4327 - Friday 2 January 1998
Two storylines jostled for supremacy tonight as the eco warriors
flexed their muscles in adversity to the Red rec being paved over
for the Millennium. While on the other side of town Dreary faced
having her heart paved over by the king of the cads John.
Starting with Dreary she called upon her friend Liz in something of a terrible state. It was a matter of urgency and she had to come over immediately. Liz of course obliged and in no time at all was in Dreary's living room listening to the tear stained story of how her best friend's new life had been savagely blown apart by the merciless machinations of a con man. Of course at first the story was so bizarre Liz had trouble getting her head round it but as Dreary explained she came to understand how a the web of lies and deception had been woven.
In the Street, it was Spider's big day as he planned to rally people in support of opposing the council and their Millennium project. Curly and Emily were firm supporters of the plan as was Toyah who i'm sure you will agree would follow the dishevelled looking Spider to the ends of the earth. There was of course the odd sliver of opposition from the likes of Janice and Les who fancied a concert venue on their doorstep for the simple possibility that Shakin' Stevens might come to play the venue at some point.
Nicky2 was making final plans for his trip to Scotland to see his friends, little did anyone realise however that he was going to be sneaking the dreaded Leanne Battersby away for the event. Who knows what would go on when they got to their destination.
Dreary was just drying up her first bucket of tears when there was a knock at the door and who should be saying "Cooo-eee, Darling, it's only me" but John. He came in with a truly brass face and would you believe a story to boot. Dreary granted him some private time while Liz was ushered away to the kitchen while he explained what had happened.
Apparently it would seem although he was still married he had been trying to escape the clutches of his supposedly mad and evil wife for years. However apparently every time he had made a threat to leave she had threatened to harm the children unless he came back to them. It was a truly implausible ending to the situation but the horrifying thing was Dreary looked like she was starting to swallow the story hook line and sinker.
In the Rovers the eco bunch had started protesting against the Millennium plan in a somewhat orderly fashion with only Spider suggesting marches and pro-active action. However when Alf turned up the likes of Janice quickly started the chants going and made something of a rabble rousing atmosphere for everyone in the pub. Alf was defeated in the short term and decided to leave rather than face any more yelling and shouting.
Meanwhile Dreary made a last stand against John after listening to his quite frankly ridiculous story and told him to sling his hook and not come back. Hence John left with his tail between his legs and Dreary was now left to pick up the pieces. However there was still some unanswered questions about what other secrets John might have kept especially regarding the finances and the house itself. Plus she still had to face the likes of Ken whom had lied on her behalf months ago.
All in all : O.K
4328 - Sunday 4 January 1998
A good episode tonight concerning itself largely with Dreary and
her coming to terms with the misfortunes that had suddenly befallen
her at the hands of lying John. She couldn't believe how stupid
she had been and essentially with Liz's help was spending a good
portion of her time kicking herself for being taken in.
Liz was some comfort and suggested that whatever Dreary was going through then John's wife was going through equally as much. It was all very traumatic but unfortunately for my money Dreary wasn't pulling of a Grade A performance the script merited.
In the Street, Leanne was missing and Ma and Pa Battersby were scratching their heads and getting irritated when they had no idea where she was. A little letter found behind a bottle of milk in the fridge revealed she had hightailed it Scotland and further investigation made it clear she was with Nicky2 on her little highland fling. Of course this sparked the usual Battersby Vs Platt argument with Janice and Gail slinging blame at each other's doorsteps but then what else is new.
Spider was spearheading his campaign to save the Red rec and employed Toyah to create a banner for the march on town hall. Spider meanwhile had prepared some chain so he could shackle himself to the railings for the protest. A move that Curly and Emily felt was more than a little extreme. It was also Spider's 22nd birthday and when Toyah found out she did have something planned.
Dreary went to see John's wife and explain that she hadn't known anything about his double life during the duration of their sham relationship. John's wife looked on in horror as this "mad woman" ranted and raved about their plans to get married. John of course was nowhere to be seen as the coward was hiding upstairs out of harms way.
When Dreary went away John came down and reassured his wife things were going to be O.K. He really had covered every angle of his story and his wife believed Dreary was a stalker who had been plaguing John for months. Unfortunately even with offers of proof from Dreary John's wife was a touch on the gullible side and refused to believe her husband capable of any wrong doing.
Toyah's banner turned out wrong. She had made something of a spelling mistake and the banner read "Save the Whory" something or other (you couldn't see the rest of the writing) which titillated Curly and Spider no end. However poor Toyah was most upset and ran home, Spider however went to reassure her that he had been completely out of order on the matter and the two made up their friendship again.
However Toyah it would seem wanted a bit more as she presented Spider with a huge (and stolen, how did she do that) birthday card and declared her undying love for the man. Spider was speechless as this little slip of a girl ranted on about her feelings for this man she hardly knew. It was funny though and Toyah's performance was excellent with a lovely degree of comic timing and some nice script touches.
Dreary spent the evening languishing in total defeat with Liz wondering just what the legal ramifications of her relationship with John might entail. Just what illegalities might John have committed to get the house and all. It was all waiting to come out and I daresay we will see it soon.
