Adrian's updates - September 1997

Monday 1 September 1997
War of the Rovers tonight as Natalie stood alone (almost) against her multitude of enemies. As the girls sat down to morning coffee she was frozen out of the conversation and not even given the courtesy of a "good morning" or a "hello". Thankfully she was rescued by Alec who showed her the cellar otherwise known as Jack's hidey hole.

Judy and Gary and Zoe were preparing for the midwife visit and it was shredded nerves all round as everyone got ready to play their parts. Zoe was still acting awkward around everyone making me suspect more than ever she had feelings for her baby and wanted to take her with her.

John the imaginary pilot was enjoying a "day off" from his Billy Liar existence and informed Dreary he was going to inform his ex wife of their liaisons today just in case they should ever meet each other. Dreary accepted this and let John go about his business. His tissue of lies no nearer getting blown apart.

Chris was finding life hard enough in the Barnes residence and his girlfriend's relationship with Des was proving impossible for him to live with. This fired him up to the extent he collared Dreary about the flat she would soon be vacating and asked if he and Angie could look around it.

The midwife called to see Zoe and a credible act was put up by all concerned. Judy could have caused complications when she informed the midwife Gary was the baby's father. However the midwife took this in her stride and completed the regular checks on mother and child and saw they were all fine and healthy which was the main thing.

Gary found this all hard to take in though especially as he was going to be the one who was facing the talk from the neighbours when his "secret" was out. There was after all the likes of Audrey Roberts who were coming to the conclusion that Gary was the father of the baby anyway.

Sally walked into the Rovers at lunchtime with the factory mob and seeing Natalie behind the bar promptly walked out of the pub again. She was followed by Janice and her cohorts robbing the pub of some more valuable lunch time trade. Les however stayed and drank enough for everyone that afternoon alone. Strangely Alec still championed Natalie's corner even though she was costing him his beloved mistress....money.

Rita was another one boycotting the Rovers as well and it went so far that she refused to serve Natalie in her own shop. Natalie didn't seem to mind though in fact I could swear she gets her kicks from pushing certain residents as far as they could go.

Chris and Angie viewed Dreary's flat and argued, Angie was against living there for many reasons including lack of security as well as potential trouble from the shop downstairs. Chris was happy there though and if Angie wouldn't move in with him he reckoned he would make the move alone.

Natalie ended her night having another throw down with Sally, however this time she lost the battle. Sally told her Kevin had come crawling back but she had said he could sling his hook. Truth or not, Natalie couldn't be sure and some real nasty seeds of doubt were planted in her mind. A master stroke from Sally.

Zoe meanwhile ended the episode confirming our worst fears that she might indeed want to take the baby. She cooed over the child and told her that she would be alright when "they" were together. She even went as far as naming the baby Shannon.....

Wednesday 3 September 1997
The stresses and strains of Street life continued tonight starting with Natalie quizzing Kevin about his true feelings towards her. Doubt had been placed in her mind by the surprisingly devious Sally the previous episode and she needed Kevin to sweep away any doubt.

Chris and Angie continued at loggerheads with him showing signs of insecurity big style. He reckoned Angie wasn't keen enough on him to consider sharing a flat with him. She however claimed she wanted the creature comforts at Des's place along with the fact that she didn't feel ready to start nest building yet.

The Malletts were in preparation for the registering young Katy's birth, although Gary was clearly unsure about the matter. Zoe was another one who appeared tetchy at signing away her sole rights on the child. Whilst Judy was rapidly becoming tedious with her hard as nails "do as I say Gary" act.

Natalie tried to cool things down in the Rovers between herself and the staff. Betty at least seemed to be thawing in her attitude towards her but there was to be no respite from Vera who would sooner walk across burning coals than give the Weatherfield marriage basher the time of day. As a result of all this Vera gave Jack an ultimatum, either switch sides in his allegiance and support her decision to sack Natalie otherwise he would be getting no laundry or food for the foreseeable future.

By dinner time we had the John the not so high flying pilot plot unfolding another stage. Dreary was walking on air at the prospect of living with John and was keen to show the house off to Liz who was equally as curious about him. Alas Dreary had no key to get in but promised to show Liz the outside so she could get a feel for the place.

They pulled up in Liz's car (looks like she inherited Andy's Renault now he has cleared off) and inspected the premises. Liz was gob smacked at her friend's good fortune and congratulated her. As they drove away a suspicious thing occurred. A black cab pulled up and out spilled a family with the father dressed in his immaculate pilot's uniform. He walked up to the house with his two children and his wife and they went inside.

John has obviously been doing some housesitting of some kind but what is his next move after all Dreary moves in on Friday :()

The Malletts and a sulky looking Zoe went to register the baby at last, Gary was clearly without a mind of his own as Judy pushed and pushed for him to go inside and get the signing over and done with. As they sat in the small room waiting to sign their names Gary was overcome with nerves and after apologising rushed downstairs feeling he could not go through with the signing. Once again Judy pushed him to "do the right thing" and Gary once again devoid of independent thought trotted back upstairs and put his moniker on the dotted line and became Katy's official father (on paper anyway).

This clearly seemed to bother Zoe and she now seemed to be having a harder time than ever convincing herself she had done the right thing. After all she could have another child at any time if she wanted one couldn't she...?

Sam became a listening post for both Chris and Angie as the dinnertime session drew to a close. A disgruntled Chris lay all his grievances about Angie at Sam's door in the hope of finding a friendly ear. It did little good though because he had talked himself into believing that Angie wasn't too struck on him anyway.

Afterwards a dejected Angie sloped in bad mood because of Chris, she announced how she was sick of both him and Des. When Sam asked why Des was involved Angie mentioned how he kept moaning about her and how certain things about her bothered him....Uh Oh, most definitely a case of opening mouth to change feet.

The evening session brought additional trouble in the Rovers as Vera pushed to breaking point decided to take further action against Jack to make him see her point of view. She squirted his last clean shirt (the one he was wearing) with ketchup and told him to sack Natalie or else he would be wearing that shirt forever and a day.

Faced with some hard toil over a washing machine Jack called Natalie into the back room to deliver some hard news. It wasn't so much of a sacking though according to Vera but more of a grovelling act but at least the end result was satisfactory and as a result Jack got his shirts back.

Des thanked Angie for dropping him in it with Sam, she had chewed him out about apparently being indiscreet over her little secrets. It looked very likely that his romantic hopes were blown out of the water for now and possibly forever.

