December 1995

Friday 1 December 1995
Denise despite her liaison with Brian the banker shows no remorse or any potential signs of guilt around the blissfully unaware Ken. Whilst working in the salon Fiona expressed an interest in "watching" the book keeping sessions to learn more about the books Denise's expression was priceless. I reckon this Denise is going to be a dab hand at this affair business.

Dreary started at the corner shop much to Alf's disappointment as he had turned up hoping to help out complete with neatly folded white coat and all. Still he was invited into the back to help Maud finish off a pot of tea.

The Malletts were all set for their house warming party and invited all and sundry to the occasion. It turned out to be a somewhat loud and raucous affair with a crowd of misfits (complete with appropriate musical accompaniment) turned up in van outside the house to kick the party off. Despite the obvious whinges of the Wiltons which is something to be expected in any fun atmosphere the gathering went well with large amounts of drink being consumed by all comers and large amounts of noise being via the drum kit. The party was also an opportunity for Fiona to chase down Tony, and after a little work they were soon smooching away on the makeshift dancefloor.

Earlier in the episode Jack employed a new barmaid who seemed to make Raquel look like she had a PhD in Astrophysics. Despite looking like the sort of dolly bird that appeals to Jack and casting him the old moon penny glances, she was thoroughly useless. If left to her own devices without the interventions of Raquel she would have served pints of sherry to the paying customers till the cows come home. Of course the fact that she was mildly attractive (blonde, red dress, shows a bit of cleavage type) set Raquel into her somewhat bitchy mode.

Meanwhile Bill and Jim went to do repairs on Mike Baldwin's house. They wound-up the upstairs weirdo who pesters Dreary while they were at it, and Bill managed to get himself somewhere to live. There was of course the complimentary appearance from Mike who whined a little over Bill's choice of working partner. Also after a few drinks at the party Bill and Jim decided to try going into business together.

The Platts got together for a family reunion as Gail and Martin were concerned over the effect not seeing Don was having on the kids. Everything was going well (apart from a surly "Nick") until the subject of the house came up. Gail offered to buy Don out which raised a smile on Don's face. Gail made an offer of £5,000 and live in till Nick's 18th paying a nominal rent and Don went ballistic with his usual angry eye popping scenario. Needless to say he stormed off taking Josie with him.

Monday 4 December 1995
Tonight at the Rover's Lorraine, the new bimbo barmaid, sank to new levels of inept behaviour whilst in charge of a pint glass. Raquel of course being in the presence of someone pretty and wearing similar attire was in a particularly unforgiving mood. Lorraine's case wasn't aided by Vera's untimely return and despite Jack putting forward his case for keeping Lorraine on the staff Vera won the day and off she went. Meanwhile in the bar Vicky dropped by with some leaflets she had made for Jim and Bill who were making preparations in the starting of their partnership (most of which seemed to involve drinking).

Also it transpires Vicky was off to see friends without Steve who had barely let her get out earshot before he began showing some interest in Fiona. Steve went to the salon and got Fiona to cut his hair and no matter how tough as nails she claims she is I think there was some emotional stirring brought on by his close proximity. However later in the Rover's he was forced to back off when Fiona was drinking with Tony.

Mavis was receiving the proverbial hard time from Derek over going on the cruise with Rita he performed his usual "sulky schoolboy" act and spouted on about loyalty and such forth until he caused Mavis to change her mind. However upon Rita's return to the Kabin after dinner and a quick glance at the brochure Mavis was back on for the trip.

Jim and Bill delivered their leaflets and it seems had spent the best part of the afternoon drinking. Liz marched in to give Jim a warning about his tea going cold only stopping to throw the "cow eyed" look at Des (horribly forced I may hasten to add) and Bill got a an overdue tax demand.

Vera (with Billy's aid) managed to re-enlist the help of Betty and her famous hot pots in the Rover's kitchen, although not without a struggle.

Brian the bookkeeper came to play with Denise's figure and not her figures as they both disappeared upstairs. Ken walked in and was about to go upstairs and unwittingly disturb them when he decided Brian's company might be "boring". I figured it was too early in the affair for any form of discovery so there was no bated breath in this household.

Alf and Audrey were all set for London but thanks to Audrey's fussing they missed the train. I reckon Don will drive them down there so they don't miss their appointment with the Queen.

