Kathy Leigh never knew her mother, who died many years ago in a freak accident. She is raised by her father, Albert, and her Aunty Win in 1950s' Blackpool. Albert Leigh loves his daughter, but has never fully recovered from the shock of losing his wife. He struggles to form and maintain relationships, hounded as he is by the devastating secret that haunts him. Time passes, and Kathy grows up, falls in love and marries her childhood sweetheart; what more could a girl wish for? But when her father dies, Kathy uncovers his shocking secret which threatens to blow their family apart.