When Rachel qualifies as nurse, she does so because she wants to help others and make a difference. But she is also running from a past life that must stay hidden forever. Completing her training, Rachel moves to London but misses home desperately, so when she hears about an opportunity to train as a district nurse in a village near Rochdale, she seizes the opportunity, even though it will take her closer to the trouble she left behind. She knows nothing about Eastby End and she is shocked to find it a little more than a slum. It's clear she will need to work hard and keep her wits about her to win the trust of the villagers. Joss Townley has been reluctantly working in his father's factory but is appalled at the conditions the workers endure. When his father dies, he sells up immediately to begin travelling but is called home by his mother in an emergency - in order to save the family's fortune he must take on a house in a place called Eastby End. He has no idea what he has bought, and is appalled to see his new neighbours' misery and anger. A meeting with the mayor, Walter Crossley, gives him direction and focus for the first time in his life, and brings him into contact with Rachel.