In a small Victorian fishing village on the coast of Yorkshire, we meet the working-class Hardacre family: easy-going Sam and eldest son Joe are dockers, while his fiery wife Mary, rebellious daughter Liza and formidable mother-in-law Ma are fish gutties. Their youngest son, Harry is the brightest of the bunch. He has cerebral palsy and still attends school. Despite the relentless graft of dock work, made only harder by their odious boss Mr Shaw, the Hardacres are the heart of a loyal and decent community, surrounded by friends with indomitable spirits.
But after an unfortunate accident befalls Sam, the family lose their jobs at the docks and must race to find work elsewhere– or else end up on the street. Mary, Ma and Liza venture to the gilded halls of country estate Thornton Hall in search for work but are met with judgement and doors slammed in their faces. Ma leads Liza down a risky path, much to her mother's chagrin, but Liza soon finds that the smuggling life isn't as romantic as it sounded. Meanwhile Joe is wracked with guilt for a decision made on the docks.
Faced with destitution, resourceful Mary comes up with a novel business idea and the family manage to turn their fortunes around. The Hardacres' new business prospers and thanks to the financial advice of the charming Mr Saunders, they make what turns out to be a very lucky investment. The family find themselves rich beyond their wildest dreams with the chance to move into one of the finest houses in the county. But are they ready to leave the docks and their community behind?
