1995
January
Curly changes jobs and is now working for Reg again at Firman's Freezers.
Des's new boss Sean Skinner is attracted to Liz who is working in the betting shop. She quits briefly because she argues with Steve who has become quite dependent on the profits of his gambling habit.
Vicky inherits her money. Steve is more than interested. Vicky leaves school without finishing her advanced qualifications as she really isn't doing that well. .
Ken tries to get his furniture from Mike who owns Number 1. Emily allows Ken to have the key, Ken gets his furniture and Mike has the police question him for burglary. Mike then rents the house to Tricia Armstrong and her young son Jamie who wastes no time annoying the neighbours.
Mavis falls off Derek's exercise treadmill. They consider suing the company for compensation though Norris, who sold it to them, tries to dissuade them. Audrey is jealous of Betty who is Alf's mayoress. .
February
Tricia starts work in the Rovers as a cleaner. Raquel is not keen to discover Tricia briefly dated Curly in the past. Tricia and Vera make friends.
Steve's gambling debts mount up. Fiona tries to help but he won't help himself. He decides he loves her, though and asks her to marry him. She refuses on account of his debt load. The business is not going that well either so Mike is on his back. Fiona suggests he give up the flat on the Quays and they move into the flat over the cafe. Sean is making threatening noises about collecting the debt Steve owes him and shows up to collect a large win Steve makes. Sean makes a play for Liz who turns him down so he tells Des to sack her but he backs down and calls a truce with Liz.
Audrey tries to pull rank when a function promises to have a Royal in attendance. Alf refuses so Audrey makes attempts to embarrass Alf in public using butcher Fred Elliot as her chauffeur and escort. Alf relents and lets Audrey and Betty go to the Royal function and he stays home. Alf tells Martin he saw Martin kissing a fellow nurse on Christmas day in the hospital.
Mavis and Derek's case is shaky when Mavis admits she was wearing heels and not proper trainers on the treadmill so they back off the case. The Wiltons have dinner with the boss, Derek's ex wife, Angela along with fellow guest Norris who flirts with Angela. Don has a new lady friend, Josie Clarke though not everyone is happy to see him with someone else while Ivy is away in the retreat. Don enjoys her company but is taking things slowly. Vicky and Bet go on a cruise. Bet needs to get in a relief manager and the brewery send Rodney who is fond of his trombone and gets on well with the regulars.
Curly settles in to the new job and takes Tricia out a few times. Reg gets a shiny new hairpiece to look younger at work. Raquel agrees to be a hair style model for Jon in a competition. Fiona enters as well using Steve as her model and does fairly well for her first time out.
March
Alf pressures Martin to confess to Gail so he finally does. Gail is even angrier when she finds out Alf and Audrey knew and Martin only confessed so that Alf wouldn't say anything first. Gail can't forgive Martin. Gail gets anti depressants from the doctor but she doesn't take them.
Alma's ex husband died and left her a bit of money so she buys herself a sporty red MG. Mike interferes and has the registration checked out. Rodney holds a successful karoke night at the pub just as Bet returns from her holidays. He comes back and hopes that Bet might accept him as a suitor but she gently declines. Tricia flirts with Sean. Curly thinks she's dating many others so finishes with her.
Steve's debts mount. Credit cards are maxed out. He tries to have Sean arrested for stealing his large win because gambling debts can't be legally enforced but Sean says Steve handed over the money freely and Des pretends he didn't see a thing. Vicky invests in Steve's tshirt business.
Tracy is admitted to hospital. She took Ecstasy at a club and had a very bad reaction to it. Deirdre flies home from Morocco to be told that Tracy's kidneys are failing and she's in a coma.
Don confesses to Josie about his troubles with Denise a few years back. Ken wants to stay with Denise while Deirdre and Samir are using his flat but she refuses him. He is tired of her trying to keep him at arm's length from his baby Danny. He investigates what it would take to get legal access and is told to try to work it out with her first.