Wednesday 6 December 1995
Tonight's episode dealt mainly with the fiasco that was Alf journeying down to London to accept his OBE. It all began in suitably bad form with Audrey slowing things down due to her looking for some tights. Gail arrived to save the day with a spare pair at the same time as Don arrived to give them a lift to London. This encounter was more or less the spark that would lead to the ensuing flames later on. As they got on the motorway and travelled down to London Audrey was in sniping mood having sly digs here and there about Don's reluctance to let Nick have "his house". Don to his credit managed to hold his temper for a fair while despite the baiting but eventually when he could stand it no more he pulled into a petrol station near their destination and got out for a face to face confrontation. Don made some valid points about how hypocritical Audrey and everybody had been about Ivy and the argument boiled to such an extent that Don drove off with Alf in the car leaving Audrey behind.

However thanks to the kindness of a passing motorist (and a terrible actress) Audrey got a lift in a Transit with an Old English Sheepdog as company. Also to make matters worse the van quickly developed a flat tyre and Audrey was forced to help change it with a look of complete disgust on her face.

She eventually reached Buckingham Palace but was refused entry on the grounds that she didn't have a pass and was relegated to standing by the railings with a bunch of tourists. The icing on the cake was when Alf strolled out of the Palace who should he be with but Betty who conveniently happened to be in London at the same time as Alf so she went in with him. This of course destroyed Audrey who was all weeping and wailing and smudged mascara. Alf managed to raise another agreement with Don and he went home alone leaving those Alf and Audrey to make their own way home.

Back in Weatherfield, we saw Rita cleverly trick Derek into running the Kabin whilst she and Mavis went on the cruise. She played it clever by setting the Kabin as a challenge to Derek and insinuating he wasn't up to the task. Derek in his pomposity fell for it hook, line & sinker without realising it.

Kevin and Sally lent Bill £1,400 to pay his back tax bill. Vicky returned from her friends and promptly stormed out on Steve when she found out Fiona had cut his hair during her absence (Nicely stirred by Fiona I might add).

Meanwhile Des was looking slovenly declared to Liz how he "wanted her and needed her". His part seemed to be played thoroughly tongue in cheek but Liz just stood there with a smile on her face like a lobotomy victim. Also at a guess I think Maxine is finally realising that Des isn't interested after he blanked her in the cafe.

Friday 8 December 1995 (35th Anniversary)
The episode kicked off with Des in a most predatory mood fancying his chances with Liz after he had finished mauling her and attempting to acquaint his tongue with her tonsils and inner ear. Liz told him that there relationship was going nowhere and told him to go off and find another woman. At this point Des undeterred wanders off to the Rovers and began something of the "sincere" chat up line variety. What I found unusual was Raquel's reaction. Despite being somewhat guarded at first it didn't take long for Raquel to open up to Des and once the lines of communication were open then his little trap was set. He played it cooly and politely making her feel at ease and he suggested "friendship" and a little bite to eat over at his place. Obviously Raquel still had something in her heart for him because when they were over there after the minimal amount of glib handywork from Des they were kissing.

The next thing we saw was the next morning with Raquel making Des breakfast in bed. She was all smiles and optimistic for there future together so it seemed. I really don't understand how she got her wires this badly crossed but Des upon waking up was generally dismissive and in general a little unpleasant. It soon became obvious that the previous evening had Raquel had been used and slowly it began to dawn on her.

Raquel returned upset to the Rover's where she found company in the form of Betty who offered her usual two dimensional type pep talk. She advised Raquel not to become hard and untrusting because somewhere out there was a kind and trusting man. At the point you could almost see the wheels turning in Raquel's head. She was then serving in the bar where Curly was having a drink and chatting with Maud. After he left Maud put in her two pennies worth by stating what a good lad Curly was. This prompted Raquel into action she went to visit Curly and asked him if the marriage proposal was still open. Curly of course nearly went into shock and after a couple of minutes and some more verbal confirmation from Raquel he stated he wanted to marry her. Raquel laid down a couple of guidelines for the wedding, the first being Curly arrange it all as quick as possible, and secondly total secrecy. This left Curly somewhat confused to the extent where he went round and confirmed the next morning that he hadn't been dreaming. Curly kept to his promise apart from confiding in Maureen about the situation she asked him if he loved and told him to go for it. Despite the fact that she found the arrangements a little odd.

At this point Raquel was showing what could either construed as nerves or perhaps pangs of regret. She seemed a little unsure of what she was doing and whilst nerves before a wedding is understandable I found myself questioning her motives and reasons for marriage. Curly arranged a honeymoon trip on a cruise via Alec Gilroy for after the wedding. Both then prepared and packed and met at Curly's house on the day of the wedding. They sat in Curly's in a mainly awkward silence and again Raquel showed her apprehensive behaviour.

