1974: Against the backdrop of a violent miners strike in their quiet Northumbrian village, a likeable teenage artist falls in love with the new girl from London, but their tempestuous relationship and attempts to escape cause him to betray his family, community and best friends; he becomes dangerously embroiled in the rioting of the strike. With attempts to reconcile them failing, he must choose between his old friends and his new love.

The Second World War is experienced through the journey of Private Cole, a dramatic study of the contrasting nature between the innocence of childhood and the reality of war, and the emotional struggle that accompanies it.