The long awaited return of the weekly updates is finally here, and haven't times changed? The last time I wrote the updates some months ago, the Street was moving at turtle speed with dreary storylines and not one decent hunk. Now, we're hurtling through 4 episodes each week with a much stronger storyline, and as for hunks, well that Chris from the garage can come and fix my spark plugs any time he likes. Anyway, on with the show...
Derek is dead. Popped his clogs, gone to sell paper-clips to the angels. Poor bloke, what an undignified ending. To the strains of "Tit willow, tit willow" old Derek has a heart attack after a fit of road rage in the country. We all knew it was coming, except it seems for poor Mavis who was in the middle of her birthday soiree with a houseful of guests waiting for Derek to show up.
Meanwhile, Baldwin confronts Don Brennan when he finally realises that it was Don who torched his factory. Don admits all to Mike but tells him he'll never be able to prove it was him. Immediately, Mike goes to the police who question Don but they need proof to arrest him. Mike returns to confront Don once more, this time with a small microphone hidden behind his tie, connected to a tape recorder, hoping to get a taped confession from Don. Unfortunately Don spots Mike's mike and the game is up. However, after a drunken binge, Don admits to Ashley it was he who burned the factory down. Will Ashley do the decent thing and report Don to the police? Course he will.
Roy Cropper comes down with flu so Audrey helps out in the cafe. She takes a fancy to a tubby long distance lorry driver and decides to chat him up. With Audrey sitting on his dining table whispering sweet nothings in his ear, this bloke shows what a cast iron constitution he has and isn't going to let anything put him off his egg and chips!
Andy the sulky student has decided he wants to drop out of University with only 2 months to go before his final exams. Steve McDonald comes home from prison this weekend - just in time for Fiona's engagement party (what a co-incidence!) but escorts Andy out of Fiona's flat when Andy and Alan come to blows, Andy once more has fried his brain on cheap lager. The next day the McDonald clan attempt to have a normal family lunch together but Andy walks out to the nearest pub with Steve following him. Andy gets into another fight in the bar, and Steve takes a whack on the nose and gets a fractured cheekbone, making him late getting back to prison (and not doing his record there any good at all I imagine). Most chilling line this week was Steve McDonald saying about Fiona's engagement "She'll not marry him, she'll marry me". Oh no!
Natalie Horrocks, Kev's new business partner takes Kev for a quick drink in the Rovers to tell him that she'll be taking more of an interest in the garage now that she and her husband are separated. Somehow I don't think it's the garage she's interested in, and what with Sally at her mum's in Scarborough too, who knows what might happen? Surely our Kev isn't going to be unfaithful?
Angie takes Chris in as her lodger, after the two of them snogged each other at Fiona and Alan's party. Mavis is most upset that the scruffy (but lovely) Chris will be her new neighbour.
Tricia's new bloke Ray is getting his feet firmly under the table when he takes Tricia out one evening (while Vera and Jack baby-sit) and then the next night they stay in, watching videos in the back room with Jamie. Scriptwriters - marry her off for goodness sake, she's never been happier.
And that's it for this week. It's good to be back. I received a very interesting email from one reader telling me that she faxes the updates to some obscure and remote parts of the world and it started me thinking. What do YOU do with your update? Email me and let me know if you send it on to others around the world, where it goes and how many people read it. Let's see who sends it to the most obscure part of the world or does the strangest thing with their update (making paper aeroplanes and flying them to the bin doesn't count).
Dominating the storyline this week has been Derek's death and Mavis' bereavement. You know, I watch the Street every week, the characters come onto my TV screen and go after 30 minutes, 4 times a week and I watch it, enjoy it and get on with something else once it's finished. This week has been different. Thelma Barlow, who plays Mavis, has shown true, strong, emotional acting talent this week, pulling out all the stops to play the grieving widow. I had tears in my eyes more than once this week and while Derek was never one of my favourite characters, by the end of his funeral, even I was sorry to see him go!
Norris calls round to see Mavis who tells her that he will be attending the funeral on behalf of Hawthorne's Stationery company and gives Mavis a present which was found in Derek's car. It was Mavis' birthday present, a silver locket inscribed with something like "To my loving wife, all my love, Derek". Sob. Norris also gives her the personal contents of Derek's desk - 2 pairs of socks and a photo of Mavis. Sob. Rita proves what a great friend she is by supporting Mavis and making tea by the gallon and Mavis even eventually mellows towards Emily again.
Mavis asks Ken to say a few words about Derek at the funeral but when the vicar announces that a friend of Derek's wants to say a few words, up gets Norris instead with a very embarrassing speech about "Dirk - my friend and saviour". Mavis is not amused, but glad to find out that Angela couldn't attend the funeral. Derek's dour sister Edith turns up like a bad penny for the funeral, sent to make Mavis' day even more unpleasant than it already was. Edith overhears some of the neighbours talking about Derek out of earshot of Mavis, all confiding they found him a bit of joke and Edith tells Mavis what the others are saying about her deceased husband. Mavis stuns them all into silence by giving a little speech, telling them all she doesn't care what they say because she loved Derek, Derek loved her and they had shared a happiness that none of them could ever know. Sob.