It only got worse when they got to the registry office. Curly arranged witnesses whilst Raquel had a good weep in the ladies. Obviously Des had done some real lasting damage and again I was questioning the motives behind the marriage. They eventually got their turn and Curly dutifully read his vows but when Raquel came to hers it was almost painful to watch as there were large uncertain gaps between the lines. Not through poor acting but it seems this was the last batch of indecisive behaviour being exorcised. She did the deed though and Curly and a nation of viewers for that matter got a result.... Mrs. Raquel Watts.

Meanwhile life did go on in the street and it seems for this anniversary special they were trying to cram as many people into the show as possible even if in little cameo roles. Mainly though we saw Bill announce to Rita his relief that Kev and Sally had leant him the money for his tax bill. Rita wasn't impressed with and let Kevin know this by giving him full barrels on his doorstep. She then went off to confront Sally who proved she can give as well as she can get. Both parties had a good verbal punch up saying stuff that was downright hurtful to each other until Rita stormed out. Sally even went as far as to cancel the papers leaving Rita somewhat remorseful.

Mavis however was trying to pack for the holiday cruise and was enduring a last minute batch of spoilt child behaviour from Derek who was also preparing to take over the shop in Rita and Mavis's absence he kept dropping remarks about how dreadful the weather would be etc...

Meanwhile The Duckworths got a visit from Nuttall's brewery boss. He invited Vera to a company function because technically with her name above the door she was landlady. With Raquel on "holiday" and Betty elsewhere this function left Jack alone running the bar. Needless to say Vera had a whale of a time and came back drunk and somewhat desirous of Jack to boot.

Des was in the Rovers acting much like the cat who got the cream until he found out Raquel had gone. Hopefully this will hurt him but I doubt it.

Monday 11 December 1995
The "will they/won't they" plotline of Des and Liz was brought into active service again tonight. Both of them seemed to be playing subtle head-games with each other as Des distinctly specified he had gone out and got himself a "lady friend". Liz initially didn't seem too bothered but this little announcement hit a raw nerve because when an opportunity arose later on for them to be together in the bookies Liz seized it. Des was playing it cool as Liz skirted around the subject of his "lady friend" with subtlety of a brick flying through a plate glass window. She had already concluded that the mystery lady must be Maxine. However when Des revealed it was Raquel, Liz became somewhat heated over the knowledge as her jealousy shone through. Des claimed it was just a bit of fun (not for Raquel though was it ?) and something that wouldn't have happened if Liz had been more reciprocative. The potential argument was broken up by the timely arrival of Sean Skinner. However not before Des suggested they clear the air and get matters sorted.

Vicky was showing concern over Steve's spending habits as he apparently began piling up the expenditure with little explanation. He also has developed a handy knack of making Vicky feel guilty for reprimanding him for his extravagance. She confided her worries in Andy who alas could offer no solution.

Bill and Jim were all in preparation for their upcoming job but alas faced with something of a problem in the shape of having no transport to get their equipment to the job. Bill was also somewhat worried over the bad feeling he felt he caused since his return to the Street. Kevin reassured him that was not the case and told him he was more than welcome in their lives.

Don and Josie surprised me tonight by actually playing in some cheerful scenes for a change. Josie was trailing around the shops buying presents for her grandchildren with Don and they reminisced about their childhood's and there was even some horseplay as Don got Josie to "test drive" a bicycle.

In the Rovers, Alma gave Audrey a pep talk after her depressing turn out at the Palace, nothing earth shattering there merely Alma explaining that Audrey should ride out the storm and get on with her life.

Vera got high and mighty with The Mallets, who had just had a Satellite Dish installed, because he was in the pub in dirty clothes they of course had a clash of personalities and The Mallets left.

Meanwhile Liz went to aerobics and called in on the way home. It has to be mentioned she was wearing an off the shoulder jumper style garment when she called to see Des which was like I said earlier merely to clear the air. There were points in the conversation where things look like that they might get heavy but instead nothing happened. Liz went upstairs to the bathroom and she came down just as Andy walked in. Now if you didn't see the episode nothing occurred between them at all but when Liz was coming downstairs in her off the shoulder jumper style garment she just seemed to look guilty. Andy of course jumped to the wrong conclusion (sort of...) and stormed out with Liz screaming after him.

Wednesday 13 December 1995
Tonight's episode kicked of with Andy in confrontational mood with Des who was trying his best to play his relationship and the previous night's awkward looking situation down. Andy of course was having none of this and was convinced in his own mind that something was going on between Des and Liz.

