Seven out-of-work construction workers from various parts of England who are forced to look for work in West Germany. They find work on a German building site in Dusseldorf but despite promises of hostel accommodation, are forced to live in a small hut that reminds them of a World War II POW camp.

1986 saw the boys reunited, initially to help Barry complete extensive building work on his new home in Wolverhampton. Dennis is working for a crooked businessman, Ally Fraser, to whom he owes money. Dennis encourages the rest of the gang to help renovate a country manor house owned by Fraser, Thornely Manor, but they end up falling foul of the locals. Fraser invites the boys to Spain to refurbish his swimming pool at his Spanish villa.

The characters now work as building subcontractors for the British Embassy after a building job in Moscow goes badly wrong and are given a tip off from a friend of Oz who tells them about specialised embassy work. The team are posted to Havana to completely refurbish the British ambassador's new residence. They also carry out some unofficial building work for Oz's Cuban girlfriend's family.