Audrey joked with Gail about the possibility that Nicky2 and Leanne might get married at Gretna Green in Scotland. It was only a joke but their was a serious worry planted in Gail's mind that her beloved son could be tying the knot with the local enemy.
All in all : Very Good
4329 - Monday 5 January
Dreary continued to be a bit weepy about John but decided tonight
would be the night she would take some positive action to get
her life back out of the toilet and back on the rails. With Liz
as her confidante she reckoned she would at least claw back her
£5000 by hitting the credit card she had been given by John.
With this air of positivity she attacked the day.
Liz on the other hand was not going to have a good day at all. She was the object of dislike from the agitated Janice Battersby who had decided to dislike her for being taken on at Underworld despite the fact that she was not a trained machinist. Still Liz is a big girl and big enough to take the barbed comments of her new nemesis. Incidentally Mike confessed to Alma he had plans for Liz as his firm was expanding and he might have need for a "tarty looking woman".
Spider was eavesdropping on Alf and Co in the Rovers and listened to their talk of the plan for the Red rec and how it was based upon a similar project in Switzerland. It was mentioned that it might be necessary for a surveying trip to be made to the site of the original venue which made Audrey prick up her ears as did Spider who was looking for any ammo he could lay his hands on.
Gail was in a panic as her son was still incommunicado in Scotland especially as he was with Leanne Battersby. In truth the couple had just checked into a hotel under the assumed name of Mr & Mrs Tilsley. It was clear they weren't married but the owner of the hotel humoured them sufficiently to make them think they had fooled her.
John turned up at the shop to tell some more lies about his wife and their relationship. He once again spun an interesting little yarn about how his wife tried to project her mental illness on to anyone who would listen to her. Dreary seemed to falter but was resolute in telling John to get lost and stay out of her life from now on.
Spider botched his plans to be at the council meeting when he and Toyah accidentally chained themselves to the bannister of Emily's house as they tried out the chains they would be using to stick themselves to the railings outside the council buildings.
As a result they ended up looking foolish as they missed the meeting altogether and it was hours until Emily returned to the house as she went straight to the meeting from her previous engagements. It was lucky she arrived when she did as well because both Spider and Toyah were dying for the toilet.
There was a four way argument brewing at the garage as Sally took on Natalie and Kevin got antsy with Chris as they argued about Natalie's continued presence in the place even though she had a genuine interest in the business.
Nicky2 ended the night by jokingly proposing to Leanne. Alas his idea didn't seem so funny when he had said it because he ended up thinking it might be a good idea if they did get hitched after all. Oh to see Gail's expression.....
All in all : Good
4330 - Wednesday 7 January
It was the night of the protesters as the anti millennium mob
decided it was time to hit back against the likes of the council.
Starting in rather unorthodox fashion as Spider received a parcel
through the post of nothing other than a didgeridoo.
He was allegedly supposed to look after the instrument while his friend was in prison. Spider of course tried to get the hang of playing this traditional Australian musical device but met with little success. However when Emily got her hands on it she proved more proficient than Rolf Harris. Of course the strange tones emanating from the Bishop household were due to attract attention and in this case Les Battersby turned up to complain about the noise levels. Cheek!
Nicky2 and Leanne tried to get wed only to discover that the registerer office made you wait two weeks before they could grant a license for marriage. It was something of a disappoint for the young couple but they seemed prepared to wait out the duration of their stay in Scotland so they could do the deed.
In the Rovers Alf and Fred celebrated their success on the basis of the vote for the local millennium project which enraged Spider who immediately set off to make plans of action so they could try and thwart the proposed venue being built. Alf and Fred accused them of only being objectionable because it was "going to be in their back yard..." which gave Spider an idea.
Janice was in a foul mood and was taking it out on everyone around her especially Liz who was the current whipping girl at the factory and many a veiled comment insisted that she only got the job on account of her tarty appearance. Of course there was the obligatory Platt Vs Battersby row to boot as Janice and Gail blamed each other over their children's behaviour.
Chris and Kevin tried to call a truce for the time being as they realised how much they needed each other work wise. They would try and keep Natalie out of the picture as much as they could and then try and get on with their work and get on full stop.
Spider called an emergency meeting to round up the protestors and to decide on a plan of action. They soon decided what they were all going to do and each member began getting ready for their intended demonstration.
The venue for the demonstration was none other than Alf's back garden with a tent being erected and a fire being prepared so they could camp. Emily even sat there playing her adopted didgeridoo much to the horror of Audrey and Alf as they came home to find the protestors consisting of Spider, Toyah and Roy and Emily entrenched in their back garden.
All in all : Good
4331 - Friday 9 January
A cold night on Alf's back garden had dampened the spirits of
the remaining protesters but Spider and Roy clung on despite the
chilly morning that greeted them. Emily wasn't built for the outdoors
at her time of life and Toyah had to go home anyway but the resistance
to the Red rec project was still there.