Liz arranged to meet Andy that dinner time to try and sort things out and hopefully resolve the situation. At first it looked like he wouldn't give an inch and was very hard with Liz but eventually after Liz had confessed her attraction to Des but firmly stated that nothing had gone on finally he began to relent his hardened behaviour to her. In fact Liz did a nice side step off the subject of her misdemeanours and confronted Andy about his attractions towards Steve's girlfriends in the past. The matter was resolved and Liz got off lightly as Andy said he wasn't going to tell Jim any of what transpired.

Speaking of Jim he and Bill were attempting to find transport in the shape of a van to get them and their tools to a job. Jim spoke to Mr. Mallett (Is it Gary ? I keep missing his name) and discovered he was a bike fanatic so Jim sold his motorcycle to him. This of course raised some cash which will hopefully yield them a van and get their business mobile.

Meanwhile Derek fretted about receiving postcards and started up the entire gnome business again.

The highlight of the episode for me was the girl's night out with Audrey and Alma, ably assisted by Maureen. The girls were out to cheer up Audrey who was still smarting from her Palace debacle. As they drank more and more uzo in a Greek restaurant it was a joy to watch them become more and more inebriated. The expressions on Audrey's face and the dialogue as they spoke of their husbands was all good stuff.

Fiona's new boyfriend finally defected to the Rovers football team and they got their first win.

Meanwhile Jim and Liz showed a united front in the Rovers which didn't sit well with Des. In fact this seemed to push Des's temper as on the way out of the pub he encountered a drunk and disorderly Derek who was attempting to apologise for accusing him of stealing the gnome. This got short shrift with Des who basically told Derek to grow up. Maxine though Des was angry because she had turned down his invite to dinner.

Friday 15 December 1995
Tonight's episode saw the return of nauseous Norris who had a big favour to ask a somewhat disgruntled Derek. He invited Derek to the Rover's and over a hot-pot and a pint he announced that he would like Derek to become his best man for his impending marriage to Angela. Derek was his usual negative self about the whole affair and quickly found reservations about doing the job for him. However after a little cajoling Derek was roped into the job.

Steve and Vicky are still have marriage difficulties. Steve is still behaving paranoid thinking Vicky is watching his every move. She seems to be paying close attention to his spending habits and he still has that stupid beard which is bound to be a hazard to any marriage.

Bill and Jim meanwhile have gone out and bought a van for the use in their business. It looked to me not only to have seen better days but better decades. Odds on in the storyline it will break down at some point.

Des rang Liz when she didn't go into work and he did his usual begging act to try and get her into work. Of course when she didn't go into work Des did his usual sitting down with a bottle of whisky trick.

Denise met up with Brian for another one of their little liaison when who should come along but Brian's wife (Denise's sister to boot). After a quick diversion Denise managed to get Brian out of the picture and discovered that her sister was actually on her way to see her. Once back at the salon she confided in Denise that she suspected that Brian was having an affair. Denise was the sympathetic ear and even went so far as to set her mind at rest claiming that Brian was probably just flirting.

The Mallet's were putting up their Christmas decorations which consisted of a neon sign calling their house "Santa's Nooky Nest" to bring the former Duckworth residence into new levels of bad taste.

The atmosphere between Andy and Des was somewhat icy following the revelations in the previous episode. Skinner spoke to Des who was once again requesting a transfer. His excuses for moving were somewhat poor and Sean soon dropped on the real reason for his wanting to move. He guessed something was going on between Horseface and Des and declared he would have something done about it. Namely Liz was for the sack !!

Monday 18 December 1995
Tonight saw the return of the Street's resident cruise liners. It mainly featured a jubilant Raquel and Curly who were full of the archetypal newlywed joys. All the cast members managed to collar them for congratulations at one point or another. Of course there was the usual gossip provided by the likes of Audrey who had to wonder if Raquel was pregnant. Raquel was also seen settling into her new home on Coronation Street asking herself such questions as "What does a wife do ?" et al.

We saw further friction between Des and Liz in tonight's episode as Liz told Des to sack her to prevent making matters any worse than they were. Des grudgingly obliged and Liz left before the day was out at the betting shop. However once Des found out that Raquel was now married he seemed more than rueful of his "sacking" of Liz and went to her home to get her back.

Rita of course returned in somewhat quiet form, possibly due to repercussions of what happened with The Websters before her departure. Mavis however was overjoyed to see Derek who was alas once again wittering on about the gnome business again.

The highlights were the celebration of Raquel and Curly's marriage in the Rover's which was organised by Vera. Maureen's constant announcement to all and sundry that she knew of the event before it happened was amusing including her reprimand by Maud when she started laying it on a bit thick.