April
Tracy comes out of the coma, defiant about her drug use but is shocked and bitter to discover she must have a kidney transplant. Ken stays at the Rovers while Deirdre uses his flat. Ken and Deirdre are both tested and rejected as kidney donors. Deirdre contemplates moving back into her house when Tracy is released from hospital for recovery. Samir discovers he is a match .
Fiona qualifies as a hairdresser. Rodney finds out the car Mike tries to sell him was stolen. The police confiscate the car.
Jon makes a pass at Denise who rejects him, making him angry and he quits. Denise continues to be difficult about Ken's access to Danny. Ken takes a solicitor's letter to Denise so she takes the baby and leaves town, telling Fiona to mind the salon. Fiona gets Jon back temporarily to help out.
Alf entertains a mayor from the French twin town to Weatherfield. M. Pico is under the wrong impression that Betty is Alf's mistress, not his Mayoress alone. Audrey flirts with Alf's chauffeur Bryan. .
Mike puts Number 1 up for sale but is met with stiff resistance from Tricia.
Mavis and Derek take up an interest in gardening and install two garden gnomes. Norris expresses a romantic interest in Angela and Derek tries to sabotage his interests but his advice ends up actually working in Norris' favour.
Vicky holds her investments over Steve as a way of coming between him and Fiona who knows nothing about it. Steve is paid for a job that Vicky invested in with a rubber cheque and finds out the club went bankrupt. Vicky bails him out again and Fiona finds out, demanding that Steve have nothing to do with Vicky.
May
Tracy is released from hospital and is staying with Ken. Deirdre and Samir stay with Liz and Jim. Samir is finding it hard coping with Ken and Deirdre's friendly relationship. Samir is later confirmed as a candidate for a kidney donor. Tracy is stroppy and ungrateful and is not adjusting well to the whole prospect of surgery and living with one kidney.
One of Derek's gnomes goes missing. he receives a postcard "from Arthur the gnome" from various locations. He thinks Des is behind the joke. The gnome returns. Tricia is short of money and briefly works in the corner shop but Jamie ends up eating the store stock.
Jack and Vera take Tommy on a caravan holiday to North Wales. Martin passes his exams and is now a qualified nurse. He books a family caravan holiday and persuades Gail to go. They end up in the same place as the Duckworths. Nicky stays with Don and Josie instead of going on the holiday, interrupting their plans for a quiet holiday weekend. Gail and Martin finally make up their differences while on holiday.
Fiona brings in one of her friends from hairdressing course to work in the Salon. Denise is revealed to be staying with her sister. Ken makes attempts at contacting her and visits but she will not say when she intends to return to the Street. Then she changes her tune and asks Ken to "try again" as a couple which Ken then rejects because she might change her mind again.
Betty discovers than a war veteran that comes to the Rovers is an old boyfriend of hers. Billy Williams. They start keeping company. Alf and Betty end their year as Mayor and Mayoress.
A thug frightens Fiona while he's looking for Steve but Steve seems more intent on wooing Vicky (and her money).
June
On the eve of Samir and Tracy's operation, Samir walks to the hospital on his own. He is waylaid and mugged and severely beaten. Deirdre is told he is brain dead. Deirdre allows his kidney to be harvested and Tracy sails through the operation. Deirdre is bitter and takes her anger out on Tracy. Samir wouldn't have died if Tracy had not taken drugs in the first place. Deirdre flies back to Morocco with Samir's body and Tracy is released but goes to stay with a friend instead of Ken.
Denise and Ken make slow progress back together. Derek tries to cement his gnomes in the garden but discovers little footprints in the wet mixture and Arthur is gone again! Again Des is accused.
Steve asks Vicky for money to pay off a debt but she refuses as it's not business related. Steve goes to London to try to raise the money but he can't and is beaten up by the thug that represents the man he owes. Vicky finally agrees to give him the money if he shows he is making progress to pay off his debts and suggests he sell his car. Fiona gets fed up and throws Steve out of the flat. Vicky takes full advantage and Steve asks her to marry him.
