This dramatisation was first seen at the Polka Theatre in 1999.

For her Victorian history project, Charlie hits upon the idea of writing the diary of Lottie, a young Victorian serving girl.

When her mother, Jo, loses her job as a shop manageress and starts work as a cleaner, Charlie's previously happy and comfortable lifestyle is threatened, and she finds that her own hardships and struggles are not so different from Lottie's.