Alf was determined to ignore the demonstration even though doing this was killing Audrey who could only think how it would affect their social standing in the neighbourhood and of course the Red rec plans as well. She wanted to phone the police but Alf would hear none of that as he simply wanted no fuss.
Nicky2 and Leanne drifted back into the Street knowing full well there was going to be some trouble afoot. It was decided that their marriage plans should be kept secret for fear of a definite adverse reaction to what they intended.
Nicky2 wandered into the cafe for something to eat and was greeted by his mother who immediately went into one of her ranting diatribes about how she had been worried during his absence and how she disapproved of his going off somewhere with Leanne, it was all the usual Gail stuff that we have come to know and love (cough).
Dreary was forced to tell Ken that the wedding was off but as far as going into extra detail she would not say anything. Ken's curiosity was piqued and he tried to find some answers from Liz but all that he got was a respectful silence. Dreary of course was fearing an "I told you so" lecture from her ex husband.
Back in Alf's garden things were getting interesting as Emily had informed the gazette about what was going on. They dutifully turned up and took some photographs but the story seemed dull and lifeless to them that is until Toyah and Emily turned up. The prospect of women in the story seemed to liven their interest somewhat.
Zoe was getting itchy feet for a night out and fancied one with her new "sort of" boyfriend Ashley. He was happy to stay in for the night though so Zoe asked if she could go out on her own. Ashley gave her something of a disapproving look when she made that suggestion.
Toyah was by now posing for the cameraman who appeared to be something of a pervert as he told her to raise her skirt by a couple of inches before telling her to don some of the chains that she and Spider had brought with them.
Enter Les Battersby who was not only Toyah's father but was now masquerading as her "manager" thinking there was money to be had from the photo shoot. At that moment the police turned up as well dutifully called by Audrey who had taken as much as she could from the likes of Spider and Co tramping about her garden. When you add to the equation Alf returning home from council business you could see why the newspaper reporters decided to hang around after all......
All in all : Good
4332 - Sunday 11 January
Audrey was disgusted that Alf wasn't taking any action against
the likes of Spider and Roy for camping on their garden with regard
to the red rec protests of late. Their was already a front page
splash on the front page of the local paper with regard to the
subject and Alf claimed he didn't want to stir up any more controversy
on the subject so it was perhaps best to let sleeping dogs lie
for the time being.
Meanwhile Zoe was itching for a night out on the tiles although Ashley was unhappy with the idea of leaving Shannon with Leanne who was Zoe's proposed choice of baby sitter. In fact it was clear to see her sense of responsibility towards the child was starting to slide in an ever downward spiral and she was simply using Ashley as a built in baby sitter and home maker.
Both Fred and Maud could see what was happening but Ashley wouldn't here a word against his new live in "girlfriend" and told Fred in no uncertain terms to mind his own business and if he didn't like what he saw he didn't have to keep interfering.
Ken went to see Dreary with the view to helping her get over her cancelled wedding plans. He was eager to hear the story of what had happened so he could help the woman he considered his closest friend. However Dreary was embarrassed about her recent ordeal and was keen to keep the truth under wraps and merely told Ken to leave her alone.
Alf got together with his council friend and over a chat it was revealed they were about to put the ultimate fly in the ointment of the protesters plans to stop the red rec project going ahead. Audrey was also listening in and was delighted to hear that the builder's would be moving into the area double quick and demolition of the red rec would take place as early as next week.
However as Alf and Co plotted Their objectives Spider and Roy were keenly preparing theirs. It was all a bit ambitious but they planned to set up an encampment as soon as possible to thwart the council. It was all a case of who would get Their first and get entrenched on the site.
Toyah ended up being the babysitter for Shannon while Zoe and a somewhat unwilling Ashley went out to a nightclub. All the while Ashley was worrying about the child while Zoe danced around giving her offspring nary a thought. In the end Ashley decided he would go home and check on the child which sparked an argument between him and Zoe as she wanted to stay at the club.
Ashley's attitude it would seem was the right one to have because Toyah was sadly out of her depth looking after a baby and she soon panicked and called in her mother Janice when she discovered she couldn't change a nappy and couldn't get the baby to stop crying.
All in all : OK
4333 - Monday 12 January
A bad week starting for poor Ashley as Zoe had vanished following
their little night out at a night club. Of course this fuelled
Fred and Maureen's view that Zoe was nothing but a waste of space
and he should ditch her like a piece of hot coal immediately.
Ashley was of course ever the kind spirit and was keen to make excuses for his new girlfriend come what may. He even theorised that something bad had happened to her and began making enquiries round the hospitals worrying that she might be dead.
Dreary got more ear ache from Ken about they why's and wherefores of her split with John and finally admitted to him that money was involved in the split and explained about her £5,000 that she was now trying to drag out of the bank account to reclaim for herself.
As that was going on though a certain Mr Ian Jenkins was at his bank querying a good many transactions that had been taking place in his absence from the country. He was more than a little shocked to discover that he had supposedly approved a second card holder in the name of Mrs Deidrie Rachid. A matter for the police and no mistake.
