Pretty and vivacious, Abbie Martin has grown up in squalor in a house off Scotland Road, one of Liverpool's poorest and most deprived areas. Abbie, the youngest of three children, longs to be loved and cosseted by her mother, Ellen. But Ellen cannot provide the love that Abbie needs. A drunk, she spends her weekends and evenings drinking with her eldest son, Billy, while Abbie and Sam huddle together under the stairs or take refuge with their next door neighbours, the Lewises. They become close friends with their children, Sandra and Peter. Abbie is jealous of the love that is bestowed on Sandra by Mrs Lewis and vows that one day she will leave Scotland Road, and Sam and Peter promise to come with her. Abbie grows up, and although she is vibrant and attractive, she pushes people away with her constant need for reassurance. Infatuated with Peter, she longs for the day when he tells her that he loves her. Sam, on the other hand, is courting Sandra, who falls pregnant. But Peter and Sandra have a secret - one that will destroy the friends' relationship should it become known. It's through her love of dance that provides Abbie with an escape. It's also through dance that she meets the dashing police constable Bradley Fisher, who falls in love with her. Has Abbie finally found the security and affection that she has been searching for all her life, or will she always be looking for love?