Ronniecat's WTN Update for Tuesday, June 22, 1999
ronnie cat
Good Tuesday!
In spite of Alma's putting Gail in her place yesterday about who was the
*senior* partner, the two seem to be on cheery speaking terms as today's
episode of Corrie begins. Gail arranges with Alma to take her lunch hour at
a time convenient for viewing the house in Coronation Street that she and
Martin are considering purchasing. Ken comes in and asks for a few words
with Alma, "in private". "Is something wrong?" worries Alma. Well, there's
something they need to straighten out, clarifies Ken. Alma, who along with
Gail is rushed off her feet with the morning crowd, asks if it can wait
until that evening and they agree to discuss it over a meal.
At the Rovers Jack and Betty are preparing for the day. Jack asks why
Betty's face is so long - has her "boyfriend" (the decorator, Des Foster)
eaten his breakfast and not cleaned his plate? "I don't appreciate
coarseness, never have and never will," sniffs Betty. She goes on to say
that she also doesn't appreciate how familiar Des is being with Bet.
"Familiar?" repeats Jack. He recalls Des being quite familiar with Bet once
upon a time. That was different, says Betty - Bet was single in them days!
In the living quarters behind the pub, Betty's fears seem well-grounded.
Desmond the Decorator is complimenting Bet. The intervening years have done
her no harm, he says! "Stop with your blarney," she says (while clearly
enjoying it), "it always was your specialty". She is, she says, waggling a
be-ringed finger at Desmond, "Mrs. Alec Gilroy" now. Desmond points out the
tribulations of having a husband who takes "long leaves of absence". They
have a lot in common, him and Bet, he says, warming to his subject only to
be interrupted by Angie breathlessly coming through on her first day on
staff. Bet sends Angie through to the kitchen to have Betty set her straight
and instructs her that if Jack gives her any advice, she is to ignore it!
"New barmaid," she explains to Desmond. That should give her more free time,
says Des hopefully. She'll still have plenty to do, protests Bet. He
continues to coax her, saying he has his Christmas staff party that night,
why doesn't she join them. "How many staff could you have?" she laughs.
"Only two - that's why I'd appreciate you coming!" he replies. Bet says
she's sure he'll find someone to help him out. He continues to attempt to
persuade her, saying it would just be a drink and a chat "for old time's
sake". She declines - "I remember them 'old times'!"
In the Corner Shop, Mavis is nattering on to Percy and Deirdre about how she
wants goose for Christmas dinner, just for a change. Dirk's not keen on it,
though (What? Our Derek? Not want to try something different?). Then she
says, so astonishingly that I nearly fell out of my chair, "I mean, he's
only had it once before and that's when Angela made an attempt. Now, I'm not
being bitchy but I suspect she was somewhat lacking in the culinary
department!" (Yes, I Am Not Making This Up. I rewound the tape seven or
eight times. If she didn't say "bitchy" I'll eat Mojo's fur mouse. Not to
mention the attendant sexual innuendo in the sentence! I think Adele Rose
was having quite a bit of fun the day she wrote that line!) Neither Percy
nor Dreary seem fazed by her turn of phrase, however, and Percy jumps in to
advise that she's "come to the right place for advice, because it can be a
very greasy bird, can goose!" Mavis protests that she's not a *novice* about
these things, Mr. Sugden! Mr. Sugden takes umbrage and growls "No, well,
you've never cooked Christmas Dinner for 500 troops in the middle of the
Western Desert, have ye?" (Nor has she "baked fairy cakes under fire",
surely.) Deirdre leaps in to head Percy off by asking him about his new job.
It must be lovely, she comments, "making all those little eyes shine."
Percy, now on a roll, snaps that "the age of childhood innocence is long
gone!" Surely not, protests The Mave - "it's a magical time for kiddies!"
"You should do a stint in my grotto, it's knock that soppy smile off yer
face!" bellows Percy. "I started out like that, but it's gimme, gimme,
gimme, and that's when you can understand what they're talking about!
Kowa-bloomin'-bunga! Turtle language, and - " This time Alf steps in to calm
Mr. Sugden before he has a coronary, asking if they're getting much traffic
over there at the grotto. Percy says yes, he's a right attraction, "pity you
doesn't have a Father Christmas in here but (looking around dismissively)
what can you do with a shop the size of a cupboard?" Alf says it's just as
well as he'd "never find another Father Christmas like you, would I, Percy?"
