Fifteen year old Matty Doolin lives at home with his parents in a city in the north of England. Although Matty is a big, strong boy he is very quiet and finds it difficult to talk. He is about to leave school but he is not sure what job he wants to do. Mr Funnell, Matty’s teacher, suggests that he works on a farm because he loves animals. However, Matty’s father wants him to become a ship-builder.
Matty is having problems with his parents. They will not let him go on a camping holiday with his friends Joe and Willie. They also want him to get rid of his old dog, Nelson, because he eats everybody’s clothes. One morning, Matty goes off on his own and returns to find that his dog has been killed by a car. Matty is very upset.
A few days later, Matty comes home to a big surprise. His parents have bought him camping equipment. He is going to camp on a farm in the hills with his friends. The farmer, Mr Walsh, is a friend of Willie’s father.