Every academic will recognise the plight of Bob Morgan, a young lecturer at a UK polytechnic in the early 1980s. The work is rewarding, but there are stresses in his job, the hours are long and his Head of Department is incompetent and possibly dishonest. Christine, his closest friend, contributes to his difficulties, and he also longs to be ignored by an elderly neighbour, his mother, a former girl-friend, one of his students, and a police sergeant (who suspects him of fraud)...