3 October 1995


Unable to control his rage about how Leo Firman treated Racquel, Curly gives Leo Firman a couple of thumps in the stomach and on the face when they are both in the store room at Firman's Freezers (in full view of Reg). Later, Curly is called into Leo's office and Leo is ready to give Curly the sack but Curly threatens Leo by saying he will tell everyone what Leo tried to do to Racquel.

Stella Rigby calls round to see Bet at the Rovers to ask if she has heard the news about Newton and Ridley. It seems the brewery has put up for sale some of its pubs, including the Rovers and Stella's pub. Bet and Stella are horrified because of the way they find out about this - from a newspaper article - and each time they ring the brewery for clarification of what's going on, they are told that no one can speak to them, everyone is in a meeting.

Vicky and Steve come back from honeymoon and Bet prepares the spare room at the Rovers for them both and buys fresh flowers to welcome them back. However, Vicky tells Bet they will stay in an hotel until they find their own place.

A couple of prospective buyers come to look at the Duckworth's house. Bill Webster tells Vera that the aroma of fresh coffee will make the house smell more attractive, so Vera borrows a coffee machine from Don. However, the people who come around to look at the house, the girl is allergic to the smell of coffee and so doesn't look around the house. Another couple come to look around and seem keen on the house although Vera describes them as "dog-rough".

Don goes to see his solicitor about keeping his house, so the matter now is between the two solicitors, Don's and Nick's.

Betty rings her son, Gordon, and tells him that she is going to be married again. Gordon arrives back in the Rovers a few days later and gets on really well with Billy. In fact, he asks Betty if Billy isn't his real father, but Betty says he isn't. Betty breaks the news to Bet and Racquel and they celebrate with champagne.

Bill Webster and Rita are becoming good friends these days. They go into town together and in the car park, a little girl is crying because she is lost. Bill takes the little girl by the hand and tries to find her mother. The mother sees Bill with her little girl and jumps to the wrong conclusion and starts kicking up a fuss about him taking her little girl away from her. Later on, 2 police officers call into the Rovers to see Bill as they saw the incident on the car park security camera and traced Bill back to the Rovers via the registration number on Rita's car. Bill loses his temper as he was only trying to help the little girl but it all gets sorted out and the police say that the matter is closed now. Rita proves supportive to Bill.

Mavis and Derek are aghast when they see Jack Duckworth in Des' garden, taking measurements for a pigeon loft and a shed when Vera and him move into the house. Des is being supportive of Steph as she looks for another flat, it seems that she has found a new place to live now. Des drops her off at McDonalds where she goes in to collect her wages and in walks the father of Steph's baby. Steph and this bloke sit down to talk (while Des is waiting outside in the car) and he tries to get Steph to come back to him. Norris is now Derek's boss at work and wants to get on well with Derek, so buys him a present of a little plastic gnome which goes in the garden next to Guinievere to keep her company.


October 10, 1995


Des decides not to sell his house after all, much to Jack and Vera's dismay and to Derek and Mavis' joy! Vera is very angry with Des and tells him he can't see little Tommy any more, but eventually they make up. Steph wants Des to move in with her and for them to get back together, but Des says no. He goes to the Rovers and gets very drunk and takes Maxine back to his house again. Vera has found buyers for her house so she will have to put them off now that they are not moving into Des' house.

Betty asks Racquel to be her bridesmaid and Bet to be her maid of honour. Both say they would be delighted to do this. Steve and Vicky are currently living in a hotel which Vicky is paying for, they argue over money as Steve says he feels like he has to ask for money for everything from Vicky. Neither of them seem to be taking the t-shirt business very seriously.

Bet is destroyed, she doesn't know where to turn, who to ask about raising the money for the Rovers, the brewery want 68,000 pounds. Rita comes in to console Bet in the Rovers, and they start talking. Bet asks Rita if she is interested in buying the Rovers and Rita starts thinking about this seriously. She meets with her accountant and he tells her that she could afford it, the choice is with Rita. In the meantime, while Rita is deciding, Mavis tells Bet in the Rovers that Rita is definitely going to buy the Rovers, so Bet is all excited and tells Ken the news that she has a buyer for the pub. Rita makes up her mind to buy the pub, goes to the Rovers, bumps into Ken coming out of the Rovers. Ken congratulates Rita on buying the pub, and Rita has a change of heart, she is annoyed that Bet has assumed she would put her money in to the pub and taken her for granted, and turns around and goes home. Bet doesn't find out about Rita's change of plan until she goes into the Kabin after a meeting with the Brewery, where they reduce the price by 2,000 pounds. Bet can't believe Rita has changed her mind, and they argue (boy, do they argue!). They call each other names, and drag things up from the past to hurt each other, in the end Bet walks out of the Kabin saying she was sorry she ever asked Rita to get involved. Rita had asked Alf his advice on buying the Rovers and it was Alf's advice that really made Rita decide not to go ahead with the purchase of the pub.

Don and Gail continue to argue, this time over the fact that Sarah-Louise had had lunch with Don in his house without asking her or Martin. Phyllis finds one of Maxine's ear rings in Des' bed and tells her that Des isn't ready for a relationship, but this doesn't seem to deter Maxine.


