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Adapted from a stage play by Curt J. Braun, the film takes place in a mid-sized German industrial town. When the local factory closes its doors, the townsfolk are thrown into confusion and dismay. The story concentrates on a dozen laid-off workers, relating their individual life stories and detailing their hopes, aspiration and fears.

Bet leaves her flat and goes out. She calls at The Kabin but Mavis, in the middle of doing the VAT return, tells her that Rita isn't available as she is with Len. Bet has no option but to return home. Deirdre has calmed down and can't contact the doctor to find out if her test is definitely positive. She and Ray look forward to being parents but he insists that she gives up work and that they need a bigger place to live in. He's calm but happy at the prospect and she admits that she's chuffed too. Rita tells Len that her proposal comes from Harry Bates. He's got a divorce and fancies marrying her and she fancies him too. Len tells her he can't advise her as it's a personal matter to her. Harry is now a site foreman and marriage will give Terry a settled home. Len doesn't think she'll go through with it. Bet returns and calls on Tom Russell. She invites him round to share a half bottle of whiskey. Ray returns home with a celebratory drink to the news that the doctor has rung to say it was a false alarm. Deirdre admits she's disappointed as she got herself excited at the thought. They both feel a bit flat. Tom tells Bet about his dead marriage and how he wants to start trying to find romance again. She tells him that he has little chance of meeting a girl of his dreams and to go back to his family. Sat with Len, Rita starts to talk herself out of marriage, thinking that she's satisfied with all that she's got. Len tells her he never got married again because of sheer inertia but he's also happy with his lot. He asks her if she's definitely going to marry Harry and she shakes her head. Deirdre thinks of what might have been as Bet settles down for another night in bed alone.

The word spreads that Deirdre is pregnant. She puts the gossipers right. Len gets a phone call to say that someone is coming to stay and gets Hilda to tidy the house in readiness but he won't say who his guest is. Ray enjoys everyone buying him drinks before Rita tells them he's not going to be a father. Rita thinks Len is making the house tidy for her but it is Elsie Howard who arrives at Len's, suitcase in hand.

Auntie Edie goes away for a few days and Mavis doesn't want to sleep in an empty house. Emily invites her to stay at No.3. Ernie is annoyed as it's their fourth wedding anniversary. Ray tells Deirdre he's doing a foreigner but really goes to a charity stag night at the Gatsby Club with Alf. Ernie agrees to join them. Annie considers putting on a Mastermind competition. Ernie gets drunk and is used as a prop by a stripper. The brewery promise a prize to Annie. Deirdre feels sorry for Ray working not knowing he is catching strippers' bras. The Gatsby is raided by the police.

Alf considers resigning before he's sacked. Rita gives Fred tickets for the Gatsby Club. Ken shows Wendy off in the Rovers. Tricia realises she, Gail and Elsie will be evicted when Renee buys the shop. Alf takes a shine to Renee. Fred tries to build up courage to ask Rita out.

Stan's friend Wally Fisher arrives to be the escapologist at the party. Wendy doesn't feel part of the street's oneness. The street celebrates with clog dancers, a barrel organ and Punch and Judy. Ken takes care of special guest M.P. Geoffrey Hardcastle. Wally proves a success. He offers £5 to anyone who will try to escape from the sack and chains. Stan volunteers. Wendy leaves the party to meet Diana Kenton. Stan is let out of the sack when he can't breathe. He can't get out of the chains and Wally disappears. Wendy meets Roger.

Ken is surprised when Albert shows him compassion. Albert tells him he still cares what happens to him. Derek Wilton returns. Mavis is annoyed as he hasn't kept in touch but forgives him. They arrange a meal. Ken is angry and bitter as he loved Wendy Nightingale. He tells Elsie she can have No.11 back. Fred asks Rita out. She tells him that she's going out with someone else although she isn't. He gives her a pot plant. Derek has to work and cancels the meal. When Fred arrives to see if Rita's date's turned up, she pounces on Derek and passes him off as her boyfriend. Fred admits defeat.