Wednesday 20 December 1995
Tonight was a distinctly above average episode with storylines moving along at a more than satisfactory pace. We saw what appeared to be the final chapter closed on Bet's life in the street when she contacted Raquel and Betty via postcard from the Canaries. She left instructions for what to do with the remainder of her belongings. Thus Betty and Raquel began packing her things into binliners for Emily to take to the Charity Shop. It all had a distinct air of finality about it and even though Audrey cracked jokes about the piles of black bags full of Bet's leopard skin attire it was still quite poignant.

Des on the other hand was dealing with the repercussions of sacking Liz he seemed quite unrepentant about his actions when he was talking to Skinner about the whole affair (no pun intended). Liz admitted to Jim that she had been fired from the bookies and as only Jim can after a few moments of stunned disbelief he went into one of his usual "irate Irishman" acts. He was determined to get to the bottom of the situation and find out what had happened. He went to the bookies and located Skinner who was basically unforthcoming with any information. He told Jim to track Des down when he returned from the dentist's appointment, later that day.

Raquel was preparing for the meal at Eric Firman's place. Unaccustomed as she was to such events, she found it necessary to swot up on etiquette before she went to the Firman household. Upon arriving at the house Eric took Norman to one side and dropped hints about his potential future at the company. Needless to say Curly seemed confident about a having his own supermarket. Raquel was left to fend for herself with Eric's somewhat frosty wife. However during the meal Raquel's confidence level seemed to soar to the extent where she almost began to lecture her hostess on etiquette. Curly could see the potential for an uncomfortable atmosphere forming and did his best to jump in and try to prevent things getting any worse. It was too late by this time because at this point Eric's wife obviously agitated wife spilt her drink. I don't think this encounter did any lasting damage to Curly's career prospects though as I thought Eric could see Raquel meant no harm.

Vicky revealed to Rita that she had bought Steve a personalised number plate for Christmas. Whilst Don told Gail and Martin that he had bought presents for the kids.

The episode ended on a sour note for Des as Jim finally tracked down and confronted him about sacking Liz. His temper already somewhat frayed Liz intervened just in time to see Jim about to take a swing at Des and luckily she arrived just in time to stop him from being hit. Des whilst obviously ruffled by the incident seemed afterwards to be somewhat nonchalant about the entire affair.

Friday 22 December 1995
Tonight's episode began with the morning after the night before with Raquel deliberating over the events of the dinner party at Eric's house. She was most upset and had convinced herself that her actions had spoilt any chance of Curly's promotion. As ever Curly was still playing the proud husband and despite Raquel's own feelings of inadequacy he was as supportive as ever. To make matters worse he informed her of an impending Christmas Party that night which she had to attend.

Steve McDonald meanwhile was handing out bottles of whisky like there was no tomorrow. Mike and Jim were amongst the latest reciprocates of his latest bout of generosity. However before he knew what was happening he was paid a visit by the boys in blue. They in turn revealed they had a search warrant for his premises in which they discovered a case of whisky which they suspected stolen. Exit stage left to the station for Steve for some further questioning and when they discovered there were no interview rooms free it was a case of languishing in the cells. Vicky as usual was in the dark over the entire matter. She was growing more and more impatient by the minute waiting for Steve's return but Steve had not made use of his phone call so she had no way of knowing where he was. Although the fact his car was around while he wasn't aroused her suspicion.

Jim was still fuming over Liz's dismissal from the bookies and still in the dark as to the true nature of what had gone on. Andy in conversation with Liz stated categorically that he would rather move out of Des's place to avoid further bad feeling. Liz dissuaded him from the idea claiming it would only upset the applecart more and arouse Jim's suspicions at that as well. So Andy stayed put at Des's house and they even seemed to clear the air a tad when talked about the sacking and how it was removing temptation. In fact matters went so far as Andy smoothing the path somewhat for Liz and Des by saying he had seen Des sorrowful over the sacking of Liz and it was decision from the likes of Skinner that had got her the push.

At the Rover's Raquel was still upset over the dinner party incident and was worrying herself into a state despite reassurance from Vera (who is rapidly approaching a favourable verdict as a landlady in my eyes).

When it came to the actual party we saw Curly and Raquel along with Eric, but his wife seemed strangely absent from the gathering. Also prominent was the check out girl who had seemed disappointed at hearing of Curly's marriage. Methinks she will be carrying a torch for Norman if things with Raquel ever hit a rocky patch. She was soon paired off with the check out girl whilst Eric had a chat with Curly. It was revealed that his wife had been somewhat dismissive of Raquel and somewhat off hand the previous night because despite her current high standing in the community (golf club, chairperson etc.. you know what I mean) she actually had somewhat more humble beginnings more so as a barmaid in a pub in circumstances much akin to Raquel's. Thus Eric explained that his wife thought she had been set up with the whole situation at the dinner.