Audrey continued her little rants against the tree hugging brigade over one or three gin and tonics in the Rovers. She was happy enough in herself though as her beloved Alfie and his council friends were starting their plans to churn up the Red Rec sooner that anyone could have planned. However I think her big mouth might have tipped Spider the wink soon enough to formulate a plan of action.
Fred implored Ashley to give up on the little waif and stray that he had took into his life. He had no responsibility to the child he was helping to raise and he should be better off without her. As Fred said this Zoe walked into the house with some explaining to do.
Alma turned up on the doorstep of Dreary looking to help console her friend about her recent split from John the liar. In an effort to get rid of her Liz made some sort of excuse about going to the pictures which backfired as Alma offered them a lift into town.
As the twosome prepared to go for a pizza to commiserate their folly Dreary decided to pull some more money out of the hole in the wall on her card. However the card was swallowed by the hole in the wall leaving her methinks in trouble.....
All in all : Good
4334 - Wednesday 14 January
The main stories tonight were Ashley and Zoe and Dreary and her
credit card shenanigans of late. It began more or less with Ashley
giving Zoe a long overdue lecture about her lack of concern for
the well being of Shannon and her somewhat flippant attitude in
general. After all she had been away from the house for a day
without telling anyone where she was leaving Ashley to look after
the baby.
Enough was enough for her so when Ashley went to work she decided to pack a few things together and head off for the nearest mother and baby hostel. Meanwhile in the work place Ashley was getting a verbal mauling about his stupid behaviour from Fred and Maud who both felt he was being foolish looking after such a proverbial bad penny.
In the Street under threat from Janice that he would get no beer money from her until he found a job Les Battersby managed to get some security work on the site where the millennium project were going to be churning up the Red Rec. It would seem father and daughter would be working in direct opposition to each other.
Dreary went to the bank with a view to clearing up the business with her credit card after it had been retained by the hole in the wall machine in the previous episode. Once she was there she spoke to the bank manageress who explained that the card had been retained deliberately under instruction from the main card holder.
Dreary immediately thought the lies of Jon Lindsay had been at work again and he had forged yet another identity for himself. However the truth was the true owner of the card Ian Jenkins had no obvious link with John or Dreary.
Dreary was horrified as the police were about to be brought into the matter and within a short while she was at the station answering questions about the large lumps of money she had been spending and John Lindsay himself.
In all honesty it didn't look good for Dreary as her story did look decidedly implausible and the fact that she had kept the card after splitting up with John didn't hold well in her favour either. The police decided to check on Jon Lindsay and bring him in for questioning but alas they couldn't find him at work and it would seem his family had disappeared from home as well leaving Dreary to carry the proverbial can.
All in all : O.K
4335 - Friday 16 January
Dreary is in deep, not just deep but we are talking journey to
the centre of the earth deep. Her grilling at the station continued
and all the while the situation went from bad to worse for her.
The detective who was asking her questions was finding it hard
to fathom what John Lindsay could have got from this little scam.
However at the same time he could see what Dreary could gain from
this little endeavour.
After all Ian Jenkins the real card holder was away in Singapore for six months leaving the right person free to start sucking wedges of money off his credit card and even setting up a mortage to be paid from it as well. John wasn't around and his name wasn't on the paperwork either leaving Dreary well and truly in the frame.
Elsewhere Ashley was in the depths of depression over the loss of his girlfriend Zoe. Fred of course was happy to see the current turn of events as he saw her as nothing but trouble. However he was of the mistaken belief that Zoe had been kicked out of the house when in truth she had left of her own accord. This put a different perspective on matters.
Dreary was by now getting desperate and decided she did in fact need a lawyer after all and so she called upon Mike Baldwin. He in turn called upon his hot shot lawyer Frankie Stillman who has as we have seen worked for Mike in the past with positive results.
With Frankie at the helm she managed to arrange for a frightened and confused Dreary to be released without charge but she would now have to find an alternative address to live in as the house she had been living in with John had become something of a grey area in legal terms of ownership now the fraud had been uncovered. Ken as always was on hand to offer the hand of friendship and a roof over Dreary's head was now.
Meanwhile Janice spoke to Audrey about the red rec and discovered the secret operations of the council to start work on the area would commence next week. She saw a crystal clear opportunity for Les to get extra work on the site if she carefully nudged the protestors in the right direction at the right time meaning the security men would have a much harder job of defending their site and delays would be inevitable. So Janice began dropping subtle hints at Toyah and as a result Toyah went to Spider who in turn began the big master plan to take the site and stop the destruction going ahead.
In the Rovers, Frankie and Mike and Alma talked of Dreary's problems while Mike mistakenly believed she was going to walk away from this case without any problems Frankie explained this time it was serious and Dreary could be looking at seven years in prison for her "crimes".
All in all : Good
I am really looking forward to the protestors stand at the red rec. I hope it's more than a handful of "Swampy" types knocking about :)
4336 - Sunday 18 January
Welcome to red rec and the ensuing chaos that was starting to
slowly build as plans were made for the protestors to make a stand.
The usual suspects a la Spider and Toyah and Roy were up at the
crack of dawn as they prepared to make their way out to the site
to entrench themselves firmly where the builders intended to start
their demolition work.
