London Books

Annie Clark, determined to better herself, gets herself a job as a swithchboard operator and tries to lose her Cockney accent and ways. But it is the two men in her life - Harry Roberts and Tom Bates - who determine her future.

A tale of courge, warmth and grit, continuing the saga begun in old Father Thames. In turn of the century Southwark, times are changing. Traffic on the river is waning, replaced by the railways, and the mass of new inventions - the telephone, moving pictures, motor cars - is beginning to transform every day life. It's all change for the members of the closeknit community too, and some find it easier to adapt than others. Belinda is forgivingher way as an independent woman; Mary tries to find the courage to stand up to her mother; Fred faces the ultimate challenge when the docks go up in fire; Maggie driven by theloss of her baby, and Tom cannot escape his chequered past.