March 1997

Sunday 2 March 1997
A tense atmosphere gripped the residence of Frazer and Liz tonight as these two played an intriguing little game of cat and mouse with one another. Frazer moved first as he confronted Liz asking her in no uncertain terms what she had been doing snooping through his personal belongings.

Liz stood rooted to the spot with a look of stark fear on her face as Frazer's anger rose against her. She tried to explain that she simply wanted to know more about him seeing as they had been thrown together so suddenly. Frazer showed little sign of calming down immediately and it looked like Liz might be in danger of really getting on her new boyfriend's bad side.

Meanwhile in the Rovers, Jack was propping up the bar and accepting many a "wet the baby's head" type drinks from the customers. Amongst the other storylines involved around the pub Des seemed to be one at the forefront tonight. Des was essentially getting a lot of stick from Sean about his reluctance to do the parachute jump. He was getting unexpected support in his cowardice from the most unlikely of quarters, none other than Percy of all people.

Going back to Jack meanwhile he was making time with Don and the two of them were discussing the art of gambling. Jack professed himself to be the superior man when it came to placing bets and began by placing some truly ridiculous bets with Don about potential punters walking into the Rovers. Rather foolishly Don was taking up those bets as well.

In one corner of the Rovers, Alan took a phone call which meant he was to be called away on business much to the disappointment of Fiona who was enjoying a night out with her new reformed "honest" copper boyfriend.

Back at Frazer and Liz's flat things were slowly but surely calming down, Frazer was letting the matter of Liz's snooping settle but then the conversation turned on to the subject of trust and a new element was thrown into the situation. Frazer revealed he had discovered Alan's phone number in her jacket pocket when he was at The Hourglass.

Liz froze when Frazer asked her about the number which piqued his curiosity. She tried to pass the number off as a drunk customer trying it on but her shocked expression revealed that there was more to the number than that and Frazer pushed the subject a little more. In a deft bit of verbal parrying Liz retorted by asking Frazer why he kept the photo of his wife so prominently within a drawer in the living room. This threw Frazer off for a while.

We then discovered why Alan had been called away so suddenly, he was paying a night call to the house of none other than Frazer Henderson's wife. It would appear she was not as out of the picture as Frazer had led Liz to believe. She had been to Spain on a shopping trip and had returned home early. Alan had come to see her in an effort to prize some information regarding Frazer's activities from her. However she was keeping well and truly shtum and simply repeated that Frazer was merely a business man.

Alan was not stupid and being as he had information on Frazer and Liz he decided to use it. He explained the depth of Liz and Frazer's relationship he also embellished it a little by making out Liz was a younger woman. this rattled Frazer's wife and she decided to check things out by ringing Frazer's flat.

Meanwhile Judy Mallett needed time alone and decided to get it by taking Scamper for a walk. Gary as always was being his supportive self but Judy was adamant that she go for a walk alone.

Liz picked up the phone at Frazer's flat only to be greeted with silence, this was a god send for her as it broke up the tension between her and Frazer briefly. Frazer wanted to know who had rang them and asked Liz to 1471 the number. Upon discovering what it was Frazer's face dropped and he revealed it was none other than his wife. He then went about explaining that he had not been as truthful as he should about his marriage. He continued by explaining that he had lied about his wife because he feared never seeing Liz again however now that the truth was out his marriage was over and his future was with her. The two of them put their arguments behind them and agreed to set off on a more truthful basis. Frazer even went as far throwing Alan's number in the bin...or did he.

In the Rovers Des was still getting grief from everybody even Alan who had just arrived back. His mood was one of annoyance as he really didn't want to do the parachute jump. Strangely he was receiving more support from the like of Mavis and Derek. This was the last straw because he couldn't face support from his "enemy" and as a result changed his mind and opted to do the jump.

Don was by now very drunk and he and Jack were still playing the betting game. The arrival of Mike Baldwin only set to raise his ire and he professed to be going home. However upon leaving the pub he spotted what he believed to be Mike's car. Minutes later he wandered back into the Rovers with a mischievous grin on his face and the offer of a bet to Jack that would see Mike fuming with rage within a few minutes of leaving the Rovers and going to his car.

That plan was scuppered when Alma rang for a taxi explaining they had left the car at home tonight. Jack passed on this information to Don who promptly fled looking very worried as the real owner of the damaged car walked in looking for the culprit and the phone number of the police.

Judy came home from her walk to face a worried Gary who had been concerned about the length of time she had been gone. Judy had walked a fair way to relive some of her childhood haunts and places she and her mother had lived. The walk seemed to have done her good and set her mind at rest somewhat.

Meanwhile Frazer and Liz were set to go out for a meal and as Liz got dressed Frazer noticed that the number of Alan hadn't gone in the bin as he had aimed for but instead had fallen on the floor. He picked it up and stuffed it in his pocket. Obviously Frazer was keener to find out who this mystery admirer was than he had let on.

Monday 3 March 1997
Tonight saw young baby Brad settling into the Rovers although this did become something of an annoyance to Jack as it meant he was looking after the bar single handedly. Tricia was out and about doing things like registering the baby's birth. This meant Vera was keeping watch on Brad for the morning.

Alf and Audrey returned from holiday in Portugal with Audrey preparing presents for her nearest and dearest. Alf meanwhile got a surprise visit from the wife of one of the Weatherfield Comprehensive teachers who had been made redundant recently. She had come to crow about her annoyance at her husband's redundancy and also to make an accusation. She claimed Ken had kept his job because of an affair he had started with Sue Jeffers. Alf immediately jumped to Ken's defence and began making noises about slander after which she left the house.

Kevin lent his van to Gary Mallett to help him strip Joyce's old flat, the fact that it was Kevin's van being used upset Judy no end and there was more tears. She got over it quickly enough and apologised to her long suffering husband.

Speaking of Kevin and the garage there was a new face hanging around outside the premises. A young man who went by the name of Chris who was essentially looking for work as a mechanic. He was a little too scruffily dressed for many of the residents and most people immediately jumped to the conclusion he was up to no good. Especially Percy, he took offense at the fact that Chris was wearing khaki coloured clothing and claimed Chris was offending the name of British soldiers everywhere.

Chris approached Kevin and asked him for a job, at first Kevin was reluctant to have anything to do with the young man but when he offered his services for nothing for the morning Kevin decided to set him on for a weeks trial after seeing promising work from the youngster.

It would appear that Kevin's new assistant had led quite a chequered life as he had just returned from Africa working as a volunteer mechanic repairing Land Rovers that supplied food aid to refugees and the like. He had only come home because he had been shot in the leg. Hearing this in the Rovers later from Kevin shut Percy up by the way.

Audrey was showing disenchantment with Gail's new business partner in the cafe and especially the fact that he was the senior partner. Gail however loved the fact that Roy was putting Audrey in her place without realising it.

Frazer Henderson was acting very cagey around Liz tonight, he was sat at the bar with his right hand man Jerry and was essentially using the time to build an alibi for some activity of his that was going to take place later. Little did Frazer know that Alan had been gloating about an impending police victory in Fiona's salon that morning.

Alf came to see Ken about what had happened that morning and explained what had happened that morning. He asked if there was any truth in the rumours about him and Sue Jeffers. Ken the rotter denied everything.

The evening came and we saw Frazer and Jerry sat outside a warehouse in a car, obviously some sort of job was going down because Frazer was in contact with some dodgy types by radio. They were comprehensively stripping a warehouse of it's wares and loading up Transit vans. Frazer and Jerry were celebrating a smooth job when the place was suddenly swarming with a police presence. Jerry was panicked but Frazer kept a cool head. However Jerry continued claiming they had been shopped and the main culprit could only be Liz.

