Teenage Charlie has always hero-worshipped his grandfather, who was one of the Battle of Britain pilots. But when he starts tracking down his grandfather's old wartime chums, he discovers that his hero belonged to the fascist Blackshirts before the war - and there are photos to prove it. His grandfather at first denies it, but Charlie is determined to get him to face the truth, though it nearly breaks their relationship. And Charlie has to come to terms with the fact that even heroes can make mistakes. He learns this again when a friend of his becomes pregnant, together with the fact that however much you want to be a hero, sometimes there's nothing you can do to help.