Romanian Holiday

Written by Simon Crowther and Chris Fewtrell, Directed by Ian Bevitt

In a regular Coronation Street episode, we discover that Frankie Baldwin is getting married and has invited Roy and Hayley to the wedding, in Romania! Needless to say there is much preparation and research done by Roy for the upcoming trip. This "spinoff" dvd starts in Weatherfield and quickly segues to Romania on or about October 24, 2009.

The opening scenes are shots of rural Romania, with lovely scenery and a village with folk dancers performing for tourists. An SUV pulls up, showing that it is the modern world in spite of all appearances of tradition. The owner of the SUV gets out and is carrying a stack of letters. He's dressed in sport warm up clothing. The aged postie wheels up on an old bike to the red postbox. One letter is dropped and it's addressed in lovely script to Roy and Hayley Cropper. Curiously, it already has the postal mark stamped on it! The camera closes in on the letter and we then fade to Weatherfield...

Where Hayley is examining the contents of the letter. It's a wedding invitation sent by Frankie (formerly) Baldwin who is marrying a footballer named Dean Fraser who is playing for a Romanian team. Roy doesn't think they would realistically be attending though Hayley is up for an adventure. All that way for one weekend? We'll leave a carbon footprint the size of a Yeti, our environmentally conscious Roy comments. Hayley is disappointed. She adds that they have been asked to house sit for them while on honeymoon so it would be more than a few days. Roy suddenly realizes that part of Romania is the backdrop for the Dracula legends. He's not at all bothered by the literary version but the real Count, Vlad the Impaler was from that area and the lure of the history has Roy hesitating after all. Hayley takes full advantage, thanks him for agreeing to go, with a hug, and then drops the RSVP in the postbox. Sorted.

Come Saturday, Roy and Hayley are in Eddie's cab. They've stopped off for sunscreen and a guide book. She's already got her wedding outfit and hat on. Apparently they are flying on the day of the wedding, arriving only 2 hours before the ceremony with a change in Munich because it was much more expensive to fly the night before. A sure sign of trouble. Hayley looks annoyed as she tells this to Eddie but he is on Roy's side. There is some chatter about Steve and Becky to establish that they are on their honeymoon as well.

Oh dear. The next sign of a day is Sunday. They've missed the wedding! Seems there were all manner of delays, starting with an electrical storm to a strike at another airport. Hayley is on the phone to Frankie, who is just boarding their plane for their holiday, apologizing. Roy consults the guidebook, now fluttered with yellow sticky tabs, to find out which bus they take. Hayley summons a taxi...who then leaves them in the middle of a quiet road having had a disagreement with the driver.

The Croppers walk up the drive to the house and see a large mansion with pool. The interior is just as impressive. They look around the house, which also has a jacuzzi. Hayley is in heaven! Roy looks dubious over this development.

Outside, a car comes around the road. A middle aged British couple pull up outside, having been led their by a vocal GPS. Inside, Roy has found the bedroom, decorated by a large nude painting of Frankie and Dean, though it is discreetly covering any private bits. Roy swallows and then moves the painting off the wall. Hayley notices the newly arrived car outside. The couple from the car get out and they are impressed as well, he saying they've hit the jackpot.

Inside, they are surprised to see Roy and Hayley. They introduced themselves as Dean's aunt and uncle, Glen and Verity. They say that Dean had asked them to house sit. He calls Dean (who should be on the plane, shouldn't he?) to sort it out. When offered the spare room, Glen says they'll find a hotel but supposedly the nearest one is at the airport by a dodgey chemical plant. Ramp up the guilt trip! Verity asks for a nose round the house and Hayley leads her inside where they check out some of the rooms. More passive aggressive guilt is laid so that when they finally turn to leave, Hayley blurts out an invitation for them to stay.

Later, Glen is barbecuing. Roy is discussing Vlad the Impaler where Glen prefers the "real" Dracula. Glen accidentally barbeques a mobile phone and then throws it in the pool before the electrics can sizzle. Verity dives in thinking it's hers but it turns out to be the Cropper's phone. Hmmmm.

It's now Monday. We see a babbling brook by the side of the road where Roy and Hayley are waiting by a bus stop. Apparently, Glen and Verity were up late and were rather noisy. Roy was not happy. Hayley slept well but Roy accuses her of being drunk. She defends herself as only having a couple of drinks. She's on holidays, after all! They discuss their sightseeing that day, in the local village and a monastery before trying out a local cafe. Roy, thriftily, has brought cheese sandwiches and tea made from teabags from home. Marvelous.

The bus does not seem to be forthcoming. This causes more fractious arguing over the schedule. More time passes. Roy now has his jacket off and pant legs rolled up.

They return to the house, finally, in the midst of an argument. Inside the other couple is very loud, and it sounds like vigorous sex happening upstairs or an enthusiastic game of snooker in the games room, which is what they later tell Hayley they were doing. Shortly they come downstairs looking disheveled and out of breath and wondering why the Croppers have returned. The non-running bus is blamed and Verity says she's seen some bikes near the garage. Hayley stumbles, saying she's not ridding a bicycle since she was a little b... well, since she was small but they turn to go find the two wheelers.

Bikes and helmets, they set off. Glen urges Verity to get up them stairs! The Croppers head down the road. Roy is delighted to be on a bike after many, many years. It takes him right back to his childhood but as he's expounding on the delights, his bike loses the chain. Back to the mansion, i guess. Glen is eating and dripping brown sauce over the carpets. He offers to drive them into town.

In town, they make a date to meet up at 5. Hayley offers to buy them a coffee to thank them first. Glen, spying a Newton and Ridley sign (eh?) agrees. Verity doesn't look impressed. We next see them sitting at an outdoor cafe. Glen is having a beer. Roy is fighting off a wasp that lands on a glass of tomato juice. Glen is terrified of the little beasts and whacks at the glass, sending its contents all over Roy. He offers Roy another football shirt that he has in the trunk of the car. Roy is hesitant but having no choice, dons it.

They have proceeded to the monastery. Roy is very uncomfortable in his football shirt, thinking it inappropriate. Hayley sighs and tells him it's a blue and white, perfectly inoffensive tshirt. In town, after another beer or two, Verity tells Glen they have to go. He reluctantly gets up but notices a football game on the telly inside the bar and goes in, much to her frustration.

Roy and Hayley have enjoyed their visit, well, Roy has for sure. They have wandered back into the village. Roy even donates a bill to a local busker playing on the side of the road. A voice singing a team song at the top of his voice floats out of the cafe over the square. The Croppers follow it inside where both Glen and Verity both are legless. Hayley has to drive them back. She creeps along the road slowly where even a horse cart passes them, nervous of driving a brand new car on an unfamiliar road. Glen is shouting the odds at all passers by. A black clad biker drives by. Glen stands up in the car (it's a convertible) and shouts. The big bruiser biker stops, gets off and starts to walk back. Glen urges Hayley to step on the gas now!

Later, back at the house and by the pool, Roy is hollering at Glen and Verity for putting Hayley through a horrifying experience. Seems the biker followed them for 18 miles at top speed! Hayley is so traumatized she's gone to bed. Glen and Verity are starting to experience a hangover. They're sat by the pool suffering and are in no mood for Roy's haranguing. Roy throws Glen's tshirt back at him and insists that they will have no further intercourse. Poor Hayley, Verity muses. SOCIAL INTERCOURSE, Roy spits! He spins around on one heel and heads back to the house.

It's Tuesday. Roy is keeping his distance. Glen approaches and apologizes for both of them. Verity says they should bury the hatchet. They have to cohabitate for the next few days and might as well call a truce. Glen and Verity offer to drive them anywhere. Hayley, ever the optimist, suggests Bram's Castle which is unfortunately misnamed as Dracula's castle. Glen perks up at this and is keen to go, are the Croppers coming or not?

They are. In the car, Glen wants directions. Roy suggests the GPS but Glen says he has no idea how to work it (in spite of it leading them to the house on the first day. Hmmmmm.) He asks what music they might listen to as there are several cds in the car. Roy suggests Romanian folk music on the radio. The camera pans across the lovely rural scenery to the tune of said folk music to show the passing of the time and miles. They come upon some roadworks. They stop and Glen turns off the radio and Roy's running commentary. They chat about music and the castle.

Arriving there shortly after, there is, as Roy predicted, all manner of vampiric tat for sale at numerous market stalls which Glen loves! They bicker about various things as they approach the castle and a tour of it. Glen wants to look around by themselves but Roy is keen to hear the guide and the history. They agree to part company. The guide herds them up the stairs and when Glen sees that the guide is an attractive woman, he changes his mind.

She tells them the history of the castle. Glen interjects and makes a tit of himself, as you might expect, through the tour. Roy actually ticks off the guide when he corrects her as to the truth of whether Vlad actually even lived there. Hayley tries to silence Roy but he has gone too far and the guide kicks them off the tour. Roy is insulted and Glen and Verity have slipped away to look around on their own and get away from the Croppers Roy and Hayley take up the search for them through the various rooms, the incidental music is The Monster Mash!

Outside, later, Glen has taken off his vampire gear. They're bickering and then dismayed to find Roy and Hayley standing by the car waiting for them. Hayley tells them off for spoiling Roy's day (but he did a good job of that himself as well). Verity and Glen make plans to go to the village bar. They don't figure Roy and Hayley would come along, not that they would.

