Fri, Nov 11, 1983
Geordies Dennis,Oz and Neville travel to Dusseldorf for brick-laying work,meeting along the way Barry,a motor-bike riding electrician from Wolverhampton. They refuse to give cheeky carpenter Wayne a lift in Oz's car but it breaks down on the autobahn and Wayne goes whizzing past them,having hitched a ride in a lorry. On the site they meet West country man Bomber but there is only work for two brickies so Neville claims to be a carpenter. However he has an accident with the saw and decides to return to England. A night on the tiles soon changes his mind when he wakes up to find he has acquired a tattoo that states 'Lotte',the night before.
Fri, Nov 18, 1983
Neville is about to be sacked for his lying but becomes a hero when he raises the alarm after seeing an unexploded bomb,unearthed by the diggers. He befriends Helmut Fischer,a German co-worker,and meets his family,the father having fought against Neville's father in the war. Oz's tactless remarks about the British winning the war land him in trouble and he is dismissed but the Germans actually go on strike in order for him to be reinstated. Liverpudlian Moxey joins the work-force and is welcomed with open arms because he is the only one of them who owns a darts board.
Fri, Nov 25, 1983
Oz's wife Marjorie learns of her husband's whereabouts from Dennis's wife and writes to ask for money. Oz,unhappy that she tracked him down,returns the letter as Not Known at This Address. When the wages belatedly arrive Dennis and Oz go to watch Sunderland F.C. play a football match and Oz gets drunk,ending up on the plane back to Newcastle with the Sunderland fans. On hearing this the others send his wages to Newcastle. He is not amused because he has returned to Germany and he and the money have passed each other on the way.
Fri, Dec 9, 1983
Bomber hears from his wife that their teen-aged daughter Tracy has run away from home so he returns to Bristol to look for her, though in the mean time she turns up in Dusseldorf and the lads hide her in their hut whilst they alert Bomber to return. She tries it on with Wayne but,after he has turned her down,admits she does it for the attention. Later Neville is discovered moon-lighting at the local Indian restaurant.
Fri, Dec 16, 1983
Neville is arrested and charged with assault after a woman he walked home from a club is beaten up but the British and German workmen all join in to raise the money for his bail before his wife Brenda flies out to see why he did not phone her. Dennis remembers that the girl had a big row with her boyfriend and he and Helmut track down the real culprit,proving Neville's innocence - though he is still at pains to keep his tattoo from Brenda.