Ashley asks his uncle Fred, hypothetically like, if a "friend" of his did something illegal, would he tell the police... we all know he's talking about Don torching Baldwin's factory of course. Mike is called into the police station again and takes his solicitor with him. The solicitor demands to know from the police officer if they will be charging Mike with arson and the officer grudgingly admits that no, they won't be charging Mike after all. Elated by this news, Mike takes Alma into the Rovers for a celebratory drink only to come face to face with Don Brennan who takes the news rather badly. Gloating, Mike throws a few pounds at Don across the bar telling him to take the money to cover his costs in petrol and matches. Later, Ashley gets worried and asks Jack for help when Don loses his temper and starts to smash chairs against the walls in his house. Jack and Ashley go round to see Don, worried that he might attempt suicide again. "There's no point in killing meself" he tells them "I'm dead already". (Later this week on CS we're getting a 1 hour special episode when Don takes Alma on a nightmare ride in his taxi as a way of getting back at Mike...)
Sulky student Andy goes to visit Steve in prison. Steve hasn't got time to give his brooding brother any sympathy and tells him to stop feeling sorry for himself. Steve gets a further 14 days sentence for arriving back at prison late last week after being involved in a bar fight. Liz also tells both Jim and Andy she isn't to blame for their lives being messed up and that she refuses to feel sorry for either of them.
Trisha spends the night with Ray, taking baby Brad with her after Vera and Jack refuse to baby-sit both Jamie and Brad together. Vera warns Ray not to get too involved with Trisha because "our Terry" will be coming back for his child any day now. Nonetheless, Trisha and Ray have started thinking about living together in Ray's house.
There's a great comic moment provided by Roy Cropper this week. Audrey is still giving the lorry driver (Big Ron) the come on, she's flirting like a school girl and doesn't know when she's gone too far. Big Ron comes back to the cafe for a little extra tea and crumpet at closing time, if you know what I mean, with Audrey, who can't understand why Ron won't take NO for an answer. He's trying to maul Audrey in the cafe when Roy comes downstairs from his sick bed and shouts at Ron "Oi, what're you doing with me mother?".
Glenda
PS Thanks for all your lovely messages welcoming me back..
An exciting week on the Street this week, with a long, long evening spread out over 4 episodes with quite a few shocks and surprises throughout the night.
Mike decides to re-start his business, using Steve McDonald's old print shop as premises. When Don hears this from Mike, he's furious that Mike's business will rise from the ashes. Alma meets Gail in the Rovers, the two of them are supposed to be going out for dinner together but Gail has to leave the Rovers before they go out and so Alma calls a taxi to take herself home. Unfortunately for Alma, the Weatherfield Cabs radio operator turns out to be Don Brennan, who even though disqualified from driving, decides to take the fare and picks up Alma from the Rovers for what turns into a nightmare journey in his taxi.
At first, Alma doesn't realise the taxi driver is Don, he's wearing a cap pulled low over his face, when she does eventually recognise him, he starts moaning on about how Mike has ruined his life for him, and he misses the turning to Alma's flat. Alma starts to panic after Don locks all the doors in the taxi and drives her to a remote spot where she tries to escape from him, she's absolutely terrified by this time and does eventually manage to break free from the cab after giving Don a swift kick in the er.. trousers.
She manages to walk on a little but Don catches her up again in the taxi and drags her back inside, this time he's determined she won't get away, he's ranting about Mike more and more, blaming him for everything wrong in his life and Alma realises the best thing she can do is agree with Don, to make him think she's on his side. But this isn't enough for Don, he's angry, really angry, and very, very sad. The taxi picks up speed as they come to the Quays, a couple of passers-by are swept to the side as Don revs the taxi at full speed along the quayside, and then suddenly, the car leaves the road and plunges straight down into the river, with both Alma and Don inside.
The passers-by leap into the water and help pull Alma out of the water, Don escapes also with Alma helping him and the pair of them are admitted straight to hospital. During Alma's ordeal, Mike is having dinner with his solicitor and doesn't find out about Alma until he returns home and finds a message on his ansaphone from the police.
When he finds out what's happened, he tries to throttle Don who is lying unconscious on his hospital bed. Gail and Martin are called into the hospital as Don's next of kin but Gail's sympathy is with Alma, and she admits to Alma that she knew about Don making Denise Black's life a misery with the anonymous phone calls a few years ago. Alma is sure Don meant to kill them both and tells the police she wants to charge him with attempted murder but the police and the hospital need first to assess Don's state of mind before they can press any charges.