Friday 5 September 1997
Tensions mounted in the Mallett household with Zoe coming home from her night on the tiles to an annoyed (and annoying) Judy who was waiting with the questions as to where she had been and what she had been doing. This of course led to a very early morning argument with Zoe reckoning she had the right to do what she liked when she liked now the baby was turned over.

The morning came proper and the Rovers showed scenes of jubilation as Vera celebrated her victory over vanquishing the bleach blonde enemy Natalie from the pub. Alec of course was nursing a bruised pride but you could see the wheels of vengeance turning in his head. He would not be a man kept down for long and with his simple assistant Jack by his side he would more than likely get his own back before long.

Anybody who had any doubts about John's dodginess will have been satisfied that he was the dodgiest geezer in the world tonight and no mistake. We saw him outside "his" plush house taking the keys from the real owner who told him to look after the house again "like before" while he was away on a flight. I'm sure he even referred to him as Barry as they spoke but I was too busy watching in suspended disbelief. John really was a different man away from Dreary. His accent had a definite shade of cockney and the somewhat plummy "proper" English diction was gone, gone, gone. Before he left the house to go to work he wrote a note which he then left on the door of the house.

Natalie received a nice surprise in the post which would stave the wolves from her door. A final settlement cheque from ex husband Nick which would give her a sudden cash injection if and only if she agreed to sever all monetary ties with him from now on. Natalie of course was very happy and instantly planned a holiday abroad although Kevin didn't look to happy about it.

The arguments got heated in the Barnes household with Chris scouting round to Dreary's flat looking for the soonest opportunity to move in. I don't think Angie realised how serious he was about moving out that morning but Chris's dislike of Des was that total.

Judy and Zoe were still arguing later in the day, the rows had become hurtful with Zoe slinging personal barbs at Judy about her inability to conceive her own child. Unfortunately as they argued the midwife came in claiming she had knocked and the door had been open. Zoe made herself scarce for a while leaving Judy with the midwife.

For my money Judy began saying a touch too much about Zoe and her circumstances and risked upsetting the applecart by mentioning how she had been homeless and how she had also been out drinking the night before. It was all starting to look a tad implausible in my eyes. Would someone be supportive of a woman who had bore a child to her husband under such circumstances.

Dreary was meanwhile on cloud nine and still rising, Liz of course looked on in mock jealousy as her friend prepared to move into the house of her dreams with the man of her dreams. It was all very idyllic but the problem with this cloud nine fantasy is Dreary had a bloody long way to fall when the bubble burst. For the moment though it was all going so well with Emily and Ken giving their blessings.

Natalie booked a holiday to Grand Canaria for herself and Kevin although he still looked unhappy with the prospect. He had to go and tell Sally he couldn't baby sit next week as he was away on holiday. Of course that fired a big argument between them and we saw perhaps the real reason behind Kevin's disenchantment. He was unhappy being a kept man with Natalie footing the bills all the time.

Judy spoke to Gary about Zoe and how hurt she was by all the arguing going on and reckoned the sooner Zoe was gone the better. Judy also mentioned she was unnerved by the potential bond that mother and daughter were forming between them which might throw a spanner in the works of their little adoption plan.

Chris moved out, Des of course was gloating somewhat but Angie was despite her toughened exterior fighting back the tears. She acknowledged it was her own fault and this little spat looked like it could kill their relationship. Des however was back in happier territory because he had kissed and made up with Sam. I don't think they are made for each other though.

John meanwhile took Dreary to their "new house", as he approached the door however he came across the note he had written earlier. John said "It's from my wife and she says as the house is in her name she is taking it back". John tried his key and surprise surprise the locks "had been changed". He then stood dejectedly apologising to Dreary about the house and claimed his big surprise for her had fallen apart at the seams. Dreary was disappointed but I don't think she suspected anything was amiss as of yet.

Sunday 7 September 1997
Chris and Angie's big move was blown out of the water by Dreary and John and the fact that they were staying put at her flat for now. It had took Chris all his time to persuade his girlfriend to move as well and now the disappointed twosome were trudging back to the Barnes residence.

John meanwhile still had the brass faced cheek to continue passing off his little sob story on Dreary. I thought at first he was compiling this entire little "horrible ex wife" scenario to scare Dreary off and essentially bail himself out at the last minute. However listening to him go on and seeing how Dreary reacted to his pitying hard luck fable it would appear he was manoeuvering himself into a position of residence in her place.

It was pay off day today for Zoe as well, although Gary was the constant voice of conscience speaking for The Malletts. He mentioned how what they were doing to Zoe was essentially bad and how they should be feeling guilty for their actions. Judy however seemed to be having an easier time of putting any feelings of guilt to the back of her mind.

Mavis dropped a bombshell on Rita with plans of retirement, she explained that she wanted some more time to develop her life a little more fully and intended to move to the Lake district and buy a property there. She might even sideline a little bed and breakfast for some extra income. It was of course a tearful scene with the two stalwarts of the Kabin going into reminiscence over 25 years of memories within the walls of their little empire.

Audrey was still sniffing round the regulars trying to find out more details about who the father of Zoe's baby. She quizzed Ken and Martin and Sam but still drew nothing conclusive from the conversation. However when she saw Judy outside she was told the "truth" about how Gary was in fact the father. She was intended to be the beacon of truth within the Street and the one to propagate the gossip on the Mallett's behalf. However something gives me a feeling she won't do their bidding and keep quiet like Judy asked.

Chris was unable to live under the same roof as Des for any longer and took it upon himself to move out into the garage for the time being until Kevin returned from his holiday with Natalie in Grand Canaria. This of course caused more friction between him and Angie.

Zoe announced she would be leaving the next day now she had been paid and once again that set of guilty pangs in Gary. This time a little guilt could be seen in the eyes of Judy as well. Could it be she was deep down starting to feel she wasn't doing the right thing?. Maybe she will let Zoe keep the baby and the money in the hope she can give her a good start in life?

Rita came to visit Mavis who thought she might be talking her into staying on at the Kabin. Instead Rita had a proposition for her long time friend. She reckoned it might be a good idea if they both sold up shop and left for pastures new and go into the B & B business together. Needless to say Mavis was overjoyed at the idea.

Monday 8 September 1997
Zoe was preparing to leave the Street and her child today but it was obviously a choice that was tearing Gary apart inside. The guilt over potentially putting Katy's mother back on the street was something that he was having difficulty reconciling. Of course Zoe was playing the tough nut to the hilt as though she hadn't got a care in the world.

Meanwhile Chris had just survived his first night in the garage, he poked his head out into the world that morning only to be greeted by Sally who invited him to use her couch for as long as he wanted. Obviously it would be a damn site warmer indoors than on the floor of the garage so there was no question of a choice at all.

