East of Ipswich

On a seaside holiday in the fictional Suffolk town of Easton, 17-year-old Richard, played by Edward Rawle-Hicks, resents the deck chairs and the strict meal times at the Tregarron guesthouse, where Miss Wilbraham Joan Sanderson runs a very traditional establishment. Meals follow a rigid schedule, and the whole place feels formal, even as Richard finds himself drawn into the small-town rhythms around him.

Richard befriends Edwin, a boy eager to chase girls, who takes him under his wing. They attend a beach service organized by the local church youth group, and afterward share a brief moment with the minister’s twin daughters.

That evening Julia Oona Kirsch agrees to a date with Edwin, but only if Anna Pippa Hinchley can join them. Edwin persuades Richard to join the quartet, and they pretend to head to the youth group’s Sausage Sizzle, but instead head to a local jazz club.

Anna attempts to sneak away with local bikers, Tip Tipping and Wayne Michaels, and Richard gives chase. Anna rides off on the back of one biker’s machine while Richard climbs onto the other. The ride ends in the sand dunes, and the two teenagers tumble into each other’s arms. Richard is embarrassed, but Anna finds the moment amusing. In the fray, Richard discovers a condom he had taken from Edwin’s room.

Julia and Edwin fetch help, and Richard’s mother Pat Heywood, Richard’s father John Nettleton, and the minister Roger Brierley hurry to the scene. A passerby dog-walker stumbles upon them as it becomes clear that Richard has experienced his sexual initiation. The adults intervene just in time to end the situation, and all families decide to cut their holidays short and head home.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:38