"You've got a point there, Counselor, I won't deny," says Percy with
satisfaction as Deirdre stifles a laugh behind her hand.
In the back of the shop we see Audrey on the phone. Can Alma meet her for
lunch? Alma clears this with Gail at the still-busy caf and they agree to
meet. Just then Mike comes in. Have they decided on the colours they want to
paint the caf front? he demands. Alma interrupts after hanging up the phone
and says he needn't ask Gail, she's got nowt to do with it. Mike says that
Gail is a partner and in his book that means she has a say. That's right,
agrees Gail. She can't see why Alma is refusing to have the caf painted.
It's part of Mike's obligation as landlord, he goes on. "Oh yes, and we know
how seriously you take your obligations, don't we, Michael?" snaps Alma
(point Alma!). She then asks Mike to leave so that she and Gail can discuss
it between themselves. Once Baldwin is gone, Alma admits to Gail that he
frightens her. "This isn't about paint - it's a power struggle!" she tries
to make Gail see. Gail suggests that Alma is being paranoid. If taking care
of yourself is paranoid, then yes she is, confirms Alma. With Ken,
everything is straightforward, Alma continues. She doesn't want Mike Baldwin
in her life, rocking the boat!
In the pub Jacko is, as Bet feared, dispensing advice to Angie. He attempts
to demonstrate that he has acquired "the most important thing to know" in
the bar business - what your regulars drink - when Rita and Reg come in, but
they ruin his display by ordering something different today. Reg, in fact,
orders a bottle of wine. He tells Rita that he wants to celebrate the
"re-cementing" of their friendship. She doesn't know what he's on about
until he reminds her about hiring Percy as Santa as a favour to her. That
was just a wee favour, Rita protests. Phyllis comes in and begins pumping
Reg for information on how Percy is doing in his Father Christmas role.
"He'll shape up," says Reg. Go on, protests Phyllis, "he could charm the
birds out of the trees!" (Well, we all know one old bird who he charms
regularly!)
Audrey and Alma are having their lunchtime drink and Audreh has just
confessed that she had a word with Ken about Mike Baldwin pestering Alma.
Alma is quite upset that Audreh put her oar in, and Audrey is apologetic.
Audrey goes on to say that she was the first to say Alma that it's great
fun, having two fellas on a string (heaven knows there are times she's done
it herself, she brags), but if Alma's not careful she'll lose both of them,
and Audrey would hate to see her lose Ken!
Dreary comes into the pub with a postcard for Bet, delivered to her place by
mistake. In a flat, dismissive voice, Bet reads the flat, dismissive message
on the back, "Weather wonderful, wish you were here, love Alec." The locals
at the bar look a bit embarrassed. "I can tell yer one thing," she says,
before stomping through to the back, "if I *were* there, it wouldn't be
coconuts swingin' from them flamin' palm trees!"
After an ad break (It's Patrick! He took out life insurance!) we join back
to Desmond Foster, who is chucking junk into the ginnel. Bet joins him. She
is clearly hurt by Alec's impersonal, cookie-cutter postcard. Is that offer
of "a few jars and a chin-wag for tonight still on?" she asks Des. He is
pleased and asks her what made her change her mind. "Let's just say, I
reckon if a girl can't have her pia coladas on a sun-kissed beach, I reckon
she can 'ave 'em where she can," says Bet quietly.
Faster than the speed of a misplaced ad-break, Bet is now in the back room
of the pub having a chat with Liz. Bet asks Liz her opinion of Angie - how
will she shape up as a barmaid? She'll do okay, confirms Liz. In that case,
asks Bet, could Liz see making do with Angie tonight? Sure, says Liz, as
long as Jack's around to do t'heavy work. Why, she asks, does Bet have
plans? Yes, confirms Bet - she's going for a drink with Des. "What - on a
date?" asks a shocked Liz. "Why not?" retorts Bet. "You don't think Alec's
going to be there with his hands clapped over his eyes every time one of
those hula-hula girls goes slinking by? ... Anyway, it's not a date - it's a
drink for old time's sake." "With Des Foster?" asks Liz, unsure. "Look, I've
worked hard behind that bar every night since His Little Fat Lordship
swanned off! I'm entitled to a night out!" declares Bet. She's not saying
Bet isn't, assures Liz, "but is it ever wise, rekindling old flames?"