At the bar, they discuss what they're going to do. Glen says they'll have to be obnoxious (more so) so that Roy and Hayley will leave.Glen as spied something and says There is a God! Verity looks over her shoulder and is pleased at his idea.

At the house, Roy is scrubbing a stain off the carpet. He's angry and fed up. Hayley gets down on her knees and hugs him and says she can't stand it much longer either. Roy thinks they should tell the other couple they can't stand them but Hayley thinks you just don't do that. Hayley thinks they should just lie to get out of the situation but Roy doesn't want to do that either so they will just stick it out.

Wednesday arrives. Very early. It's 3 a.m. and the lights come on with a crash. Glen and Verity burst into Roy and Hayley's room with a karaoke sign, insisting they all go, causing Roy to lie quickly and say their daughter, Becky, has gone into labour and they will have to leave. Glen and Verity are pleased but pretend it's due to the impending grandparenthood. I guess they didn't think it would be so easy to get rid! They leave the room.

Later at a civilized hour, Glen carries the luggage to the car and they arrive later at the airport. They say their good byes. Just as they are about to turn to head into the building, they hear ROYSTON!!!! bellowed out behind them. Becky???? She's delighted they have come to meet her! Seems she and Steve have had an argument. He's told her she can't have her jacuzzi installed at the Rovers. Seems the Croppers are rumbled.

Back at the house, they lay on the guilt, making Roy and Hayley feel terrible. The Croppers offer to go to the airport hotel but Becky arrives in her pink bikini and tells them all they can get along if they try. She dives into the pool, watched intently by Glen. Bygones be bygones, he says. Verity watches him suspiciously.

Later, Glen is barbecuing again, wearing his Statue of David apron. Becky finds out about the karaoke and she's keen. Glen suggests they do Abba. Hayley can play one of the blokes1 Becky offers to do it instead but Glen says she's a ringer for the good looking one and Verity can man up instead. Verity is insulted. What??? Glen doesn't get it.

At the bar that night, a bearded Romanian with a headband on is enthusiastically singing Kung Fu Fighting. Roy has stayed home scrubbing the barbeque and wearing the apron! Hayley and Becky are wearing glittery accessories and Verity has a moustache pencilled on. Glen has been plying Hayley with Pink Ladies and she's already feeling the effects.

Hayley has tell Becky some of what has been going on. Becky admits her row with Steve isn't' serious but she'd already bought the tickets by the time she'd forgiven him and, in addition, she misses Roy and Hayley!

Back at the house, Roy is eyeing the jacuzzi bubbling in the corner. Is he going to try it? Yes he is! And it looks like he's absolutely blissful!

At the bar, the faux-Abba group performs quite well. Glen is at one end by Becky and using any excuse to put a hand on her body. Verity watches with increasing jealousy. It's late. At the table later, Verity and Hayley are ready to go home but Glen wants to keep on partying and Becky is certainly not ready to go home. Verity puts her foot down and Glen is led out. Becky is determined to stay. Hayley worries how she'll get home but Becky says she'll be ok, and sends Hayley home. Becky heads to the bar for another drink.

At the mansion, Verity tells Glen they're leaving in the morning. She says they thought they had a good thing but there's no shifting the Croppers now Becky's there. Glen insists they can get them all out. Trust him!

At the bar, Becky sees a drinking contest going on with the Kung Fu Fighting singer and a local. Becky looks on with interest when she's told this man is unbeatable. That's a challenge. She stumbles over and throws some cash down on the table. He looks as if he thinks it will be a doddle. Becky downs the first two shots as if she were throwing down the gauntlet and stretches her neck to either side to loosen herself up. Line 'em up!

They trade shots, Becky keeping up her end steadily. The other bloke looks a bit sweaty and shaky. Becky downs one last shot and survives. Buddy tries, but collapses. The king is dead, long live the Queen!

Back home, Glen is up in the middle of the night making a cuppa. He picks up Roy's guidebook for a browse and sees something that seems to give him an idea.

Becky is now drunkenly telling the crowd at the bar about her plans to redecorate the bathroom, now spiraled down the drain. Then she's gushing about her sweet fella, Steve and how they fell in love, Steve lying through his teeth for her on the witness box. She lasts all night and we next see her on a horse drawn cart being driven across the countryside.

They're next seen all on the outside patio of the village cafe. Becky of course is hungover but happy. She assures them all she was a good girl and didn't chat to any blokes all night. But all the locals see her as they pass by and greet her enthusiastically, even a local priest! Glen mentions wanting to see the nearby Valley of Hell (gleaned from the guidebook no doubt) and they all agree to go for the allegedly spectacular views. It isn't far, apparently.

More camera views of the scenery. The intrepid crew are playing road games in the car on their way. But alas, the car seems to be making odd sounds, according to Glen who stops it and raises the hood on the car. Becky basks in the sun, Glen ogling her from under the hood of the car. Roy thinks they should wait until someone comes by. Verity is feeling ill from the sun. Glen is concerned and sends the Croppers off with a bottle of water to find a nearby farm. As the head off, with Becky, Glen calls back, Sorry about this! Hmmm... Hayley dismisses his apology. He can't help it, can he? (Can he?) But he does look guilty.

As they go out of view, he puts the hood of the car back down. When next we see the Cropper crew, they appear to be lost as the sun beats down. Becky goes off in one direction and Roy in another to find the road and car. Roy and Hayley decide to follow her. They stop and sit on a log. Hayley does admire the scenery. Hayley expresses sadness for Roy, who never joins in and has fun like she did at the bar the night before. She worries he's missing out on things for fear of enjoyment. She doesn't want him to change, but maybe he could be more open to new experiences. He confesses, he tried the jacuzzi. And he liked it. Just as they are about to have a little kiss, they hear the howl of a wolf! Eek! Roy admits there are wolves in Europe and possibly bears which freaks out Becky. They start to hurry through the woods.

They finally come out to a field where there is a flock of sheep and a shepherd. Who recognizes Becky!! They joyfully hug (It kind of looks like the guy that drove her home in the cart and indeed he loads up his cart with Croppers and takes them into the village, where they run into the police station to report that there are two people stuck in the mountains, one with sunstroke. The hills are then filled with helicopters and police cars.

Meanwhile, back at the house, the Croppers and Becky talk about the stranded people. Apparently the land line is not working so Hayley can't contact Frankie. But lo, up the drive comes a man looking very much like Dean, Frankie's husband. Yes, it is. He lit some woman's cigarette and Frankie got jealous and chucked him out and to make matters worse, he gets back and finds his car has been stolen from the long-stay parking at the airport. Hayley admits his Uncle Glen and Auntie Verity are stranded on the mountain. Dean looks confused. Who??

Yep, the safe has been completely cleaned out. Roy realizes they've been duped from the outset.

At the airport, Glen and Verity are waiting for their flight. Verity wonders if it was worth it. She's pretty much done with their scams. She's tired of staying one step ahead of the police. Romania was the last place they weren't known, aside from the Ukraine and thinks they should retire and go back to England.

Dean admits he gave his keys to the guy at the airport but that was Glen! Becky explains the scam and we flip back and forth between them, the couple in the airport and flashbacks. Easy to get an orange vest that looks like the real attendant's. The GPS is set for "home" so that's simple enough to figure out. Roy and Hayley's presence almost ruined the scam until Hayley admitted she didn't know Dean. Glen tells Verity that her story about being Dean's aunt and uncle was genius. The house tour gave them the lay of the land and location of the safe. Glen cut the phone lines and sizzled the Cropper's mobile. That vigorous sex? That was them trying to get the safe open when they heard the Croppers return.

Verity hopes the Croppers will be ok where they left them. Glen assures them they would be but she's worried. They never have hurt anyone. She decides she's not leaving until she knows they're safe. Oh they're safe all right. The Croppers and Becky and Dean have come to the police office to report the robbery but at the same time, Glen has called the police to report that three people have been stranded on the mountain. The police officer wonders where Glen is calling from. He declines to say but an announcement in the background gives him away so he drops the phone and runs.

Back at the house, Dean is on the phone to Frankie. Apparently, the robbers got away but they'd already checked in their baggage and all the stolen goods were in it so it's all been returned. Dean mentions Becky as a friend of the Croppers but that seems to have sent Frankie into a barrage of jealous hollering again. Roy suggests that Becky call Steve and make up. She admits she misses Steve and thinks maybe she'll go back to Greece.

Hayley and Roy decide to enjoy the sunset together. They hope the police catch up with Glen and Verity who are heading on the road towards the border (in another stolen car?) of Ukraine where a gruff guard welcomes them.

Sunday comments, July 25

Lines of the week:

• Kirk "It's like i'm in the middle of Grand Theft Auto!!!"
  
• Julie "Do you think i could be a model?" Eileen "Yeah, you could do that while i dance Swan Lake in Covent Garden!"
  
• Prison guard: "Marraige isn't just a word... it's a sentence." (And I think Fiz is entering a life sentence. Not in a good way)
  
• Sean: "Getting married in a flippin' prison. Cilla'd have been proud of her."
  
• Dev: "I just want my ding back." Rita: "It's your age, it happens to us all."
  
• Ken "It's green if nothing else" (about sharing his birthday party with Emily...Blanche "Trust you to suck the life out of a birthday party"
  
• Sally "I wish Rosie hadn't taken his (John's) money" (you were hot for it when he offered it!
  