Alf is notified that he will be awarded the OBE. Audrey is thrilled. But Alf is then accused of stealing funds from a charity fund.
Vera is sacked from the supermarket. Tricia asks Alf if she can rent the shop flat after she is sacked from the job in the shop. Jack and Vera are broke. Vera prays for some good luck. Jack finds out his brother and sister in law have been killed in a car crash on holiday and he's the next of kin.
July
Vicky and Steve are engaged but she wants it kept secret for now until she's ready. She's ready and announces it at the 21st birthday party for the McDonald twins. Bet is shocked and Fiona walks out. Bet calls in the big guns... Alec, who stops the wedding by promising to pay for a full white church wedding for Vicky. Alec knows this gives him and them time to think. After a brief visit back to Southhampton, Alec returns with Vicky. He finds out about Steve's debt and offers to pay off his debt if he finishes with Vicky. Tempting but Steve reveals Alec's complicity in the pub.
Jack and Vera attend the funeral for his brother and sister in law. He is told that he is the sole benefactor of Cliff's will and will inherit £30,000. They clear out the house and take a few things to sell on the market.
Deirdre returns from Morocco and Samir's funeral. She tells Mike to sell the house to Ken if he wants it. Mike has bought an old converted house and installs Deirdre in one for nominal rent as the caretaker. Mike has trouble getting Tricia out of the house and ends up letting her rent one of the flats in Crimea street. Ken asks Denise to move into Number 1 with him and she agrees. Deirdre gets pestered by a creepy man who lives in one of the flats, a Mr. Roy Cropper.
Alf's old chauffeur Bryan tells Audrey that Councillor Potts and a staff member from the finance department were the ones that defrauded the charity fund. Alf's good name is cleared.
Josie moves in with Don after a mugging at the health center where she works. Don decides to ask for a divorce from Ivy. Alma gets more private catering jobs. Maxine moves in with Fiona.
Derek gets a postcard from the gnome from Ireland. Knowing Steve was there recently for business, he is now the new suspect until he gets another card from Holland. Kevin Webster's dad Bill returns from Germany.
August
Deirdre relies on Mike when Roy comes around late at night. Rumours start to fly that she and Mike are having an affair.
Bill hasn't met up with Sally or the kids as they are away. He decides to surprise them with a home cooked meal on their return but burns the kitchen out. He's a builder, though so offers to fix it. He crosses swords with his ex-wife's uncle Percy Sugden.
Vicky and Steve fly to St. Lucia and get married on their own. Liz has a pregnancy scare and Jim decides to have a vasectomy
Derek receives a parcel containing the missing gnome's severed ear and a ransom note for chocolate dubloons. He takes the chocolate to the park but is mistaken for a flasher and ends up being escorted home by the police.
Jack and Vera celebrate getting the insurance money after a holiday in Spain. Jack buys Vera a long overdue engagement ring and they consider buying the corner shop and ask Reg for the books. Jack leaves the Rovers but rethinks his decision. However, Bet has already hired Bill Webster. Jack and Vera buy a little car.
Gail visits Ivy at the retreat and reports back that Ivy is taking the news of the divorce very badly. A week or so later, the news is received... Ivy has died of a stroke! She leaves a letter to Nick giving him the house if he changes his name back to Tilsley. Don is angry and refuses to give up the house. Vera is angry at Don for causing Ivy's stroke with his divorce request and his fancy woman with her feet under Ivy's table. Martin is angry at Ivy's manipulation from beyond the grave though Gail wonders if it's such a bad thing that Nick regain his father's name if it means an inheritance. Nick is just cocky and arrogant about it all.