Tricia plucks up the courage to tell Jack and Vera that she's moving in with Ray Thorpe, Vera doesn't take the news very well at first, afraid that she'll lose contact with her grandson. Jamie doesn't want to leave the Rovers though and worries about Jack's pigeons. All looks settled then for Trisha and Ray to start a new life together when who comes back to upset the apple cart but none other than Terry Duckworth! Jack isn't best pleased to see his wayward son return, neither is Vera, but Trisha's acting like all her dreams have come true at once, even if Terry has forgotten her name.... he's taking to be a new father quite well though even if things in the Rovers are a bit strained when Jack sees Trisha and Terry having a quick kiss in the back room.
Chris cooks dinner for Angie in their shared house, but when Angie finds out that Chris wants her for dessert, she gives him a stern talking to about taking her for granted and off he storms to the Rovers. The two of them make up and are friends once more, Angie undecided whether she really fancies Chris or not.
Mavis braves the regulars in the Rovers when she makes her first solo appearance there. Luckily, Rita is there to help her through it. Mavis decides to throw away Derek's gnomes from the garden and not to keep his allotment going.
Jim McDonald decides enough is enough, so it is, of his sulky student son and sits him down with a couple of whisky bottles and the two of them get very, very drunk together. Jim uses some sort of Irish psychology on Andy and the two of them end up the best of friends with Andy promising to go back to University and catch up on his work if Jim will stop drinking and put the whisky bottles away. I got a bit lost at this point, but whatever plan Jim had, it worked anyway!
After last week when he tried to kill himself and Alma, Don gets sectioned in the hospital until his mental state is ascertained and then he ends up in a prison cell charged with attempted murder. Ashley, being a worried sort of lad, worries about the bills and demands coming into Don's house while he's in prison so he goes to visit Don. Don tells him where the keys to Baldwin's factory are hidden in his house and asks Ashley to get rid of this damning piece of evidence as the police still haven't charged him with torching Baldwin's factory. When the police later question Don, they tell Don they know about the keys he had and how he let himself into the factory. Don assumes Ashley has told them about the keys and feels betrayed, so he blames the fire on poor Ashley.
Natalie talks her way into Kevin's house with a bottle of wine and at first, Kevin isn't interested in her at all, he wants nothing to do with her. But, when she leaves late at night Kevin's face goes all kind of mushy and sloppy and you know there's bound to be romance in the air some time soon. Unfortunately for Kevin, Rita sees Natalie leave and she has a few words with Kevin about him staying faithful to Sally.
A friend of Derek's from the allotment society befriends Mavis and asks her out for a drink in the Rovers. Mavis thinks the worst of the poor bloke, assumes he's some kind of mad stalker and refuses to have anything to do with him.
Chris brings a girlfriend home and Angie isn't best pleased. Will the two of them ever clear the air between them? They both admit they fancy each other and Chris invites Angie upstairs to the bedroom department. Angie is aghast, he's just shown his bedroom wallpaper to his other girlfriend, and has a few words to say to him. "Your generation get a lot more uptight about this sort of thing than my generation" Chris tells her.
Have we seen the end of Terry Duckworth for the time being? Trisha's throwing herself all over him, planning their future together with Jamie and Brad in a rose covered cottage but Terry just isn't interested. While Vera's pleased to have her wayward son home, Jack distrusts Terry as much as ever. Jack sets a trap for Terry - he pretends he has the pub takings in an envelope and says he's going to deposit the cash in the night safe at the bank. Terry insists on taking the money himself and is gone away for ages before he comes back, furious with Jack for stuffing the envelope with only newspaper, there was no money after all. This confirms Jack's distrust of Terry, he knew Terry would have tried to do a runner with the cash and then would have opened the envelope to see how much he'd stolen from his parents. When Terry returns to the Rovers, there's a huge argument with Trisha defending Terry to the last. Right on cue, Ray Thorpe comes into the back room and thumps Terry who falls to the floor. Humiliated and defeated, Terry leaves the Street with his tail between his legs, licking his wounds. Ray visits Trisha again to ask her to move in with him, but Trisha wants a new start with her two sons on her own and turns down Ray's offer, the daft tart. After some complaints about the quality of meat in Betty's hot-pot in the Rovers, Vera is going to change her meat supplier to Fred Elliot, I say, Fred Elliot.
Mike is keen to take the lease on the old print shop in the Street but Alma's having second thoughts about re-investing their money in a business and is hankering to live abroad. Mike meets with Angie, who has been busy designing a range of unisex underwear, to discuss a possible joint business venture. Alec's making waves at Sunliners Travel agency when the Chief Executive comes to visit. He wants to meet all members of staff, including Joyce the cleaner! Alec can't tell the chap that Joyce has died as he hasn't taken her off the payroll and is still claiming wages for Joyce. Alec is going to have to think of something pretty quick because the Chief Exec. wants to meet Joyce in the next thrilling episode. Alec could also get into trouble with Sunliners for using the office facilities there for his entertainment agency business, and he's been asked by Jack to get some decent (but cheap) acts together for the Rovers.