A short while later an unsuspecting Les toddled off to work in the early morning light still unaware his daughter was part of the protest that he would be trying to oppose. He would find out soon enough though as no sooner had he had arrived than he discovered Toyah and Spider along with a lot of other protestors had arrived and were now spread all over the site and they had even began digging tunnels.
Elsewhere Ashley was wandering round like a bear with a sore head as he grizzled through the day mooning over his lost love Zoe and her daughter Shannon. Fred and Maud reckoned he should count his blessings but all Ashley could do was get annoyed every time anyone broached the subject.
Dreary meanwhile was eternally thankful to Ken for bailing her out of her housing situation the other night and although she had somewhere stable to stay she was terrified of the prospect of going to prison and nothing anyone could say would reassure her at all.
Des and Sam had a lazy morning in and made plans for a holiday in the coming summer. Sam wanted to holiday across America in a car and although Des seemed a bit hesitant about the idea he did eventually warm to the idea especially after Sam took him back to bed for an hour before she started work.
The protestors continued their day at the red rec and Les was reprimanded more than once about his attitude towards the people he was supposed to be opposing. For now there was a strict "no conflict" policy but with Spider around he was finding keeping his fists to himself very difficult.
The Rovers had a fair few off duty protestors drinking in it and they of course got on the wrong side of Fred Elliott. As always I say as always he started getting more than a little lippy only to find himself on the scathing end of Emily Bishop's tongue. She was in the Rovers to borrow some of Sam's walking gear as she was planning on digging into the encampment with the rest of the protestors.
The Rover's looked like it might have a case of woodworm as Vera's foot went through the stairs as she was coming down from above the pub. It looked like it might be a costly exercise and a job for Jim McDonald. Luckily Alec wasn't on hand to see any bills as he was now in Switzerland visiting his daughter Vicky.
Ashley vanished to the shelter where Zoe was staying and begged her to come back to the house with him. At first Zoe was against the idea but in the end came round to his way of thinking and the three of them looked set to become a little family unit again.
As the evening drew in trouble flared up on the red rec as Janice tried to get her daughter back home (well it was a school night) only to find her unwilling to come back to her house. In the end Janice ended up biting Spider who was trying to separate the two of them and it looked like Janice might get thrown off the site.
Meanwhile Des looked capable of putting his foot in it by asking Sam a serious question. After making holiday plans he asked her if she would do him the honour of marrying him while they were journeying across America. Sam gave Des that "Oh Blimey!" look that we have come to know and love so much whenever something serious happens.
All in all : Very Good
A promising start for the red rec troupe especially with tunnels being dug already and the like.
4337 - Monday 19 January
The eco bunch were still in effect on the red rec and they were
joined by a suitably attired Emily Bishop who appeared to be up
for some serious tree hugging and tunnel digging now she had borrowed
some of Sam's hiking gear. Of course the whole situation was causing
grief for the Battersby family as the campaign was causing conflict
with Toyah's already delipidated schooling.
Des was eager to here Sam's answer to his proposal of marriage but she was saying nothing that morning as he prepared to go to work. He seemed very sure he would be receiving an answer of "yes" while I felt sure things would go the other way at this point he just seemed so bloody arrogant.
Nicky2 was working relief in the cafe while Roy was off saving the world from the likes of security men and environmentally destructive forces like Alf and the council. He did take time to ring Leanne though to confirm he had sorted out some paperwork for their marriage which was now only a week or so away.
Zoe and Ashley were back playing happy homemakers. However when Zoe came into the cafe later that day to see a newly returned Judy waiting for a meal she cruelly waved Shannon/Katy under her nose. It seemed like an act of pure malice and upset Judy deeply. Gary meanwhile wasn't around as he was back working with Jim McDonald on a number of jobs he had lined up.
Fred found out about Ashley and Zoe getting back together again and was enraged. Ashley though was uncaring about his Uncle's reaction and told him it was none of his business. As a result Fred took measures to break them up and put the house back on the "For Sale" market and told them to leave. A growing wedge was forming between these two caused by the unpleasantries of Zoe.
Toyah had "forgot" to go back to school and was now being frog marched back their by her mother. When she got home that night it was clear the teachers had thrown the book at her for being away so long and she was now up for a lot of detention and homework as a result.
Vera decided to take steps (ha ha) to get her stairs fixed following the fact that she nearly broke her neck on them the other night. Jim quoted for the job (and the high price seemed to alarm new partner Gary a little bit) and would commence the following day.
The police rang to drag and maudlin Dreary to the station. Essentially the purpose of the trip was to formally charge and in all honesty they were throwing everything they could at her. It didn't look at all good and neither did Dreary's tedious acting as the camera lingered for far too long on her lip trembling frog eyed expression at the end.
All in all : Generally Good
4338 - Wednesday 21 January
A hard day for many people in the Street today especially Dreary
who was up in court on her bail hearing. The mere prospect filled
her with dread as she made her way to the court house with Ken,
Mike and Liz in tow as moral support in her darkest hour.