There'll be nothing like that, assures Bet. How can she be sure? wonders
Liz. "Because I know me, that's why!" declares Her Ladyship. "I thought I
knew me, too," Liz says to a surprised Bet. She doesn't want to go into
details, continues Liz quietly, but she "strayed" once. She is making no
excuses, but she was taking care of two small kids with a husband who was
always gone and she was lonely. She came to her senses and gave the affair
up, she tells Bet, and had no regrets - but 'he' turned up again, not long
after the MacDonalds had moved into the Street. "Are you saying the old
magic was still there?" asks Bet, listening intently. It could've been, Liz
says, but Jim was around this time. "All I'm saying is, if he'd turned up
while I was on me own, who knows what damage I might've done?" Bet looks
very thoughtful indeed as she digests this.
The Platts have gone to have a look at their potential new home. The kids
squabble a bit about who gets the biggest bedroom ("we do," Martin puts an
end to that argument, "because we're the biggest."). They admire the bigger
backyard, discuss getting an inflatable pool next summer, putting in a
barbeque. Mavis comes through to say hello, saying "I saw someone out here
in the garden in the rain, but never imagined it was you!"
Curly enters the Rovers and Angie asks what he'll have. "In a glass, or over
me head?" asks Curly, mindful of his rocky friendship with Angie these days.
In a glass, she assures him, and he declares that now she is working he will
have her rent in full every week, by way of declaring that he doesn't want
to get into any more trouble trying to assist her! She even offers to buy
him that drink.
Percy comes in and Jack encourages him to "give us a ho ho ho". (Actually
Jack's ho ho ho sounds far more like the Jolly Green Giant than Santa Claus.
Has he got his oversized mythological figures mixed up?) Phyllis sidles up
to Percy to say she has been hearing some good reports about Percy's
Santa-Clausing, "my little flower!" Percy sputters that "I'll thank you not
to go snooping behind my back, and I'm NOT your little flower!" She's not
been snooping, protests Phyllis, she just asked Reg about what kind of a
Daddy Christmas he made. "DADDY CHRISTMAS!" explodes Percy. "Where do you
get an expression like that from, woman? Have you no respect for the English
language?" Unfazed, Phyllis giggles that "if you're not careful I'll come to
that grotto and pull all your whiskers out!", to Percy's chagrin!
Jack wonders aloud to Liz where "Her Ladyship" has got to. She's entitled to
a night off like the rest of us, says Liz. Yes, says Jack, jumping to
conclusions, especially a night out kicking her heels up with Rita. "Oh,
they were a pair of ravers in their day, whoo!" he reminisces.
At the caf, Gail gets the good news - their offer on the house has been
accepted. (I got a lump in me throat, I'll tell you - I'll never forget that
feeling.) Alma is warmly congratulatory. They discuss what Alma will tell
Ken tonight now that she knows Audrey has opened her big mouth to him. Alma
declares that she will tell him that "Mike Baldwin is history!" She then
arranges with Gail to quit a little early and goes up for a bath before Ken
arrives.
Just then, in strolls The Devil Himself. Gail tells him that she hasn't been
able to get a decision out of Alma about painting the caf. Mike says they
should change the caf name while they're at it. "Jim's Caf, I mean, who
the hell's Jim?" he scoffs. "Alma's husband!" Gail reminds him. Yeah, Mike
knows that, but who else does? People 'round here know it as Alma and
Gail's. "Bit of a mouthful," Gail observes. "All right," says Mike, "Alma's
Place. Sedgewick's Salads. Platt's Platters. Anything to sound a bit more
interesting that 'Jim'!"
Gail watches him with interest during this little rant, perhaps seeing
Alma's point about Mike being on a power trip. Yes, they might change the
name, she says, but why the concern? Mike does a song-and-dance about how,
as landlord, maintenance is his department, he sees how hard they work, he's
happy to do anything he can do to help. Gail's a sensible girl, he urges,
she's got her head screwed on straight - can't she make Alma see this isn't'
some "wicked Machiavellian ploy on my part?" "Isn't it?" inquires Gail. The
bottom line is, yes, says Mike shiftily, but only in a business sense. It's
in his best interest for the caf to do well. He wouldn't want to see the
place go to rack and ruin just 'cause Alma's angry at him!
