Deidre has started to have some problems with one of the other
tenants in the block of flats where she now lives. Ray Cropper
really is becoming a nuisance, and he pesters Deidre one night
to come into her flat for a drink, so in desperation she calls
Mike Baldwin at home, he's in bed with Alma but he comes to Deidre's
aid. Mr. Cropper gets the wrong idea and thinks that Mike and
Deidre are having an affair, something which he tells Trisha,
who tells Audrey who tells Denise who tells Ken (phew!). Alma
is starting to feel a little left out of things with Mike looking
after Deidre these days, and so she takes another catering job.
Ken and Denise move into No. 1 and Emily is trying very hard to
be friends with Denise, but the two personalities just don't match
very well. Emily is concerned that she hears the baby crying for
hours on end, and Denise takes this as a criticism.
Maxine has moved into the flat with Fiona, this is quite funny.
Nicky is helping out in the cafe downstairs, and has a crush on
the girls upstairs.
Derek receives a postcard from Arthur the gnome from Zeebrugge
saying that Arthur will come for the other gnome Guinevere on
Friday night. So, Derek camps out in the kitchen in his sleeping
bag, torch in hand, ready for the intruder when they come to take
Guinevere. Derek sees a light in the garden, but it's only Percy
who's on gnome patrol also. Later, Mavis sees something move in
the garden and Derek and Mavis rush out to find that a miniature
rose plant has been left for Guinevere along with a comic poem.
Kevin Webster's dad returns from living in Germany for 10 years
(it's still the same actor!), his wife (Percy's niece) has left
him for a German bloke. What will Sally say when she gets back?
In a desperate attempt to rid Vicky of Steve McDonald, Alec tells
Steve that Vicky's inheritance is invalid if she marries someone
before she is 25. Steve's looks crestfallen when he hears this
news, Alec now knows for sure that Steve is only after Vicky's
money. Steve tells Vicky this, Vicky calls her uncle who tells
her such a clause does not exist and this makes her even more
determined to marry Steve to spite her grandad. Then, Alec offers
Steve 5,000 pounds to get out of Vicky's life, Steve says he'll
do it for no less than 8,000 (the rat!). Alec says 5,000 only,
and gives Steve the condition that he takes the cheque from Alec
in front of Vicky after he tells Vicky he only wanted to marry
her for her money.
Don is going to ask Ivy for a divorce so he can be closer to Josie.
Audrey tells Alma there's gossip going around about Mike and Deidre
having an affair. Alma confronts Mike who tells her it's rubbish
and takes her to Deidre's flat to throw Deidre out on the street,
if that is what it will take for Alma to believe there is nothing
going on between himself and Deidre. However, before they go in
to Deidre's flat, Alma tells Mike she wants to leave and she doesn't
want him to throw Deidre out. Audrey continues to spread the gossip
and so Deidre goes to see Alma and tells her there definitely
isn't anything going on and the gossip is upsetting both of them.
Alma takes another catering job and as she is asserting her independence,
Mike has a hard time coping with this and does seem to be taking
more of an interest in Deidre than normal....
Kevin's dad Bill hasn't yet met Sally or the children, and decides
he wants to impress Sally the first time they meet so he cooks
a meal for Sally when she returns from her holiday with Rita.
He enlists the help of Percy who tells him how to make coq-au-vin,
then Percy leaves. Kevin then tells his dad that Sally isn't coming
back until the next day as Rita has had car trouble so Kevin's
dad continues making the meal and the next thing you know, Sally's
kitchen is on fire with black smoke billowing everywhere!! Sally
is amazingly calm about the situation when she returns from holiday.
Bill (he's a builder) offers to rebuild the kitchen for them,
and Sally agrees to let Bill stay in the house.
Alec feels smug knowing that he has forced Steve into a position
where he has to admit in front of Vicky that he is only after
her money. He gets Steve and Vicky together and when he asks Steve
if he has something to say to Vicky (waiting to hear Steve accept
the 5,000 pounds and run off) Steve says he loves Vicky more than
ever and wants to marry her, and no amount of money can buy him
off. Vicky is upset with her grandad when she hears that he tried
to pay Steve off, so Vicky and Steve announce to Bet and Alec
that they are off to St. Lucia to be married the next day on their
own. (Alec and Bet are providing some good scenes, with their
love-hate relationship). The morning that Vicky leaves to go to
St. Lucia, Bet prepares a champagne breakfast and Alec ignores
Vicky, he doesn't go outside the Rovers with everyone else to
see her off in a taxi. When Vicky has left, Alec and Bet have
a chat. Alec asks Bet if she wants him to stay (permanently).