The residents tell Ken that Albert doesn't encourage them to take an interest in his affairs so they don't. Albert goes off and Ken searches for him. Ken finds Albert at the allotment. Albert tells him the council are taking it off him because he's too old to look after it. Renee accuses Emily of reporting her as she's religious. Ken pays Albert's electricity bill. Albert tells him people don't give a toss about old folk. Ken tells Alf he's changed his mind - he wants to stay on. Gail tells Renee it was Tricia who reported her. Renee apologises to Emily. She tells Emily she only wants to make friends with everyone. Emily gives her advice on running a shop. Ken asks the men to help Albert on his allotment. Ray gives Annie a £25 deposit for the party. Deirdre finds out and is furious and tells him to get the money back.

Ernest chastises Emily for selling her wedding ring. Nellie delights in showing off her new car to an envious Annie. Albert remains determined to get his money out of Bertha.

Annie relishes a discovery about Nellie's driving instruction. Emily starts her new job as a hospital orderly. Bertha offers Albert an olive branch.

Annie's imminent first driving lesson earns much teasing from her customers. Elsie tells a disbelieving Gail about Roy's wife and children. Ernie feels despondent about his unemployment.

Elsie blasts Thornley for dragging Gail into his divorce. Hilda suspects some local lads of stealing her washing from the line. Fred organises a collection for hospitalised Ray.

Elsie disapproves of Sylvia sacking Gail on personal grounds. Fred, Alf and Terry get carried away by their good luck at the dogs. Ena criticises Albert for fleecing pensioners.

Fred hides his namesake greyhound from Annie in the Rovers' cellar. Renee applies for an alcohol licence. Elsie expects Sylvia to let Gail keep her job.

The girls continue to undress Ernie. Vera pulls his shirt off and he runs away in his string vest and underpants. Gail gets drunk and kisses Terry. He reads more into it, especially when she tells him she doesn't want him to leave the area. Annie refuses to lend glasses for the party as they got the drink from Renee. Terry asks Gail to go out with him as he'd like to settle down. She laughs at him and says she's only with him as there's no one else. He calls her a tart and slaps her face. Len is angry when Marie Stanton dumps him for Mike. Ernie's clothes can't be found so he has to wear denims. Annie test-drives the Rover 2000. Terry leaves for Lancaster, planning to join up again. Renee is upset at being on her own. Ivy and Vera give Ernie's clothes to Emily. She questions why the girls undressed him instead of Mike or Len. Bet goes to the party fearing Vera has her claws into Mike but finds him on his own. He gives her the key to No.5 as a Christmas present.

Gail is depressed as she's not doing anything with her life and people think she's a tart. Annie had to provide a blood sample in the police station. Annie discovers her car insurance is £200. She is annoyed as Kitty Stonely spreads the word round the Lady Victuallers about the breathalyser. Bet holds a house-warming. The residents are jealous of the modern house. Annie's blood sample proves she was below the limit. Mike arrives halfway through the party but doesn't mind. Len gets a letter from his son Stanley Fairclough saying he's coming up to visit with his fiancée.

Deirdre hides away at the flat, embarrassed about her false alarm. The dance at the Community Centre takes place. Marie sets out to steal Mike from Bet. Emily and Ernest spend the evening apart after a row.

More chocolates arrive for Albert. Hilda continues to feel ill. Annie threatens to sack her. Hilda tells Stan he'll have to stand in for her. Stanley Fairclough is annoyed at Len's flirting with the women. Stan intimidates the customers as he cleans the Rovers. Annie docks him £2 off Hilda's normal salary. Len tells Liz Brocklebank he'd like to hear Stanley invite him to the wedding. Annie refuses to give Hilda to rest of her wages as Stan did such a bad job. Hilda is furious to discover that Stan was only docked £2 and not £3 as he had told her. The chocolate company sends an official to The Kabin to investigate Albert's complaints. Rita is furious. Stanley tells Len he doesn't want him at the wedding. Ray is told that Deirdre has been taken into hospital.