• Umed "In business, a big fat zero is a big fat zero" Graeme "yeah, well you should know"
  
• Sean about Rosie "Can you get fired for showing too much cleavage?"
  

Lovely wedding vows... toilet seats and dirty socks? Run away Fiz! No.. really! It was nice of Fiz's friends to throw her a party though. Thing is she weeps and wails about how awful it is to be newly married yet alone. All she had to do was wait a few more weeks, silly cow! I know she thinks they'll move away but apparently John has other ideas. Did i say lately that i think he's a manipulative selfish creep? Chesney agrees with me and I agree with Chesney! Poor Chesney is so beside himself that he is moving in with the Windasses. John figures by writing to all the neighbours, that will smooth things over. Oh yeah? Sally will paper her conservatory with them first! She's on a crusade to run Stape and Fiz right out of town. I'm glad Roy and even Ken stood up for Fiz and John at the kangaroo court Sally held in the pub. Even Fiz standing there didn't stop her ranting. Well Fiz certainly made Sally look like a nobhead.

Why would Fiz go to take her ring off when she came into the factory and shush Janice when she called Fiz Mrs. Stape? They all knew she got married, most of them were at the party, too. It's not as if Sally and Rosie wouldn't find out. Then Sally went off on her and everyone else seems to be against them too. You know, i understand why Sally is so against Stape, i really do, but but she really goes over the top into mean and nasty with it and it's not really any of her business telling Fiz where she can and cannot live.

So much for Rosie being sacked. She's an investor, it's a bit tricky. But being an investor, as Luke pointed out, she'd be on the hook if Fiz sued for wrongful dismissal so Rosie had better hold her tongue. I bet Fiz could sue for harassment at the very least even if she didn't get sacked. Mind you, Fiz was supposed to start back at work on "Monday" and pulled a sickie. How does she manage to stay employed? Maybe i could work for Luke too!

Oh my god, Umed installed a new shop doorbell. "To create a mood".... and Kirk nearly hit the floor when a machine gun went off for him. The bells had me snickering all through a few episodes. Made an amusing contrast to Amber moaning and griping about Dev paying off Darryl. Well i don't blame her, mind you. It was a pretty stupid thing to do but on the other hand, Darryl *did* take the money at first. But Teresa was the one spilling the beans. She might have had the end result by keeping Darryl and Amber split up (and she picked up the cheque from the ground!) but she also drove a wedge between father and daughter. Then Ashley nearly went spare and Graeme had to soothe the savage breast! LOL well he sorted the bell anyway. "Oops!"

Tyrone wondered why Molly hasn't gone to the gym in a couple of weeks... (oh say since Kevin was on holiday? but the dim little pet doesn't connect the dots, sadly) Does nobody wonder why Kevin is suddenly keen to go running again (since Molly got back)? Does Kevin not realize that Glasgay isn't a play on the accent? Now "MolVin" have uttered the L word. (gag) It just gets worse and worse, and makes them and this storyline more and more insufferable. Molly's happy to take what she can get? How much you wanna bet she'll be giving him an ultimatim within weeks. I'm done with this one for the week. Fill in the blanks yerselves and read my official stand on this debacle here. Someone make it stop!!!

Jesse sure got an eyeful of Julie's backside. Does he have a roving eye? Eileen doesn't trust him but really, has he ever given her any reason not to? i didn't think so but she's jealous none the less. He's really not very bright though, is he? Thinking he can pretend he's not working with Julie and having them sneak around to their gigs? You know that's not going to last too long. Tyrone redecorated the living room and tore off that awful dark wallpaper. What did he put back up? dark wallpaper. Only one one wall at least.

Ashley is getting pretty sexually frustrated. I guess Claire is still a no-sex zone until he has his bits done. So frustrated that he took it off on Umed's doorbell. Peter is a bit wobbly, isn't he? I really do think Peter and Leanne make a good couple. There must be a transporter on that train. Kev and Molly got from Weatherfield to a hotel in Chester in the amount of time it took Graeme to "clean" the front window of the shop. And incidental music while they were away, Sorry Seems to be the Saddest Word. Ironic, no?

You might remember hearing Roy and Hayley talking about a visit to Romania for Frankie Baldwin's wedding? That was another one of those spinoff DVDs that was released last fall in the UK. I shall be providing an update of the dvd storyline in the next little while, with photos!

Sunday Comments, July 18

Lines of the week:

• Dev to Umed "Who needs England's glorious cultural history when you've got biscuits!"
  
• Sean "I don't think it would look as appetising on the menu. Betty's Tongue!"
  
• Luke to Rosie (figuratively) "You're dumped" to Michelle 30 seconds later "You doing anything tomorrow night?"
  
• Norris "That little empire is all mine!" (Wonder if he's got his Napoleon jacket dry cleaned?)
  
• Theresa "Better blow the cobwebs off me boob tube!" (I Love her!)
  
• Fiz "Come Monday, I am gonna marry that freak!" (But the thing is, he really is a freak!)
  
• Michelle to Rosie "There you go luv, in the gutter where you belong"
  
• Teresa "You're just a moany old slaphead who works in a sweet shop" (God i love that woman!)
  
• Norris "Knees apart, I have to say you're the most promising candidate so far!" (oooh errr missus! That's a bit close to the knuckle innit?)
  
• Kirk "It's a long and winding road out there" (leading to next door!)
  
  

So the wedding of the...er...week nearly didn't go off. Julie was being so supportive that i think Fiz should have let her come to the wedding even if Hayley had decided to go. Her dress was quite nice, though, i liked it. She's living on frayed nerves though. You know, if you aren't happy about your wedding, you should step back and rethink things. I think the actress might have made a slip, though, talking about it not being as if she was walking down Salford Cathedral. Shouldn't that have been Weatherfield Cathedral seeing as Weatherfield is based on Salford?

And didn't John look smug while getting ready? Not happy, smug. Well it looked it to me. Even Roy was emotional! He patted her on her shoulder and pecked her on the cheek! And curiously, i found myself on Rosie's side telling Fiz off. John was quite pleased she had upset everyone to marry him, he's got her right where he wanted her but she backed out. I'd say "Finally" but the week ended with Chesney coming to the wedding and now it seems Fiz will probably marry Prisoner 666 after all.

You know as much as i dislike Norris, Malcom Hebden has done a bang up job in the aftermath of Ramsay's death. Norris will always have regrets but at least he's accepting of things, too late, but there you are and he's going to buy out Rita's share of the Kabin. She's determined to retire. I wonder if she'll regret it. A round the world cruise for Rita? Don't worry, she'll be back! Now Norris has to find a shop assistant in addition to Tina. Kirk isnt' quite the right candidate :) Neither is Teresa. Can you just picture them working together? Next up is Sheila Wheeler who seems to like to talk. And talk. And talk. I think she'll drive Nozzer around the bend.

Rosie jumped the gun and Luke cut her off at the knees. Dumped! The idea of Rosie 24/7 must have given him nightmares! Boy was that ever satisfying, seeing Rosie dumped and all! But i have to say, Luke shouldn't have done it in the Rovers in public, he should have done it in private. Bit of a plonker wasn't he? Rosie got her own back on Michelle, though, by setting her up to find an unrobed Luke and Rosie. Pretty obvious and she got that, and dumped Luke because it was too much trouble. But still, She didn't seem to get that he was going to take advantage of what was on offer just the same.

Party fun.... David has found a gorgeous new blonde! Now is he just trying to make Tina jealous or is he moving on? What do you think! Michelle is all over Luke and Rosie doesn't like it one bit. And she figures by attacking Michelle she's going to get Luke back? Wasn't it great to see her land on her assets? Teresa was legless and funny as hell. Graeme was insulting Natasha then asked if she wanted to date him. Nice. I guess stepping in a steaming pile of poo was kind of justice lol Just seems a bit odd to me that Ryan have been playing a Christian song at the late night end of the party? He's not really into it like Sophie and Ben are.

I love the friendship growing between Chesney and Gary. Chesney looks like he could be Gary's little brother. Kirk decided to move out of number 5. Great big long good bye speech and him talking about the long and winding road and not knowing what lies ahead. And he went 4 feet to Maria's front door! lol!

Amber came back. That didn't take long. Turns out she got homesick and misses Darryl. Dev wants her back at uni and bribed Darryl to leave town so she'd go back, which she did. And he did. So that's the end of Darryl.

Sunday Comments, July 11

Lines of the week:

• Jesse "Is there no dvd player with it?" (ungrateful pillock!)
  
• Tyrone to Molly "You start making an effort or Jack won't be the only one leaving!" (too bad he doesn't mean it! wouldn't Molly get a shock?)
  
• Emily "All i have going round in my head is ..it's not fair!" (it never is!)
  
• Sally about Kevin "The longer you spend with someone, the less you know what's going on in their head" (ain't that the truth, at least about these two!)
  
• Rosie "Did you hear me shouting?" Luke "Only dogs and dolphins can hear you shouting!"
  
• Liz "Staffing is the manager's decision" (so why were you so antsy that Steve sort it?)
  
• Becky about Liz and Michelle "They're like a couple of pussycat trolls!"
  

