Annie is about to start her last year at boarding school in Abingdon when Uncle George, whom she barely remembers, shows up out of the blue. He is drunk and starts off on an elaborate confabulation about an event he has been witness to on Abingdon Bridge. His appearance in Annie's life will turn her life upside down and provide her with a seemingly endless source of entertainment. He has returned to his old stomping ground after a mysterious spell 'abroad'. He evidently has an intimate knowledge of all aspects of the town's life, its history and local characters and, above all, a thorough knowledge of the town's pubs. Annie, embarrassed by his behaviour in front of others, keeps her meetings with him secret. Uncle George is chronically incapable of sticking to the truth, but one of the few definite things one learns about his past is that his connection to Annie's family is more complicated than she suspected. But who exactly is this disreputable, loveable, but ultimately pathetic character...?