Bet tells Alec that she has thought about it and that she wants
him to leave, when he does leave, Bet sheds a few tears.
Denise admits to Ken that No. 1 doesn't yet feel like home to
her. (Will that woman ever be happy?)
Jack and Vera come back from their holiday still in the holiday
mood and drink cocktails in the Rovers.
A mysterious parcel arrives at the Wilton's, hand delivered and
left by their front door. When Derek opens it, he finds a shoebox
containing the missing gnome's ear.. and a note... saying that
if 50 chocolate doubloons are not left by the swings in the playing
park on a certain date and time then he will receive more than
just Arthur's ear next time!
Derek decides to take the 50 chocolate doubloons to the recreation
park, as per the instructions in the ransom note that came with
the gnome's ear. He dons a hooded jogging suit and is seen lurking
in the bushes in the park by someone, who calls the police. Needless
to say, he gets caught by the police and has some explaining to
do. When he's caught, Mavis suddenly arrives on the scene to help
Derek explain about the gnome and the chocolate etc. When Derek
and Mavis arrive home in the police car, a bemused crowd gathers
outside of the Rovers wondering why there is a police car outside
of the Wilton's house. Derek starts ranting wildly and shouts
at the onlookers `I know who it is! I know which one of you it
is, you can't fool me you know!'
Deidre is in her flat alone one night and hears someone trying
to break into the building. She calls the police and it turns
out that Jamie has been left with a friend of his while Tricia
went out with a boyfriend. Jamie had left his friend's house and
returned home and was trying to climb in through the window. Deidre
takes pity on Jamie and brings him into her flat for a cup of
cocoa. Deidre gives Tricia a good talking to about leaving Jamie
on his own and Tricia says to her `Don't tell me what to do with
my child when your daughter's a drug addict'. Ouch.
The Duckworths finally get their cheque for the insurance money
of 30,000 after a long wait and a comedic phone call by Vera to
the solicitor's office. They don their best clothes and go into
Jim's Cafe and then into the corner shop, hoping they can impress
people with their good news. However, no-one seems interested
in their news until they arrive finally in the Rovers, downcast
because no one seems interested in their windfall. In the Rovers,
Racquel throws her arms around Jack and congratulates them both,
and then the whole pub raise their glasses to the Duckworths and
it's celebrations all round. The scene with Jack and Vera deciding
what to do with the money is great.
Eventually they decide to spend the money on a local business
and Vera brings home details of local businesses for sale, fish
and chip shops, off-licences and.... a corner shop. THE corner
shop! So they go to see Reg and Maureen along with the estate
agent and Reg can't believe what he is hearing at first when he
realises the Duckworth's want to buy the shop but when he hears
they have cash ready to spend his eyes light up. Reg is also after
Mr. Firman's job, who has confided in Reg that he is about to
retire from Firman's Freezers.
Liz thinks she is pregnant!! She tells Deidre first and then she
tells Jim. Jim is very concerned for Liz (after she lost the last
baby) and doesn't know if he could go through the pain of watching
Liz lose another baby. Liz however, realises there is a chance
that she may be able to carry the baby to full term and tells
Jim this is what she wants to do. They both decide to wait until
the pregnancy is confirmed before they do anything else.
Bill Webster has started work on Sally and Kevin's kitchen. However,
although Bill submitted a quotation (along with other building
companies) to the insurance company, the insurance company has
not officially accepted any of the quotes yet. Kevin feels a bit
strange about letting his dad treat the children to pizzas and
fish and chips when he isn't able to do such things himself but
Sally isn't bothered by this at all. Bill is now looking for a
flat of his own as life with Kevin and Sally is a bit cramped
in their small house.
Liz discovers that she isn't pregnant after all and both she and
Jim are disappointed. However, in order to stop any future false
pregnancies, Jim offers to have a vasectomy. Liz receives 2 telephone
calls from Steve in St. Lucia to say that he and Vicky are now
Mr. And Mrs. McDonald, and that they plan to stay in the West
Indies and do some travelling, perhaps visiting America. Bet feels
a bit jealous that Liz has had 2 calls from Steve but she hasn't
heard from Vicky, but then eventually, Vicky does call.