Wednesday 5 March 1997
Tonight saw things get a little heated between Liz and Frazer as he was counting the cost of the failed robbery. It was Gerry who we know as Frazer's faithful little lapdog who stirred up the water for Weatherfield's dodgiest couple.

Frazer handed Gerry Alan McKenna's number and told him to check it out and see if there was any connection to anyone who could bring down his criminal operation. Gerry confident Liz was up to no good went off to search for the numbers origin.

In the Street there was yet more friction between Judy and Gary as they argued yet again following Joyce's death. This time it was Gary's turn to walk out of the house in a temper explaining that he was fed up with being Judy's whipping boy. Later that day Judy would could confide in Sally about her worries for her marriage (minor methinks) and about how Joyce always longed for a grandchild.

There was some more gossip spreading starting in the cafe tonight as Dreary of all people let the cat out of the bag about Ken's relationship with Sue Jeffers. This soon got round to Audrey who as we know is about as trustworthy with sensitive information as Stan Ogden was left alone with a barrel of beer.

Gerry came back to the Hourglass and collared Frazer. His hunch had been right on the money as the phone number was confirmed as Alan McKenna's and the fact that he was a policeman was now public knowledge.

Frazer was fair simmering with rage and it was obviously time for a chat with his beloved. He decided to have a word with her in private in one of the back rooms. It was there that things looked like they had the potential to turn nasty.

He started by asking Liz about her connection to Alan whom she had claimed to be merely a punter trying to fix up a date with her. Liz was flustered by the situation and Frazer seemed to take this as a green light to get rough with his new girlfriend. He had her pinned against the wall and effectively begging Frazer not to hurt her.

In the end Frazer didn't hurt her but he did want the truth and Liz was by now only to eager to comply. She explained that she met Alan through Fiona Middleton and told Frazer about Alan's promises of getting Steve moved to safety in another prison. She swore blind that she had not furnished the police with any information about his dealings.

Frazer was clearly not happy but he was trying to take Liz's story on board. He wanted to trust her but obviously current circumstances prevented that happening. Anyway it looked like Liz was going to get out of this one unscathed for now.

Back in the Rovers Tricia was feeling the baby blues and watching the likes of Sean and Sam dressed up the nines getting ready to go out didn't make her feel any better. Elsewhere in the pub Liz seemed in good spirits as she sat down for a drink with a disapproving Dreary. The talk seemed to skirt around Frazer and how bad an influence he was on Liz's life. Liz put a stop to this though because she wasn't happy with Dreary criticism.

Alf walked into the Rovers only to be confronted with his wife gleefully gossiping away about Ken and Sue Jeffers. This prompted Alf to rush round to Ken's in a fury. He confronted Ken about his relationship about with Sue who happened to be eating a meal at Ken's house at the time. Ken was forced to admit he was seeing Sue and was in a relationship with her. Alf stormed off claiming to be feeling hard done by because Ken had lied to him.

Friday 7 March 1997
Starting off with Liz waking in an empty flat the day after Frazer's arrest. She was trying to contact Frazer but it was all to no avail as he was nowhere to be found. Liz was just settling into the idea of being alone when the door opened and Liz was surprised by a visitor. It wasn't her lover as she had hoped but none other than his wife.

Frazer's wife was in the vicinity to pick up a few bits and pieces from the flat which she claimed to be her possessions. Liz was immediately on the defensive around her and it showed. However Frazer's wife was not fazed by Liz at all as she had seen it all before over the years. In fact she tried to do Liz a favour by explaining that Henderson could something of a rough case when it came down to brass tacks. She claimed he had a history of being violent towards her and had took out his rages on her over the years on many occasions. This cut little ice with Liz as she refused to believe any ill of Frazer. Unfortunately for Liz Frazer's wife refused to explain where Frazer actually was. Needless to say he wouldn't be using the flat for a while.

Audrey was testing Alf on his highway code in preparation for his driving retest. Unfortunately for Alf his busybody wife couldn't stick to the subject at hand and kept asking about Ken and Sue Jeffers relationship. This was still a subject that caused Alf's blood to boil because he viewed Ken's "lies" about the relationship to be a betrayal of their friendship. He intended to resolve the situation as he had called an emergency meeting of the Local Education Council of which he was a member.

In the Rovers Tricia was still feeling the baby blues and if truth be told was feeling in need of a night out. Hearing about Sam and Sean Skinner's exploits and what seemed to be a busy social life that they shared only made her feel worse. Sally soon came to the rescue and offered her some fun on a night out.

Also in the Rovers, Alan was in somewhat jubilant mood following Frazer's arrest. This could mean a step up the promotional ladder for Alan as well. You only had to take one look at Fiona who was swooning at the bar to see that she was very impressed. The mood was broken by the arrival of Liz who and was still trying to find out where Frazer was. She was angry with Alan and told Fiona she might be better off dropping him.

That evening brought the arrival of Sean, Sam and Des's parachute training session. Des of course was all doom and gloom about the event from the start and insisted on chatting away like a naughty schoolboy while the instructor tried to educate her pupils in the art of landing safely. The time came for everyone to actually do a practice jump on to safety mats. Sam went first and landed perfectly and after a few more members Des did a sloppy but passable landing and last but not least we had Sean Skinner.

Sean jumped, landed and fell over howling in pain, he had apparently sprained his ankle. I say apparently because Des reckoned that Sean was using his ankle as an excuse to get out of the jump. He did end up going to hospital though and later would hobble into the overs on crutches.

The evening wasn't going to go well for Liz as she ended up having a row Dreary about Frazer. Dreary was of course doing her usual lecture about how damaging a relationship with Frazer might be. Liz took offense and stormed out of the Rovers.

Over at Ken's Sue Jeffers had turned up in a state of worry as she had just learned about the emergency meeting Alf had called. She reckoned that this meeting was akin to a court martial. Ken was all very relaxed about the matter until Sue revealed he was being called to the meeting as well. Things soon started to descend into the levels of an argument as Sue revealed that her motives for keeping Ken on at school had not been entirely professional. She revealed there were other teachers equally as capable as Ken which seemed to surprise him. In a mixture of hurt pride and blind panic about the ramifications of what could happen to their jobs Sue and Ken ended on a sour note in the midst of a blazing row.

Frazer's loyal lapdog Gerry turned up at The Hourglass looking for Liz claiming he had spoken to Frazer. Gerry reckoned Frazer had asked him to look after Liz in his absence. Hence Gerry turned up asking Liz to leave the Hourglass and close early. He reckoned there could be people with a grudge against Liz and it was time for her to be moved to somewhere safer. Liz swallowed this story and was about to get ready to go when the phone rang. The call was from none other than Frazer who was ringing Liz with a dire warning. Frazer told Liz to leave the Hourglass and get away as quickly as possible he continued by explaining that Gerry was in fact the threat in the situation and Liz was in danger being around him.

Liz ended the episode looking straight at Gerry across the bar with the expression of a frightened rabbit.

Sunday 9 March 1997
The episode kicked off where the viewers were left dangling in suspense on Friday. Frazer Henderson was in the midst of warning Liz about Gerry and his unpleasant intentions on the phone whilst Gerry was propping up the bar.

Tonight we got the climax to that little scenario as Liz knowing full well the danger she was in put the phone down. Gerry was still acting cool and was quietly ushering the remaining punters out of the bar. Liz meanwhile was formulating an escape.

The last two stragglers to leave were staggering to the door with the aid of Gerry when Liz accused them of not paying for thief last round. Gerry was going to be the one to get the money out of them and while he was preparing to get heavy handed Liz fled.

