George Vance, curator of Aylesbury Museum, has always known that greatness would be thrust upon him some day. That day arrives and George sets out to change the world....

George Vance is the custodian of an agricultural museum near Aylesbury. One day he receives news that will change his, and the British, way of life for ever.

To the embarrassment of his family, George is behaving as if he ruled the world, but he is painfully ignorant about how to take his seat in the House of Lords.

The Vances' newly-inherited business, Noble Haddock Limited, is given a trial run on the beaches of North Wales but, in his thirst for power, George has paid scant attention to some of the important details in his life.

George meets the Criccieth Chamber of Commerce, believing them to be as Welsh as he is. Will Robert and Clementine think he is worth saving from himself? Or, like the rest of the world, will they try to pretend he doesn't really exist?

George visits Ynys Enlli and stays a little longer than he intended. Eventually, he manages to get his family to listen to the draft of his maiden speech. But why were they trying to avoid doing so in the first place?

The Vance family get George to smarten up for his debut at the House of Lords. Needless to say, he enters into the spirit of the thing with his usual insane vigour.