Kevin had to put up with knowing Molly and Tyrone were loving it up on a beach. Now Molly has to do the same thing but she was a lot less graceful about it, manipulating him so that he nearly missed his plane. But dear heavens, the pair of them cooing over the phone are just cringeworthy! You know, she moans that Tyrone is treating her badly but she's really being nasty to him. Aww wasn't he cute in his long apron making a big deal of her.

Methinks Luke is rapidly tiring of Rosie. Darts? I don't think so. He is going to have a darts night. But it was with Michelle! Still, we got to have some nice sister stuff with Rosie and Sophie. Rosie is heading for a fall, mark my words. Luke wants to dump her, her designs are crap and you know what they say... a fool and her money are soon parted. Watch this space.

Norris buried his brother and realized how little he knew Ramsay. It's his own fault, though. He never wanted to know and now he has to live with it. The funeral has made Rita think about finally retiring. She's said that before, and was it the drink talking? She did have a few. Poor Emily has had a hard time of it and Norris fussing and hovering and being mean about their feelings (probably to absolve his own guilty feelings) are driving her mad! Now Norris has Ramsay's personal effects in a trunk. He couldn't resist it in the end, he's too curious. Norris found out a little more about his mother, too but how did Ramsay know about Norris if the mother sent every letter back unopened? At some point she did write, probably after the very first letter and Norris realized how hurt Ramsay must have been. And Ramsay has left him money. Hmmm... Money in hand, Rita wanting to retire. I guess it's pretty obvious that Norris is going to buy out Rita.

Poor Eileen got robbed by Sean's er... date. Wasn't it nice for the taxi folk to chip in and get her a new telly? Steve and Becky off on a belated honeymoon but Lloyd freaked her out suggesting it could have been a scam! Luckily it wasn't!

Hard to see Jack leave number 9. It was hard for him to leave, too. Probably for the best, he was starting to feel like a third wheel. Whether he gets together with Connie romantically or not, it's good to know he won't be lonely. aww Sophie wants Emily to sponsor her at her baptism. Just what Emily needs to cheer her up a bit. Amber's gone too. I hope we do see her now and then.

Peter is trying hard to get Leanne back and isn't above using Simon, knowing that's her soft spot. But even then, he still couldn't help himself, lying about that other woman and now he's humbling himself. I never know whether to think he's completely honest when he bares his soul or whether he knows it's just the thing she wants to hear. He certainly believes what he says, i have no doubt about that. Now Leanne needs a job and she doesn't want to work with Peter and she doesn't want to work behind the bar for only 2 weeks. While she was waffling on whether to do it or not, Liz hired Michelle. Now *that* could be awkward! I have come to dislike Michelle, really.

Fiz still hasn't told Chesney she's marrying John. She knows darn well he's not going to approve. He's giving her a hard time as it is. But Kirk spilled the beans, assuming the phone argument was about the wedding. Ooops! Not telling him and then having him find out that way only made matters worse. Nice that Julie is being friendly and supportive at least. You know, if you are this unhappy in the days before your wedding, lying to everyone and having your closest family against you, that should tell you something.

Sunday Comments, June 27

I'll be away next weekend so there won't be a post for this week's Corrie.

Lines of the week:

• Liz to Deirdre "Do you even play bridge?" Deirdre "I don't know about playin it, i'll be ready to jump off it!"
  
• Liz "I know Steve's no saint but he were a good kid" (blinders, just like all the other mothers)
  
• Hayley "I hate that Hooch. I could do unspeakable things"
  
• Steve "Pet Monkeys work out where they're loved and park their hairy backsides down"
  
• Slug to Becky "You know i care about you" (yeah, but you care about your skinny backside being out of jail more)
  
• Tyrone "Typhoid Tyrone" Jack "I think you mean Typhoo!"
  
• Naomi "I've been given the old heave ho by a bloke's six year old!"
  
• Cop to Becky "The charges have been dropped" (with the evil eye of Hooch being shot through the blinds at her!)
  
• 
  

Ramsay's death has affected Norris more than he's willing to admit. It's good that Rita is making him have a memorial service in Weatherfield for the people that knew Ramsay. Seems like Amber doesn't really want Darryl to come to London with her for some reason. Chances are pretty good that "every weekend" will be "once or twice a month" and then we'll never see her again. Pam is smartening Bill and Jason up! Now they're wearing bright orange overalls. Similar to the prison orange jumpsuits, aren't they? Sean and Leon sure seemed to appreciate Jason!

That was definitely the dinner party from hell. Sally trying to be all posh and a drunken Claire sniping at Ashley and Molly throwing "looks" at Kevin. Everyone ends up insulting each other but Molly keeps jumping to Kevin's defence and being very obvious. Now they're back in the sack and sneaking around again. I can hardly stand watching it. The lies. The deceit. Bleh.

Liz is still bullying Becky. I can understand how she's skeptical and worried that Steve's getting in over his head but I can still dislike how she is treating Becky lately. I hope she has the grace to apologize when she's proven wrong and Becky is cleared because you know that's going to happen! Becky is convinced she's going to prison and doesn't want Steve to be stuck with a wife inside and no life outside, but Steve is more loyal than that. Unfortunately, Liz's attitude sparked Becky's insecurities and she legged it.

Thankfully, Steve found her due to Roy and Hayley's deductive powers. The Transporter in the cab got him there 2 minutes after she had called them he got there before she got on the bus. Over and over he has to convince her he isn't going to run away, that he's going to support her no matter what. And Lloyd had a lucky break and in a 007 moment, leaped into the air and brought Slug down with a crash. Funny moment with Steve and Lloyd trying to decide who was going to rough up Slug and neither of them could do it so they let Becky at him and then they fitted up Hooch, yet again. Hooch didn't seem to want to take the chance that Becky and Slug would be believed. She has a lot of support these days, not like in the past when she had nobody and it's well known, i'm sure, that he has a grudge against her. The accusations would have just enough credence to sink him.

Jack is having trouble finding his own place. Connie wants him to move in with her, platonically, and he can bring his pigeons! But it's hard for Jack to leave it, where he and Vera lived, and battled. Seems to be a lot more sentimental about her now she's gone. She could have used a bit of that when she was alive. You'd think after all the bitching Tyrone did about Connie, they'd have invited him to see her house long before now. All it took was a snooker table and Tyrone was all "It's all forgotten now!" But he did have the grace to apologize.

What's wrong with Peter having a lady over if Simon isn't there? Ken, have you ever heard of doorbells? Turns out she wasn't too keen on kids even though Simon was very well behaved and Simon was very perceptive about her. Awww Simon's bunny died!

Sunday Comments, June 20

Lines of the week:

• Tina to David "You're a weedly little joker"
  
• David "I saw where Joe went...he crawled back into the gutter!"
  
• Norris "I nip out to buy a pair of pyjamas and miss a kerfuffle!"
  
• Emily "The Berlin Wall came down eventually" Ramsay "Yes, but Norris?"
  
• Norris about Emily "It's been like living with a geriatric Holly-Go-Lightly"
  
• Pam to Claire "It's a street party, luv, not the G20"
  
• Blanche "In my day when sommat bad happened, you stayed home, got drunk, and bit on a shoe!"
  
• Kelly "I didn't come here to be insulted" Blanche "Where do you usually go?"
  
• Blanche "Folk used to say my mother were a witch" Deirdre "They've said the same thing to me!"
  

So who beat up David after all that shouting and palaver on the cobbles? Yep, neither Jason nor Joe. It was Gary. But wasn't the insult match between Eileen and Gail fun!

Ashley is still avoiding Claire's bedroom eyes but he's running out of excuses. And waiting for him in her lingerie and having to cover up with a pinnie with a picture of a topless woman wasn't much better! I think it's a bit harsh for her to insist Ashley donate the boxing gloves. It's his most treasured possession, something his Dad got for him. And deciding to tell her about not having the snip in the middle of the fair? What on earth possessed him?

The fete seemed to go ok other than Joshua's allergic reaction. Penny pincher Norris Prat Cole doling out sherbet lemons by the singles...Claire running around with a blue tooth headset and clipboard, ordering everyone around when her stalwart "floater" Sally lazed back and enjoyed a beer in the sunshine. Teresa and Umed in the curry cookoff and the best, the BEST of all was Blanche's fortune telling "booth" (Gypsy Rose Hunt) with Simon as her shill! She had Kelly pegged! mwahahahahaha! Why would anyone want to go to a Pencil Museum? Erm. Me, actually, but it keeps eluding me!
Poor little Josh, though! Janice really didn't do much but at least she was there to comfort the lad until his mum was found. And although most people didn't realize, Bad news arrived with the notice of Ramsay's death on the flight back to Oz. He had a brain tumour! I wonder if that will give Norris the kick up the backside he so richly deserves!

Jesse is turning out to be more high mainenance than already! That bird is driving Eileen mad and now it's walked out the back door! Jesse says the bird has a 60 minute fly past out of the cage. Would he really leave the bird alone in the house for it?

So Ramsay wants to buy one of the flats. Does it come with all the furniture, dishes, flowers and food, and a guitar on the wall too? He thinks he and Norris could live together! Has he lost his mind? Norris might manage to make some sort of relationship with Ramsay eventually, but i highly doubt he'd ever manage to cohabitate with him. It's things like how Norris digs his heels in and treats Ramsay so awful for something that really had no bearing on what Norris has accused him that makes me detest Norris so much. He's driven Ramsay away finally and out of Emily's life, too and Boy, didn't she tear a strip off him! I don't feel one shred of sympathy for him after how he's behaved.