What followed was like Coronation Street meets The Terminator as Liz terrified out of her wits tottered quickly across the cobbled streets in her high heels with Frazer pursuing closely behind. It was a case of ducking and diving in and out of the side streets as Frazer gave persistent chase after his quarry.

Meanwhile slowing the pace down a bit was everybody's favourite alcoholic teachers. The arguments of the previous episode seemed to have calmed somewhat and glass in hand Sue and Ken seemed to be behaving more civil to each other. Ken was stipulating how important his job was to him and how empty his life would be without it. It would have ramifications on the upbringing of his son Daniel amongst other things. Sue was more fearful of the fact that they both might lose thief jobs in the near future.

Back with Liz she was still on the run from Gerry and was even forced to hide in a skip to avoid his wrath (rather funny watching her bedraggled form come lurching out of all that cardboard like an outtake from some cheap horror movie). Just when she thought she had gotten past him and escaped she was caught between the bright glare of her own car's headlights with Gerry at the wheel. He launched the car at her bouncing it off a brick wall slightly in the process before speeding off into the night. Once again Liz was left in the gutter complete with a ladder in her stockings.

The morning came and Sue and Ken left his house heading in separate directions. Ken had overnight become a man of purpose and was off to see Alf Roberts and give him a piece of his mind over the allegations of foul play in the recent redundancies at school.

Meanwhile Des was admitting his fear of the parachute jump to Claire but he was doubly admitting he was too scared to back out of it for fear of how it might harm his reputation. He set of looking like the proverbial condemned man.

Liz had made her way back into the Street and was now calling on her friend Dreary to help her in times of need. Liz needed a place to stay and Dreary was number one on the list. Rather than relent to Liz's wishes Dreary stated she wouldn't help on this occasion as she wanted no involvement in Liz's shady new life.

Over the breakfast table Jack was ranting and raving about Tricia's all night shenanigans. His patience with her it seems was really running thin and last was a close run thing to the final straw for him before telling her to leave. Vera however had plenty to say about that subject and Jack soon backed down.

Ken didn't catch Alf as he was out all day on council business. However he did catch Audrey and after Ken endured Audrey's picking not so carefully round the subject of him and Sue he found himself confiding his tale of woe in her. Audrey assured him she would speak to Alf about the subject and maybe save his bacon.

Liz's desperation had boiled over and she had gone to see Jim, at first he was unsympathetic and told her to sling her hook. However Andy told him to bring her back as he was worried about her. Hence Jim went out and Gerry who had been waiting down the Street went in through the back door. Andy by this time had gone upstairs as he was feeling the flu coming on. A panic stricken Liz walked into Jim's house spouting tales of her impending danger. Jim told her to calm down but as they both looked around they were looking down the barrel of Frazer's gun.

Monday 10 March 1997
The episode was following on from the other night with two storylines running through predominantly side by side tonight. Des and Sam were getting ready to make their parachute jump and Des was showing his nerves early. He was making jokes to mask his fear but it was clear the nerves were there.

In the McDonald household Gerry had got the McDonald household under siege at gunpoint. Andy, Liz and Jim were now sat side by side on the floor with Gerry pointing the gun at them. He was obviously a man with an axe to grind and it showed as he bad mouthed Liz. Apparently her intervention had messed up the one job that was going to set him and Frazer up for life.

Meanwhile the parachute jump looked like it was almost not going to come off becuase of adverse weather conditions. Des was still wisecracking and even Sam looked like she might be feeling nervous.

Gerry was now ringing round looking for a getaway car, his plan for seeing to Liz had gone wrong in the respect that he had not anticipated Jim and Andy's presence. He managed to ring an associate and asked him to get a car to Coronation Street and once there he told him to signal with the car horn.

Meanwhile Des and Sam were now up in the sky in readiness for the parachute jump. Des was by now praying to God for mercy in the hope of a successful jump he even promised to be kind to The Wiltons.

Things turned explosive in the McDonald household as Gerry responded to hearing a car horn outside. He was moving for the door when Jim launched himself at Gerry. A struggle ensued and only ended when Liz pulled one of her stillettos off and smashed it over Gerry's head. Gerry was quickly out like a light whilst Andy went out into the Street and asked the stunned assemblage if anyone could call the police. Of course Emily reminsced about her experience with death of her husband as the gunshot had left her very shocked.

Des and Sam meanwhile landed safely on terra firma after the jump and it was clear this experience seemed to have brought them closer together. They returned to the Street hoping for the welcome of conquering heroes but with all the action in the Street they were the least of everyone's concern.

The McDonalds went through the usual rigmarole of being interviewed by the police. Afterwards the police advised that the family all stick together under the circumstance which meant that Liz would be spending the night at Jim's house.

Despite the minor damage done to the house through Gerry's presence there seemed to be a veritable army of people in the house tidying up. Liz was thankful to Jim but his attitude towards her was unforgiving as he noted that the day had almost seen his son get shot. The conversation then turned on to who was to blame for the predicament and Liz was the subject of Jim wrath. It has to be noted that Fiona who was in the kitchen was looking very guilty at this point.

Wednesday 12 March 1997
Starting off with a follow up police visit to the McDonald household to make sure the occupants were O.K. The McDonalds were all acting very quite and insular tonight as they recovered from the shock of the events of the past few days. Jim was mostly quite and reflective about what could have happened whilst Liz was apologetic about what had happened. Andy seemed more affected than most though and it reflected in his appearance. He usually looks old but tonight he seemed to look especially rough.

There was plenty of curiosity about what had happened the other day in the Street and many of the questions were coming from Jack in the Rovers. He was asking Percy who had used his neighbourhood watch connection to find out what had happened if he could furnish him with the details. Percy declined to speak about the subject much to Jack's disappointment. He would soon have another subject to contend with.

That subject was Tricia who was becoming something of a problem to the Duckworht household. Vera had grown unhappy with her baby sitting chores and the fact that Tricia had found a new man in her life so soon. I think it was Tricia's assumptive behaviour that annoyed Vera and Jack in the respect that she was always expecting them to look after her child.

Anyway it was down to Jack to have a word with her and do that he did, not that it seemed to have much affect. She was sat plucking her eyebrows waiting for yet another night out with Ray when Jack started reading her the riot act. He didn't get far before Jamie walked in forcing him to cut his conversation short.

Fiona was not happy tonight either, she was still smarting from what she felt was a betrayal by her boyfriend Alan. Hence she had been prowling the salon like a bear with a sore head until she got the opportunity to speak to Alan. When he turned up Fiona tried to tear a strip off him for "lying" to her about Liz's safety. Alan was unrepentant though and said it was a consequence of the life that Liz had been leading. Annoyed at Fiona for her little outburst Alan stormed off.

During the episode Dreary spoke to Ken about his impending hearing with the tribunal and it was revealed to him that Dreary had been responsible for the rumour mill starting about his relationship with Sue Jeffers. Ken was hurt and betrayed but ultimately confident about the hearing and sure it would have no repercussions on him in the long run.

Des had not been happy about the fact that he had been playing second fiddle to the McDonalds following his moment of personal glory in the skies. He had took some ribbing from his old nemesis of sorts Curly Watts who seemed aware Sam was his next target. What had also happened was something of a return to his old form as Happy Homemaker Des had rather quickly reverted to Sexual Predator Des. His flirtatious behaviour was being well and truly aimed at Sam for the majority of the episode with little thought to his own relationship with Claire.

