

Having been struck down with pneumonia, Paul finds himself staying at the Leivers' farm to recuperate, where he meets their daughter Miriam. She finds herself attracted to Paul and tells him of her frustration of living on the farm and lack of opportunities for women. Paul agrees to teach her mathematics, but his mother Gertrude is less than impressed when she learns about Miriam. But Walter Morel is in for a bigger shock when he learns that his youngest son Arthur has signed up to join the army.

After his mother's funny turn, Paul decides to cool his relationship with Miriam Leivers. However, his interest is piqued by the arrival of her friend Clara Dawes, a married woman who has left her husband and is somewhat of a feminist. Meanwhile Annie Morel prepares to marry her long term boyfriend Leonard, which sees the return on leave from the army of her young brother Arthur. And he in turn attracts the attention of one of the bridesmaids, Beatrice, which leads to unforeseen complications.

Clara returns to her old job at Jordan and Sons after Paul is promoted and offers her a job. Paul persuades Miriam that their relationship needs to be more physical and intimate if it is to be a true relationship, but her lack of experience sees Paul pursue the more experienced Clara Dawes in regards to sexual fulfillment. They conduct their affair in secret in the woods, but Miriam is sure to discover their relationship.

Paul finds himself playing with fire when Clara's estranged husband Baxter Dawes discovers that he is having an affair with his wife. After Baxter is fired from his job at Jordan and Sons after an altercation at the factory he vows revenge on him. Paul wants to marry Clara, but learns that she is happy just to remain as they are. But then Paul's mother Gertrude falls ill on a trip to see her daughter Annie which has devastating repercussions for the family.

Paul visits Baxter Dawes in hospital after learning from Dr Jameson that he is seriously ill with typhoid. Clara reproaches herself for how she has treated her husband and cracks begin to appear in her and Paul's relationship. For Paul, he is still trying to come to terms with the news of his mother's terminal cancer diagnosis as he and Annie continue to nurse her. But as Gertrude continues to defy doctors predictions, Paul makes a terrible decision that he lives to regret.