Jim Dixon has accidentally fallen into a job at one of Britain's new redbrick universities. A moderately successful future in the History Department beckons if he can survive the probationary year. Not the least of his problems is the necessity to keep in with his eccentric Professor Welch, who although detested and despised by Jim, has sufficient influence in the faculty to affect the continuation of his appointment. But first Jim must survive a madrigal-singing weekend at the Professor's, deliver a lecture on "Merrie England", and resist Christine, the hopelessly desirable girlfriend of Welch's awful son Bertrand.