Meanwhile Sam faced the miserable face of Des following what he felt was a rebuttal of his marriage proposal. In truth Sam just wanted no hassle from estranged husband Ritchie which she felt would all flare up if she started making noises about marrying the new man in her life.
Des however was determined to face Ritchie and as a result went through Sam's handbag and found his telephone number and began trying to ring him on the phone. His efforts throughout the day were met with no success as all he got was Ritchie's answering machine.
Emily was keen to prick the conscience of Curly as he tried to enjoy a day off from work. She was still kitted up in her outdoor clothing and was getting ready to head back to the red rec to continue her vigil against the would be bulldozer types threatening the local environment.
Gary Mallett and Jim McDonald started work on the stairway of the Rovers Return. It was going to be a major job and the entire stairway needed ripping out. This would leave Jack and Vera needing to scale a ladder to their bedroom that night and that was not a good idea as Vera feared heights.
In court the bail hearing took an unexpected twist. Dreary was granted bail on condition she surrendered her passport and Mike put up £2000 in case she jumped bail and fled from her supposed crimes. Ken had to go home to retrieve her passport which meant she spent an hour or so in the cells which was traumatic enough for her so God only knows what a jail sentence would do to her.
As evening wore on the eco warriors were sat round the camp fire with Curly bringing a bottle of whisky for the hot toddies. Spider insisted on winding up Les by telling him the football scores when he would have rather have found them out for himself on the television that night.
Des was planning to go to Birmingham on a supposed "race meeting" but I reckon the truth of the matter was he was going to see Ritchie about trying to secure a divorce so he could marry his sweetheart Sam. Something is bound to go wrong and more than likely put a strain on his relationship with Sam.
The night ended with Les's patience reaching breaking point. He grabbed a chainsaw and started chopping up barriers and it looked like he might try to start a one man demolition derby on the red rec. The protesters headed for the safety of the trees like a family of monkeys but only after Emily Bishop had set them an example by going up first. She insisted she would hold firm and not surrender to the likes of Les while ever she still had the power within her.
All in all : Good
Enjoyable episode
4339 - Friday 23 January
Welcome to the eco zone, a night in the trees had passed and Emily
had managed to tough out the winter chill of a cold January night
with the rest of the tree bound brigade. In fact she still seemed
resolute that she was going to hang on in to the bitter end against
the oppressive forces of the local council. Her nemesis of course
in this situation was none other than Les Battersby who had been
responsible for the eco bunch's flight to the trees in the first
place. He spent the better part of the night and the day trying
to talk her down from her lofty perch.
In the Street we saw the cunning Zoe in action again as she made a personal stand against Fred Elliot and his plans to evict her and Ashley along with baby Shannon. She had obviously boned up on what rights she and Ashley had and it appears she had got Fred in a deadlock as they were in fact sitting tenants with their rent book and all. Fred was backing a loser if he thought he was going to get rid of Zoe and Ashley so he decided to have a think and let them stay on after renegotiating the rent of course.
Des made a pilgrimage to London to see Ritchie about Sam and getting him to agree to a divorce from her. Sam of course still thought he was heading for Birmingham for a race meeting but for now he felt she was best kept in the dark. His initial meeting with Ritchie didn't look to promising as Ritchie didn't want to speak to him. However threats of recriminations against Ritchie for his criminal damage and assault on him a few months prior seemed to make him more open to listening.
Dreary got a visit from the head office with regard to her recent troubles. The head office manager suggested she take some time away from her job on full pay. Dreary instantly went bananas thinking Sunliners were out to get rid of her. Her not so little outburst in my opinion should have insured that she lose her job but she managed to keep it and take the leave offered to her.
In the trees Emily held fast as the day wore on although she was looking somewhat weary (and up the tree it looked bloody windy). Even Spider thought she was pushing her luck a bit now and suggested she come down from her branch for some well earned rest. By now cameras were on the red rec and a good deal of publicity was being generated by th event. It was comical watching a dishevelled and unshaven Roy Cropper wandering around in camera shot with his usual half gormless half distrustful expression plastered across his face.
Even Curly turned up with some food for the protestors which he had brought from FIRMANS, notice I put that in capital letters. Well that's because every time Curly spoke in front of the cameras a Firmans bag was always in shot and he wittered on about how good healthy vegetarian food was always available at your local branch of FIRMANS (plug, plug).
In the end Emily did come down from the tree but it was pleasing for her to know she had outlasted Les Battersby who had sloaped off home after a night outdoors in the cold. She promptly retired to the Rovers where she relinquished the chance of her favourite sherry tipple in favour of sipping on..... a Tequila Slammer of all things!!
Les and Ritchie had been talking but there was definitely no signs of the ice thawing between them. However Ritchie did decide to let Sam have her divorce so that she and Des could get married but he did leave a warning at Des's door. Sam was trouble and although he might think he knew her, in truth nobody could ever know what was hidden beneath that pretty veneer of hers.......