Mavis and Rita continued to plot their little escape from Weatherfield, however when the likes of Audrey discovered what the Kabin crew were planning to do she poured much scorn on the idea. She figured that the two of them would be at each other's throats in no time at all. However Rita disagreed and reckoned if they were to be parted now after all their years spent together in work it would be hard for them both.

Zoe meanwhile confessed to Leanne Battersby how difficult giving up her baby was really going to be. Leanne advised her to take the baby and the money but there was still some honour and decency in Zoe despite the street urchin image she had been cultivating for some months and she could not do that to Katy's new parents.

Dreary offered Ken a jot of work acting as a cab driver from the airport where John worked. He would be running someone possibly John from the airport to Weatherfield. Could this be the undoing of John the Pilot, I don't think he was aware of developments that Dreary was setting in motion.

Alec was another to knock Rita's idea of going away to the Lakes and starting afresh. His real reason for wanting Rita to stay was the fact that he would miss her greatly. After all the years had seen them painted as great sparring partners with Rita always trying to foil the wily Alec Gilroy.

Fiona was eating out tonight with her family and Alan tonight, there was of course a fair bit of McDonald bashing going on around the table which made Fiona a bit uncomfortable but for the most part everyone got on like a house on fire. However when Fiona's Dad offered to pay for the wedding and the reception Fiona once again started to look uncomfortable. She had wanted the event to be small and personal. However it could clearly be seen to be expanding into something of a bigger bash.

Chris was settling into Sally's house and it was all getting very cosy, a bottle of wine and a little chat with Chris smouldering away like a lit bonfire in the somewhat romantically lit room. There was the potential for chemistry as they laughed and joked about Kevin and what he was doing with Natalie on holiday.

Zoe finally said her goodbyes to her daughter and tearfully walked out of the house. She was driven to a friends house where she would be staying for a while. Hence the Malletts had their child and despite the fact that both of them were having their consciences pricked by what they had done they seemed ready to get on with raising Katy.

Wednesday 10 September 1997
Everybody seemed to be walking tightropes tonight with some tension in many of the storylines. There was Judy and Gary formulating a story for the midwife about the now absent mother of Katy, Zoe. They told her that Zoe had done a runner and left them holding the baby. It was all very naive of them and Gary's nerves especially showed throughout the whole torturous conversation with the midwife.

Ken was doing Dreary a favour by picking someone up from the airport, with time to kill he wandered round the airport until he met up with none other than John who was supposed to be on a flight to Cape Town at that very moment. The man was unflappable and told Ken he was simply browsing the ties as his flight had been cancelled. He said it all without flinching and Ken believed what he had been told.

Rita went to visit the first of probably many properties in the Lakes with Alec along for company. He was going to be genuinely upset when she left the Street and told her as much. At one point I thought he was even going to propose marriage to get her to stay in Weatherfield but he must have thought better of it.

Chris and Angie were still living apart and she was already wishing he would come back to Des's house but he was simply not interested. The fact that they hardly got the chance to see each other didn't seem to impede him that much.

Fiona's mother came to have a drink with her daughter in the Rovers, she saw that Fiona wasn't as happy as she could have been and asked if she was happy with her decision to get married. Fiona declared she was the happiest she had been in a long long time and even when Jim walked past and said "Hello" she didn't seem to be too upset.

Vera was at cookery class and sat at the back like a naughty school child, her partner in crime in the next seat was none other than Mavis who was forced to sit through Vera's incessant talking. Matters weren't helped by the fact that the tutor was of a somewhat nervous disposition and very quietly spoken which meant she kept clashing with Vera's nattering at the back.

Sally was feeling sorry for herself because she hadn't been told about Rita's departure to the Dales. She was being comforted by Chris who cancelled a night out with Angie to stay in with her and keep her company. The chemistry between them seemed to be growing as once again Chris proved he had the ability to make her laugh.

The night ended with John and Dreary in her flat talking about Samir, John had been looking through an old photo album and Dreary was telling him how nice Samir was. She also mentioned how guilty she felt at being so happy with someone else. John reassured her though and the night ended with them kissing.

Friday 12 September 1997
Judy did a lot of myth making tonight as she settled in as Katy's new mother now Zoe was safely out of the picture. She set about quitting her job in the Rovers explaining she would now be looking after the baby and she wouldn't be able to commit to a job as well.

Chris was becoming more and more comfortable in his new home from home with Sally and the kids. In fact Sally finally seemed to be taking something of an interest in her new young charge. Of course this was all causing stress and strain on Chris's relationship with Angie but he didn't seem all that bothered.

Rita and Mavis were off up to the Lakes again for another viewing of their new holiday home. They were being forced to make a move buying wise as the owner had received an offer from someone else and it was more or less make or break time.

Judy went on to tell Audrey about Zoe "doing a runner" of course this was all well and good but Audrey went on to bad mouth Gary claiming he had been downright stupid to have a fling with Zoe in the first place. This showed the hurtful downside of the Mallett's little plan of action when the gossip truly began.

The evening brought a candle lit romantic meal between Des and Sam, it was to be something of a special night as well. Sam had decided she was ready to take their relationship a little bit further in the physical sense. Des of course was jumping up and down at the prospect of getting Miss Iron Drawers in the sack. However he would be in for a shock when he got her indoors at her and Curly's place.

Once again Jim made a prat of himself tonight, he did the now familiar three step routine of a) getting pissed b) deciding that it would be a good idea of going round to Fiona's while Alan was out c) begging Fiona not to marry such a no good copper. Once again Fiona told him to get lost as he was scaring her with his behaviour. Deja Vu or what...

Curly you see had been entertaining in Sam's absence, he had unwittingly invited her husband into the house. There was to say the least a pained silence between the menfolk as Des and Sam came home although she smiled and seemed pleased to see him.

Sunday 14 September 1997
A direct continuation of the previous episode with Des and Sam walking into Curly's and slap bang into Sam's husband. There was of course quite an awkward situation brewing and as a result Des and Curly decided to leave Sam and Ricky her husband to sort out their problems alone.

Of course Des wasn't a happy man as he and Curly walked to the Rovers Return. As we saw Barnes had effectively had cold water being poured on his ardour. Also Curly told Vera about Sam's husband which meant the news spread like wildfire through the pub community.

In the Rovers, the McDonalds were propping up the bar. Steve had just given his new girlfriend the brush off so he could drink with his father. When all of a sudden in through the door popped Andy looking tanned from his trek around Europe. He enthused about the joys of European drinking hours and the liberal way they let children into bars and pubs.