That really sucks, that the "free" trip to Paris that Roy (aka Eddie) won has already expired. That's not realistic. Usually those trips/vouchers are good for a lot longer than a couple of months. And oh ugh, Molly and Kevin are back in the sack. Someone change the channel! It's got to be the worst and ugliest storyline ever. Totally out of character and totally without chemistry.

Sunday Comments, June 13

CBC is showing the World Cup over the next few weeks. What does that mean for Corrie? Well the on screen notice on my telly said that Coronation Street will be on in the weekday evenings as usual but they will not be showing the Sunday Omnibus for the next few weeks. Well, they are, but it'll be at 1:30 on Monday morning! If you have a pvr you could tape it. When they return to Sunday mornings, they will be going back to showing it at 7:30 a.m. local time. I know that in some regions it never changed from 7:30 but in other regions it did. I've heard that Southern Ontario had the same notice so it looks like it'll be returning to early Sunday mornings there too. Check your local listings. I can't remember the date, but i think it was probably coming back to Sundays either June 27 or the first Sunday in July.

Lines of the week:

• Norris "It's a charm bracelet isn't it? Hope he kept the receipt because it obviously isn't working!" (But it was a joke. One of the few Norris ever makes!)
  
• Steve "It's a bit knackering trying to look on the bright side"
  
• Joe "are you saying to want to finish?" Gail "I don't know" (pleeeeese dump him!)
  
• Betty "Try and pretend I'm not here and I'll try and pretend i'm not listening"
  
• Betty "Who'd have thought. Liz McDonald giving up men!" Liz "I didn't say that!"
  
• David "When is anyone going to take my side?" Audrey "Oh listen to Saint David of Weatherfield"
  
• Jesse "I'm not looking for another mother" (oh are you not?)
  
• Eileen to Gail about David "He hasn't been innocent since the day he hacked his way out of your womb!"
  

Boy did Liz ever make a swift turnaround against Becky! She didn't like her to start with, then thought she was ok but she's back to negativity with a vengeance. She's really being vile isn't she? Worse than anyone else! She told Steve off for taking a piece off her in front of Amy but if she'd kept her mouth shut in the first place and didn't start up with Becky, it wouldn't have come to that. Trying to talk to and then bribing Hooch probably wasn't the best idea Steve has ever had but once they all realized Slug must have been in on the scam, getting his picture to all the cab drivers in Manchester was most definitely Jim's best idea ever. But how much you wanna bet it will be Steve, Lloyd or Eddie that finds Slug? (The only three streetcars drivers we ever see of the supposed 15!)

Gail is getting fed up with Joe and i don't think him making breakfast is going to turn the tide. David is fed up with Joe and Tina for the moment, but only because she's with Jason and rubbing it in David's face. In fact she seems to be intent on giving David grief for everything. I understand why but poor David, it's the like the little boy who cried Wolf! He gets blamed even when he's not doing anything (steal her bracelet). Why oh why can't Gail just get rid of Joe? I'm afraid i'm with David on this one. And Joe being critical about David isn't helping his case either. And in the end Gail gives Joe one last chance. Tina wasn't right that her relationship with David was all bad. It just turned out that way. And as much as David protests that he's had enough of her, he'd take her back in an instant.

So then it's all set up... who beat the crap out of David? Joe was lurking in his van drinking beer and Jason went out gunning for him. All Gail had to do was check Joe's hands. He'd have bruises if he'd done that damage to David's body. and Jason? he's not a violent man and wouldn't have done it anonymously. He'd have pushed David around a bit and shouted at him but i don't think Jason would have done it.

Kevin was driving Rosie's car. Rosie can't drive it herself yet, so i hope she at least insured it for her father and mother to drive but there's not been any mention. I guess we are just to assume. Jesse got what he was angling for, an invite to Eileen's but he's too much of a mama's boy to take it. He only thought he might be ready for committment when his mother threw him out. What's Jesse going to do now that he's moved in and his bird doesn't like Eileen?

Oh heck. Molly and Tyrone are back. Cue more googly eyes and sneaking around. Tyrone brags about his "second honeymoon" so Kevin took Sally house shopping out of town. I guess he figures if he can't have Molly, he doesn't want to live across the road from her either. I wonder if Tyrone is sensing something, now he's buying flowers and asking her if she loves him. I think even he must be starting to figure it out, she's getting sarcastic and critical of him all the time.

Joe's back doesn't seem to be hurting in the least now. Did you see him unload that gear off the van like a 16 year old? Graham has quite the unique cart for his gardening supplies. looks like some castoffs from Joe's kitchen cupboards, too.

I'm really sad that Lloyd and Liz have split up. I don't really know why she finally decided it was over. And she's all in a twist about menopause. I guess for someone that's a live wire like Liz, she must think her youth and sexuality is a thing of the past.

Claire is on a mission and is uber-organizing her Fete. Andy and Jim are gone again. I so enjoy seeing both of them but especially Jim and Liz. The chemistry still crackles between them doesn't it?

Ramsay was leaving and Emily was heartbroken. Norris behaved very very badly during all this. He sniped and insulted Ramsay relentlessly until Ramsay finally gave up. However Rita played matchmaker and put a bug in his ear about the Victoria Court flats and it looks like Ramsay is going to be a permanent thorn in Norris' side if it works out.

Sunday Comments, June 6

Lines of the week:

• Audrey about Graeme "He's like some sort of Idiot Savant" Blanche "You're half right"
  
• Becky "Who needs booze? I'm legless on Lurve!"
  
• Becky "I just wanted it to be perfect...and normal"
  
• Liz "Before you say it's not about me... it is about me!"
  
• Liz "I hope you're not going to start on me" Steve "I don't know where to start starting on you!"
  
• Becky "I love you Roy Cropper" (He's a real star!)
  
• Becky going up the aisle "I love it when he's gaggin for it!"
  
• Maria "I'm not disrespecting his memory" (you are, more than you know!)
  
• Hooch "She lied last time and got away with it. Looks like justice has come full circle" (bastard!)
  
• Becky to Steve "I'm trouble" Steve "I love trouble. Bring me trouble" (and he's telling the truth!)
  

Loved the Blackpool Tower made of sausages that Graeme made to tease Ashley about his non-vasectomy! Graeme is an utter and most definite star. Did you see him face off against Blanche over the classic Hollywood movies? He just gets better and better!

Maria might say she and Tony are just friends but you can tell she's got growing feelings and Fiz can tell too. Can't blame her. On the surface, he's charming, handsome and pays all that attention to her and the baby. Does he have genuine feelings for her? He may have convinced himself he does. I'm sure he loves the baby. But we know he murdered her husband so it's really weird! And he's got her completely wrapped around his little finger. He might say he's falling in love with her but i don't trust him for a minute. Michelle went ballistic. You can understand why. Liam's not been dead a year. But she did actually come round. Mammy Connor, on the other hand, is going to lower the brimstone on Maria and Tony. It's a bit quick, yes, but it's not the end of the world.

Poor Steve doesn't trust Slug and i don't blame him. It also looks like he doesn't trust Becky either so that didn't going to go over well. She tried to set up a surprise to get Jim at the wedding and she also had that honeymoon she won. The hen night looked like a fun night in. Loved Becky and Betty together. The Two Frozen Peas dance was punctuated by Anna's swinging her bosums around lol! The Northern Soul dance that Steve and Lloyd did around the ironing board was fun too! You got to hand it to an actor who's less than er...buff and is willing to appear shirtless!

So the wedding day...WHAT was Becky wearing and do you really think a posh wedding dress shop like they went to would carry that??? I much preferred the fluffy pink one from her first wedding! She looked like an ostrich with all those feathers around her hips and hair and tiara high on her head. At least Becky managed to stay sober through it all and on her wedding day though she had a near miss with the panic attack. Roy Cropper to the rescue! Awww lovely to see Jimbo again! And Liz! All she needed to go with that dress was a pair of castanets! Lovely venue (Ryecroft Hall for those of us that were on the locations tour in May!)

But just as we all thought, Slug was in cahoots with that dirty cop and set up Becky. She was sober, but spent her wedding night in a cell. Still, Betty saw him, would she remember him? It doesn't prove he put the package in Becky's bag but it would put forth the possibility. The worst part of it was that Steve didn't believe her and that kind of betrayal has to hurt her to the core. Not only is she being stitched up but her beloved Stevie doesn't believe her. I think if the dirty cop hadn't felt the need to rub her face in it, she'd never have even guessed what happened. Roy and Hayley will stand behind her. Steve only believed her when he saw the cop and it all fell into place. But what a lovely scene between them in the car!
Lloyd been dumped by Liz. It's for certain she was avoiding him, not just by not coming home but by not returning his calls either. But just as he thought it was all lost, who shows up and is too chicken to face Lloyd. (but what did she look like in all pink????) Why did she bother coming back for the wedding if she couldn't face Lloyd? The problem was, Jim came to the wedding, too! Oops! And they had a right old confrontation didn't they with lots of "catch yerself on" and "tell you this and i'll tell you no more!!" Gotta love Jimbo!

Liz and Lloyd had a nice quiet chat. She bared her soul just like she bared her un-made-up face and very un-Liz like clothes and they both cried facing the end of their relationship.

