An enthralling romantic saga and a vibrant tale of illicit love, firm friendships and the indomitable character of the East Enders. It is 1959 and the Armstrong family - Jack, Laura and their daughter, Kay - are setting off on their annual hop-picking holiday. Far from the bustle of Stepney, the Kent hop fields offer hard work but fresh clean air and lively social gatherings around the campfires. But picking by hand is becoming a thing of the past as mechanisation takes over. While Jack leads the protest against the machines, Laura is otherwise preoccupied: will this mean the end of her seasonal love affair with the farm owner? And what of Kay who, on the brink of womanhood, craves adventure and creates turmoil when she and the handsome gypsy lad, Zacchi, meet in secret? As tensions grow between the cockneys and the local Romanies, it becomes clear that this summer will change lives for ever . . .