paul priestly, played by mark thrippleton, is a builder, who came to london with a building firm he worked for, then decided to go it alone. he finds work around the square – the money isn't great but there are benefits – for instance, julie cooper (louise plowright) discusses his building estimates while sharing a bed with him. he is a ladies man and a heart-breaker, as sixteen-year-old diane butcher (sophie lawrence) discovers. when their relationship grows too serious, he flees and a devastated diane runs away from home shortly afterwards.