4340 - Sunday 25 January
A steady little episode crammed to the gills with a lot of bad
feeling for the most part. Alec was back from his little Swiss
jaunt to see Vicky only to be confronted with Jim McDonald and
Gary Mallett walking into his pub before opening time..... long
before opening time. Of course Alec was in the dark about the
business with the stairs and how they had needed replacing badly.
Meanwhile Nicky2 and Leanne were guarding their letter boxes closely as they both received some correspondence about their impending marriage which was it would seem less than a week away from happening. The twosome still had to keep quiet about their plans because if anybody found out then it would definitely spell disaster for them. Leanne felt a twinge of regret though about not telling Toyah as she had always wanted to be a bridesmaid and this might be her only opportunity to be one.
Frankie was round at Ken's running through the details of Dreary's story with regard to John. It would seem there were more holes in the story than the average string vest and it was going to be tough holding a believable story together in court for a jury to plead in her favour. It was just that Dreary had missed out on so many obvious danger signs people are going to be wondering just how foolish can one person be in a situation. There was also scenes of Ken displaying anger towards Dreary for her foolish behaviour as it now looked like he could be implicated in the whole sorry affair. He did cover for Dreary when John lied to her the first time though didn't he.
Roy was using the cafe and his lack of hours in the kitchen as something of an excuse to spend more time with the tree dwelling folk. Gail of course had been whingeing about the matter that morning but did claim she would be able to cope if Roy needed more time away from the cafe. He declined the offer all the same proving the hours might indeed be getting to him on the chilly red rec.
Des returned from London to present Sam with a ring. It was all smiles in the Rovers as she was congratulated by everyone but in truth the smile was blatantly false and she looked about as happy as someone who had just been set on fire.
Judy and Gary looked like having another row after Gary went to see Paul to try and get Judy's job back for her. Little did he realise she had a true agenda for no longer wanting to work at the arcade because she had slept with the boss a month or so ago.
Elsewhere Jim was having trouble getting paid for his and Gary's work on the stairs. Alec refused to cough up his amount because he claimed the stairs were for access to the living quarters which were not his concern as he lived away from the pub. A cruel stroke indeed claimed Vera and one that would leave her and Jack in the lurch but Alec wouldn't budge on the matter.
Sam and Des found themselves at home for the afternoon after being some celebratory time off by Vera. Des was of course all smiles and "I Love You" speeches. Sam however looked absolutely bloody mortified, leading me to believe deranged Ritchie might have been more correct than we give credit for.
All in all : Steady
I'm curious about Sam, I thought all her problems and issues were starting to resolve themselves but she still has something of a secretive side to her which has re-emerged of late. If she doesn't want to get married to Des just yet she should have spoken up rather than letting this charade roll on and on. Will they marry?, I doubt it because I think the writers want to keep Des as the roving bachelor.... but how long can they keep it up, he's no spring chicken :)
4341 - Monday 26 January
It looked like trouble was in store for Jack and Vera tonight
as Alec maintained he was keeping as far from paying for repairs
to the Rovers as possible.
This left Jack and Vera in a somewhat unenviable position of owing Jim McDonald money. The work had been done but there was no way the Duckworths could easily afford to pay the bill.
Meanwhile Roy was back in the cafe but his work at the red rec had made brought him down with a case of the flu. As a result it was time for him to take to his bed and recuperate.
We met a new character tonight called Hayley. We discovered her at Firman's freezers while she was being given a royal telling off by manager Curly Watts.
Her only crime was not being assertive enough and telling a member of staff to take less smoking breaks. She found an unwitting ally however in Alma who bolstered her confidence. Whether we see any more of this character remains to be seen.
Dreary meanwhile was still in the depths of depression and despite her argument with Ken the other night she was coming more and more to depend on him in her hour of need.
However little did she realise that Ken was starting to have some difficulty believing her story. There was just too much of her statement that just didn't add up.
Judy meanwhile got her job back at the arcade on a no strings attached basis. That meant that she would be safe from the attentions of Paul the manager who had arranged to "help her out" in the past.
Sam was still playing cagey with Des about their marriage plans. She had returned the ring to the shop with a view to getting it enlarged. It has to be said Des's attitude tonight was somewhat cloying.
Meanwhile Nicky2 and Leanne talked in the cafe about their plans to wed. They thought they were alone having been left to lock up but it was clear that Roy who had come downstairs for some hot lemon had overheard them.
The night ended in humiliation for Dreary as she braved the Rovers only to face a barrage of embarrassing questions from Audrey. She fled in tears only to be comforted by Ken later that night. Little did she know however he had confided his fears about her possible guilt to Alma.
All in all : O.K
4342 - Wednesday 28 January
Jim and Gary exacted their revenge on the non paying Duckworths
tonight by sneaking into the pub early and stealing away with
their newly assembled staircase while the Duckworths slept. As
a result Jack and Vera were confronted with a gaping maw where
their access to the pub had once been.
Luckily Alec soon turned up for work and was able to rescue Jack with a ladder in the dining room but Vera's fear of heights kept her a prisoner upstairs for the rest of the day. She would prove to be something of a bane of Jack's life as well as her voice rang down from on high every few minutes.
