ðə stˈoːɹi mˌeɪks mˈʌtʃ jˈuːs ʌv flˈæʃbæks tə tˈɛl ðə kˌɑːnvəlˈuːɾᵻd stˈoːɹi ʌvðə ɹᵻlˈeɪʃənʃˌɪps bᵻtwˌiːn ɐ ɡɹˈuːp ʌv wˈɔːɹ vˈɛɾɚɹənz hˌuː lˈɪv ɪn ðə sˈeɪm kˈɔːɹnɚɹ ʌv lˈʌndən, ðə bˈækboʊn ʌvðə stˈoːɹi bˌiːɪŋ ðə dʒˈɜːni ʌvðə ɡɹˈuːp fɹʌm bˈɜːmɑːndsi tə mˈɑːɹɡeɪt tə skˈæɾɚ ðɪ ˈæʃᵻz ʌv dʒˈæk dˈɑːdz ˌɪntʊ ðə sˈiː, ɪn ɐkˈoːɹd wɪð hɪz lˈæst wˈɪʃᵻz.
The story makes much use of flashbacks to tell the convoluted story of the relationships between a group of war veterans who live in the same corner of London, the backbone of the story being the journey of the group from Bermondsey to Margate to scatter the ashes of Jack Dodds into the sea, in accord with his last wishes.