Plot summary

There are two weeks left in the British summer holiday season. Coastal resort towns like Roxham survive by the throngs of summer tourists, largely shutting down in the off-season. Steve Taylor--Tinker to his friends--knows the routine better than most; he's a tourist photographer. He heads an unofficial group of lads who work "the system" as they call it. He uses his photographer position to take photographs and get the local addresses of potential female conquests for the week, this information which is shared among the group. They fan out on the weekend to the social gatherings where the females would be congregating before settling on their choices for the week. They do whatever they must to get the chosen into bed, these conquests eventually leaving Roxham with the promise of "a future" that will never happen. As he has settled in Roxham, Tink, during the off-season, has sexual relationships with local women--some married--who he largely ignores during the tourist season. This week, Tink initially sets his sights on a mysterious woman seated in first class on the train. However, Tink eventually hooks up with Nicola, a model and part of the upper class. Unlike his other conquests, Nicola knows about the system and enters into the week with Tink with her eyes wide open. As the tourist season comes to a close, Tink and Nicola come to a resolution which was foreseen by only one.—Huggo