Des's flirtation culminated with him going round to Curly's house knowing that Sam would be in alone. In fact she had just got out of the bath and was stood in the doorway wearing a bath robe. Des arrived under the pretense that he was trying to find out where to send the sponsor money for the parachute jump. In truth though once inside the house he made a blatant all out play to try and woo Sam into bed. He explained how he felt a kinship with her and how he had wanted her on the day of the jump and how he wanted to jump her on this day (sorry, couldn't resist). He had truly dusted off the book of oily lines and gone back to his old ways. he even mentioned the fact that he knew she and Sean were having difficulties although I think this was more guesswork than anything else as Sean surely wouldn't break his promise when it came to Sam about confidentiality.

Sam turned the tables and invited Des to join her upstairs which was an offer which almost made Des's eyes pop out of his skull. So with Sam leading the way off they went to the bedroom. Moments later the scene switched to the Street with Gary Mallett idly walking along the pavement only to be greeted by the sounds of hysterical laughter from an upstairs window in Curly's house. The laughter was followed by a pair of trouser falling to the ground virtually in front of Gary as he walked along.

Amused by this he smiled and walked to the Kabin where he explained to the people inside including Claire that he thought sam must be throwing Curly on to the Street as it was raining clothes on Coronation Street. Rita and Mavis along with Claire went out on to the Street for a giggle and a gawp at someone's misfortune when a very embarrassed and trouser less Des was thrown out on to the Street by the mischievous and definitely not naive Samantha.

Friday 14 March 1997
Des's world took a hammering tonight as a result of his moment of weakness, as he clambered back into his trousers and trudged shame faced across the rain slicked cobbles of Coronation Street the gawpers looked on as he went to face Claire.

There really was no explanation for what he had done and the best he could manage was to shrug his shoulders and apologise for what he had done. Claire rightfully tore strips off him for his behaviour and in no uncertain terms this signalled the death knell of their relationship. Des tried to plead and beg for forgiveness but Claire was not listening. She wasn't prepared to play second fiddle to anyone and went upstairs to pack.

Meanwhile it was a big day for Ken as he went to face a particularly nasty looking bunch at the tribunal. He walked into the room with a definite air of confidence which was something which was soon removed as the meeting began. Ken's downfall was essentially engineered by the actions of Sue Jeffers who had suddenly resigned that day. She admitted in a letter she had been impartial in her decision to keep Ken on at the school. Ken was shocked by this and tried to absolve himself of any blame. It was all a wasted effort anyway because the authorities were going to need to make further cuts within the next few months and it looked like Ken's job would be the next.

Jack meanwhile was in the Rovers and his temper and tolerance with Tricia were now reaching breaking point. She had her new baby but seemed unprepared to look after it as she was out clubbing and enjoying herself all the time. Jack warned Vera about the fortunes of the pub dwindling because they couldn't put all their effort into it because of looking after Tricia's baby as well.

Des meanwhile was still trying to talk Claire into staying with him but it was no use. He was trying to utilise every approach in the book to save this relationship. He even sank as low as saying he felt in competition with Jeff who was Claire's dead husband. Claire didn't let this affect her decision in fact saying this only increased her disdain for him.

Jim and Andy sat in the Rovers both looking haggard and forlorn, more Andy than Jim though in fact I would say Andy is heading for some sort of breakdown judging by his recent downcast behaviour. Jim was a bit disenchanted with Percy's intervention in spreading the news of his "heroics" to the local papers.

Liz meanwhile met up with Frazer who explained things might have to cool for a while because of the police keeping tabs on him. In fact I would say he seemed very cool in general to Liz and only seemed interested in seeing her so he could verify an alibi for her if the police picked her up again.

Des didn't go into work and so Sean went to see him, he was unaware of the previous day's events so Des didn't see it necessary to furnish him with the details. Sean offered his sympathies over Claire leaving him and then went to the Rovers.

In the Rovers Tricia returned to the pub and asked Jack and Vera to look after Brad while she had a quick nap. This was the final straw and when she woke up the three of them had an argument about the strange hours Tricia was keeping. It culminated in Tricia calling their bluff by threatening to leave. However the attempt failed as both Jack and Vera thought it would be a good idea.

Sue went round to see Ken who announced he was going to fight any decision to retire him. It was also made painfully clear that any friendship between them was not on the cards and it looked like they would definitely lose touch after this little series of events.

In the bar Sean discovered what had happened with Des and Sam and was a tad annoyed with Des's behaviour to say the least. Sam declared she could fight her own battles which is why she hadn't told Sean about the incident. Sean then went round to Des's house and informed he was sacked which was the perfect end to the perfect day...not.

Sunday 16 March 1997
Starting at the Rovers Return, it was morning and the Duckworths were at the breakfast table. The conversation was focussing around Tricia as usual as they all thought she was still in bed. However as we were to discover when Jamie came down for breakfast it would seem that Tricia had made an early start and gone out.

Initially nobody thought anything of her disappearance although Tricia leaving so early was a bit odd. Vera began casting her mind back to the things she had said about Tricia finding a place of her own and as a result she began to worry.

Before long Jack and young Jamie were having a scout round the locality looking for the evasive young mother. There results were however fruitless and with good reason. Tricia had caught the bus into Manchester and then journeyed on to the house of the Orton family.

It was there that Tricia introduced herself as yet another one of Terry Duckworth's conquest and she unveiled Brad as little Tommy's half brother. Her mission was to see if Tommy's grandparents knew of Terry's whereabouts. once again she was gripped by the desire to find Brad's father. However she was going to have no joy with the Ortons as their hatred of Terry still ran deep. Thus with little ground gained Tricia decided to return home to Weatherfield.

Meanwhile in the Street, Becky had decided to pay a visit to the Street where until very recently she had lived with her mother and Des. She had been looking for the perpetrator who had fired Des's carnal desires. The answer was found in the Kabin talking to Derek and Mavis. What followed was little Becky getting her best temper brought to the fore and then hammering on Sam's door in an effort to rouse from sleep.

Sam eventually came to the window to be faced with a barrage of abuse from Becky. This attracted the attention of many others in the Street including Des who tried to calm her down but it was to no avail. Eventually Derek and Mavis took her home.

Andy was once again serving in the bar at the Rovers and as was the norm these days he was looking bloody awful. His complexion was even paler than usual and he had bags big beneath his eyes big enough to write Harrods on. All this was made worse when Liz came in to have a chat with her son, his mood was hardly forgiving and finding that his mother was still with Frazer prompted his not inconsiderable wrath. When Andy wants to he can tear verbal strips from a victim as well as some of the older Street veterans (Although he will never be an Ena Sharples).

Ken was also in an unforgiving mood as he spoke to Dreary about Sue Jeffers and her resignation. He also mentioned how it was looking like the next redundancy could be his. Dreary whom I feel should be feeling a bit more guilty about his predicament just seemed to shrug it all off though.

Sally agreed to take Claire's place at the corner shop now that Claire had left the area. It looked like the job would be short term while Sally looked for work more fitting to her status following her work at Baldwin's factory.

Andy was literally propping up the bar at the Rovers and ended up being dragged home by Jim in a drunken state. Dreary was on hand to help Andy bandage a cut finger which he had gained through dropping a glass. Jim explained that Andy had hardly slept a wink following the siege in the house a week earlier. It looked like Andy was indeed starting to crack up and the fault here has to lie partially with his mother.

Jack and Vera waited for Tricia to return, both feeling a touch nervous about where she could possibly be. They were looking for clues as to her location by looking through some of Brad's things. They discovered his birth certificate which Jack noticed failed to mention Terry as Brad's father. At this point Tricia did return with her usual somewhat haughty air which she has carried of late. She spoke of looking for somewhere to live and didn't mention where she had really been. Jack meanwhile stood fuming at the birth certificate and the fact his no good son had probably got away with not paying for the upkeep of yet another child.