Rita and Mavis had been doing their sums tonight and as a result decided to put in an offer for the full price on the Bed and Breakfast they had set their hearts on in the Lakes. They proposed their offer by phone and then had to sit back and wait for the reply supposedly the same night. Needless to say Mavis was having kittens about the entire thing and looked in need of something to calm her down.

Sam and Ricky sat alone in the house and the full story of the past began to spill out. I couldn't help but think Ricky looked more than a bit sinister, perhaps possessive. Anyway it transpired he had found Sam through her recent contact with her parents and he was now here to declare how he was still in love with her despite the hell she had put him through. Sam was very kind to Ricky but unfortunately she was too kind, she didn't explain about her relationship with Des and effectively gave off signals to the tune of her still being single.

Des and Curly had by now retired to the garden at his house and were sat drinking tins of beer. Des had a mood on him blacker than the night itself and was taken with theory that the man upstairs was judging him for all his misdeeds. He even reckoned old Derek Wilton might be giving him a shove in the right direction. I truly anticipated this scene as being an opportunity for Des and Curly to perhaps clear the air over some Raquel related grievances. It could have been Curly's unofficial vengeance to see Des so cut up about losing Sam. However things didn't work out that way and Curly worried more about where he was going to sleep tonight now his home had become and extension for Relate.

Fiona had been at odds all night with Maxine and back at the flat we discovered what was causing her bad mood. She reckoned she was pregnant, she had even bought a kit but had been to afraid to use it. Maxine told her to get her act together and use the kit. She was going on holiday very shortly with Alan and would need to find out about inoculations while abroad if she was indeed with child.

As she did the test, Alan walked in to see Maxine stood by the bathroom door looking very suspicious. Fiona called from the bathroom and told her to go home and she would see her in the morning. Fiona then came out of the bathroom and rather than span out her announcement as other soaps are want to do of late she simply told him she might be pregnant. Alan was gob smacked but very happy at the news and told Fiona it was the happiest day of his life. However has Fiona thought to sit back and add up the dates and think about Jim ?

In the Rovers for last orders Mavis and Rita were in celebratory mood because they had been successful in their bid for the Bed and Breakfast of course there were things like the surveyance to be carried out but essentially the deal was "in the bag" as they say.

Curly turned in for the night on Des's sofa leaving an inconsolable Des outside with Angie. He explained how he had got involved with the wrong woman this time and it had blown up in his face as a result.

Back at Curly's Ricky was making plans for the future with Sam, only because she had skirted round the subject of their marriage and hadn't told him they had no future. As a result Sam went upstairs to bed and Ricky kipped down on the sofa.

Monday 15 September 1997
Whatever was going through Sam's mind tonight it didn't seem to have a clear path as she muddled her way through her romantic mine field of a life. Ricky had spent the night on the sofa and Curly had spent the night at Des's .Now the morning after he was back in his own home getting ready for work while Ricky slept like a baby on the sofa. Meanwhile Sam deliberated over her feelings towards the husband she hardly knew.

Des meanwhile was like a man at the gallows, he felt now the husband was back on the scene his heart would crushed by Sam at any minute when she announced she was going back to him. Angie tried to reassure him, to bolster his spirits even but it was no good he was inconsolable.

Fiona and Alan were still basking in the news of her pregnancy, although Fiona still seemed a touch on the dour side about the news. Alan however was over the moon and continuously told us how tickled he was that he was going to be a father. The news would be inadvertently spread when Maxine told Fiona she had a doctor's appointment while Vera was in the salon. Fiona tried to cover the news by claiming she had a dicky tummy but the look in Vera's eyes told us she wasn't as green as she was cabbage looking.

Ricky took to hanging round the Rovers Return ogling his wife while she worked. He seemed truly besotted which made Des all the more downcast, he was however a tad premature by claiming that he and Sam were effectively going to make a go of things. Des skulked off like a man in defeat as the love of his life was supposedly off to make a new start with her husband.

News of Fiona's unofficial pregnancy spread like wildfire thanks to Vera Duckworth. Unfortunately Steve McDonald got to hear about it and promptly went into shock which wasn't a good idea as his girlfriend was in front of him at the time and wasn't happy when she realised she was being treated like a second best item. Also I really don't have to explain what Jim's face went like when he heard the news, needless to say a calculator would have suitably replaced his brain cells at that point.

Mavis endured a harrowing visit from the Battersby clan who knowing she was moving descended in the hope of scrounging something from the house that they could sell on for a profit when she left. That lot are worse than the bloody Wombles!

Sam ended the night by paying Des a visit, he had more or less accepted defeat when Sam told him that she wasn't going to return to Ricky. That part of her life was now over, she had left him at home asleep after he had drunk himself stupid trying to build up some dutch courage and tell her how he wanted to try again. However Sam was adamant the only man she wanted was Des and it was time for her relationship to move to a more physical level..

Wednesday 17 September 1997
It was all go in the Street tonight as Des had obviously been on a voyage of discovery to the undiscovered country with Sam the night before. It was time however to wake up and face the music and face estranged hubby Ricky in the cold light of day.

Ricky meanwhile was nursing a splitting headache thanks to over indulging on the wine the night before. Curly offered breakfast but it was clear the idea didn't appeal to Ricky at all. Anyway before we knew it Sam was home and it was time for some explanations to be dished out.

Ricky was hardly the most patient of men as he waited for Sam's explanation of events and in some ways I think he was justified. Rather than let him down to earth with a direct answer to his question of whether they had a future or not she simply kept floating around the subject of their marriage being nothing but a tease.

Anyway now she had finally got round to discussing them and it was made evidently clear that they had no future together. Ricky didn't take this well and got angry, it was a joy to watch as we discovered just how many facial contortions he could put his face through in one scene. The target of his vengeful rants of course was Des.

He eventually left the Street after nearly hitting Des and declaring he wouldn't give Sam the divorce she wanted and he vowed he would be back for his wife in time

Alan was still all smiles about becoming a daddy, he had however began doing arithmetic and was now working out the conception dates which were throwing him for a loop somewhat. According to his sums they had been apart roughly at the time of conception. Nonetheless though he was content to allow for an error of judgement/nature and went to work.

Dinner time was to cause a ring a few attitude changes though, mainly because of Steve and Rachel. She collared him in the Rovers and decided it was make or break time for them. If he couldn't get over Fiona she would get over him and drop him like a hot potato. As they talked it was clear she would be getting nowhere with him so she called it quits and walked out telling him he could keep pining for Fiona on his own time. Bad move though because Alan was drinking in the next booth.