How much longer is Ashley going to be keeping his little secret from Claire i wonder? Sophie has noticed Kevin isn't bothered running when Molly isn't around. Just goes to show you, that's the only reason he even bothered in the first place. Oh hey, Claire's support group is having to fold so hey, let's put on a show, kids!! A Street fair/fete! Claire's got a quest, a crusade, and she's going to turn into the UberOrganizer!

Lloyd (Craig Charles) has lost weight. I see Norris is still bullying Ramsay. You just can't win. He castigates Ramsay for breaking his mug and when it's replaced, and tea is offered, Ramsay can't stay so it's his fault again for not taking up the tea offering. Tina is very worried about her dad and his depression. But a metaphoric kick up the backside isn't what he needs at all, it's medical help and councelling when it's clinical depression.

Tina keeps accusing David of causing Joe's Addiction. Nobody can do that. Joe got addicted long before David got his sticky fingers into it. He teased and played with Joe but i wouldn't even consider what he did as contributing to it. He stole Joe's pills and pretended he'd bought him new ones and then only let him have one now and then. If anything, he's guilty of emotional abuse or bullying but keeping the pills away from Joe was probably better for Joe than anything, albeit putting him into withdrawal. The hard way. It was Joe that wanted David to get the pills and it was Joe that took the pills. Yes, David did enjoy it. Even though David was a little sh#t about it all, Joe is being fair by not blaming David.

Sunday Comments, May 30

Lines of the week:

• Pam "Do you really think Cowboy is the best image for a builder?"
  
• Rosie to MIchelle "Did you think i was out of his league?" (no, he's out of yours!)
  
• Joe "I am not a junkie" (
  
• David to Joe "Next time you get the shakes, grab a wisk and whip us up an omelet!"
  
• Kevin to Chesney about the dog "Bring your 'orse!"
  
• Joe "I've got a bad back" (didn't seem to be bothering you when you were tearing up the place!)
  
• Rosie about Michelle "Name one thing she has that i haven't" (where do i start?) and Michelle about Rosie "The whole street has you on tap. You should have your own pump in the Rovers"i
  
• Gail "You think i'm a mug." Audrey "The only thing your lacking is a handle. And mugs are breakable"
  
• Luke about Rosie "Company-wise, she's got less going for her than a dead crustacean" (so why bother?)
  
• Eddie "I had an industrial accident" Anna "First day on the job he spilled tea all over his nether regions"
  

Joe is a whiny drug addict. Yes, he'll probably get over the addiction. But then he'll just be whiny. David is completely off his rocker too, thinking Tina will go back to him just because her father says so. He's pushing Joe so far that he's going to push him over the edge. Gail works in a medical centre. How can she not be aware of the symptoms of addiction or withdrawal? All Joe does is drag Gail down and he pretty much always has done. now it looks like he's lost the big job he got through Len. You do remember that he borrowed money from one of Len's "mates" for the supplies? Yes it's going to get worse.

You didn't think it would, did you, not after he hit bottom and broke into the Health Centre trying to score the drugs.Did you catch the lyrics in the van when Joe was outside of the Medical Centre? "Times for a change, the luck i've had to turn a good man bad. Let me get what i want this time" Ironic, that. then hiding in the ginnel making sure nobody could see him while the van and loud radio was right there! Sheesh! He was even a loser at that, couldn't get into the locked cabinets! I was hoping he'd be electrocuted by the alarm when he was sledgehammering it! Anything to put me out of my misery. Now Gail really has a weight around her neck and everyone knows it. More fodder for David and she'll have to contend with her mother looking down her nose at Joe too!

Even when he got caught, Joe is still denying he's really got a problem. He's not a real addict shooting up on a street corner (but he's breaking into medical offices. Close enough in my book). He just reckons it's bad luck. It is of course, and it is easy to get addicted to prescription painkillers, but put real life situations aside for a minute. This is tv. We're allowed to call Joe a loser. Gail sure didn't look too happy, almost cold really.

Kevin sure looked sour to hear all about Molly and Tyrone's idyllic holiday.

Pam seems to have taken Bill and the business in hand. Janice is right, most of them in the factory take pleasure in the misfortunes of others. Janice and Kelly are the worst offenders but Sally does it too. How could nobody realize Joe was inside the Medical Center when his van was parked right across the road from it by the pub?

The truth comes out. And Sally deserved that whack to the head for trying to grab Fiz's handbag. They figured out it was Chesney that took the car and it all kicked off again. See, i reckon that Fiz didn't tell Chesney about John because down deep she knows it's wrong even if she does love him. Sally and Rosie are out for blood, Fiz's blood, But why would Fiz put the ring in her locker? If you didn't want anyone to find it, put it in your pocket! Anyway. Kevin is being reasonable and understanding about Chesney. He figured that's the way the wind was blowing and put his foot down. Wasn't Kevin nice to Chesney? That poor lad really does need a stable man's influence. Kirk doesn't count. Anyway, Kevin knows how to handle the women in his house and with a not-very-heartfelt apology, Chesney and Fiz are off the hook. I think Sally was swayed by the fact that Ches hates Stape as much as she does! Anna is so sweet with Chesney isn't she? Fiz really does do her best (except when she's lost her mind and backbone over a loser like Stape) but Chesney really does need a Mum.

Laughed at Tony sticking the knife into Rosie's insecurities about Luke and Michelle. She's just so bubble headed. I enjoyed Luke and Tony making jokes about her in the pub after she flounced out. You just know if Michelle'd have Luke back, Rosie would be dumped in a New York Minute. However, Tony doesn't want that because they need Rosie's money. Luke's made his bed, he's going to have to lie in it for the time being. It's probably not that much of a hardship unless he's trying for an intelligent conversation in the morning.

I can't imagine what Becky's dress must look like. It appears to have cost a pretty penny and bought in a classy shop. Not her usual style i would have thought. Well we won't have long to wait. Tony really crossed the line ordering Michelle around and i think he knew it. I also laughed at Sean winding up Jesse and telling him he was gay, between mother problems and cowboy gear!

Jesse's mother seems to be the bane of his existence. He's definitely hinting to move in with Eileen but i think it's more to get away from his mum than it is wanting to be with her. I think Jesse is more of a mama's boy than he lets on really. Tina and Jason are the new owners of Number 12, the flat where steve and Karen used to live. Jason goes a bit over their limit but it'll be ok. I'm sure.

Sunday Comments, May 23

Lines of the week:

• Mammy Connor "We need to get her away from that odious man!" (you don't know the half of it!)
  
• Lloyd to Ashley "I'm doing vasectomy jokes here and you're not playing ball!" (snort!)
  
• Betty about Jim "He's like a human tsunami that man!"
  
• Anna to Chesney "You're a good lad, I can tell" (and really, he is, just having a hard time lately)
  
• and.. "Deny everything, they've got nothing on you!"
  
• Michelle "It's complicated" Ryan "With you and men, it's always complicated" (he's learning fast!)
  
• (from last week but it was brilliant!) Tony to Helen Connor: "Why don't you take your toxic tongue and your tubby hubby back to the land of Begorrah and BeJesus."
  

Hiya, i'm back from my holidays. I had a brilliant time and had a great Coronation Street Coroping/Contress weekend in Manchester as well! So wonderful to catch up with old Corrie friends and meet new ones face to face! We had a coach tour of locations that were used in Corrie and had a 40 minute visit on the outside set of Granada studios, thanks in full to the wonderful Christine!!! There's photos of the tour and set here, and photos from the ping party here.

How can Rita tell Emily has had her hair done? It looks exactly the same as it always does! But yes, i think Emily and Ramsay both quite like each other. Wouldn't it be lovely to see her find love in her winter years? Norris finally has an ally in Freda against Ramsay. He really can be an odious little man.

Becky and Steve are going to get married in two weeks! I wonder if she'll get through this one sober! I wonder if Liz will come back! Loved the Pretty Woman scenario in the posh wedding shop (Co-Cu in the Victorian Barton Arcade off Deansgate in central Manchester, for you location junkies! I actually walked through there last week and saw the shop!) I can't wait to see what sort of dress Becky will end up with this time, though i actually did like the pink one from last time. And it doesn't look like Liz could make it back for the wedding so Becky's got a plan, though, seems she's going to surprise Steve by inviting Jim to the wedding. Becky's surprises don't always go according to plan so i shudder to think. She's also trying to win a dream honeymoon. It all sounds perfect but is there a fly in the ointment? or should i say a Slug in the ointment?

Gail's unshockable? yet she always is shocked when something that was blatantly obvious finally sinks in. David is having great fun winding up poor pathetic Joe. And Joe is supposed to help Tina and Jason. More "betrayal" and fodder for blackmail, at least in David's eyes. He figures Joe can make Tina like him again. I don't know who's fooling themselves more, Joe for not accepting he's an addict or David for not accepting Tina's gone and done with him. How can Joe not realize he's addicted when he allows David to blackmail him for one pill at a time! Joe is firmly in the throes of addiction and Gail can't see it at all. He's not even that good at hiding it, i think. Now he's even stealing money from Gail who blamed David for it. More fodder. When she does have some suspicions, he manages to talk his way out of it but you know, deep down, she probably does realize but isn't accepting that he's a loser of the worst kind. Even Joe finally snapped and attacked David but you know that isn't going to scare David off, though it might have if JOe had actually hurt David. Next, Joe is nagging the substitute doctor at the medical centre because he isn't the regular doctor who already knows his history (but then again, wouldn't any doctor check his file first?)

