Social historian David Kynaston has opined that "the Gambols [inhabit] a frozen-in-time world closely mirroring the Applebys' own in Kingston-upon-Thames Surrey in the early 1950s".
[2] The two central characters are George and Gaye Gambol, a happily married, suburban, middle class couple.
George is the main breadwinner working as a salesman while Gaye is primarily a housewife, but she does occasionally take on part-time office jobs.
The stories revolve around the Gambols' everyday life, in particular Gaye's passion for shopping and George's attempts at home improvements.
As of 4 June 1951 - when paper rationing officially ended - The Gambols was featured daily in multi-panel format, and as of 1956 an extended three row strip was prepped for the Sunday Express.