Whimsical tales of the Tollit family, who live in the picturesque Northern town of Sutton Moor. The husband, Len, is a soft-hearted, well-meaning chap who holds strong views on certain subjects and is fiercely proud of his working-class roots. But his determination to prove himself the equal of those who may consider themselves his betters often leads to confrontation and infuriates his wife, Pat. They have two children, the pre-teen Sean and the sexually-maturing Siobhan, who, at 15, is at that 'awkward age'. Living in the granny flat in their yard is Mr Bebbington, who had been Len's late mother's boyfriend but has remained with them for six months since her death. Pat constantly cajoles Len into getting Bebbington out but he is quite content to let him stay and treats him as one of the family. Len's brother, Morris, who lives nearby, is a spiritual man who comes across as half-hippy and half-witted.
After being made redundant from North Cheshire Lubricants, Len Tollit spends his redundancy cheque on a 4 foot television set and starting up his own business selling cell phones. However, as Pat points out, he first needs some phones to sell. Meanwhile, Morris has bought himself a boat.
Len attempts to put aside his problems with Bob Carling and his ilk for the future of Len Tollitt Cellphones. However, when Sean's football team reach the finals, Len finds that the rival team is sponsered by Carling and takes it upon himself to manage Sean's team to victory. Meanwhile Siobhan wants to go to Glastonbury with Troy for the Summer Solstice
The time has come for Morris to launch his lovingly restored boat into the canal. If only he can make his mind up about the name...and if only he had a licence... Meanwhile, Sean's gone off football and Siobhan has gone off Troy, thanks to him flying to Tenerife with another girl. Will a canal mad Swede called Jorgen help her get over her heartache?
Pat Tollit feels she's reached a crossroads in her life that only a role in the local am dram production of The Sound of Music can fulfill. However she soon sees that the grass isn't any greener for Celia, the leading lady who just happens to be Bob Carling's wife. Meanwhile Len's deal with Humspurt cellphones has reached a snag; specifically a faulty number 9 button on each handset.
It's time for the annual Tollit family holiday to Wales and Len isn't about to let a little thing like the campsite technically no longer being open for business get in the way of tradition. Whilst there, the family meet two familiar faces; Siobhan's druid biker ex boyfriend Troy who has come back from Tenerife keen to make amends and Morris, who hasn't been travelling around the world at all.
Len faces up to the fact that his cellphone business has failed and starts afresh as a landscape gardener with his brother Morris. Unfortunately, Sutton Moor Landscapes first job brings him back into contact with Bob Carling. Determined not to be outdone, Len enters the town's carnival float procession for local businesses. Using Morris' boat, he hits upon the theme of a viking longboat. But when Morris takes the wrong turning, it looks like the family won't get to join the procession - and the business elite - after all
