The saga of Manchester lad Joe Henshaw, a story that takes in family life, the trials and tribulations of the Labour movement and World War Two
Created by
Jim Allen
Network
BBC Two
Status
Ended
Type
Scripted
First Aired
1983-09-07
Last Aired
1983-10-12
David Threlfall
Joe Henshaw
Gilly Coman
Irene Kilbride
Brenda Fricker
Kitty Henshaw
Karen Meagher
Peggy Henshaw
James Ellis
Jim Larkin
Caroline Hutchison
Sarah Goldman
Peter Kerrigan
Fred Pawsey
Niall Buggy
Father Healy
Tony Westrope
Martin Kilbride
Rita May
Martha Kilbride
Dave Hill
Dennis Kilbride
Christine Hargreaves
Lizzie Scanlon
Bill Dean
Billy Eccles
Peter Martin
Danny
1. Episode 1
55m
A bare-knuckle fight on a patch of waste ground. A hard, bruising, savage battle between Welsh Dave and Jim Larkin - who is watched and hero-worshipped by his grandson, the 13-year-old Joe Henshaw. But Joe's childhood is soon to come to a shattering end.
2. Episode 2
1983-09-14
The war is over, and in the General Election the Labour Party has swept to a colossal victory. Joe Henshaw , home on leave, joins the VJ night celebrations.
3. Episode 3
1983-09-21
After demob, a restless Joe Henshaw returns to Collyhurst. The Kilbride family is in trouble - Martin is still in Strangeways, Martha is badly in debt and Irene has disappeared. Joe sets out to find her
4. Episode 4
1983-09-28
A dispute on the site, and the employers bring in scab labour. The attempt to make the strike official involves Joe once more with Sarah
5. Episode 5
1983-10-05
The strike going badly; a sudden illness; and a career taking off. Joe is learning fast, but the lessons are uncomfortable ones.
6. Episode 6
Joe is torn between Sarah's ambitions, Pawsey's idealism and Martin's schemes for making money. But it is to be through his grandfather that he makes the significant discovery.
