Working the night shift, Bernard Cooney and Trevor Purvis are ambushed and held hostage by a gang of masked robbers.
When he finds that the end of a film he's watching on video has been recorded over, Purvis is particularly anxious to get a copy from the rental shop and find out what happened.
On a particularly cold night, a homeless ex-soldier begs five minutes in the warmth of the security office.
It's Bernard's birthday and it seems that both his wife and his supposed 'friend' have forgotten. When he catches said 'friend', Purvis, bent over the sofa on top of a mystery woman, Bernard's frustrations get the better of him!
The company is undergoing substantial modernisation: compulsory redundancy of 'senior' staff, offices repainted in lilac, and new computer systems. None of which are welcomed by Bernard or Trevor.
After reading 'The Ecstasy of Sex', Bernard is looking forward to romancing his wife with an expensive meal and night out. Purvis, on the other hand, has tendered his resignation in order to follow his dream - and become a salesman of Bendy Wendy and Gary dolls.