October 16, 1995


In desperation, Bet turns to Vicky and asks her for a loan to buy the Rovers with. Vicky says she would love to help but she has to ask Steve, her new husband, first, and of course he says a definite "No". So, Vicky and Steve go to see Bet to tell her the bad news (Steve is great at this scene, sounding like Marlon Brando in the Godfather). Vicky says that they have to say no to the loan because they can't accept the Rovers as the only security against the loan, and Bet has nothing else to offer them as security, nothing in the world. Vicky goes back to the Rovers to apologise to Bet, and tells her that when the Rovers is sold on, she will buy Bet a house and rent it to her. Bet gets annoyed at Vicky for this, she says that she took Vicky in as an orphan and didn't ask for rent so she wouldn't be taking the house from Vicky as a paying tenant and asks Vicky to leave. Vicky goes into the bar, with Steve and his parents and when Bet sees her there she tells her she meant for her to leave the Rovers, in fact, Bet then ends up throwing everyone out of the pub in the middle of a busy afternoon session "And you, mayoress, get out" she tells Audrey. She shuts up the Rovers and takes a taxi, armed with two leopard skin suitcases, her leopard skin coat, her leopard skin dress, sunglasses and ear rings, and off she goes in the taxi. The taxi driver comments that she's a single lady and wonders if she's off to the sun, although not many people find it and Bet's last words are "Some of them find it".

Meanwhile, Ken asks Rita to be godparent to Daniel (without first consulting Denise) so when Denise finds out she is furious with Ken and doesn't want Rita as godmother.

Don and Gail have another argument over the house / Nick situation. Gail and Martin ask Don to sign a legal document saying he acknowledges the fact that the house isn't his, but that he can live in the house for as long as he wants, but Don refuses to sign anything.


October 24, 1995


Everyone is speculating about where Bet has gone, and if she's coming back. Two men from Newton and Ridley go to the Rovers and tell Betty, Racquel and Bill that Bet had telephoned them earlier that day to resign as Manager of the Rovers, and they have to close the Rovers until a relief manager is found. A notice goes on the door of the Rovers saying "Closed Until Further Notice".

Remember Rodney the relief manager that was in the Rovers a while ago? Well, he's back, put in place by the brewery for two weeks until a buyer is found. Vicky goes to the Rovers to see if anyone knows where Bet has gone, and Racquel argues with Vicky, telling her it was her fault that Bet has disappeared. Rita blames herself for Bet leaving by not lending Bet the money to buy the pub. Everyone now knows the Rovers is up for sale at 66,000 pounds. Jack and Vera are seriously thinking about buying it, as are Liz and Jim. Both couples have met with the brewery to discuss the matter and now Liz and Jim have put their house up for sale too, so it's a race between the two couples as to who sells their house first and gets the cash to buy the pub. Curly calls to see Racquel and she takes him into the bar and they have a drink together. Curly tells Racquel that she should apply for a loan and take over as manager of the Rovers.

Betty's son Gordon, his wife and son arrive for Betty and Billy's wedding. Gordon and his wife are having some marital problems (his wife is a bit snobbish). Billy takes Alf, Bill, Gordon and his other friend to the British Legion for Billy's stag night. Their wedding reception was going to be held in the Rovers, but they have had to move this to the British Legion instead now that the Rovers is closed. The wedding is lovely and Rita gets on the stage at the British Legion to sing for the happy couple. Bet waits outside of the church for Bet to turn up, but of course she doesn't. Percy makes the wedding cake.

One of the female staff at Firmans Freezers complains to Reg about sexual harassment from Leo Firman, and tells Reg that she isn't the only one who has suffered. Reg doesn't want to complain to Leo as he is the boss' nephew, and talks to Curly about the problem, saying that the shop girls could be telling lies, but Curly knows they aren't.

School children are on holiday this week in the UK and Nicky is brought in to help out in the cafe with Gail to keep him out of trouble. Steve McDonald offers Nicky a job with him in the printing shop, so Nicky is going to work there instead to earn some cash.

Des and Maxine are still seeing each other, Maxine talks about little else in the hair salon, much to Fiona's annoyance.

Deidre goes to the inquest of Samir's death, accompanied by Ken and Liz. She is distraught when an "open verdict" is recorded over his death.


October 31, 1995


Well, it was a race to contracts to purchase the Rovers, a race between Jim and Liz McDonald and Jack and Vera Duckworth. Jim had taken Mike Baldwin out as a chauffer when Liz got the phone call from the brewery to say if they got there in time, with the cash, they would be able to have the Rovers. Liz rang Jim immediately, he was waiting outside of a building for Mike and a colleague but he took off in Mike's car straight away. Meanwhile, Jack and Vera had the same telephone call, and by the time Jim drove back it was too late, Jack and Vera had alrady signed the contract and are now the official new owners of the Rovers Return.

More misery for Jim came when Mike Baldwin sacked him, and now Jim has taken to drinking to console himself, Liz is distraught. Jack and Vera have a definete buyer for their house, Mr. And Mrs. Mallett, so we should be seeing some new faces on the street soon. In the Rovers, the staff are confused as to whether they will be able to keep their jobs under the new managers and Racquel asks as spokesperson to Vera. Jack and Vera are playing their parts very well, and they make you feel very happy for them to have the Rovers. However, Jack is contemplating having strippers in the bar, and Vera is thinking about holding Bingo nights! Betty and Billy are back from their honeymoon and Betty is more than surprised to see who her new bosses are.

Reg calls Mr. Firman to put forward the claims about his nephew Leo sexually harrasing the girls in Firman's Freezers (and also Racquel - Curly defends her admirably). Mr. Firman tells Reg and Curly that this has happened before and moves Leo to a different store.

Deidre is still upset after the open verdict recorded on Samir's death and visits one of the witnesses to see if he knows more than he has told the court, but he tells Deidre that he has told her all he knows.

The Nick/Don/Ivy's house affair is still with the solicitors, and Don is feeling increasingly isolated from his grandchildren as a result of this matter.


Written by Glenda Young


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