Margaret meets Denise, the confident girl from two doors down who becomes her first friend in Portchester.

Margaret and Denise spend Saturday mornings considering records they can rarely afford, while Peter treats musical taste as a test.

A reconstructed diary entry about Margaret’s final day at secondary school and the uncertain gap before her first job begins.

Margaret learns the difference between official school procedures and the working knowledge Pauline has built over seven years.

A chance meeting in Fareham brings Margaret and Denise back into contact after eighteen years.

Pauline’s retirement prompts Margaret to consider her own working life while their friendship begins moving beyond school-office conversations.

Pauline takes Margaret to an Emsworth local history meeting where disputed dates and incomplete memories prove more interesting than the buildings.