I see Chesney is just as nasty and disrespectful to Fiz as he was 3 weeks ago and i think he needs a good spanking, the brat! So what does he do next? He finds the ring and goes beserk and steals Rosie Webster's car! Did you see her in her Daisy Duke short shorts and high heels washing it? She's turned into a cariacature, a joke really. And the saga of the ring continues, Chesney might have escaped getting caught for stealing the car but he left the ring in the car and Rosie found it and gave it to Sally but Fiz saw it and stole it back. It's not going to be pretty. It's nice that Chesney is making friends with Anna, she needs someone to mother and probably sees Chesney as a young Gary, with the hope of steering him on the right path. He could so easily go off the rails now but i think down deep he's a good kid and if Fiz is careful he might just grow up that way too.

Jason doesn't realize Leon is gay? I have a feeling he does know. It was kind of mean having Eileen and Tina teasing him with every gay stereotype there is though. I see Claire's still on her crusade to make Josh a football legend now she's back on her feet. Wait until she finds out that Ashley didn't get snipped! Chesney, Eddie didn't get you sacked, you did that with your attitude. I'm really surprised that Number 12 is in such bad shape. It was occupied not all that long ago when Michelle and Ryan lived in it before she moved to the pub. Ok, 2 or 3 years but would it need so much work in that short a time?

Low impact aerobics with frozen peas on your ankles? OUch! Kevin didn't get his magazine delivered. Why didn't Norris just pull one off the shelf? And then he gets into a childish tugging competition with Eddie over it. Sheesh. Roy is a peach. lol! Wait, i thought Chesney packed in his job or got himself sacked but there he was later on with the paper bag walking back to the Kabin (when Kevin handed him his wages from the garage). Michelle is back for a bit.

Tony needs to do damage control with the Connors but i think they're far too suspicious of him and his motives and methods. He's intent on putting a wedge between the grandparents and Maria and claiming his territory and he's very posessive of Maria and the baby but in the end, she's slipping out of his grasp with a trip to Ireland right into Mammy Connor's clutches. Tony may actually have developed real feelings for Maria but he doesn't really know the meaning of love, does he? it's all about control with him.

Blogging at Coronation Street Blog, The State of the Street (UK spoilers), and Sunday comments and blogging about the Canadian timeline at Bluenose Corrie Blogger

Sunday Comments, April 25

Lines of the week:

• Tyrone "I'm not totally daft, me, you know"
  
• Jesse "Seven year olds are very dangerous"
  
• Kirk to Jesse "Can i owe you it, no pockets in me dress" Graeme "is it me or does Kirk look good in a dress? I've had worse looking dates!"
  
• Tony about Rosie "The only thing lower than that daft lass's neckline is her IQ"
  
• Tony to Maria in labour "Do it for Liam" (and that must have killed him to say that!)
  
• Tyrone to Molly "If i die before you do, don't go off with anyone else? I want you to be happy. Just not that happy!" (Selfish thing)
  
• Audrey "Can Auntie Audrey have a hold?" Kirk "Go on then, but be careful" (Aw Bless. Uncle Kirkie is very protective!)
  
• Sean "You're probably sick of hearing this but your brother, In't he lovely?" Norris "I disagree almost violently"
  
• Eddie to Eileen "Can you think of one single reason why any woman wouldn't want to marry me?" (Um. How much time have you got?)
  
• Tina "I am in control" (yeah until David goes on a rampage again)
  

Tony's control freak came flashing through! It's ok to be worried because she was gone and not answering her phone but he did go a bit over the top. That's the Tony we know and love! I was waiting for Tony to have another panic attack, delivering the baby of the man that he murdered. He came through for Maria at least. Can you imagine giving birth in a remote beach house? Only on a soap, eh? Not only that, she had the baby while sitting on Tony's jacket and the baby landed in his tshirt! Why was there a "It's a Girl" balloon? Kirk, of course. And did you see that baby smile when Tony asked him if he was going to be good for his mummy? Tony actually shed a tear over the baby. I wonder if that was genuine guilt and remorse?

Molly and Kevin make me physically ill. Sneaking around, making puppy eyes at each other and shoving tongues down throats. Bleurgh. Did Sally really expect Kevin to be able to identify a mauve makeup bag and a fuscia lippy? Tsk. No wonder he's having an affair! (bleurgh again) And i really don't think Kevin would ever betray his best friend and partner like this, do you?

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Hayley ends up making a deal with Pam to share the catering profits for her sandwiches. Good deal all around i'd say. Joe's back and he's begging Graeme to get him more painkillers because the doctor won't give him any! It's official. Addiction with a capital A.

Rosie is now partner in Underworld. Tony's worst nightmare, i think! Rosie gets to do exactly the same job as before but with business cards to appease her and a cut of the profits, if there are any. She thinks she's educated. She went to a private school for a year or two but never finished her A levels so she's only got basic qualifications.

Lloyd is really missing Liz. Lots of male totty this week, shirtless Tony and then Jason in the gym. Sean spied a good looking fella and started showing off. At least those puppy eyes (the ones Sean was making at the other fella) were guilt free! But Sean, Sean, Sean, you just can't help yourself can you?

Janice is messing up with the PA job, the one Sally has always been salivating over. I wonder if Sally has to call Rosie "Miss Webster" too! Eddie has a red pullover and proposes. That must be his proposing shirt. I thought they were married but obviously not though she uses his name. Emily and Ramsay seem to be getting on like a house afire. Wouldn't it be nice if she found love? Nice to see her have a storyline anyway. And Norris isn't any more inclined to be friendly with his brother.

Laughed at David, Darryl and Graeme wondering why women are fawning over Jason and his new shirt. Duh. Kirk didn't have much luck as Hiya Lowa but he looked hysterically funny! Only he could have pulled that off! I like Jason and Tina together, don't you? I laughed at him telling Tina he was afraid of cows, though i'm sure he was just winding her up. I wasn't surprised it was David sending Tina those flowers and i wasn't surprised he went spare when he found out about her and Jason. Typical David. Then Jason had to sit there while David assured him with Gary out of the way, he and Tina could get back together again. *gulp*

Jesse's parents surprised Jesse and Eileen. Tit for Tat. Jason took the opportunity to tease his mother. So Jason is going to be a property developer and Tina decides to do it with him as a business? Doesn't seem like her type of thing.

On my holidays for a few weeks. See you later in May!

Sunday Comments, April 18

Lines of the week:

• Tyrone "Vera, give us a sign!" (*knock knock*)
  
• Molly to Tyrone "Look at ya! you're 26 going on 12!"
  
• Rosie about Luke "It wasn't my money he wanted last night" (Oh yes it was!)
  
• Kevin to Molly "All I want to do is jump on your bones" (classy)
  
• Molly to Tyrone "You're behaving like a moron and pushing Jack away"
  
• Jack to Tyrone "Like you, carpet burns on your chin"
  
• Tony "I'm a pussy cat" (with very big claws)
  
• Hayley "Trouble with a Capital T!"
  
• Kevin about Steve's diamond jumper: "Is it Jeeves or Wooster?" Tyrone: "More like Norris Cole!"
  
• Sally "I feel like Audrey Hepburn" Rosie "You look like Audrey Roberts!"
  
• Sean about Jason "I heard he was a bit deshabille" (i.e. unclothed) Jason "Yeah we'd had a couple" (of beers) Doh.
  

Hayley isn't too happy to hear Slug was back on the scene. You just got to love Hayley. With a capital L :) Steve is turning 35 and he dresses like he's 60 and that argyle vest that Becky bought him doesn't do him any favours. It looks like something out of Mike Baldwin's wardrobe! I really doubt she'd buy him something like that, really.

Bill and Pam are writing personal ads for each other. Why don't they just date each other? Jesse's dad wont' speak to him and his mum's all over him. Mommy's boy? Something tells me Kevin (nor Molly) would be too keen on being one big happy family with each other now!

FINALLY Hayley tore a strip off Pam for selling sandwiches and taking cafe business away. What took her so long? Kirk wants to be HiyaLowa with Jesse? Stay Tuned Monday for a very funny sight!

Luke has talked Rosie into investing in Underworld. She's going to be even more insufferable now she's an owner. So let me get this right. It wasn't ok for Rosie to shag Stape, her teacher, but it was ok for her to jump into bed with the equally aged Luke Strong, her boss? But because he didn't reject Sally and he's cute, Sally is just fine with it but Kevin at least, remembers that Martin got a great deal of grief for exactly the same thing.
EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW Kevin and Molly????????? What are the writers thinking? What's going on? Kevin is fed up with Rosie and his wife gets on his nerves. Her husband is spending time moaning about Jack and not paying a lot of attention to her. They've only been married for 10 minutes. Big blue eyes flirts with him and he's got an instant mid-life crisis and has a huge crush on Molly. She didn't think anything more of him than a pal until he said he was crushing on her. She slapped him but did you see her face when she walked away? She thought, well this might be fun! And she was back there the next day, with all glossy lips and low cut tops and doing some heavy flirting with him. We are in for a very bumpy ride and you're not going to like it very much at all.

