Synopsis/Details
In a struggling West Midlands town, Andrew Smith, known as HANDY ANDY, is in his fifties and trying to get his life back on track. The past few years have been a comedy of errors for Andy: his wife ran off with his best friend, and he lost his job after a petty argument over expenses with his pompous boss, MARK. Andy's two main flaws are being a pushover and not being able to resist a night out drinking. Despite all this, he's a jack of all trades and has aged surprisingly well, much to the delight of the local ladies, though he's blissfully unaware of their swooning.
Now jobless and broke, with his beat-up van in desperate need of TLC, Andy is taking on any odd job he can find. However, getting paid by the stubborn locals is like pulling teeth. When Andy tries to collect payment for some gardening work from WARREN, he’s told to wait. Things go from bad to worse when he accidentally pulls the door off his van in frustration.
While attempting to fix his van door, Andy strikes up a conversation with SADIE, an elderly lady who, after hearing about his financial woes, propositions him with £200 for a night of lovemaking. Tempted for a split second, Andy politely declines.
Andy’s friend JACK owes him money but insists they go for a drink first to relieve some stress. At the pub, Andy bumps into CAROL. They share a dream of owning a catering van and traveling the country. The chemistry between them is undeniable. As afternoon turns into night, Andy is having the time of his life with Carol.
The next morning, Andy wakes up in a bed that's not Carol’s – it’s Sadie’s. Horrified, he realizes that in a drunken blackout, he blew his earnings from Jack and ended up sleeping with Sadie. When Andy tries to claim £200 for doing the deed, Sadie insists the sex was consensual and demands money for her silence, giving him until the end of the day to find £300.
Desperate, Andy returns to Warren’s house with Jack and starts trashing his garden. Warren eventually agrees to pay. As Andy arrives home, his neighbours, who've caught wind of his escapade, nickname him "The Pacemaker."
Carol visits Andy to apologise for the previous night, it turns out that she rejected Andy’s advances as he was too drunk and she wants to take things slowly. As Andy simultaneously tries to piece everything together and keep his wild night with Sadie a secret, his neighbours’ taunts make it impossible. Carol inevitably finds out and, concealing her disappointment, tells Andy it’s time to sort his life out.
On her way out, Carol bumps into Sadie, who’s returning Andy’s watch. Sadie jokingly asks if she can come in, but Andy slams the door in her face as the neighbours all chant “Pacemaker”.
