- This is the tale of industrial strife at WC Boggs' Lavatory factory. Vic Spanner is the union representative who calls a strike at the drop of a hat; eventually everyone has to get fed up with him. This is also the ideal opportunity for lots of lavatorial jokes...—Simon N. McIntosh-Smith <Simon.N.Smith@cs.cf.ac.uk>
- They all go on a outing to Brighton and discover the hotel kitchen staff are also on strike so they all go on the pier and get hammered, WC Boggs finds himself in miss witherings bed naked and cant remember a thing and his son Mr Lewis Boggs marries Sid Plummer's daughter Myrtle Plummer.—katy lou
- In bathroom ceramics factory W.C. Boggs & Son, the traditionalist owner W.C. Boggs (Kenneth Williams) is having no end of trouble. Bolshie and lazy union representative Vic Spanner (Kenneth Cope) continually stirs up trouble in the works, to the irritation of his co-workers and management. He calls a strike for almost any minor incident - or because he wants time off to attend a local football match. Sid Plummer (Sid James) is the site foreman bridging the gap between workers and management, shrewdly keeping the place going amid the unrest.
Prissy product designer Charles Coote (Charles Hawtrey) has included a bidet in his latest range of designs, but W.C. objects to the manufacture of such "distasteful" items. W.C. won't change his stance even after his son, Lewis (Lew) Boggs (Richard O'Callaghan), secures a large overseas order for the bidets. It is a deal that could save the struggling firm, which W.C. has to admit is in debt to the banks.
Vic's dim stooge Bernie Hulke (Bernard Bresslaw) provides bumbling assistance in both his union machinations and his attempts to woo Sid's daughter, factory canteen worker Myrtle (Jacki Piper). She is torn between Vic and Lew Boggs, who is something of a playboy but insists he loves her. Vic is disgusted when Lewis tries to lure her like he has lured all his other conquests. In retaliation, Mrytle shows favors to Vic in front of Lewis.
Sid's wife is Beattie (Hattie Jacques), a lazy housewife who does little but fuss over her pet budgie, Joey, which refuses to talk despite her concerted efforts. Their neighbor is Sid's brassy and lascivious co-worker Chloe Moore (Joan Sims). Chloe contends with the endless strikes and with her crude, travelling salesman husband Fred (Bill Maynard), who neglects her and leaves her dissatisfied. Chloe and Sid enjoy a flirtatious relationship and are sorely tempted to stray. Unusually for Sid James, his character is a faithful husband, albeit a cheeky and sorely tempted one.
Sid and Beattie find that Joey can correctly predict winners of horse-races - he tweets when the horse's name is read out. Sid bets on Joey's tips and makes several large wins - including a vital £1,000 loaned to W.C. when the banks refuse a bridging loan - before Sid is barred by his bookie after making several pay-outs.
Lewis convinces WC to sign the contract for 1000 bidets. The only hitch is that the order has to be completed in 2 months, which is a huge stretch. In order to cut down on manufacturing time, Coote makes a design modification by coming up with a single fitting that has hot water, cold water & waste-water controls on it. Vic, as the union leader opposes this new fitting as it leads to 2 out 3 people being made redundant. He leads the workers out of door when Sid fails to convince him to keep production going.
The strike goes on for 2 weeks, bringing the company to its knees, so much so that WC has to consider selling it. His secretary Hortense Withering vehemently protests & professes her love for WC, saying that never in these years has WC even pinched her bottom.
The strikers finally return to work, but it is only to attend the annual works outing, a coach trip to Brighton. A good time is had by all with barriers coming down between workers and management, thanks largely to that great social lubricant, alcohol. W.C. becomes intoxicated and spends the day - and it seems the night - with his faithful, adoring secretary, Miss Hortense Withering (Patsy Rowlands). Lew Boggs manages to win Myrtle from Vic Spanner, giving his rival a beating, and the couple elope.
After arriving home late after the outing and with Fred away, Chloe invites Sid in for a cup of tea. They fight their desires and ultimately decide not to have the tea fearing that neighbors might see Sid enter Chloe's home and get the wrong idea. At the picket lines the next day, Vic gets his comeuppance - partly at the hands of his mother (literally, as she spanks him in public) - and the workers and management all pull together to produce the big order to save the firm.
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