reggie thompson, played by john rutland, lives in sheltered accommodation, along with ethel skinner (gretchen franklin). reggie and several other senior residents from prosper estate, are intending to go on a coach trip to clacton in december 1989 and reggie asks ethel to go along too. reggie is a bit of a cad and initially tells ethel that he can't commit to being her dance partner as he has too many other female suitors he doesn't want to disappoint. however, when ethel hears news that her former fiancé, benny bloom (arnold yarrow), has died, he chivalrously agrees to be her partner. ethel is very excited and she even shows reggie a saucy nightdress she had bought for the trip. she and reggie practise their dancing at the community centre for many months and they even perform their dance at the queen victoria's talent contest in october 1989, in preparation for the big event. during the trip reggie preoccupies himself with another woman, gladys, and spends most of his time getting extremely drunk with all of his friends. this infuriates ethel and she accuses reggie of "carrying on" with gladys, which he denies. however, ethel later finds him and gladys together and she furiously chases gladys out of the hotel while reggie follows in hot pursuit. reggie fails to show up for the dance competition with partner ethel, because he and gladys have checked out of the hotel and run away to be together.