Trevor and Joe Purvis are miles away from their native North East working on a site in Brighton for local building developer Nick Costello. Joe has become involved with Viv, the site architect where they are working, while Trevor has caught the eye of Clare Costello, Nick's younger sister. As they talk on the bus home from work, Trevor is keen that they should restart Purvis and Purvis, their building firm, but Joe is reluctant. Meanwhile Trevor is working on a conservatory for local couple Pippa and Geoff Marriott as a way of earning a bit of cash on the side, despite the fact that due to problems at Geoff's work they might have problems paying him. Nick Costello turns up unexpectedly at the house and is furious to discover that Trevor has stolen the Marriott's conservatory contract from under his nose. Keen to nobble any competition, he gets Trevor sacked from the building. The next morning a furious Joe charges into Costello's office for a confrontation, but instead of Nick he meets

The conversion has started and Viv has moved her office into the school to be on the site at all times, while business is booming as the Marriott family offer Trevor another contract to convert their loft. Nick Costello meanwhile is working behind the scenes trying to stir up bad feeling against his new competition by telling Geoff Marriott that the school conversion Purvis and Purvis have started round the corner is going to be a nightclub. Joe and Trevor even have problems trying to hire a skip or get them emptied. So, when the skip outside the Marriott's catches fire, Joe proves his worth, both to the Marriott family and to Viv's young son Sam when he saves Pippa Marriott from a potentially fatal accident when her car gets caught in the blaze. Meanwhile Joe comes to blows with Nick Costello over the so-called accident, while Trevor shares his first kiss with Clare, and Simon starts dating the Marriott's young daughter Becky.

Pippa and Geoff feel that they are suffering at the hands of the Purvis' incompetence. The electrics are blown, their house robbed while they are out at dinner, and they fear that their daughter is being taken advantage of by Simon. While Trevor is on his first date with Clare, Nick sets Trevor up by planting the Marriott's stolen goods in the back of their transit van, which Trevor has turned into a love nest - but was Clare involved? Simon and Joe are cleared of the robbery, but Trevor is thrown into jail. Meanwhile, Joe is falling for Viv. They share an explosive night together but the moment is ruined when Viv suggests that they bring her ex-husband in to help with the plans for the school.

Clare, convinced that it was her brother Nick that set up the burglary to frame Trevor, decides to leave him on his own to manage the business. As Clare arrives to tell Trevor of what she has done, she bumps into Karen, Trevor's ex-wife who has arrived to announce that she is leaving for Canada with their son and her new boyfriend Andy. Joe's efforts to get Trevor out of prison go wrong when he presents the papers for the van to the police, only to discover that the van has been involved in at least four other burglaries. Viv's ex-husband Richard arrives in Brighton, and from the start he and Joe compete for Viv's affections. Simon and Joe start work on Viv and Lizzie's house, and in an effort to make Viv jealous, Joe flirts with Lizzie. Meanwhile, Simon (pictured above due to demand!), Becky, Martha and Tom plan to have a party in the school to make some money and pay of Simon's long standing debts to Joe. But Simon gets a shock at the party when Tina, his girlfriend from Newcastle tu

The night after the party - Trevor is released from jail, while Joe and Lizzie wake up together. Viv refuses to believe that nothing happened and decides to get away from Joe. Despite Joe's protestation of his love for her at Richard's instigation, she takes a job in London. After discovering that Simon was two-timing them, both Tina and Becky plot their revenge by pretending that Becky is pregnant. After his initial panic, Simon shows a mature streak and he decides to do the proper thing - propose! Trevor moves into a houseboat with Clare and gets carried away with ideas of children and growing old together. Clare however lets her feelings be known and tells him to slow down. Bill, Trevor's inmate, is now part of the team at Purvis and Purvis who need all the help they can get after discoveries of asbestos and overdue loans. They decide to show off the only finished flat in the school at a cheese and wine evening. Everyone rallies round and the evening goes well, until a struggle betw

Becky tries to apologise to Simon for her cruel joke, but Simon is affected by Tina and Becky's prank and shows the first signs of growing up. Richard takes Sam to his cottage (his pride and joy), a listed building and the first concrete house in Britain. Richard is excited about the forthcoming interview and pictures of the house for a magazine. Meanwhile, Richard and Nick join forces to try and put the Purvis brothers out of business. As a result, the bailiffs arrive, the bothers lose Irma and they end up sleeping rough on the floor of the school. As they lie there however, they plot their revenge against Richard and Nick. When Viv finds out what Joe has done to get his revenge she is won round, telling him she has returned for good - if Joe still wants her. But Clare feels that Trevor hasn't told her the whole truth, and the love boat springs a leak!

Things are looking rosy for Joe and Viv, and they even discuss the possibility of a joint business - Purvis & Casey, much to the consternation of Trevor who feels he is being cut out. But on the business front Joe is concerned about some shady goings on with the sale of the flats, and his uncle Alan arrives to take control of the situation. Despite all the pressure from their families, Trevor and Clare are reunited, and Trevor proposes. He tells Joe of his marriage plans, but does this mean the end of Purvis & Purvis? A shock is in store when it is revealed that it is Uncle Alan who has bought the flats and sold them on at a huge profit. Following a mammoth row with Uncle Alan, Joe wants to walk away from everything including Viv, declaring that he has nothing to offer her or anyone else. Things aren't going so well in the Marriott household either as Geoff is suffering from acute depression - a perfect end to a perfect day.

Joe brings Auntie Maureen (Uncle Alan's wife) down from Newcastle, where she discovers Alan in bed with his mistress. By threatening divorce Auntie Maureen gets the Purvis brothers the money that Alan has tried to cheat them out of. Viv meanwhile, cannot understand why Joe wants nothing to do with her, especially when she feels that he is trying to 'pay her off' with the money he gets from the flats - but independently of each other they investigate the same derelict property to develop..... Nick is alarmed at the thought of having Trevor as his brother in law, and fed up with Joe poaching his workers. He decides to take revenge and hit them where it really hurts - by destroying Irma. With the school conversion over and the summer season ending, will Joe and Trevor make Brighton a permanent home?