It's the off-season at the lonely Beauregard Hotel in Bournemoth, and only the long-term tenants are still in residence. Life is stirred up, however, when the beautiful Ann Shankland arrives to see her alcoholic ex-husband, John Malcolm, who is secretly engaged to Pat Cooper, the woman who runs the hotel. Meanwhile, snobbish Mrs Railton-Bell discovers that the kindly if rather doddering Major Pollock, played by David Niven, who won an Oscar for his performance, a retired officer who likes to find out more...

Monika is a reckless free spirit when she meets Harry, together they spark immediately and their relationship swiftly blossoms into fully consummated love. An idyllic summer spent cruising the rivers on a boat is brought to a harsh conclusion when Monika discovers she is pregnant. Agreeing to marry the couple settle down to bring up their child, but what should have been a distant but warmly remembered first love deteriorates into a world of domestic drudgery and Monica reaches breaking point wh find out more...