Other minor storylines bubbling under tonight were Gail and Martin responding to Don and Josie's presents from the kids by sending presents to Don and Josie *from* the kids. All very petty but I don't think you need glasses to see where that particular storyline is heading. The Mallets arguing over their impending holiday in Blackpool in their loud and raucous manner. Meanwhile Maureen planned her Christmas as pretty much a round trip of commuting as she and dear departed Reg made plans to meet for Christmas.

Monday 25 December 1995
Something of a mixed bag episode tonight in this feature length show which kicked off on Christmas eve with Curly and Raquel somewhat worse for wear returning from the firm's party in good spirits, due to his recent promotion.

Vicky and the clan McDonald were sat worrying over the absent Steve who had still not contacted them regarding his arrest and present incarceration down at the local Police Station. Steve was basically playing a waiting game as the overworked officers struggled with the Christmas rush and tried to get around to interviewing him. Eventually however a dour faced officer made the effort and sat down to make an effort into clearing up the affair of the stolen scotch whisky. Steve sat in seat fidgeting and biting his nails throughout the interview and for that matter throughout the entire bloody episode. He didn't make matters any better for himself by giving the interviewing officer wisecracks when asked various questions about where he had got the scotch from. Eventually however he was permitted to ring Vicky who he managed to get to cover for him by saying he had met up with some business associates at a night club and he was somewhat worse for wear.

Over at the Rovers Jack was stricken with flu and was thus bedridden leaving a harassed Vera to cope on her own. She was only on her own until she cajoled Raquel into doing shift on Christmas Day. This made things a tad awkward as the newlywed Watts were expecting both sets of parents around for Christmas dinner and because she would be working Raquel would not be present for a couple of hours. It was around this point that we saw Raquel and Curly have their first married tiff (if you could really call it that). Curly was basically jokingly saying Raquel was too obliging in reference to working at the Rovers on Christmas Day. Unfortunately Raquel took this the wrong way and thought Curly was having a sly dig about her and Des which of course he wasn't. The matter was soon resolved however amidst a hug and a kiss as they promised the subject of Des wouldn't be broached again.

Steve finally returned home in the early hours of the morning only to discover that amongst all his other troubles his car had been broken into. They had broken the window and taken the stereo, which whilst being a source of some sorrow for Steve was obviously one of amusement for Des Barnes. Des by the way setting off to see his parents over the Christmas period which effectively got him out o the way for awhile. Upon arriving home Steve (still furiously chewing his fingers like a man in need of a meal) was greeted by a very sour faced Vicky who promptly accused him of lying to her about the police incident and accused him of sleeping with Fiona. Steve of course denied this (shortly before sitting down to chew his little finger) but Vicky was hardly in a mood to see reason and stormed off to bed. In the morning things didn't look much brighter for Steve as Vicky whilst in a somewhat more rational mood was still somewhat cold and stern towards him (understandably, I guess). At this point Steve revealed he hadn't bought anybody any presents and asked Vicky if she would do the honours of going out and buying the family presents while he went out and got the car fixed. After another little spat she agreed to go out and do the shopping and he (after nibbling a thumb) went off to sort out the damage to his car.

Back at the Rovers we saw Rita and Bill exchange frosty glances at the bar and even manage a stilted conversation. All credit to Bill though in this situation as he did try and break the ice but alas Rita wasn't having any of it. Alf had parked camp outside the Rovers with two other gents dressed as Santa Claus to raise money for charity. Whilst inside Audrey continued to moan about her misfortune at not seeing the Queen, using Alma as her usual shoulder to cry on. As the Rovers closed we saw Raquel off to do battle with parents and in-laws alike, whilst Bill stayed behind to help Vera clean out the pipes. At this point we even had a cameo appearance from a sick looking Jack Duckworth who managed to stagger downstairs for a spot of lunch and to watch the Queen's speech with Vera, alas she was so exhausted she fell asleep.

Meanwhile at Curly and Raquel's, both sets of parents had arrived and were now sat in uneasy silence whilst Curly made final preparations to the meal. There had been some uneasy banter between Curly and his dad before The Wolstenhulme's had arrived and his father was still as downtrodden as I remember. Curly's mother was all frosty disapproving stares and sharp cutting comments. This as you can imagine didn't soften the road of inter family relations at all. The atmosphere did show signs of mellowing though once introductions were out of the way. A lot of the problem they had with Raquel and Curly's marriage was the fact they had not been informed about it and this had obviously put peoples noses out of joint. In fact it transpired that both sets of parents thought the marriage had been so rushed because they had thought Raquel was pregnant. This implication inspired some sour looks from Raquel and Curly and following this they told the assembled parents how much they loved each other. It was also an opportunity for Raquel to finally see eye to her eye with her dad. Also it saw Raquel's mum give Curly her seal of approval it seems she was glad had finally got a "normal" man.