September
Reg hopes to take over when Mr. Firman retires but he's given the job to his nephew, Leo. Des and Maxine flirt. Percy has to move out while his room is being renovated and he lodges with Curly. Emily has his room redecorated delaying his return so he thinks she doesn't want him back.
Des sees his very pregnant ex wife Steph working at McDonald's and helps her find a new decent flat. He also finishes the brief relationship he had with Maxine. Des accepts Jack and Vera's offer on his house. Mavis and Derek are horrified to find out who their new neighbours are going to be. Vera and Jack are having a bit of trouble finding a buyer for their house.
Don is at odds with everyone over the house. Nick moves back out after a row. Nick changes his name and is told that Don has the right as sitting tenant to stay in the house. Betty is burgled and Billy comes to stay on her couch until an alarm system is installed. He asks her again to marry him but she says no again. One more time however, and Billy wins the hand of Betty.
Norris is now Derek's boss at the firm. A remark he makes gives Derek new suspicions that he is the gnome-napper. Vicky and Steve return from honeymoon and move into a hotel until they can find a flat of their own.
Leo Firman asks Raquel out on a date but she declines. She finally agrees to a date but they can't manage to fix a time mutually agreeable. When they finally make it out on a date, Firman tries to force Raquel when she says no to his advances in the storeroom of the supermarket. She gets away from him and tells Curly about it. Curly attacks Leo on the shop floor but gets away with it by threatening to tell what Leo tried to do to Raquel.
October
Des decides not to sell after all and Jack and Vera are devastated. Mavis and Derek are relieved. Steph gets back together with the father of her baby. Des renews his acquaintance with Maxine.
Betty asks Bet to be her maid of honor and Raquel to be bridesmaid but Bet has other things on her mind. The Rovers is going to be sold and she can't raise the money for it. Vicky won't invest and Rita has a think and taking Alf's advice, decides that Bet has not been a very good business woman/manager financially and declines the offer of "you buy it and i'll run it". Bet and Rita fall out in a spectacular row. She falls out with Vicky as well and then throws everyone out of the pub and shuts the doors. She packs her bags and leaves the Rovers in a Taxi,
Lots more arguments between Don, Josie, Gail, Martin and Nick over the house. The case is now in the hands of solicitors. The strain is beginning to show on everyone's relationships. More sexual harassment complaints surface against Leo Firman. Reg doesn't want to rock the boat but Curly knows they are all true. Reg tells Eric Firman and he admits it's happened before and moves Leo to a new district and out of their hair.
Rodney the relief manager returns for a stint and the race is on to see who will buy the Rovers. Jack and Vera are considering it and so are Liz and Jim who will put their house up for sale to finance it. The brewery rings both couples and it seems like whoever gets there first with the money gets the sale. Jim is delayed due to a job he's doing for Mike so Jack and Vera come out on top as the new owners of the Rovers Return. Because Jim left the chauffeuring job, Mike sacks him. Jack and Vera have a buyer for their house, Judy and Gary Mallett.
Betty and Billy marry. Raquel stands for Betty and they hold the reception in the British Legion.
November
Liz makes Jim apologize to Mike who makes Jim grovel for his job back. Things are strained between the McDonalds and get worse when Mike sacks Jim for good. Jim starts drinking more and Liz turns to Des for comfort. Deirdre is finding things hard and missing Samir very much. A concerned Roy goes to Mike who comforts his friend.
Raquel is peeved that Fiona caught the eye of her own modeling agent. Curly and Raquel seem to be cozy again. Kevin doesn't get on well with the first mechanic Mike hires and sacks him, taking on a young man named Tony Horrocks instead.
Jack and Vera work very hard but manage to upset Betty who quits. Jack decides it's cheaper to sell cheap pies from Fred Eliot instead of making the hotpot themselves. Bill is let go as they don't need two potmen. Things seem to be in disarray.
Leo Firman comes to the pub and blames Raquel for him losing his job and she stands up to him, throwing things at him and screaming at him until he flees. Steve and Vicky are living in a new flat. Steve has fun with the money but Vicky tries to keep him on a short leash.
