For more than a decade two East End families have been locked in a bitter war. On one side are the Mitchells a notorious underworld mob from East London's Canning Town. They have an iron in every fire & will resort to intimidation & violence to get what they want. When Stanley Smith's lovely young daughter Jessica announces that she is to marry Eddie the son of mob boss Harry Mitchell Stanley is horrified but too afraid to stand in their way. On the other side are the O' Haras. The Mitchells' biggest rivals are a travelling family who live in nearby Stratford. They compete with the Mitchells for pub protection & the two families hate each other. Caught between these two families at war are two innocent children who will grow up to love the wrong people & spark the last terrible act in the long-running feud. 1988 was a happy year in many people's lives. Some called it The Rave Year others The Second Summer of Love. For Eddie Mitchell & his family it is neither. 1988 is the year in which his whole dangerous violent world explodes around him.