Northport-on-Sea is a coastal resort town that has struggled to attract visitors in recent years. Fifty years ago, the town was a popular holiday destination that was also able to attract large numbers of day trippers on summer weekends and bank holidays. Now fewer and fewer come each year. Things may soon improve thanks to Northport council’s success in attracting grants to build a new purpose-built, state-of-the-art conference center with its planned 3000-seat auditorium, but this announcement has come too late for Barry Plummet and his hotel group, Northport Nights Ltd. After years of declining sales and decreasing profits in all three of his hotels in the town, Barry has had to admit defeat and has put his company into receivership.