Fred Elliott came to view Mavis's house and nearly frightened her budgie to death during the visit with his loud voice. He was keen on the house and offered full asking price there and then but Mavis became hesitant as a result of this shock offer from Fred. She would consider his offer and give him an answer in the morning.

Alan came home to Fiona and started demanding answers, after hearing Rachel and Steve in the pub he had put two and two together and got five. He as good as asked Fiona if the baby was in fact Steve's and not hers at all. Obviously she was angry at the suggestion but it started her thinking about another McDonald family member...namely Jim.

In the Rovers Rita asked Mavis if she was getting cold feet about moving away from the area. Mavis denied such feelings but getting used to the idea of selling was one that would take getting used to.

Fiona arranged to meet Jim for a chat, she wanted to voice her worries about the fatherhood of the baby but he effectively put her mind at rest as he reassured he had a vasectomy a few years ago. Hence he was only firing blanks so he was.. or was he ?

Alan meanwhile was determined to make life miserable for that little oik Steve and used his police friends to start some campaign of trouble against him. What exactly was to be done we don't know but you could be sure it wouldn't be nice.

Friday 19 September 1997
A stormer of an episode tonight starting with Alan McKenna and Fiona and the fact that feelings were still running at fever pitch over the fatherhood possibilities of Fiona's child. Nothing was said outright but the signals were all somewhat on the cool side between them.

In fact the worry was so much that Fiona approached Jim about having his vasectomy checked to ensure he was still incapable of fathering a child. Jim said he would consider having a test to ensure things were all not in working order but told her not to hold her breath waiting for him to get the test done.

Fred Elliott was pacing up and down in the Kabin waiting for Mavis to arrive in the shop and dish out the answer as to whether she would be selling her house or not. She eventually arrived with good news and told Fred the deal was as good as done and they could finalise the paperwork later in the day. This meant that both Mavis and Rita were now one step closer to their Bed and Breakfast dreams in the lake district.

Sam and Des said there goodbyes as they prepared to sail off into the sunset on his boat for a week or so, Angie of course commandeered the car for a week while he was away on provision that she give them a lift to the boat that night. As soon as Sam got her wages from Alec she was ready and they were all set for the off, who knows what adventures were in store for them over the next week.

Mavis and Vera went to cookery class again with poor Mavis trying her level best to avoid being seen within spitting distance of a Duckworth for obvious reasons. The course tonight involved making the famous Yorkshire Pudding. Mavis played a blinder making a pudding which rose to the occasion and tasted delightful and earned her a top of the class score. Alas poor Vera wasn't so fortunate and ended up with a pudding which was loaded with way too much salt and was almost inedible. Of course in Vera's eyes this was the fault of the teacher for not writing the instructions clearly enough on the white board at the front of the room. As a result she faced a tongue lashing from Vera of the likes she had probably never experienced before.

Sally got round to looking at the mail from the morning only to find a card from Kevin for his children, she was upset to say the least as she felt like she was being mocked from afar by her estranged husband and his new bit on the side. Luckily she had Chris on her side as moral support in her times of crisis and with his help she managed to keep a smile on her face.

Steve and Andy were all set to go out on the town and were just walking down the Street when a car pulled up and took a decided interest in Steve McDonald. It was the police who thanks to Alan were interested in making life difficult for Steve. Without a word of explanation the next place he found himself was a cell being held on a trumped up charge of supplying drugs.

Jim found out about this and went storming round to see Fiona and things began to look a little heavy, Jim was sure this was another trumped up charge from Alan and while Fiona tried to defend her fiancee in truth she had to realise that it was all a bit too convenient for anyone's liking. Jim made a serious threat to Fiona claiming if this was indeed a trumped up charge he would perhaps have a little word with Alan about a certain little detail that their past shared..

At the police station Alan was now strutting his stuff in the cell with Steve, he as good as admitted it was all a trumped up charge to Steve as he explained he could make any charge he liked stick against his little enemy. The subject however soon got on to how close Steve had got to Fiona during Alan's absence, at first Steve didn't seem to grasp what Alan's problem was but as he mentioned the baby that Fiona was expecting and how Alan was the father he watched as Alan stormed and twigged that something was indeed wrong. Steve was now armed with knowledge that all was not well and it would be used to his advantage if he played his cards right.

Sunday 21 September 1997
A few pot boilers to keep the viewer watching tonight as far as storylines were concerned with everything moving at a fair old pace. Starting with Chris and Sally planning a day out at the shops while the kids went to Blackpool with their Grandad. It would all have been nice and simple if not for the fact that they had to make a little detour on the way to their proposed shopping trip.

Chris you see had been looking after Natalie's cat and as a result of his good natured act was intent on stopping to feed it today as they went to their destination. Cue dark looks from Sally as her own seething rage against her arch nemesis Natalie came to the fore once again and mischief it would appear was the first thing on her mind.

Meanwhile Steve McDonald was out of the police station and back home seemingly very humble and not prepared to speak about his experience in the cells the night before. Everyone of course was dying to know what had happened but for now Steve was keeping quiet. He would however explain his little theory of what happened later in the presence of his father Jim.

Mavis was almost finished with her packing and the house she had shared with Derek would soon be in the possession of Fred Elliott. He was round to collect the keys for his new acquisition only to find Mavis somewhat teary eyed at the prospect of leaving. Alas Fred never for known for his tact in any matters was quite able to put foot in mouth with Mavis and make her feel worse before leaving.

Chris was feeding the cat and cleaning up the mess that it had left behind caused by bringing in a pigeon, Sally against her better judgement decided to have a wander round the house and inspect where husband was living nowadays. She coolly stalked from room to room and it was when she finally reached the bathroom that was when her anger broke. She began viciously emptying bottles of bubble bath down the sink and in general making a mess. She even wrote on the mirror with her finger "Whore" for the benefit of Natalie when she returned home and then proceeded to run the taps and leave them on so the house would flood for when Natalie and Kevin returned that night.

When Sally and Chris got home from their shopping trip, Sally had returned to her senses somewhat and confessed what she had done to the Horrock's household. Chris being the kindly sort he was reckoned he could still do enough of a clean up job to save Sally's neck and immediately set off to inspect the damage.

