The privately educated Brenda, aged 32, is more reticent and strives to avoid confrontation: she was previously married and lived in rural Yorkshire, but has left her husband and moved south.

The two live together in a dismal bedsit, sharing a double bed, although Brenda insists on a barrier made up of a bolster and books to separate their respective halves.

A works outing has been proposed by Freda (with hopes that it might provide an opportunity to seduce Vittorio), and approved by Paganotti, who has donated four barrels of wine.

However, on the appointed Sunday in October, the van supposedly booked as transport is unavailable (surreptitiously cancelled by Vittorio, who wants to discourage Freda's attentions).

The only transport therefore comprises Rossi's Ford Cortina and the Mini belonging to Salvatore, one of the workers, which means that the number of those who can go on the trip is limited to 9 (including Freda, Brenda, Vittorio, and Patrick).

The other members of the party are still unaware of the incident, and so Freda's body is bundled into the back of the Cortina under the pretence that she is drunk, and the cars proceed as planned to Windsor Safari Park.

The cars return to London, where Freda's body is placed in an upstairs storage area in the factory: the occupants of the Mini now become aware of what has happened.

A BBC sponsored film adaptation was planned in 1991 starring Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders with a script by Alan Plater, but the project was never made.