And before you say it's out of character, it's not. Molly thought nothing of trying to split up Kirk and Fiz just for the hell of it, remember? It is out of character for Kevin. I really REALLY don't believe he'd go after his best friend/partner's wife. And it wasn't that long ago he was beating up Stapid (Stape-stupid-vapid) for going after his teenage daughter. Molly's not that much older than Rosie! And i don't understand why Molly had to hide in the trunk of a car because Sally was at the door. They weren't doing anything wrong and Molly was just there for the books. (and a flirt)

Sean is always putting his foot in it isn't he? Jason seemed to have to get very drunk to put up with Minnie for the evening but she knew it. Who knew she'd have enough confidence in herself to turn him down for being drunk and looking for a one night stand? Well done Minnie! Tina spent the evening gazing at Jason across the room. Minnie might have been flashing her cleavage for Jason but Tina has quite an impressive cleavage too and Jason seems to like hers better. ooops, though, Mother walking in on you making out! eek! Rosie is throwing more money away. Buying a flash sports car she can't even drive! Luke wasted no time sucking up to her and flattering her about it though.

Of course John decided to see Fiz after her very public display of affection and proposal. He had her right where he wanted her. And i'll tell you. Someone that is truly suicidal and depressed isn't going to snap out of it suddenly and completely just because his girlfriend proposes. I've always believed that John Stape is a passive aggressive weak willed spineless pillock and i stand by that. (The actor, Graeme Hawley, however, is quite good at his job!)

Tyrone needs a good smack up the chops. I know he has a hard time seeing Jack with someone else and he misses Vera dreadfully but he needs to grow up and understand that nobody replaces Vera but Jack needs to have a life beyond her grave. Tyrone is really making a prat of himself and with the photo falling off the shelf, he figures that's Vera and she's not happy. Me? I'd have only said that if the photo fell on Connie's head! Well, he is about to drive Jack right out of the house. I do like Connie, mind you and i think if anyone could be a replacement for Vera, it's her.

Sunday Comments, April 11

Lines of the week:

• Stape "Why do you think i became a teacher?" Rosie "Because you're too boring to be an accountant"
  
• Ted to David "I'm not ready for a Werther's Original moment just yet"
  
• Ramsay "We can't remember if it was Richard or John that succeeded Henry II" Sean "I'm better with Queens, me" (Richard, as it happens).
  
• Fiz about John's compensation "Why didn't he tell me?" (hello? not talking to you!)
  
• Kelly "I could wear some unsuitable heels and ask daft questions and flick my hair a lot!" (you already do!)
  
• Rosie about Fiz (and John) "If anything happens to him she's just going to blame me! It's so unfair!"
  
• Tyrone "Call it a sixth sense" Molly "You have trouble with the other five, don't tell me you can read minds now"
  
• Sally about Stape "I saw through him from the start!" (starting with after he rejected your advances)
  

Don't know why Stape aka Prisoner 666 found it difficult to tell Rosie what he wanted to tell her. Why didn't he just get the solicitor to send the letter notifying her? Totally unbelievable. Did we need that scene just to see Rosie's boobs? He wants her to do good with the money. Luke needs money for the factory. Can you connect the very obvious dots? Rosie has money, Luke isn't wasting any time flattering and sucking up. I HATE contrived stuff like this! And for the record? Rosie isn't that intelligent and shouldn't be at university. And John should realize that and is it too late to stop the transaction? No wonder she sees it as compensation, and so she should. But having her flouncing around all smug and even more obnoxious with money in her pocket is going to be excruciating.

And even more pain... Fiz crying into a recorder, whining, sobbing, sucking up to the prison, you name it. Fiz takes drastic action and chains herself to a fence and then threatens to strip. How's she going to do that chained to a fence, i don't know. Blech! I guess she was scared he wanted Rosie again after Rosie wound her up about the visit. Then they told her he was on suicide watch. AGAIN would they really tell her that since she's not related nor on his "to tell" list? And how did she know to talk directly to John through the cctv cameras just at the moment he walked into the governor's office? What i really want to know is why have they totally ruined Fiz Bomb!

Why does Tony have to sleep on the sofa when Michelle is away on tour and Ryan is staying at a mate's? Now Maria's doing his laundry and he's cooking for her. Laughed at Sean having a nightmare about comfy trousers!

Is Kevin actually jealous of Jason, thinking he's after Molly? or is he protective of his mate Tyrone? Jason is too loyal to his friend Tyrone to go after Tyrone's wife. I wonder if the same is true of Kevin? Is Kevin developing a mid-life crisis and getting a crush on Molly? Does he think her flirting just a bit and being all friendly with this running and training means she *likes* him? Whammo. one fluttering eyelash later and Kevin's all over her. Tyrone is more interested in moaning about Jack and Connie's holiday so what's a girl to do? She's having a bit of fun at Kevin's expense and Kevin falls in lust with her? Sorry. I don't buy it.

I love Ted. He's such a Voice of Reason, isn't he? I thought Jack was only gone 2 weeks? Feels like he's been gone a lot longer. Ooohhh General Custard is back! That was the fella that Eileen took a shine to! Oh oh, and Slug aka Neil (Becky's no good ex) is back too! This can only be trouble. He says he's changed. I don't buy that either. Definitely sparks between Jason and Tina. Minnie and Rosie. peas in a pod. Not even enough brains between them to fill a peapod.

Jack is back from Spain and missing his cuppa and a good pint. But very likely where he was is full of English tourists and I bet you could get as good an English fry up there as back in old Blighty. Too bad he had to try to fool Tyrone (and did it badly) when the whole trip was completely innocent. And if he was trying to keep the trip secret, why would he bring back all kinds of souvenirs? I'm sure he and Vera have been to Spain so it's not like it's his first time. Tyrone is going to end up pushing Jack right out the house if he keeps up this attitude.

I'm surprised Becky doesn't know the trendy clubs in town. She's always been a clubber, she and Sean.

Canada's #1 Corrie fan visits the cobbles!

Last year, Deborah Cyr won a CBC sponsored contest as "Canada's Number 1 Coronation Street Fan" and her prize was a trip for two to Manchester and a VIP tour of the set. I published an interview that I did with her here.

During the week Deborah and her husband, Al, were there, they met lots of actors both on the day of the tour and during one or two other days that they waited at the gates of the staff parking lot including the day they arrived. What better way to kill some time before the hotel has your room ready? Deborah has done this before but not as many times as implied by several newspaper stories that were published about her during her visit.

Deborah has kindly given me a description of her visit to Manchester and allowed me to publish it here. These are her words and the photos are her copyright! For those of you who don't like spoilers, there are a couple of minor ones.

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July 30th, 2009 I had a message on my answering machine I will never forget "I am calling from CBC to tell you that you have won the contest looking for Canada's # 1 Coronation Street fan." After waiting what seemed to be the longest 7 1/2 months my husband Al and I headed to Manchester. Our prize included airfare for two to Manchester, 6 nights at the Marriott hotel, spending money, a tour of the set and bragging rights as the # 1 fan.

We dropped off our luggage at the hotel on March 15th and immediately went to see if we could spot any of the actors. We'd only been there 5 minutes and we saw Craig Charles (Lloyd). We knew it was going to be a good day. We ended up meeting 14 actors that day including Graeme, Mary, new character Izzy who hasn't been seen on the screen yet. The biggest surprise of the day was when we went back to check into our hotel. I was looking after that and Keith Duffy (Ciaran) walked into the hotel and asked Al if he was the man he was there to meet. He wasn't, but we still had a chance to chat with him and pose for a photo. Very nice!!

Over the week we met 26 actors....my favourite being Jack P Shepherd. I had received a letter from him years ago, plus a video message and I'd been hoping to meet him for a while. I was not disappointed. He spent quite a while chatting to us and we shared a few laughs. Of all the 60 plus actors I've met, he is my favourite. Others we met that week were Peter, Graeme, Leanne, Kirk, Steve, Eddie Windass (I did not recognize with his wool hat on until Al pointed him out) and Claire. We also saw Eccles.

Our tour date was March 18th. There were 9 of us, 3 other winners that had won a Quality Street Coronation Street contest and a chaperone from CBC. We got to see a number of sets The Rovers, Underworld, Roy's Rolls, Streetcars, Blanche's bedroom (there won't be a dry eye when we see Deirdre going through some of Blanche's things next month), Rita's flat and many other sets. We heard some fabulous stories as we went from set to set. The sets are all very small, you wonder how everyone can fit in. There are cameras, lights and wires everywhere. The highlight for me was stepping onto those famous cobbles and walking down the actual street. There is something special about walking on them.

On the day of the tour I appeared in the Daily Mirror, The Sun and was mentioned on Radio 2. It was a very exaggerated story with a number of errors. I don't make the 12,000 km pilgrimage yearly, plus I go to visit relatives when I do with a day trip to Manchester, I don't camp out there either. It was still very exciting being in the paper. That day I was surprised when someone recognized me and I ended up sigining 3 autographs! Because of the article, I received a number of messages. I have done an interview with Pick Me Up magazine and will be in issue number 17. This will be 'my story' of being a Coronation Street fan.

It was an amazing week, one I will never forget. All of this for enjoying a TV show!! You can see my photos here, I took lots of photos, hopefully you will feel like you are right there on the tour with us. Grab a cup of tea and enjoy. (click on any photos to make them bigger)

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Thank you so much, Deborah for sharing your story!!! I'm so pleased you had such a great trip and jealous as hell that you met so many of the actors! Memories to last a lifetime!