Gibraltar House at Harmouth is a girls school founded in 1916 by the Misses Harriet and Matilda Pye.
Gibraltar House always catered for pupils whose parents were neither wealthy nor well connected enough to send their children to public school,
but would not have dreamed of exposing their little darlings to the horrors of the state school system.
Their academic status was doubtful, too, as a large proportion of the intake were 11-plus failures,
not bright enough to make it to the prestigious and historic Grammar Schools at the peak of the state system.
It is now 1958 and the school is now run by Miss Rowe supported by Miss Danvers the deputy head and fierce supporter.
Miss Rowe is a domineering social climber whose toadying to local dignitaries and hatred of the working classes is pulling the school down.
As well as favouring the odious daughter of a town alderman and demonising the bright daughter of the local beautician,
Miss Rowe wants to change the name of the school and remove the portraits of the founders from the hall, to be replaced by a ghastly daub of a modern painting presented by the alderman.
And in the tradition of Angela Brazil, it's time for action to be taken.
And in from the edges come the Misses Pye, Harriet, stately, piercingly intelligent and very witty, and Matilda as her loveable sidekick.