Matters at the McDonald household were far from rosy. Jim gave Steve a pep talk about being a good husband instead of drinking and gambling (good example eh, Jim ?). Steve was his usual petulant self in response to his father's critique (and by this time he had just about chewed his fingers to the bone). As they settled down in preparation, Vicky unveiled the presents she had bought for everyone on Steve's behalf. This little scene was something of a nerve wracking one for Steve because Vicky had bought herself a present "from Steve" as he hadn't had time. As she unwrapped it Steve was obviously on dodgy ground as he didn't know what was in the wrapping and at first glance all that appeared to be there was a decorative egg. However on further inspection there was a pair of posh earrings as well much to Steve's relief.

The situation seemingly resolved, they sat around the table awaiting lunch and engaging in genial chit chat when Steve lost his temper thinking that everyone was having a go at him and "blaming him for things that went wrong". After a somewhat painful silence conversation was resumed again only to be halted again by a knock on the door. This time the interruption was the Police and they had a search warrant for the premises. Vicky broke down in tears when she realised what was happening whereas Steve was pinned against the wall by his irate mother.

In the episode the minor storylines that were included were Josie was bought a bicycle by Don which she proceeded to ride down the cobbled streets of Weatherfield in a somewhat shaky manner. Fiona and Tony were all set to go to midnight mass. Meanwhile man eating Maxine arranged a date with Andy.

Wednesday 27 December 1995
Tonight kicked off with Vicky trying to contact the Police as regards to information about her errant husband Steve. Unfortunately information was hardly forthcoming and as a result Vicky had enlisted the aid of her Uncle Nick, who was indeed a solicitor and had looked after monetary affairs prior to her coming of age. She had called him in an effort to get Steve out of his latest predicament. However she was somewhat annoyed when he began to quiz her abut how much access Steve had to the money she had inherited. Liz's reaction to the whole scenario was one of disgust and she complained about how he had dragged the McDonald name through the mud yet again which was nice coming from Mrs Whiter than White.

Curly and Raquel had an early morning visit from none other than their new neighbour Gary Mallett who without further ado was arranging a knees up on their behalf that Friday. Despite Raquel's hesitance Curly was indeed all up for the idea and was enthusiastic about the idea of a bash to celebrate their wedding.

In fact in due course it was to be something of a busy day for Curly as the next visitor he had was when Raquel had gone to work and it was none other than his boss Mr Firman. He arrived at the house and began speaking in hushed tones about admitting Curly to some secret meeting the following Friday. After Curly did some digging through the frankly mysterious conversation it was revealed he was being invited to a meeting of "The Square Dealers", who are apparently a local charity organisation who are somewhat secret in what I could only liken to a sort of Freemasons society (apologies to any freemasons present if I'm wrong, funny handshakes and all that y'know). Curly seemed quite chuffed to have been invited to the meeting despite the fact that it clashed with his knees up with The Mallets.

Rita and Mavis had words over at The Kabin as regards Rita's stubborn insistence to avoid Christmas. Mavis had basically been casually throwing home truths at her in the shape of comments about Sally and Kevin. Rita tried not to be bothered but obviously a Christmas spent alone had hurt her more than she let on.

Over at The Rovers, word had got around about Steve McDonald's arrest which had kindly been spread by Mike Baldwin. Fiona overheard the gossip and a look of concern crossed her face. Maxine of course was taking it all in her stride with her usual vacant smile and giggle. She was basically in the Rovers wondering why Andy had stood her up.

Curly had to break the news to The Malletts that they had to cancel that Friday due to his meeting. This led to some potential hostilities as The Mallets instantly thought that Curly and Raquel thought they were above them in status. However when we next saw them Curly had obviously resolved the situation as they were all planning to go for a curry or a chinese.

Steve meanwhile down at The Police Station had now been charged and as he was read the charges he stood there twitching nervously (but thankfully not chewing his fingers) and looking deathly white *and* with the crappiest beard seen since Jon the Hairdresser. Uncle Nick however turned up and he was released on bail. Once back at home Steve was somewhat confrontational against Nick despite the fact that he had turned out to help him. Nick understandably didn't strike me as too enamoured with Steve either and left. Steve claimed he didn't need a solicitor as he was innocent and Nick's presence hadn't helped matters.

