Bill and Isobel Logan earn a meagre living by selling their shrimps around the streets but Amy, their youngest daughter, hates the smell, which invites taunts from their neighbour Paddy Keagan. When Isobel dies, Bill marries Paddy's mother Suzie, a good-looking widow who is lazy and selfish. The Keagans move in and tension begins to mount. Amy is desperate to get away. She takes a room share in the city centre but Liverpool is in turmoil with strikes and riots, and life is hard for young girls. Furthermore, Amy's visits home are spoiled by the presence of the hated Paddy.