Margot Field

André Ripois, un français exilé à Londres, est un Don Juan. Sa femme Catherine, lasse de ses infidélités, part pour Édimbourg pour préparer son divorce. Pendant ce temps, André, entre plusieurs liaisons opportunistes, s'éprend de Patricia, une amie de sa femme, et, pour la séduire, utilise de nombreux stratagèmes, il va jusqu'à simuler son suicide par défenestration, mais il tombe accidentellement et reste paralysé à vie. Catherine s'imagine, comme Patricia, qu'il a tenté de se suicider à cause d'elle et renonce au divorce. Ripois devient, malgré lui, le « fidèle prisonnier » de sa femme.

Timmy Lea and his brother-in-law Sidney Noggett are working as entertainment officers at Funfrall, a typical British holiday camp. The staff are lazy and inefficient, preferring to laze by the pool rather than organise activities for the holiday campers. A new owner, Mr. Whitemonk, an ex-prison officer, takes over the camp and is determined to install discipline into the staff. He is on the verge of dismissing Timmy and Sidney; however, Sidney's suggestion of organising a beauty contest changes his mind.

At an end-of-term school play, Ozzie and his band join in with a hard rock contribution. However, this leads to the unexpected fame of the schoolboy rock group, and they find that there is a darker down-side to fame and being successful music stars.

'When I was your age I wanted to go to Italy more than anything in the world ... old buildings .. , sunlight. Blue skies ... the air full of the sound of bells in the morning and at dusk.' A mother, waiting for a visit through a hospital day, looks back on her life. Dreams haunt her, fantasies seduce her, memories crowd in on her, distorting the drab reality of her day to day existence. Must her daughter follow in her footsteps? How can she find a way to guide her towards a brighter future?