Riff raff former jailbird stevie robert carlyle travels to london, finds work on a building site, and sets up home in an abandoned flat'. '.strtoupper('o')ne day he discovers a handbag in a skip and returns it to its owner, the would be singer susan emer mccourt'. '.strtoupper('t')he pair begin a romance, but susans drug use soon puts a strain on their relationship and an accident at work, caused by the building companys unscrupulous cost cutting, brings tensions to a head'. '.strtoupper('r')aining stones bob bruce jones is a religious but poor man intent on earning enough cash to buy a new communion dress for his daughter'. '.strtoupper('w')ith his loyal sidekick, tom ricky tomlinson, bob takes odd and sometimes ill advised jobs, like building a fireplace and stealing sheep, which he thinks will provide some quick cash'. '.strtoupper('b')ut bobs bad luck follows him everywhere in this working class town'. '.strtoupper('w')hen his van gets stolen, bob makes a disastrous choice that has him risk everything hes worked for and dreamed of'. '.strtoupper('l')ady bird herself a victim of an abusive and poverty stricken childhood, maggie crissy rock has proved to be an unfit mother, her four children having all been taken from her by governmental social workers and placed into foster homes'. '.strtoupper('h')er new relationship with the patient and kindhearted jorge vladimir vega brings a newfound stability to maggies life despite her self defeating behaviours, and when she learns that she is pregnant again, the couple decide to fight to keep their baby.