Nicky2 and Leanne approached zero hour for their impromptu wedding plans. They made the excuse they were going to Leeds for a basketball match nobody seemed to suspect they were lying. All apart from Roy of course who had overheard their plans the night before when they were in the cafe. He was caught in something of a dilemma should he speak up or keep a respectful silence.
Alma's new found friend Hayley was in evidence again. She had bought Alma a present in the form of a piece of pottery. It was gawdy to say the least but kind thought and sentiment were at the forefront of the poor woman's mind and Alma could do little else but take pity on the poor wretch. Audrey however warned her while she was in the pub drinking with them that she best not get too attached to this somewhat dull and uninteresting creature as she might be making a rod for her own back.
Ken came clean tonight and expressed his reservations about Dreary's story regarding her recent months with John. He explained how he would have to be honest in court and with her somewhat lopsided turn of events weighing on his mind he wasn't sure he could be 100% supportive to her cause.Dreary took offence and feeling alone in the world decided to slope off to her mother's house. Don't worry everybody she cleared the matter with her solicitors and the bail address was adjusted as a result.
Des was trying to push the divorce of Sam and Ritchie along a bit by giving her some divorce papers to fill in. Sam took offence feeling she was having her independence pulled out from under her feet was it this or was it her cold feet coming into view again. After tonight I wasn't altogether sure, the thing about Sam is when she does confide a fear as she did tonight with Des about losing her independent nature she can be very convincing.
At the arcade Paul the boss was chancing his arm with Judy, the sap truly loves himself and figured that Judy must do as well. She gave him fair warning that he had better back off as this was a no strings attached deal and that was that .
The night ended with Jack and a few others trying to rescue Vera from upstairs, they suggested she jump into a piece of tarpaulin used to cover Jack's pigeon coop. This didn't sit well with Vera and she confiscated Jack's ladder and decided he would be spending the night downstairs while she would have the creature comforts of a bed. The situation would change when the debts were settled and the stairs were in place.
All in all : Good
Good episode with some nice touches tonight, especially Natalie and Jack behind the bar (her make up seemed different she looked rather fetching). However I have a prediction to make about Judy and Paul.
I think he is going to keep trying his luck with her and get steadily more and more frustrated until he sexually assaults her. Of course going to the police will be something of a non starter in Judy's eyes because she has already had sex with him once already. Methinks this could be a messy storyline for the summer.
Just a thought.
4343 - Friday 30 January
The stairway saga drew to a close tonight but not after a considerable
amount of trouble had been caused by Vera in her quest to get
Alec to cough up some readies for the stairs that were so desperately
needed in the pub.
There was also another major storyline coming to a head as well tonight as Nicky2 and Leanne finally set off for their secret marriage ceremony in Scotland. their respective families still thought they were going to a basketball match in Leeds for the day.
This new Hayley character who has been hanging round Alma a lot seemed to be getting more than a trifle odd tonight. Alma was discreet in trying to lose her company at lunch only to have her lunch with Audrey interrupted as she tracked her down to Gail's cafe. Audrey didn't mince words and told her to clear off as they were having a private conversation. This upset timid Hayley and it also played on Alma's conscience so she decided to ask her round for a drink with her and Mike that weekend.
Vera was down to her last reserve of ideas with the stairway problem. She tried to use her appalling singing voice on the pub to try and get Alec to pay some money out but he just turned up the jukebox to drown her out In desperation and in cahoots with Natalie (still looking much better) she managed to phone the fire brigade and they did a dramatic rescue of Vera through the bedroom window of the pub.
In Scotland the gruesome twosome Nicky2 and Leanne were busy looking for witnesses for their impending wedding. Leanne managed to upset her beloved with a tale of how she had stolen the frankly rather drab looking dress she had decided to get married in. Nicky2 insisted that she give up her shoplifting ways now that they were going to be together.
After a bout of nerves they did make it to the registary office and the deed was done, they had a brief "honeymoon" in a room near the registary office with the obligatory relaxing in bed scene giving Nicky2 the chance to show off his muscles. He then insisted that he keep the marriage secret for a while because he was going to have to find the right time to break the news to his mother Gail and can't we just see the calm collected reaction she is going to show.
Vera and Jack coughed up the cheque and Jim and Gary coughed up the stairs. It was a relief for the Duckworths to go about their usual business without the use of ladders. However one thing was made clear, Alec was barred from using the stairs after all it was private property wasn't it.
We also saw Sam back in her lack lustre mood with regard to her engagement. Surely Des isn't insensitive to the fact that the woman he loves and lives with is unhappy. Let's get things straight that long face broadcasts her feelings a mile and even Natalie spotted something was wrong.
The night ended with love's young dream wandering back into Street very late and removing rings before going home for the night. They would see each other tomorrow....
All in all : O.K
The wedding was useless...I might sound a bit harsh there but Nicky2 doesn't half wind me up. When they replaced the original plank I would have thought they would take the opportunity to find someone who looks pretty and can act as well. Surely someone fitting that description exists, all the new lad can do is show his body (fair enough the guy is in great shape) and smile gormlessly.
There, I've got that out of my system :)
