England, 1940. With Adolf Hitler and his henchmen goose-stepping around and ranting for the Fatherland on the far side of the English Channel, the villagers of Little Hope in deepest, darkest Yorkshire, are doing their very best to Keep Calm and Carry On. It isn't always easy, what with evacuees, air raids and a general shortage of knicker-elastic. Sometimes even the stiffest upper lip is wont to tremble.

But help is at hand! Enter Mrs Hilda Ffinch, horrendously bored and terribly rich lady of the manor who takes it upon herself to step into the role of Agony Aunt for the local newspaper.

Unshockable, unshakable and completely devoid of any tact whatsoever, Hilda soon has the villagers flocking to her banner as she dishes out her own unique brand of gin-fuelled advice.

What in the world could possibly go wrong?