Arriving in the idyllic little village of Little Stempington Joyce and Jeremy Hazledine believe that they have escaped the big city rat-race at last. This feeling is further enhanced when two of their new neighbours arrive with welcome baskets. However, the nightmare begins when Joyce accepts a seemingly innocent invitation from Camilla Diamond to tour the village and ends up blowing up the local Wicker Barn. Later, she gives a lift to another villager who offers her tea and explains the reasons behind the secret turf war between rival gangs of power-crazed housewives.