Steve meanwhile was explaining his theory about McKenna and how he surmised that Alan was worried he might not be the father of the baby. Jim listened and apart from looking a tad awkward for a moment scoffed at the idea after all Fiona wouldn't sleep with someone else would she ?. Another aspect of the conversation revolved round Steve partaking of "a bit of weed" at Fiona's party. Jim told him to lay off the stuff for a bit which I thought was a bit liberal of Corrie. I would have expected more of a "people who use weed should burn in hell" speech more in keeping with their traditional values.

Anyway Steve was eager to push his luck today as he bumped into Fiona shortly after talking to his father, he mentioned how the lecture about smoking weed and Fiona merely shrugged and told him to go away. Enter one Alan McKenna who reiterated the point he had made about Steve staying out of his and Fiona's way. Unfortunately Steve couldn't keep his big mouth shut and made some crack or other about the possible father of the baby Fiona was carrying.

The next thing you saw was Steve on the receiving end of a beating with McKenna trying to lace seven bells out of Steve over the bonnet of a car. As a result Steve toddled off home looking very much the worst for wear to face Jim who promptly wanted to go across to see Alan and tear him to pieces. Fiona wasn't much better as she was disgusted at the way Alan had conducted himself by rising to the bait Steve had offered. They argued again and then vowed that Steve would never be mentioned again. I wonder if there was any other witnesses to the event other than Fiona.

Chris meanwhile managed to get Natalie's house almost ship shape condition before they arrived, he passed the story off as a burst pipe and how he had called an emergency plumber out to get the problem fixed. He left and the situation looked almost like it had been cleared up without anyone finding out about Sally's involvement. That was until Natalie had a bath and the steam from the hot water hit the mirror and revealed a forgotten detail of Sally's handiwork.

Monday 22 September 1997
It was a double barrelled episode tonight with Maureen and Fred gearing up for their big day at the registry office. Maureen was all of a tizzy getting ready and as usual Maud was her usual somewhat sour self when it came to matters a la Fred. However things rolled along at a steady pace and before long the wedding was ready to get underway at the local registrar's office.

It wasn't all celebrations though as Steve perused the local papers looking for a new place to live following Alan McKenna doing a "Sweeney" style beating on him the day before. He was in fact feeling very sorry for himself and seemed to have perhaps the inclination that no one was interested in sticking up for him. Jim denied this was the case but Steve wasn't listening to what he had to say. In his eyes any chance of revenge against Alan was little more than a hollow promise. Incidentally Jim got a phone call that was somewhat veiled however I am very sure it was the local clinic just ringing to confirm that his vasectomy check had come through to prove everything was still "switched off" in the fertility department. Why is this relevant, you will find out later

At the registry office Maureen and Fred were both set to give their vows, Fred of course orated his words in that booming voice of his while Maureen seemed quite awestruck by the entire affair. Nonetheless it was all soon over and done with and the happy couple were officially man and wife.

There was a further showdown to be seen in the Street tonight though thanks to the actions of Sally Webster the other day. Natalie had put two and two together when it came to finding out who had damaged her house, she was sure it was Sally and as a result sent Kevin round to do her dirty work and find out the truth of the matter. Kevin however was sure Sally was incapable of such an act and it was only when she effectively admitted what she had done he realised the lengths her anger would drive her to.

Shocked by his wife's action he launched into something of a tirade against her, he claimed that he had been stuck in a rut and life with her had become little more than a waking nightmare which he had been glad to escape from. As a result she told him to leave and leave he did going straight over the road to the garage to vent his frustrations on Chris who as it happened Sally had covered for when admitting her guilt so he wouldn't get into trouble. Mind you nobody seemed keen to tell Kevin that Chris had moved in with Sally while he had been on holiday.

After the wedding Fred went to extreme measures to testify his love for his wife with a barber shop choir serenading the happy couple while the likes of Liz McDonald watching on barely able to keep a straight face. It had to be said that at this point even grim faced old battle axe Maud Grimes was starting to crack a smile. Had she perhaps made a mistake in prejudging Fred her now son in law ?

The whole event moved back to the Rovers where Ken was dusted off for the obligatory speech that he always seems to give at weddings. Everyone was on hand to wish well while Natalie and Kevin sat in the corner fuming about the mischief Sally had managed to wreck while they had been away. It was only Chris who was standing in her corner and sticking up for her, but for the most part he seemed not to want any involvement in the matter.

However things soon got more heated when Sally walked into the pub, Natalie was out of her seat and raring for an argument. Almost immediately the catty comments began to fly and tempers were starting to fire up, luckily the pub was clearing as Fred and Maureen had lead the revellers at the wedding down the Street for the surprise venue of the wedding reception which was the house of Mavis which had been bought by Fred. Sally didn't seem to keen on continuing the heckling with Natalie and stormed out of the pub only to be followed by Natalie who was in turn followed by Kevin who was desperately trying to keep the peace.

The insults continued to be traded with Sally using Natalie's age as a weapon against and before you knew it the two were involved in a pretty disappointing fight which involved plenty of hair pulling and rolling around on the floor. The factory girls were of course cheering their comrade Sally on feeling she had been unjustly treated in the last few months. Eventually the fight was broken up and the crowd were dispersed although there was one little detail that remained as a result.

Jim had been watching the fight with interest when Alan McKenna pulled up and the animosity flared between them as well. In this case however there was no punches to be laid except verbal ones, McKenna was obviously goading Jim into looking for trouble with him but Jim had other plans and told Alan to get lost.

He went across to see Fiona for something of a little chat where he explained to her that he had spoke to the clinic and they had told him his vasectomy had reversed itself. I am positive he was lying about this but for the time being it would make an incredibly good slice of revenge for the McDonald clan.

At the reception Maud was beginning to change her opinion of Fred claiming he had laid out a grand spread for her daughter. She had one worry though, whereabouts was she going to live in the new surprise house which had been laid on for them all. It turns out that Fred had no intention of Maud living with them as she had a house of her own. A pity nobody had thought to tell Maud about this before the event !

Wednesday 24 September 1997
Tonight was more or less a continuation of recent storylines with no significant progress in any of them. Starting with Fred and Maureen returning home from their mini honeymoon in Manchester. Maureen was somewhat quiet and reserved despite enjoying herself during her wedding bash and the reason was her mother. Fred's words still hung heavy in the air about how he didn't want Maud in the house with them now they were together. It was all something to be discussed later because both had shops to get back to and keep running.

Steve continued looking for flats after his run in with McKenna, Jim meanwhile was still in a very agitated mood following events of the last few days. Steve's beating coupled with telling Fiona he was possibly the father of her child had conspired to make him a number one nuisance at the moment. Still that last point would be one that changed tonight when he saw Fiona again.

