Cradle to Grave

- Season 1

(2015)

In 1976 schoolboy Danny Baker lives in Bermondsey, London, with his family, the head of which is mouthy docker Fred, who has a line in selling stolen goods from the docks and trying to fiddle the electricity. Impressed by sister Sharon's boyfriend Colin's dress sense Danny bribes an older boy to lend him his flashy trousers to try for a date with the desirable Amanda but this inadvertently leads to the death of a friend and the loss of the trousers. Long-suffering mother Bet stops Danny from having sex with girlfriend Yvonne but Fred is surprisingly tolerant before ...

Bet is becoming increasingly frustrated by Fred's ventures - such as temporarily getting rid of her washing machine in order to accommodate a freezer full of boxes of haddock to sell. To make her happy Fred takes her for a caravan holiday, where they discover that several other families have been sold the same holiday, resulting in the caravan floor collapsing. An evening at a charity dinner dance is also a disaster whilst Danny and his friends get drunk, leading to one of them being arrested for attempted bank robbery.

Whilst doors are closing for Spud and the dockers, Danny witnesses the dawn of a new era.

Whilst Spud wonders how to make his daughter's wedding dreams come true, Danny's loyalty to the school football team is tested.

Danny finally gets to enter the dark room with Miss Blondel but there is no passion, leading to extreme measures - such as leaving school without telling his parents - to date her. His father takes voluntary redundancy from the docks to become a rag and bone man but for once his efforts to earn a little money on the side do not succeed.

Fred persuades Shaky Young, an escaped convict who has been hiding in his sister's loft for fourteen months - despite having only three left to serve - to attend his brother's funeral as Fred sees a financial opportunity for himself in it. Bet befriends a lonely co-worker whose wife has left him whilst Danny's night of passion with Miss Blondel is thwarted when brother Michael brings home a live hand grenade.

Rejected by Miss Blondel Danny hopes to make ex-girlfriend Yvonne jealous by posing as singer Davis Essex's brother but still keeps his secret from his parents whilst Fred lands a job as a commissionaire at an office block but quits after a day and, high on LSD brother, Michael nearly puts his eye out and ends up in hospital. With all this to contend with no wonder Bet decides to walk out and go fishing with work colleague Keith.

Bet is back home but refusing to talk to Fred and gets a call from Keith, suggesting she runs away with him. At Sharon's wedding reception Bet recalls her courtship and early married life with Fred and her growing awareness of his dodgy deals, which land him in jail. However, after paying for a lavish honeymoon for Sharon Fred knows just how to win Bet back whilst Danny discovers that he only needs to be himself to impress Yvonne.