Monday 17 March 1997
Tricia was once again one of the predominant storylines in the show again tonight. She was still fuelling doubts in the mind of Jack about the true father of her baby Brad. Her trip to Blackpool amidst a veil of secrecy didn't improve the way she was thought of in the Duckworth household. Although it was clear on the surface that Vera was trying to make her feel a little easier about staying at the pub.

For once Sally (bless her)got on the bad side of someone, that someone was none other than the Weatherfield Battleaxe Maud Grimes. Sally announced that she was coming into the shop on a full time basis and it was clear to Maud that she would be more or less redundant when Sally took over. Maureen had only employed Sally with Maud's best interests at heart in an effort to relieve Maud's heavy workload. However it was clear to Sally that Maud was in a foul mood as a result of the latest changes.

Liz went to the police station tonight to answer further questions about Frazer and his involvement in the robbery. Liz did her duty to Frazer and played dumb. On the way out though she came across Fiona's boyfriend Alan who in his usual cocksure manner encouraged her to come clean about anything she knew. He said if she didn't talk now then she would do it in court.

Speaking of Alan he was becoming something of a pain tonight as he had once again let Fiona down when it came to coming round. Fiona took to the station and left a note but this served to annoy Alan and he went round to see Fiona to tell her to stop coming to the station.

Fiona in return explained how she was sick of being let down by Alan all the time. He promised that things would change but as always he was not going to be true to his word. That evening he was late again for a meeting in the Rovers with Fiona.

Liz met up with Frazer that evening and the two of them more or less fell into each others arms. I couldn't help but feel though that Frazer was only there to protect his own interests and ask Liz about the questioning she had received earlier.

Kevin was disturbed by his new protege who explained he wanted to make us of the garage to fix a customer's car that evening. He had committed some time to a wiring problem and had come up with a solution. It seemed strange that he didn't seem to have any social life as such but Kevin felt he could trust his new assistant enough to go back to the garage after hours.

Jack sat down and talked to Tricia and they discussed Terry and his lack of inclusion on the birth certificate of Brad. Tricia announced she hadn't told the CSA about Terry because she wanted his inclusion in Brad's life to mean something more than a financial agreement. How naive she was about Terry and Jack explained this shortcoming of hers.

Smaller storylines of the night included Dreary telling a strangely disinterested about Andy's dalliance with drink the night before. Also Des was more or less tidying up the loose ends of relationship with Claire by passing on a forwarding address for Maureen to send her unpaid wages to.

Wednesday 19 March 1997
Frazer reiterated his offer to Liz of escaping the drudge of Weatherfield by running off with him to Spain in search of a new life in the sun. Liz was still taking the shock of the news in and was slowly letting her mind come to terms with the prospect of such a massive change. However her deliberation didnít last long and the next thing she said was she would journey away with him. Frazer then made promises about finding work for Steve when he got out of jail and went to Spain.

In the Kabin, Des Barnes got a surprise defender in the shape of Mavis who stood his corner when Sam walked in. A subject as innocent as darning clothes soon got round to the sensitive subject of trousers flying out of windows and Mavis stood ground for Des saying how hurt Becky was at losing such a father figure. Sam retaliated by explaining how Des was a two bit chancer and he shouldnít be given the opportunity to misbehave in the ways that had done.

Jack maintained his anger over Tricia and how he felt that he and Vera were being taken for a ride by the young mother. Jack continued to explain how the absence of Terryís name on the birth certificate of Brad could mean that Terry was not the father and Tricia was effectively sponging off them. Vera was keen not to upset the apple cart because she was worried about losing out on seeing another grandson growing up.

Liz surfaced in the Rovers brimming over at how she was leaving the country and starting afresh with Frazer in Spain. Andy was hardly in the most receptive of moods as he was once again propping up the bar with a pint in his hand desperately taking after his father in the drinking stakes. As Liz tried to speak to him he merely shrugged off her defence of Frazer and the new life she was planning. Unable to win in discussion with her son she turned on her heels and left.

The next person she saw to declare her departure was Jim and the meeting was surprisingly cordial between them . Jim was pretty much at a loss of what to say about her leaving but wished her as well as he could do under the circumstances. They talked about their past and the feelings they had shared for each other. Both agreed they had once had something special but Liz closed the conversation explaining her future was now with Frazer.

A while later in the Rovers, Vera gave a by now steadily swaying Andy a friendly warning about his drinking. Andy reacted with more hostility than we are used to and told Vera to stop mothering him.

Maxine meanwhile was looking for a model for an upcoming hairdressing competition, the only candidate on show was Ashley and he was showing some hesitation before committing himself on account of his rough experience with Maxine before.

Liz was by now at the prison speaking to an excited Steve who was the only one who had anything really positive to say about her leaving. His excitement came as a result of being a prospective employee of Frazer. He explained how bright Frazer was and how his criminal schemes were always the best ones to be involved in because of Frazerís luck and his skill in the art of crime.

Liz was shocked by the revelations and hurt by the fact that Frazer had lied to her about his dealings although she hid it well from Steve. However when she would be having words with her new boyfriend when she saw him next.

Back at the Rovers, Jack was serving behind the bar when Triciaís new boyfriend of sorts walked in. He reintroduced himself to Jack and it was soon clear that Jack was formulating something in his mind to try and trip Tricia up with her "stories". Jack then invited Ray through to the back of the pub much to the surprise of Vera who liked to keep her home and the pub separate.

Jack then made a point of sitting Ray down to see the new baby and for him to speak to Tricia. It was here where Jackís imagination ran riot somewhat when it became clear that Ray had known Tricia for longer than she had let on as they spoke. Jack bundled Vera outside and voiced his opinions of foul play to his long suffering wife and after Ray had gone he confronted Tricia about the possibility of ray being the father of her child. Tricia could do nothing but look up aghast at Jackís suggestion and tried to explain that Ray was little more than an acquaintance from when she lived in a block of flats.

Meanwhile it was like a showdown at the O.K Corral as Liz arrived back to her flat to confront Frazer. She let rip with accusations of Frazer being a deceitful lying criminal which rode off him easily at first. However after a while his hackles began to rise and he began to respond to her words. He likened her to cheap tart and when she rose a vase to hurl at him he threatened to give her a good hiding. He tossed her a wad of money "for the times when she had been of use to him" and the two went their separate ways leaving Liz in tears.

Friday 21 March 1997
The episode started off with Jamie and Jack out in the yard having one of their usual man to man chats. Jamie was asking Jack why there was friction between him and his mother Tricia. Jack tried to soft soap over the entire issue and took care not to mention the fact he doubted whether Terry was the father to baby Brad.

Meanwhile a dishevelled Des Barnes had his lazy day interrupted by a surprise visitor in the shape of Angie Freeman. She had returned from her jaunt and was eager to catch up with goings on in her old stomping grounds of Weatherfield. More eagerly though she wished to catch up with Curly and make amends for the tone on which they parted last time she was in town.

The two of them engaged in the old game of verbal cat and mouse knocking jibes at each other but Des who was still recovering from his recent events with Sam and the loss of his girlfriend and job was obviously not up to it and promised to catch up with her later.

Liz McDonald went to see her estranged son Andy today to explain that she wasn't going to Spain after all and everything between her and Frazer was now off. She expected some sort of fanfare and congratulatory speech from her son but she was out of luck. Andy's response was that of a very bitter young man and he sent his mother away somewhat shell shocked that he didn't want to see her.

There was yet more mileage to be dragged from the storyline between Maud and Maureen. The feud between them was still going on because Maud was resenting the fact that she had been ousted from the shop and was now facing a forced retirement. Audrey applauded the move and told maud she should take the time to enjoy herself but all the same it didn't sit right with her.

