A girl grows up in the ‘pink buildings’ of Clerkenwell in 1950s central London. She is the fourth generation of her family to live in these artisan dwellings built for ‘the industrious poor’, which endured like a self-contained village in the middle of the city. Evading past poverty and overcrowding, her upbringing is enhanced by better living conditions, the NHS and a grammar school education, eventually becoming a teacher at her old primary school. Colourful individuals and fun-loving family members are celebrated as the lost world of old Londoners is captured through evocative scenes and anecdotes. This is Clerkenwell before becoming the fashionable district of today.