This film depicts working-class life in South London in the 1960s centering on three young women, sisters Rube and Sylvie and their friend Eileen, but without a conventional narrative arc. Adapted by Nell Dunn from her book of short stories, the film, like the book, takes an episodic approach. We first encounter Rube, Sylvie and Eileen in the pub where they meet, chat up and are chatted up by three young men Terry, Ron and Dave. These relationships evolve through the film. For example, later we see Rube and Terry negotiating sex, Rube having an abortion, the two of them arguing and finally Terry dying in a tragic motorcycle accident. Eileen seduces Dave and continues her relationship with him throughout the piece, despite finding out he's married and even after he's imprisoned for burglary. We see less of Sylvie and Ron but she's shown singing 'I want to be loved by you' to him in the pub. A range of other people and events appear and most of these are about creating a feel for the characters' life-world rather then creating a plot. They include the Tally Man who sells door to door under exploitative buy-now-pay-later arrangements and discussions and dancing over work and lunch at the sweet factory where the girls work.
—Heather Mendick