The atmosphere in the Rovers was still being marred by Jack and Tricia's little dispute. The matter finally brewed over and came to a head tonight with Tricia fighting her corner with Jamie in the room for moral support. Tricia pleade with Jack to believe that the father of her child was none other than Terry Duckworth. However jack who has been stung before in matters regarding grandchildren was playing it cautious. Tricia finally came to the conclusion she couldn't win in this situation and said she was going to leave.

In the bar Liz tried to speak to her son Andy again but this time it was something she was going to regret trying. Andy launched into a monologue about how his mother was little more than a cheap tart and how he was embarrased by her presence. The pub fell silent and Liz found herself with nothing to say so she walked out.

Jim took Andy home and they spoke about how he was internalising his rage and how it wasn't good for him. Andy however was unrepentant and was not listening to Jim trying to explain how his mother was merely misguided rather than being a care free trollop.

Angie and Des had retired to the pub following a reconciliation meal that dinner time. Angie mad it clear she was tiring of listening to Des's story and she wanted to tell hers. She made it clear that her love life was on level zero and that was almost a heavy hint to give Des the green light in my opinion.

Jack and Tricia seemed to make amends in the Rovers mainly because I think he really would miss little Brad if she and the kids left. So it looked like it was all smiles for the time being.

Alan had arranged to take Fiona out for a night on the tiles, for a change it was Fiona who was late arriving but nevertheless things started well. Some colleagues of Alan's turned up and he looked as though he had seen a ghost. He quickly skulked off to get some drinks while his colleague explained how he had missed a works party the week before. It had been the night he and Fiona had gone to the pictures. She also mentioned something about people in their line of work having a good time and although I might not be hearing properly I could have sworn she said she was a computer programmer. Could Alan be leading a double life of some kind or could someone just clear that up for me ?

Anyway Fiona thought he didn't take her to the party because of the colour of her skin and as a result she stormed off.

Sunday 23 March 1997
Something of a packed episode tonight starting off with two main issues in the first half. Kevin went to get the papers and check on his beloved garage when he discovered the door was open. Upon further inspection he discovered his new assistant Chris had bedded down in the workshop and apparently had been doing for some time. Kevin wasn't a picture of understanding when he explained the scenario to Sally.

She however was more understanding about the situation and before we knew it Chris was tucking into a hearty Sunday lunch over at the Websters and before Kevin could protest any further he found himself with a roof over his head for a few night's courtesy of Sally's generosity. Kevin was understandably cautious though as he hadn't known Chris for very long and wondered about his history.

The other storyline was based around Alan and Fiona. He turned up on her doorstep wanting to iron things out but the way things were looking he had little chance. Fiona was still smarting from Alan's lack of willingness to involve her in areas of his professional life. She eventually got Alan to admit it was because the police force contained racist elements. Fiona thus felt she couldn't go out with someone who she classed to be in the same school of beliefs as his colleagues. Alan tried to defend himself and was quite taken aback when he was accused of being prejudiced. However it all ended with Alan leaving in tears whilst Fiona bravely fought back her own tears all the while.

Not content to wallow in self pity however Fiona dusted herself off and went to the Rovers and drank with Jim while she toasted the end of another relationship. Jim had problems of his own though as his son Andy was coming further and further off the rails. Maxine came in and was quickly collared by young Ashley who declared his readiness for a hairstyling session in the name of Maxine's up and coming competition entry.

Angie and a very low feeling Des were at the other end of the bar propping it up with their sorrows. Des was feeling aimless in life whilst the previously go get 'em Angie was reeling from the fact that she was now without a job following yet another one of KayBec's vicious cut back policies. The two of them found themselves in similar predicaments and plotting what they were going to do next was to become a priority.

Don was talking to Ashley about Josie who had now remarried and he explained how he blamed Baldwin for the breakup of the relationship. Already signs of Don's obsession with Mike were starting to rear their ugly head again.

Speaking of young innocent Ashley placed his head in the hands of the object of his heart's desires Maxine. Over at the salon he explained with his usual wide eyed appeal how men were rarely able to talk about their feelings and how when a relationship ended it was harder for a man. Maxine of course was single at the moment and knew where his line of conversation was heading. Using her honed skill with men she played along and gradually reeled him like a fish on a hook. He eventually asked her out in his own fumbling way and was surprised when she kissed. The young lad must have thought all his birthday's had come at once when she then leaned over and kissed him.

Andy was entertaining a fellow student at his home but not in the way Jim would hope for. He was explaining the whole story about Frazer and Jerry and the way he had almost being shot with all the lurid details. He was also colouring the conversation with dialogue which classified his mother as little more than a cheap slag. Despite all Jim's differences with Liz that sort of talk was something he was not going to stand for in his house and he warned Andy sternly about it. Andy's response was to simply wander off and find himself somewhere like the pub to go and frequent.

Fiona came downstairs to offer Maxine a coffee when she discovered Maxine and Ashley minus his shirt pop their head round one of the vanity screens in the salon. Ashley was quickly bundled out of the shop with a smile longer than the M1 while Maxine looked very much like the cat that had got the cream.

Des and Angie finished off the day brainstorming each other for ideas for new careers. They even invited Derek and Mavis round to help with the situation. Angie accused Des of resting on his laurels and getting old and soft in his current environment. Angie viewed Des's owning of a boat as the perfect opportunity to get out of the area and simply sail away. Derek chipped saying he would never stray from Weatherfield because he claimed he was "just like me". The prospect of being compared to Derek horrified Des and he decided the time was coming for a change and he was off to pastures new and travelling by water.

Monday 24 March 1997
Starting off on the sofa at the Webster's as Chris the mechanic was waking ready to start a new day. Kevin as always was keen to have his house back to himself and his family and get Chris into new accommodation. Sally's day wasn't getting off to the best of starts as she wandered downstairs with what looked like an unhealthy dose of the flu creeping upon her.

Thus Kevin was delegated to running the kids to school and informing Maureen at the shop that Sally would be absent from work today. This left Maureen without any help on one of her busy days. She was going to have to bite her tongue and go and ask her mother Maud for help on this occasion.

Andy wandered back looking worse than ever, he had been having a night on the town and was just heading back to bed while Jim was heading off to work. There was the usual snappy exchange between them which has become the unpleasant norm these days before andy vanished indoors.

Ashley the smitten butcher was the topic of conversation in the salon as Maxine revealed he wasn't actually that bad to get along with after all. In fact with her usual devilish smile she revealed she quite liked him after all. Fiona admitted surprise at the fact that Maxine could go for such a "boy", however Maxine continued her defence of him unabated. However when he walked in the shop dressed in his butcher's smock and white coat it was quite a different story and maxine was keen to give him the cold shoulder. I think it became clear she liked her men a little bit more well dressed.

That evening Fiona received a visit from Alan who was once again trying to resurrect the relationship between them. In a very very stilted fashion he tried to explain how much he loved Fiona and how she meant more to him than anything in the world. Fiona was not responding to his pain wracked pleas and in the end he used the only recourse left to him and asked her to marry him.

In the Rovers, Angie was nursing her sorrows over an orange juice with Mike Baldwin. She was also to play his guardian angel tonight as she passed on some insider information that she had been privvy to just before she had lost her job at KayBec. She explained that her former employers had traced a line of counterfeit sportswear back to Mike Baldwin's establishment in Weatherfield. Even as they spoke KayBec was flexing it's mighty legal muscles and planning to move in on Mike and cause huge amounts of trouble for him.

Angie explained that if he was caught with the stock then he would face crippling costs from all parties involved and if he was to survive this encounter he would be best dumping the stock as quickly as possible even if it meant burning it or dumping it in the river.

