Postman Clive Peacock decides to rebel when his employers force him to take early retirement. Setting off on his bike, he determines to deliver his last batch of post by hand all over the country. The police are soon on his trail, while the media acclaim him as a hero. For Clive it is a journey of discovery, but he is unaware that back at home his wife is undergoing her own transformation.

It is 1970, there is World Cup and General Election fever. Marco, a wealthy Italian, has come to England to discover his true identity. Carl, a student, is torn between canvassing for the Labour party, watching the World Cup or going on a walking holiday with his girlfriend Ellie. Their paths cross in Preston library and the three take an epic journey across the Pennines.