Hilda has had enough of the Ogdens' misfortunes. Ray worries that he won't make a good father. Annie buys a shawl for the new baby but Betty tells her that Bet's already bought an identical one. Ray brings Deirdre and the baby home. The residents coo over the new baby. Annie has swapped the shawl for a Babygro, only to find that Blanche has also bought an identical one. Mavis suggests to Hilda that her bad luck could be to do with living at a house numbered 13 and Renee backs up this suggestion. Hilda tells Stan that she wants their door number changed to alter their luck.

Mike grows annoyed as Bet treats No.5 like a tip. Deirdre and Ray clash over the baby's name. Blanche wants her to be called 'Maureen'. Mike is furious when Bet hires Hilda as a cleaner to sort No.5 out. He tells her she is the housekeeper and should do the work herself. Emily walks out of the Rovers when she sees Ernie drinking with Thelma James. Ray registers the baby 'Tracy Lynette' behind Deirdre's back and the two of them row over it with Deirdre accusing him of being sly. Blanche's boyfriend, Steve Bassett, arrives and Blanche shows him off. Mike asks Bet to lay on a dinner party for a client and to get a woman for him. Blanche tells Deirdre that she only works for Dave Smith; they've split up. Emily warns Ernie that Thelma is after him. Bet is annoyed when she thinks Mike thinks she's a bit tarty. In revenge she asks Betty to join the dinner party.

Rita looks forward to Tenerife and her job at the Hotel San Antonio. Len worries that she'll never return. Bet goes flat-hunting. Len begs Rita not to leave. Hilda wants to get into No.5 before the Langtons but Stan doesn't want to move. Mike tells Renee he'll pay an extra £2 a week on top of Bet's offered £6 to let her have the shop flat but doesn't want Bet to know about it. Renee tells Bet she'll lower the price and Bet can move in. Bet is delighted. Mavis asks Len for Rita's job but he refuses to talk about it. Rita signs the singing contract. Bet moves into the shop flat. She unplugs the freezer in the shop instead of the heater by mistake. Len proposes to Rita and tells her he loves her.

Rita doesn't know whether to marry Len or go to Tenerife. Mavis tells Elsie about the proposal. Renee discovers the shop freezer stock, worth £100 is ruined. Elsie tells Len he's stupid to marry again and also tells him Rita is bound to accept. He convinces her he needs Rita. Renee makes Bet feel better by telling her she's insured. Mr. Nesbit, the insurance man tells her she's not insured as it was an act of carelessness. Len refuses to give Mavis the job of manageress at The Kabin. She is upset and resigns. Eddie sells off Renee's defrosted food. Bet offers to work in the shop when she can to repay the damage. Len gives Rita the engagement ring he gave her in 1974. She refuses to take it and tells him she can't marry him; he's three years too late. Vince Denton looks for Ken.

After a slight delay, Len and Rita become husband and wife in front of their friends and neighbours. Hilda whines about not being invited to the ceremony. Elsie is puzzled by the attentions of Ted at the reception.

Elsie gets the dress cleaned and gives the girls the bill. Fred agrees to take Mavis fishing at the weekend. He worries about being on his own with Mavis and gets Alf to join them. Deirdre wants to have Tracy christened, Ray doesn't see the point. Suzie and Gail entertain Rod and Kevin. Elsie is pleased when Ted Brownlow makes a date with her. She tells the girls they can't have the lads round. Ted provides expensive food for a meal with Elsie. They enjoy each other's company. Mavis gets Renee to make up a fishing foursome.

Alf, Fred, Mavis and Renee set off on their fishing trip. Deirdre refuses to listen to Ray over the christening. A hungry Suzie arranges a date between Ted Brownlow and Elsie hoping he'll bring food with him. Renee falls in the river. Mavis tries to rescue her and is pulled into the water, then Fred tries to retrieve his rod and also falls in. Ted arrives and takes Elsie alone out for Sunday lunch. Suzie is stunned. Reverend Copley, the vicar of St Luke's, tells Deirdre he won't baptise Tracy because the Langtons don't go to church.