The history of mr polly tells the bitter sweet story of an ordinary man with a big heart and big dreams who risks everything for a chance of happiness.set in kent in 1910, alfred polly lee evans is the owner of a bankrupt gentleman's outfitters, trapped in a joyless marriage to wife mitiam anne marie duff. A dreamer, rather than a do er, polly married a man woman he doesn't love and is in a business he neither likes or understands. Somehow life has passed him by and he's desperate for a way out.determined to ensure he doesn't make any more mistakes polly attempts to end his life but fails in a spectacular twist of fate. Convinced it's a sign to make a fresh start, polly leaves his old life behind and embarks on a pursuit of happiness with the delightful nancy julie graham.