Until now, Frankie Abbott's mother has kept the awful secret of his father private. But Frankie is growing up - even if he is 10 years late about it - and his questions finally reveal the skeleton in mum's cupboard.

With a bit of help from Craven, Dennis Dunstable tries to make his abusive alcoholic dad turn over a new leaf.

Dennis has to decide how to spend his birthday money, and spends it on a horse at an auction.

A road accident means that the Fenn Street Gang become shop-keepers.

Duffy discovers that running a small family business is not all beer and skittles. He can't even afford the beer!

Bowler, the local villain who "runs everything except London Transport", offers the out-of-work Craven a job. Craven's friends warn him about getting mixed up with Bowler, but he has never been one to listen to advice that didn't suit him.

The gang are delighted when the lonely Dennis Dunstable announces he has found a girlfriend. Then they meet the "girl" - battle-scarred and pushing 40. Sadly, it appears that Cupid may need a little correction . . .

Abbott's hypochondriac mother throws off her bandages when she falls for a man. Abbott's jealousy drives him from home, and he decides to inflict himself on Dennis. But Abbott and his mother deserve each other too much for the parting to be permanent.

Struggling to stay in business, Duffy needs, but cannot afford, some new ladders. Sharon enters a beauty contest to try to get enough money to buy them, but Duffy has strong views on beauty contests and Maureen has strong views on men who have strong views on beauty contests.

Working for the crooked Mr Bowler has brought Craven a flash car and flash clothes. Working for himself has brought Duffy packed lunches and overalls. Craven cannot resist showing off, but showing off with Bowler's money is not only silly, but also very dangerous.

At last Maureen passes her O-levels and begins a new career as a "real" nurse. Little do the patients and the staff realise what they are in for with the arrival of a modern-day Florence Nightingale gone berserk!

Dennis and Frankie find contact with the opposite sex difficult. With advice from Craven and Sharon, Dennis feels that dancing lessons might be a way of making friends. Abbott, of course, has a much better idea, an idea that could lead to disaster . . .

Mr. Dunstable has his last drunken row with his wife - who leaves him. So he decides to move in with Dennis. But Dennis, now making sweet, if slow, progress with his girlfriend, has other ideas.

Mr, Bowler likes Peter Craven working for him because he has "style". He very much wants Duffy on his payroll, too, because he has even more "style". Duffy says no, but Mr Bowler is a determined man who thinks anyone will change their mind - with a little persuasion . . .

Craven moves away from home and gets himself a flat - which he regards as a potential "come up for coffee and do you have to go home?" set-up. Then he gives a lift to a heavily-pregnant hitch-hiker, and his love-nest begins to look like a nursing home.

Sharon has been Eric Duffy's girlfriend since the Third Form at fenn Street School, and she is beginning to think that she will only be his girlfriend when they are drawing their pensions. This leads Sharon to take drastic steps. Eric only takes one step - but it's a big one.

Frankie Abbott is enjoying life on the dole, spending his days in bed and only waking occasionally to play with his new camera. This his mother meets private investigator Mr Drew and persuades him to re-employ her son.

When Dennis is persuaded to take a holiday by the sea, his father goes too and takes the cure. but, much to the horror of elderly residents of a certain hotel, the sea air revives the spirits in both father and son!

The gang go other-worldly when Maureen gets them interested in spiritualism. At a meeting held by Mr Grout, a local medium, he tells them that one of them could easily turn out to be a medium too. Abbott immediately assumes that he has psychic powers, but a surprise is in store for Maureen!

The relationship between Craven's parents consists of Mrs Craven yelling and Mr Craven obeying. So he decides to incite his father to rebellion, and succeeds - in splitting them up!

The writing is on the wall for Eric Duffy. What he needs to get his decorating business more firmly established is to put the whole thing on a more formal footing.

Duffy and Sharon's engagement is made official at last - so, of course, there has to be a party. What better time than now for the happy couple to have all their old school friends around them? Or is it?

Craven has been walking the tightrope of life too long, and naturally it is the idiot Abbott who makes him lose his balance. The question is - can Duffy provide the safety net?

Duffy has taken Craven on as first assistant painter, but their industrial relationship is soon put under strain. Something has to give, and it looks as though the result might be a rise in the unemployment figures.

Bernard still waits to start work at London University, while at home the bills keep on piling up. When a friend suggests a lucrative part-time job, he jumps at the chance but the kind of work involved makes him wished that he had looked before he leaped . . .