Just then Angry Alma walks in. "What's HE doing here?" she demands. "I've
always said, there's nothing like a warm welcome. And that definitely was
NOT a warm welcome!" grins Mike. Gail says Mike better leave. He reminds
them again he needs a decision - he's needs to tell the painter. "Oh, you
*haven't* already booked the painter!" says Alma in dismay. "Oh, you know
me, sweet'eart - if I say I'm going to do something, I do it! But you knew
that! <wink> See ya!" Mike says infuriatingly, taking his leave. After he
blows out the door, Gail says that this is getting silly and she is in the
middle - can't Alma do something, if only for Gail's sanity? She could,
confirms Alma - "but they'd put me in for life for it!"
Rita comes into the Rovers and Jack assumes she's meeting Bet. Liz steps in
to correct him. "Jack," she says sotto voce, "Bet's not going out with
Rita." "But you said she was!" "No, YOU said she was!" Liz and Jack move
off-scene, presumably to discuss this further. Rita tells Angie, who's
serving, that she'd glad to see Angie working. Debt can lead to other
troubles, she says. Not much chance of that, says Angie, referring to
Curly's (who is at the end of the bar) insistence on rescuing her. They
agree that Curly is a good lad for trying to help Angie out with her money
problems.
Mike comes in and offers Audrey and Rita a drink. Rita's just off to the
pictures with Mavis ("a weepy", she says, which makes me worry. If Mavis
gets any weepier she may disappear altogether.) but she can stay for one. A
clearly annoyed Audreh instead pointedly turns down Mike's drink. Instead,
she loudly says to Rita (Mike is standing right between the two of them at
the bar) that Alma and she were thinking of going to the pictures too, but
Alma's got KEN coming round tonight. (Audrey was nearly shouting in this gem
of a scene.) "Oh? That's nice," says Rita, who seems not to notice that her
friend suddenly thinks she's hard-of-hearing. "Yes, they've been seeing A
LOT of each other," Audrey goes on. It wouldn't surprise her if they SETTLED
DOWN when KEN'S divorce came through. "Oh, he could do worse," says Rita
obliviously. "I've never known Alma so HAPPY!" concludes Audrey. Through the
whole exchange, Mike Baldwin stands right between them, grinning like a
cheshire cat first at one, then the other. Classic!
Alma is at that moment having a much quieter conversation with KEN - sorry,
Ken, in her flat. She comments on how people like she and Ken would probably
prefer peace and quiet in their old age. Not necessarily peace and quiet,
but they could do without hassle, Ken agrees. If he means Mike Baldwin, Alma
says, she knows what Audrey said to Ken. "Is there any truth to it?"
inquires Ken. Not the way Audrey is interpreting it, assures Alma. He's just
"crawled out of the woodwork" to insist on painting the caf. Well, then,
why didn't she mention it? wonders Ken. It was no big deal - he's the
landlord, unfortunately, replies Alma. Surely Alma doesn't believe that's
the only reason he's suddenly "crawling out of the woodwork", asks Ken. No,
concedes Alma, that is an exaggeration, but she's made it crystal clear he
can forget them getting back together. Ken is amazed that Mike thinks he and
Alma could get back together after all he's done. "I don't know what goes on
in his twisted little mind and I don't flamin' well care!" rants Alma, "As
far as I'm concerned, Ken, I'm with you and Mike Baldwin can go to hell!"
There is a slight pause after this fiery outburst, then Alma, suddenly
bashful, says shyly, "Well, I mean, that's if you want me." Ken laughs and
gestures for her to join him on the sofa where they have a kiss and a
cuddle.
Bet sits alone at her dining room table, smoking, thinking. There's a knock
at the door. It's Des Foster, all "cleaned up" and ready for their night
out. Bet tells him she can't go. What's the problem? he inquires. He assumes
that the new barmaid didn't show up. No, that's not the problem, Bet says.
Well, what is then? he asks. "Me," replies Bet. She says she just can't do
it. He gets upset and accuses her of giving him "the big come-on". She
denies it, but he points out that of all the decorators in the area, she
called on him. Is that supposed to be a coincidence? He furiously leaves,
leaving an upset Bet leaning against the door.
WTN Coronation Street, Tuesday, June 22, 1999
Desmond Foster: NEIL PHILLIPS
Written by ADELE ROSE
Directed by SPENCER CAMPBELL
Update written by ronniecat (ronniecat at hotmail dot com)
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Well, that's your lot!
ronniecat =^..^=
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