Des was tidying up his affairs by cancelling his papers and preparing for the off. He explained to Mavis his house would be vacant during his absence which made the Wiltons feel uneasy as the prospect of a vacant property next door was not one they relished.

That little problem was solved later in the day by Angie who was looking for somewhere cheap to live now that she couldn't afford the swanky hotels KayBec had placed her in during her work with them. Derek and Mavis were delighted to hear this and by the end of the episode it even looked like Angie might be sub letting to a lodger as well in the shape of Kevin's mate Chris.

Don was having a clear out of all Josie's old belongings. Amongst the things he discovered were a set of keys from Mike's premises which Josie had obviously never handed in when she quit her job. Don sat in the darkness at the end of the episode and you could fair see the dark thoughts swirling in his mind.

Mike was forced to lay off his night shift following the news he had received from Angie and it was a certainty now that he was going to have to close down his factory. He spoke to Alma that evening and explained they had roughly till tomorrow night to move all the counterfeit stock out of the factory and into a safe warehouse somewhere far away. Alma pledged to help him carry out the task.

Wednesday 26 March 1997
It would seem that the mood in Fiona's household was a good deal improved tonight thanks to Alan's proposal of marriage in the previous episode. Fiona didn't accept immediately after all it was only the other night they were talking about splitting up for good. However within a short amount of time her mind was made up and she said 'yes'.

There were other issues going on tonight as well as Des Barnes got ready for the off in his boat. The original plan was for Angie Freeman to accompany him to his boat and see him off on his long journey. However she had unexpectedly found potential work and as a result she was going to be unable to see him off. Des was unperturbed by this and as if to accentuate there was no hard feelings he even told her to make use of his car while he was gone.

Mike had pressing problems tonight as he faced telling his day shift the factory was in fact closing for the time being. He was faced with the double whammy of hiding all his counterfeit KayBec stock as well. However he intended to take things one step at a time and firstly he had to go into the factory and face the workforce.

Going back to Des, he wasn't going to have to make his journey from Weathefield alone after all. He found himself some initially unwilling company for the journey in the shape of his long time nemesis Derek Wilton. The once feuding neighbours took this last journey down to the canal as Derek gave Des a lift in his car. It was almost as if the last seven years of practical jokes and at times animosity were washed away as these two people were finally quite honest with each other.

Des even went as far as admitting he sometimes envied Derek's life in the respect that it was so settled and content. Sure he might be having fun with his flirtatious behaviour and his 'playboy' lifestyle but at the end of the day he was the man sailing off alone into the sunset in a canal boat whereas Derek was the man who was going home to a loving wife and a stable home.

Back in Weatherfield it was around lunchtime when Mike's ex workforce stomped into the Rovers and publicly voiced their grievances about their previous employer. The only problem is they did it within earshot of Don Brennan who was looking for any excuse to speak ill of Baldwin. As the girls aired the grievances Don aired his and it was clear that this was his own personal final straw and he was going to do something foolish.

When Don got home he began rummaging through his cupboards and bringing out certain items including a petrol can and a torch along with some gloves. His plan was already formulated and it was clear he was intending to torch Mike's factory.

Throughout the day Fiona had been speaking to Betty Williams about her life with a policeman. She laughingly joked with Alan about the conversation and then the subject got on to the more serious subject of telling Alan's parents. Fiona discovered he had not told them yet and you could fair see her alarm bells starting to ring as a result. What made this matter worse was when she asked him about setting a date for the wedding. It was at this point Alan really did start dragging his heels although he tried to make light of it. Fiona it would seem would do well to be cautious around Alan as it sounds like he is not as eager to commit as he says.

Mike had been ringing around and had located a storage facility for his gear, he explained to Alma he would move it all into storage tomorrow. Alma however was keen to move things tonight and it was she who seemed more worried about the consequences of getting caught than Mike himself.

Alma it would seem had good reason to be worried though because at this moment Don was making his way to the factory with his little bag of tricks in one hand and Josie's keys in the other. He unlocked the shuttering into the factory and then the doors and made his way inside. His first mistake was not taking into account the alarm system that the premises possessed. He jabbed at the alarm system buttons as the timer counted down but it was no good because the alarm went off.

Don however maintained at least some degree of calm because he didn't flee the scene instead he simply continued with the task at hand. Once he had made his way into the factory unit itself he began throwing the petrol about with gay abandon. Once he was sure that the clothing in the factory was nicely soaked he struck the matches and stood well back. His mission accomplished he gloated as the flames tore through the factory floor.

Friday 28 March 1997
It was the morning after the fire in the Street tonight with Don Brennan starting off the day in gleeful form. He was hobbling around as quick as his leg would carry him eager to spread the news of Mike's misfortunes. Of course he knew more about the fire at Baldwin's Sportswear than most because he was the man who had set it.

Meanwhile at the scene of the fire Mike and Alma looked on in shock at the ruins of their factory. All that was left was a charred husk with no trace of what the building had once been. The fire department were already hard at work and the chief inspector was sifting through the remains trying to find out what had happened. Mike of course had no idea what had happened but he was quietly rubbing his hands at what he viewed as good fortune.

Mike's reasoning was that with the Trading Standards people so close to finding out about the KayBec counterfeits and the Customs and Excise people poking about he was glad to be shut of the factory. In fact just as Mike was thinking aloud about these matters a representative of the Trading Standards arrived looking to sift through Mike's stock looking for some incriminating evidence against him.

Mike however stood there grinning like the cat that got the cream as he explained that his entire livelihood had gone up in smoke complete with stock and records to boot. The man from the Trading Standards was caught with his hands tied thanks to this situation. Realising he couldn't win in this situation he had a brief chat with the fire department before giving up and leaving the scene.

Fiona was enjoying her bank holiday respite with Maxine above the flat, of course this wasn't going to last long because Alan was coming round at 12'o' clock. His arrival was prompt for once and as a result Maxine was effectively shown the door. When they were alone he unleashed something of a surprise on her. He pulled out a box and handed it to Fiona which contained a diamond engagement ring. Fiona was gob smacked by this gesture and we were subjected to a minute or so of gooey stares from the Street's latest couple.

Andy was called in to college today for something of an emergency meeting with one of his tutors. It was to do with the sudden way that Andy's working output for his degree had come to crashing halt. The tutor tried to find out what his problem was but Andy wasn't in a talking mood. In fact his mood was generally nonchalant and dismissive which wasn't good for someone so close to their final exams.

In the Rovers, Don was still talking about Mike's misfortune to whoever would listen. His happiness was tainted somewhat when Vera reminded him about the fact that Mike was insured and would probably bounce back unharmed from this little fiasco. Don instantly went outside and to a phone box and rang the police. He informed them that Baldwin had torched the factory unit himself for the insurance.

Kevin was enjoying a pint in the Rovers with Chris when Tony's mother his business partner came in to speak to him. While Chris was at the bar getting the drinks she announced she had found Kevin an assistant for the garage. Kevin retorted by sticking his foot down and saying Chris was staying put at the garage. Tony's mum went by his decision after all it was her fault for not staying in close contact with him. In fact I noticed a few admiring glances thrown Kev's way from her.

Andy was making a prize pillock of himself at the bar as he went on another one of his 'son of Jim' benders. He managed to upset Fiona when he gave her a lecture about matrimony and then proceeded to call her husband to be a smarmy copper which sent her storming round to Jim's in an effort to try and find out why Andy had gone off the rails. Sadly Jim was unable to offer any solutions only to say that recent events had made him the way he was.

The episode ended with at Mike's place with him and Alma essentially sitting down and mulling over events of the day. They were interrupted by the police who had come to ask Mike some questions about the fire. Mike was co-operative but it was soon clear that the line of questioning was along the lines that someone had committed arson and Mike was the one they wanted down the station.