Fiona meanwhile was eager to leave the Street and "start again", she as good as told Alan this and he agreed with her sentiments but insisted he would not be pushed out of the Street by the likes of Steve McDonald. It would seem Fiona fearing the child was Jim's was prepared to up sticks and move away and keep her mouth shut about the real father of the baby.

Jim however would be the one to change all that, he came round to see Fiona in a quiet moment in the salon and announced that the day before when he had explained about his vasectomy he had been lying to her about him being fertile again. Today he explained how he had been vindictive and lied to her about the result but the trouble with him coming clean was the fact Fiona now thought he was lying so she would keep the baby and he would pounce claiming he was the father after it was born.

Natalie was on her high horse about the damage done to her house, she wanted Sally to pay for what had happened even though she had no money. Kevin tried to plead Sally's corner but it was no good, Natalie told him to speak to Sally otherwise she would go to the police and press charges for criminal damage. Kevin went round and tried to talk to Sally but she was adamant she wouldn't pay a penny to Natalie. Hence Kevin turned to leave until he suddenly noticed Chris's sleeping bag on the settee, he asked what it was doing in the house and it was clear jealousy was raising it's ugly head.

In fact it became clearer that Kevin was jealous because he asked Chris about how long he had been sleeping at the house. Of course he asked under the premise that he was trying to find out how Sally got the keys to Natalie's place but it was clear he wanted to know if anything was going on between them.

There appeared to be the odd conflict between Rita and Mavis in the pulling ranks stakes over this new venture they were heading into. Both had separate ideas especially Rita who fancied putting a room aside for Sally and the kids to stay "every once in a while" .This idea grated on Mavis's nerves a little but she was too polite to say anything.

Maureen and Fred continued to have some little differences over the table at supper time, mainly because of Maud Grimes but also because Fred seemed keen to move Bill out from above the shop. It was clear to see Maureen's independence was feeling a tad threatened from the likes of well meaning Fred Elliot.

The police came to see Sally in order to arrest her for criminal damage, Sally explained the whole sorry love triangle fiasco that she was living in and the police backed off a bit as Sally had an equal axe to grind following her "assault" the night before in the Street. The police explained they would review the situation but even if they dropped the case a civil action from Natalie might be on the cards. I have to say it was quite amusing watching Sally being lippy to a copper :)

Friday 26 September 1997
More infighting and bitching between the Natalie and Sally camps tonight with the spineless worm that is Kevin turning to jelly between them. Natalie was on the offensive with plans to bury Sally thanks to her misdemeanour which had cost her some of her beloved wallpaper and fixtures and fittings. Kevin of course cowered in the corner forever wanting the quiet life. Nobody told him this fancy piece business was going to be easy. Speaking of Chris he got chatted up by Leanne Battersby tonight who then went round telling people he was interested in her and she would more or less have certainly pulled.

Sally meanwhile was putting on a brave face for the matter but it seemed clear there was some nervousness from her about the involvement from the police. Chris however was prepared to stand in her corner and play the knight in shining armour role to the hilt for his occasional landlady.

Ken was starting a somewhat tedious temporary teaching job for a local school, something he was dreading as he didn't have enough work to stimulate the teaching juices that flowed within him. Emily meanwhile was doing a stint at the charity shop in an effort to escape Percy Sugden and his endless wittering.

Fiona was in a state of maximum stress over recent events and found herself unable to tell even her best friend Maxine about what she had been up to in the absence of Alan McKenna. One person she was able to talk to though was Jim as he was the "other party" involved in their little tryst. She visited Jim because he had something to show her, it was written proof that his vasectomy was in 100% working order. This meant Alan was the father for sure and the crisis was over and done with for good.

...Or was it, Jim seemed keen to hold this little fling of theirs to Fiona's head like a gun. In fact now he was taking great delight in winding Fiona up about how one day Alan may or may not find out what happened. In the end though he gave his word he wouldn't speak of what happened but then again what good is his word as we have seen him break it before.

Fred was becoming a royal pain and despite meaning well was in the process of upsetting everyone in sight wherever possible. Bill was the first target of the night as he inspected a dodgy shelf in the shop, Fred put aspersions on the quality of his workmanship which didn't go down well at all. He then later insisted that Bill move out of the flat to make room for storage space above the shop. All this was done without consulting Maureen and it was something which did aggrieve her somewhat.

Next on the list was Maud, although in all honesty she was never one to take much annoying as far as Fred was concerned. She popped round for tea with the newlyweds but it was clear from minute one that Fred was trying to engineer her swift departure at every given opportunity. This even went as far as shifting her into the conservatory to watch the spare TV. Hardly the actions of a chivalrous man and Maureen made sure he understood this. She made him promise to let her in on decisions in future and Fred was gracious in admitting his wrong doings and agreed to eat humble pie.

Ken was home from his withering day at school only to be faced with a new job opportunity int the form of part time work in the Kabin while Rita and Mavis were away doing a final check on their new acquisition. Ken readily took the job as he was finding temporary teaching unfullfilling. While this scene was on Percy was sat in the chair complaining about the television picture. Is it me or are they starting to send the old lad ga ga, the other night he was complaining about money going missing and now he has supposedly upset the picture on the television. It would seem that previously military sharp mind could be going a bit slippery even as we speak.

Fiona set off with Alan on her "honeymoon" however before leaving she gave Jim something to chew on, she explained if he ever opened his mouth to Alan she would open hers to Steve. By her reckoning they both had as much to lose as each other although I disagree with that little statement. Anyway it seemed Fiona wasn't adverse to playing Jim at his own game so we will see how that little line develops.

There was some last minute drama developing at the hospital as well as Martin was on his break, he was suddenly called away from eating his crisps as someone had been admitted who was calling for him. He made his way through the hospital to a little darkened side room where he was surprised to see a familiar face lying in the bed. It was none other than local loony about town Don Brennan. It seems that Don while not being told officially what was wrong with him believed he was dying and nothing anyone did now could save him.

A case of certain plotlines meandering along pretty slowly at the moment, once again Jim and Fiona start knocking tit for tat battles at each other with neither side gaining any ground. At least now Fiona is out of the picture for a while maybe things can simmer down.

Marriage doesn't seem to suit Fred that much in my opinion, the overbearing nature he possesses was once fun to watch when he was holding his own in the company of others but watching him stifle Maureen like he does now is getting quickly tiresome.