Des and Curly join a gym to keep fit after they see a tanned and
muscled young bloke come into the Rovers, a new friend of Racquel's.
They're both worn out after their work-outs and head for the Rovers
to cool down with a pint. Gail visits Ivy at the retreat. Ivy
tells Gail the news that Don wants a divorce, Gail didn't know
this and she goes to see Josie to tell her that Josie should have
told Gail before she went to see Ivy. Ivy is taking the news very
badly.
Jack and Vera ask to see the accounting books from Reg's corner
shop before they decide on purchasing. Reg is depending on their
naivety to secure a good selling price for the corner shop but
the Duckies are proving quite hard headed about the business.
Alf asks Vera if she's sure that they are up to the hard work
that running the corner shop involves. Vera takes offence at what
Alf is saying to her, and tells him that he can't have credit
any longer when he comes into the corner shop.
Jack tells Bet that he is leaving the Rovers, now that both him
and Vera are thinking of buying the shop. However, Jack has second
thoughts and wonders if leaving the Rovers is such a good thing
after all. Jack walks into the Rovers to ask Bet for his job back
(in the middle of a surprise party arranged by Racquel), Bet tells
him she's sorry but she's already appointed someone in his place
- Bill Webster! Jack and Vera throw a small party in their house
and Jack gives Vera an engagement ring, something she has always
wanted and he has always wanted to buy for her.
Reg thinks he is in line to take over Firman's Freezers when Mr.
Firman retires. Both Reg and Curly are called to Mr. Firman's
office only to hear Mr. Firman announce that he has given the
job to his young nephew, who is now in charge of things. Jack
and Vera go shopping for their party supplies at Firman's shop
and Reg is called to help them pack their goods and deliver their
shopping to their car.
Ivy is dead. The character that Don's girlfriend Josie once described
as "sounds like the kind of woman who could let you know
what she was thinking without saying a word" has finally
been killed off. A priest from the convent came to break the news
to Don, who was shocked of course although not terribly upset
by this news. He told the priest that he considered he had lost
Ivy when she left him to move into the convent. When Nicky founds
out that his grandma Ivy is dead, he blames Don, saying "you
killed her". Ivy has died of a stroke, and Don is now blaming
himself for her death because of the letter he sent to Ivy requesting
a divorce from her. A letter is found in Ivy's room addressed
to Nick, it seems she has left her house to Nick (although the
will has not yet been read). After the funeral, everyone goes
back to Don's house (including an appearance by Ida Clough, Ivy
and Vera's old mate from Baldwin's sewing factory). Although Josie
doesn't go the funeral, Don asks her to stay at the house and
she helps out with the tea and drinks for everyone. Vera causes
a scene and walks out with Ida, after telling Josie off for being
in Ivy's house with Ivy's husband on her funeral day. Much later
when almost everyone has gone, Nick helps himself to a beer and
Don tells him off saying "you can't go drinking in my house"
to which Nick tells Don that it isn't actually Don's house any
longer....
A 5-a-side football team has been set up at the Rovers including
Curly, Jim, Kevin, Steve and Des. However, they are defeated on
their first game and are ready to call it a day. They eventually
decide to put in some serious effort in training to form a decent
football team. Maxine continues to flirt with Des - giving him
a reason to get fit and lose some weight when she tells him he
can lose calories making love!
Bill Webster has finally finished Sally and Kevin's new kitchen
(despite not yet having his quote accepted by the insurance company).
Bill and Percy have an argument in the Rovers when Percy receives
a letter from Bill's wife (Percy's niece) Elaine who tells her
side of the story different from Bill. She says that Bill neglected
their marriage and walked out on her, and Percy believes his niece
rather than Bill.
Reg has a barbecue in his garden and invites Leo Firman, his new
boss. He thinks that he can have a quiet chat with Leo and get
to know his boss better. However, Maude invites Curly to the bbq
also, and Leo is being sucked up to on both sides by Curly and
Reg. Leo then spends most of his time talking to Denise and Ken,
much to Reg's annoyance.
