Joe and Ginger, two working-class northern lads, arrive in London from an orphanage in search of a better life. They begin to look for somewhere to stay and visit their only friend in London, Ted. The door is opened by a haughty young woman, Rose, who claims to work for Ted. She turns them away saying that Ted is too important to see them.

In their ensuing search for accommodation Joe and Ginger are booted out of two hotels and decide against a seedy room in Kilburn. They spend the night in a laundrette and the next day set about finding work, but Joe isn't interested in the office work on offer at the Employment Office. Ginger doesn't find a job he's willing to do either, and the two of them drink away the night in pubs and clubs and spend their remaining money.

In a Covent Garden café in the early morning, Joe gets into an argument with a cockney and a fight ensues in which the two young men are overcome. When peace is restored the cockney buys them breakfast and introduces himself as Uncle Arthur. He helps them out by setting the two of them up to clean cars and windows.

Joe and Ginger meet up at the end of a successful day's work and sleep on the steps of the Albert Memorial. While they sleep, their day's earnings are stolen. On reporting this to the local police they are almost arrested themselves. Eventually, though, they are allowed to leave the police station and they go to Ted's in the early hours of the morning.

Joe pushes past Rose when she opens the door and there is no sign of Ted. Rose declares that she pays the rent herself and argues with Joe over his demands that he and Ginger live there. Rose knocks Joe out with a milk bottle. As Joe comes round on Rose's bed, Rose admits to him and Ginger that Ted is dead.

The three of them realise that the best way for them to survive is to stick together and they all stay on in the room. Joe and Ginger have succeeded in finding somewhere to live and their next challenge is to find some money.