Denise's sister and brother-in-law visit for Danny's christening. The Mallets seem to be a bit volatile. Gary plays his drum kit and the pair row loudly and make up again frequently.
There's a peeping Tom in Weatherfield. Reg is identified in a lineup as a suspect. He contemplates taking a job in Lowestoft to get away from the bad publicity. The Flasher is caught and Reg is off the hook. Reg takes the job and he and Maureen embark on a long distance relationship.
December
Alf helps out in the shop for a short while and then Maureen hires Deirdre to help out part time. Several temporary barmaids have trials but none seem to fit in very well. Vera asks Betty to return and after a bit of making Vera grovel, she does.
Curly has to apply for Reg's old job. Bill gets a flat in Crimea Street and he and Jim partner together to make repairs to the building. They think starting up a regular partnership might be a good idea. Bill gets a back-tax demand for 1400 pounds. Kevin and Sally lend him the money. Rita is angry that the Websters gave Bill some of the money she gave them and they have a big argument. Sally rightly points out that there were no conditions on the money and accuses Rita of trying to buy herself grandchildren.
Fiona and Tony hit it off. It's revealed that Denise is having an affair with her brother-in-law and it's been on and off for years! She uses the empty salon flat for their assignations. Her sister comes to her with her suspicions that her husband is seeing someone but does not suspect Denise. Andy suspects that Liz and Des are having an affair and has it out with Des as well as his mother. Sean makes Des sack Liz as she's nothing but trouble. This of course raises Jim's suspicions because Liz can't really say why she was sacked. Steve gives cheap whiskey as Christmas presents but is arrested on Christmas day as being in possession of stolen goods!
Sarah lou tries to erase Don from family photos which makes Gail realize they have to make peace with each other. Gail offers to buy out Don and let him live there, paying Rent to Nick. Don walks out on the offer. Christmas looks to be very grim in the Brennan household since he's not speaking to the Platts.
Rita gets a cheque from an insurance company and offers to take Mavis on a cruise. Derek is peevish about it and is charged with minding the shop in their absence. Vicky and Steve have more money arguments. Norris asks Derek to be his best man when he marries Angela. Derek agrees and on the stag night, a drunken Norris reveals that HE is the gnomenapper!!! Derek gets his beloved Arthur back and takes his revenge by sending Norris to the wrong church the next day. But in the end Norris and Angela tie the knot. Gary buys Jim's motorbike.
Don drives the Roberts to London for the OBE ceremony because Audrey causes them to miss the train. Audrey argues with Don all the way until Don leaves her on the side of the motorway. By the time Audrey gets a lift from a truck driver and makes it to the palace, the ceremony is over. To add insult to injury, Betty was in London and ends up having her photo taken with Alf (after all she *was* his most recent Mayoress!) Audrey vows never to forgive either of them. Alf shouts at Don who drives off and leaves them to get the train back.
Des is still after Liz and cuts off Maxine. Liz, though attracted, thinks she should give her marriage another chance. Des drowns his sorrows and uses Raquel for sex. When Raquel realizes that he doesn't want a relationship with her, she asks Curly to marry her but it has to be secret. Nobody can know. Curly agrees though he does tell Maureen. On the day, in the registry office, Raquel is in the ladies' room crying but she goes through with the ceremony and becomes Mrs. Watts. They go on Honeymoon on the cruise ship QEII, on the very same boat that Rita and Mavis are on and they discover that Alec is entertainment manager on the boat. Curly booked a cheap holiday and he and Raquel end up having to work jobs on the boat to earn their passage. Mavis is wooed by a gigolo who teaches her to Tango. Rita knows the man was a paid "suitor" but lets Mavis think she had a brief yet innocent shipboard romance.
Written by Diane Johnston
© Diane Johnston 2005. Reproduced with permission.
Do not reproduce this without permission.