Sunday 30 March 1997
A relaxing Easter Sunday for most of Weatherfield but not quite for everybody. Starting off with Chris furtively creeping out of the garage to get some breakfast. He had of course once again started dossing down in the garage while telling Kevin he had digs at a friend's place. Kevin meanwhile was going away for a few days and would be back around Tuesday.

Audrey was prominent tonight and her main topic of discussion was Mike and Alma. Her curious nose was twitching and she wanted to see her long time friend. It was clear her motives were not supportive, merely to dig the dirt and find out what she could.

It was then a quick cut to the Mallett household where Judy was planning a trip to the garden of remembrance to 'speak' with her later mother. Gary had reached the end of his tether with regard to understanding his wife though. She was adamant upon going to the cemetery alone leaving Gary to walk the dog.

Don of course was still delirious with joy over the Baldwin's misfortunes and was once again nearly constant in his ranting about the downfall of his enemy. Ashley meanwhile wasn't interested as he was going clubbing with Maxine that night.

A short while later Audrey made a nuisance of herself at Mike's flat, calling round on the premise of looking out for a friend she was clearly prying into business that didn't concern her. Alma tried to get rid of her but not before the police arrived wanting to speak to Mike again about the fire. Audrey was ushered out quickly but with her mouth agape and eyes agog you could see the Weatherfield gossip machine gathering steam and getting ready to do the spirit of Hilda Ogden proud.

Alan brought a posh chocolate egg for his new fiancee Fiona and they spoke again of meeting each other's parents. Once again throughout the episode Alan once again became a bit evasive. His folks didn't know about Fiona yet and it was a point of concern for her. He didn't seem particularly keen to resolve the situation either.

Gary wandered round to Jim's house with Scamper but found the atmosphere over there very prickly due to Andy who was in his usual ultra negative mode. When he went upstairs Jim declared he was at a loss of what to do with his son in his current state.

Mike was kept waiting a long time at the station but as a matter of course he faced the usual grilling about the fire. At this point he didn't seem too worried but even he was forced to admit that the latest developments seemed dodgy. The police were sure it was arson and they now knew keys had been used to get inside. The fingers were pointing at Mike for sure now....

Of course by now Audrey's flapping mouth had spread word that Mike had ben arrested. Of course everyone was speculating on what would happen to him now. Don of course heard this and was instantly in the mood for buying double scotches to celebrate. He spent the rest of the evening sat with a cheshire cat grin on his face which was only removed when he saw Mike walk through the door.

Mike and Alma indeed walked in determined to front out their detractors who included Audrey who was showing the subtlety of a brick through a window. She was keen to snipe at Mike given every opportunity and surprisingly the once cool character Baldwin was rising to the bait and snapping back. Gail was on hand to try and cool rapidly heating temperatures but eventually Mike and Alma left.

Ashley and Maxine were at a nightclub and it looked obvious that the young lad was being used as a money pot to finance Maxine's indulgences for night clubbing. Within minutes of entering the club she had met up with some old school friends and they were soon chatting as a foursome. Poor Ashley was not in his element here though as Maxine's friends appeared to aspire to the high flyer set with one of them being a trainee architect.

In an effort to cover Ashley's humble origins as a butcher's lad Maxine did a lot of his talking for him and even got him out of harms way by sending him for the drinks. She then took the opportunity to explain that she wasn't his girlfriend but merely his cousin. A cruel stroke if ever there was one methinks. However it soon backfired on Maxine because Ashley mentioned his work in butchery when he returned a short while. Maxine cringed and tried to change his words to fit the picture of him she had painted. However Ashley realised she was ashamed of him and seeing no point in staying any longer left the club leaving Maxine decidedly red faced.

Back at the flat Alma and Mike had something of a set to regarding the honesty of Mike's claims regarding the fire. It would seem that now even his own wife was beginning to doubt his word and that only served to anger him. Indeed Mike had been involved in shady dealings in the past but the one time he was kosher (almost) he seemed unable to convince anybody about the fact.

Monday 31 March 1997
Tonight was a continuation of the Easter break for the residents of Weatherfield. Everyone seemed to have something to do or somewhere to be with Fiona and Alan getting ready to go and visit his parents.

Mike was also rather busy with worries of his own concerning the fire and how he seemed to be the chief suspect in everyone's minds. Alma of course had spent the day apologising profusely for ever suspecting him but Mike was still putting on his best looks of hurt and disappointment.

However before too long Mike had stopped feeling dismayed at his own circumstances and had decided to take some positive action. He intended to spend the day tracking down ex-employees of his firm and question them regarding the fire. He knew that someone had used keys to get into the factory so that narrowed it down to a limited amount of people.

Maxine meanwhile was timidly standing on Don's doorstep waiting to see Ashley. She knocked on the door and Don let her in to see her estranged and soon to be ex-boyfriend. She tried to bluff out events of the night before explaining that she hadn't been ashamed of him. She explained that she had been joking and hadn't met anything malicious with what she said. Ashley however was no fool and realised that she was lying, he told her to leave him alone and that he no longer wanted to go out with her anymore.

This was something of a bombshell for flighty Maxine who is usually the one dumping boyfriends and not the one being dumped by them. She went round to Fiona's looking for coffee and sympathy but unfortunately her friend was on the way out with Alan. As the scene ended it was clear that Maxine realised she had done wrong by Ashley and she was going to have to do something about it.

In the Rovers, Jim was trying to convince Andy to put on a happy families act for Steve at the weekend when he came out for a weekend readjustment visit. Andy was not really willing to play ball and said as much in the respect that he intended to be elsewhere when the McDonald clan got together. Thankfully for Jim he changed his mind and agreed to put on a display for Steve before the episode ended.

Gary Mallett innocently mentioned Sally's mother in conversation and without warning this set Judy off on one of her rants and raves, it seemed the word 'mother' was another one of her sensitive subjects. Gary seemed unable to do the right as Judy stormed out of the house yet again.

Mike's first port of call in his quest to find the bearer of the keys was Sally Webster. In all seriousness Mike couldn't really expect sally to be the culprit but he decided to check her out anyway. Unfortunately Sally was away with her family for the easter weekend and wouldn't be back until Tuesday.

His next suspect was Tricia Armstrong who as you could probably guess flew off the handle as soon as Mike mentioned the fire. Her quick temper made her think he was accusing her of arson. Mike was clearly getting nowhere fast in his search so he went home.

Meanwhile Fiona and Alan arrived at his parent's house where Alan was immediately subjected to something of a grilling that a policeman would be proud of. His parents quickly painted a picture of Alan as something of an unreliable sort who rarely visited his family at all. It all seemed good natured at first with Alan stood there like a naughty school boy while his parents and Fiona laid into him for his shortcomings.

Eventually they all sat down to a meal and this gave Alan the chance to announce that he and Fiona were engaged. Alan's mum seemed pleased at this and congratulated them. However Alan's dad was a different matter, he was very quiet when he heard the news and the mood continued throughout the day. Although Fiona didn't seem to twig on to the matter it seemed clear that Alan's dad held with some prejudiced views. In fact this was clearly proved when Alan and Fiona were out at his grandmother's house. Alan's dad wasn't keen on his son's choice of potential wife and said the wedding would probably not go ahead because he thought Alan was merely proving a point.

Mike ended the episode by using his detective skills to deduce that the arsonist could only have been Don Brennan. He mentioned how the only person he could not track down was Josie who had been living with Don when she had been in his employ. He worked out that she must have left her keys with Don when she left him ergo Don was the man who set the fire

 

Back to updates index page		Back to corrie.net