Derek meanwhile was preparing for Norris's stag night. It was in fact Derek's responsibility to see Norris was safely returned home afterwards. So the evening began with Norris slurring his speech and drinking large blue cocktails whilst Derek sat there looking somewhat disinterested at the whole situation around him. During the course of the evening Derek, who was not drinking because he was driving, began to compare their original meeting to the passage in the Bible about the Good Samaritan. By this stage however Norris was three parts cut and was simply nodding and agreeing with everything Derek said. After the evening ended Derek ensured that Norris was taken home and Norris then began, still in the midst of a drunken stupor, to show Derek his wedding suit. Derek sat there as his "friend" lurched about showing off his attire, all hand picked by Angela. In fact Derek predicted what was in Norris's wardrobe because as an ex-husband of Angela himself he had endured her picking his clothes for him in much the same fashion.

Finally after Norris had finished his impromptu fashion showing he told Derek he had bought him a present as is tradition between groom and best man. He thus handed Derek a fancy shopping bag which upon being opened nearly caused Derek to burst a blood vessel. Inside the offending bag was none other than Arthur the gnome (minus his ear). Derek was positively fuming as Norris explained he had been playing a prank on Derek all along and had managed to get the gnome to send postcards from abroad via a friend who worked on an airline. Norris at this point passed out in his room leaving Derek still one of his typically theatrical rages. Thus Derek decided it was time to dish out revenge and as part of it he stole Norris's wedding suit knowing full well he would be in the deepest trouble turning up on his wedding day not wearing what Angela required of him. Derek sped off in to the night in his paperclip-mobile with Arthur the gnome strapped firmly into the passenger seat and leaving Norris snoring away in his room for the night.

Other developments this episode were Ken revealing to Rita and Mavis what a boring Christmas he had with Denise's sister and her husband/Denise's lover Brian the accountant. He complained how boring Brian was (If only he knew). After discovering why she had been stood up Maxine rescheduled her date with Andy meanwhile Mike took great delight in the fact Steve had been arrested.

Friday 29 December 1995
Curly and Raquel began the episode at the breakfast table. Curly was learning his lines for his "Square Dealers" initialisation. He was apprehensive about the entire ceremony but, as usual, he received words of support and comfort from Raquel. Meanwhile Steve was sat in his office as usual he was chewing something (this time a pen and thankfully not his fingers), basically spoiling for an argument with Vicky. He seemed content to blame her for all the problems he has caused himself over Christmas claiming that because she held the purse strings he had no independence financially or in any other way in the marriage. It was the old argument all over again and this time it was getting a little worn. Strangely enough Fiona came over to offer her sympathies over the mess he has got himself into. This did disappoint me somewhat because as you all know I've been waiting for Fiona to rub it in for ages.

Following a little persuasion from Mavis, Derek went round to get Norris to his wedding....or did he?. Still smarting from his discovery that Norris was behind the whole sorry saga of Arthur. Derek decided it was time to gain a little act of vengeance on Arthur's part. Derek and Norris basically turned up at the wrong church this was due to the machinations of Derek who then began to play games with Norris asking him to guess which church they should have been at so that the marriage could go ahead. Norris was at this point almost begging Derek for mercy at this point in his actions. Eventually Derek relented and got Norris to the church but not on time. In fact as events transpired he was 20 minutes late.

At the Kabin Rita and Bill finally buried the hatchet. Rita's apology was particularly big hearted and sincere in my opionion.

Curly was at the Square Dealers gathering and going through an initiation ceremony that, whilst I'm sure in the eyes of the participants was supposed to be a serious matter, for me it provided little but laughs. Fred Elliot led proceedings reading his ceremonial part in deadpan (but hilarious) style to a somewhat nervous looking Curly flanked by Alf and Eric Firman who looked like a couple of elderly bouncers. Curly nervously fumbled his way through the ceremony looking like he wanted to laugh and was admitted to the square dealers and as part of his new honours he got to get the drinks in first.

At the Rovers we got to see a showdown between Des and Raquel. Des swaggered over in a most arrogant manner and proclaimed that she and Curly weren't right for each other and the marriage was a sham to get at him. She retaliated in fine fashion with a stare that could melt ice and proclaimed Curly was more of a man than he would ever be in *every* fashion (nudge,nudge...wink, wink). Des was then served the flattest pint of beer I've ever seen to top the experience off.

Raquel's little end piece was a definite highlight and thankfully the episode as a whole contained some damned fine light hearted moments. Norris comparing their involvement in the Arthur saga to the finest moments of Holmes and Moriarty was very funny, along with the weird "Square Dealers" as well.

 

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