John Thaw stars in this adaptation of Michelle Magorian's novel. The outbreak of the Second World War sees nine-year-old Willie Beech (Nick Robinson) evacuated from London and billeted with crotchety widower Tom Oakley (Thaw) in the village of Little Weirwold. Willie is a sad little boy who has not had a happy or easy life, but he and Tom gradually warm to each other, and a strong friendship develops between the pair. Tom is therefore saddened and upset when Willie's mother (Annabelle Apsion) unexpectedly summons him back to the capital at the height of the Blitz.