As for Don, Why ?, just another big hyped storyline or what, a hospital breakout has to be in the offing so he can try to exact some twisted form of revenge on Mike and Alma :)

Sunday 28 September 1997
Starting off with Natalie turning the thumbscrews yet again with Sally as she presented a letter to her saying either pay up or face the full unfettered fury of a small claims court. This of course made Sally upset and this was witnessed by Bill Webster who happened to be passing. It gave him something of a bee in his bonnet and no mistake as he bottled up his anger and resentment towards Natalie and his somewhat foolish son for the rest of the day.

Emily started her relief work with Ken in the Kabin and surprise of surprises actually came right out with her suspicions about Percy and his recent forgetful behaviour. She asked Ken if he knew anything about Alzheimer's Disease, Ken of course was no authority but he would go and visit Percy to see if he could recognise any change in his behaviour.

Bill finally exploded with anger against Natalie in the Rovers at dinner time, Kevin was having a quiet drink with his new girlfriend when Bill walked over and started having a dig at Natalie for "picking on" Sally in her weakest moments. Kevin tried to defend her against Bill's verbal tirade but it was no good as he was truly on good form calling her all the names under the sun for her sins of breaking up a marriage.

I almost felt sorry for Natalie because even her spineless boyfriend Kevin was about as supportive a wet tissue on the matter. I mean let's face it Sally has done wrong hasn't she, or is wandering uninvited round someone's house and causing a couple of hundred quids worth of water damage O.K nowadays.

Rita and Mavis were now staying at their little country cottage acquisition to get a feel for the place, Mavis was in fine form and looking forward to enjoying her stay. However Rita was not so enthusiastic and perhaps a warning sign of her backing out of the deal was on the horizon. It was slowly becoming clear that she wasn't suited to the country life and being in such close proximity to Mavis twenty four hours a day.

Martin meanwhile suggested to Gail that she should go and see Don Brennan as it was clear he was approaching the end of life's path and it would be nice for him to walk through the exit with some friends waving him off as he went. Gail was unsure especially as she would have to keep the information from her best friend Alma but agreed to go despite the bad blood between her and Don in the past.

Ken went to see Percy with Emily and right before their eyes he had another forgetful episode while serving cakes much to Emily's alarm. If this is Alzheimer's Disease I was unaware that it could manifest itself so quickly as it appears to have in Percy. The question now is what do they intend to do about Percy if that is the diagnosis.

There was a pretty terrible atmosphere in the Elliott household as well tonight as Maud made clear her plans for the future. She explained privately to Maureen that she would be moving into a private residential home for the elderly so as she would not interfere with the life of her newlywed daughter. Maureen instead of buckling to her mother's apparent attempts at lumping guilt on her however turned round and threw the spite she felt she was being dealt back in Maud's face.

She explained how she had sussed Maud's motives for moving in the hope she would inspire tremendous feelings of guilt in her. Maureen however explained that this guilt would no longer be the case, she even went as far as to ask her mother why she hadn't booked herself into a home many years ago so she would have had some freedom when it still counted for something in her life. Maureen concluded her little tirade on a disturbing note by claiming she had nothing in her life at all to call anything....could this be the realisation that her marriage was perhaps a mistake (I can definitely see an obvious EXIT sign for Maureen now).

Gail finished the night with Martin visiting a sick looking Don, for the first part of their visit he was out cold but just as they tried to leave he came round and asked to speak with Gail. It was there that he explained his sorrow for all the bad things he had done and tearfully asked for forgiveness before his imminent death. Gail tearfully forgave him for all the rows they had lived through in the past few years. However before they left Don had a more important request. He wanted to see Alma to make peace with her before he died, Gail immediately reacted against this claiming Alma would not want to stir up the old painful memories that Don had inflicted. However we will see how this one develops given time, I doubt we will be waiting long.

Terrible shouty acting from Bill, they should let the varnish dry before letting him out on a set.

As I said above I can see EXIT signs written all over for Maureen now, I reckon the marriage will end up being annulled and she will do a runner leaving Maud in a home and Fred all alone. You could fair see the frustration on her face as she seemed to realise her predicament. Also I reckon it won't be long before Percy will be carted off as well giving him the exit he wanted from the Street.

Monday 29 September 1997
In the Dales, Rita was at breaking point, could it be the annoyingly chirpy Mavis getting into something of a Good Life scenario with relish or could it be the fact that the owner of the cottage they were buying thought she and Mavis were gay that was driving her round the bend. Nonetheless Rita had realised this wasn't the life for her and was taking every opportunity to avoid being shown the flowers and vegetables all at their disposal on the premises.

In Weatherfield meanwhile Gail and Martin decided it was time to tell Alma about Don and the fact that he was near death and wanted as a last act to see her and beg forgiveness. Alma was knocked sideways by the fact that her would be murderer was in hospital but could she live with the guilt of denying a dying man his last wish to make peace with the enemy. It was something for Alma to think on throughout the day but undeniably a hard decision for her to make.

Bill was still carrying his anger round with him as regards Natalie and his son Kevin, he simmered most of the day until he finally realised that another reason for his anger was the fact his life was essentially going round in circles with no apparent escape. It was time for a change, Bill took some time off work and when he returned he dropped something of a bombshell on his working partners Jim and Steve. He was leaving the Street and heading back to Germany. There was little for him here and he realised he wanted to see his son Carl growing up instead of being stuck in Weatherfield (One cast member down, one more to go).

After making this decision he tore strips of Natalie for wrecking the marriage of his son and for further berating his daughter in law Sally. Of course that little storyline was still going stronger than the Duracell bunny and despite the fact that Sally had done wrong she had an en masse task force of yobbo mates like Ida and old Mother Battersby to back her up.

Rita finally snapped and rather than spend another moment in the Dales announced she was returning to Weatherfield and her old life. She was most certainly not cut out for country life and that much was obvious, this left Mavis in an awkward position as without Rita could the deal still go ahead ?

Alma finally relented and went to see Don who was looking rougher by the episode, he begged forgiveness and Alma forgave. Seeing Don lying prone in bed looking like death warmed over made her realise he could no longer harm her....or could he ?. After a brief conversation with Don she left, it has to be noted that Mike's name was brought into the conversation and that seemed to fire a spark of malice in Don's eyes.

Finally Maureen was slowly realising that she had made a mistake marrying Fred, she was faced with her battle axe mother Maud on one side and her boorish husband on t'other I say on t'other .Over a sumptuous tea that night she finally snapped and essentially told Fred what she thought of him and that he was a greedy over bearing man. She ran outside crying and told Fred to leave her alone, who should be happening past to be Maureen's shoulder to cry on at that moment but none other than Bill Webster.


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