State of the Street - February 2015

I'm sorry for missing out on January's State of the Street but it couldn't be helped. Let's get on with February's wrap up shall we?

I love that Craig has made friends with Faye and he's her confidante. She needs a friend and he would be as faithful as a good dog. It's a good thing, too because she discovers she's 7 months pregnant!!! Yeah, Yeah, I know. Done it before with Sarah Lou. I know they can't not duplicate basic plotlines but it's hard to swallow when they do it with something "sensational" like a 12-13 year old getting pregnant. Anna will be as supportive as Gail was with her daughter when she finds out. This time, the trick is that Faye got so far along before it is discovered and Anna is too preoccupied by the return of Owen's ex-wife to really notice. Faye worries about being fat and is being bullied but even with that Anna really isn't paying a lot of attention, which Faye is quite happy with at the moment, not wanting to reveal her secret. It's going to come out one way and another!


Ga'Andy and Steph are a cute couple even if they have to duck and dive and keep their secret from Michael. Even after his operation, there's still reasons why they can't come clean. I do like them as a couple and I do like Ga'Andy a lot. He's a nice bloke that got hoisted by his own petard, so to speak and he's in so far he can't find a reasonable way out. Problem is, he really likes Michael, probably growing to love him where his own father was apparently crap. The real Gavin always said how awful his dad was but Michael has changed since he left Gavin's mother. I'm anxious to meet the real Gavin because he's clearly going to be a wrong'un and the complete opposite of Andy. He has to be, it wouldn't be dramatic enough if he turned out to be a good guy, too, and we've already heard stories that shade his demeanor darkly. Apparently he's going to turn up in a matter of days, now, to start March off with a bump.


Sinead probably won't be paralysed and she does have feeling in her legs. But she's got a long way to go and a hard slog to work her way back up on her feet. At least she forgave Roy (though really, she doesn't have to forgive him. He didn't do anything *to* her. A bit sanctimonious really.) and she did apologize, and it was nice that what she said seemed to help Roy turn the corner. He was finally ready to spread Hayley's ashes and he's going to try to learn to drive. But Chesney isn't taking it well and he's so stressed that he looks miserable all the time. Which isn't much of a change from normal. I hate the way he's really taking it out on Steve. Someone mentioned that Steve shouldn't have let the joyriders wind him up else they'd have left him alone after the first encounter and ok, I'll concede that point but the actual accident really was just that. They cut Steve off and he swerved to avoid hitting them. I still wouldn't put the blame on Steve and the police never charged him, either.

David keeps tearing his hair out and bitching that Kylie left him. I wish someone would remind him that he chucked her out and she's not strong enough to try to come back yet. She's drifted further and further away while Callum is lurking closer and closer. Now he's threatening to get custody of Max and meanwhile, is really winding up David and tormenting him with packages and "errands". I really don't think Callum wants to look after a kid full time. He might be curious enough to want to get to know Max but I'm pretty sure he'd prefer to leave the hard parenting to David but he's not going to make it easy for David. Surely if and when Kylie finds out what Callum is trying to do, that will bring her back. You know she doesn't want Callum to have Max, after all.

And Owen's ex-wife has finally shown up, wanting to get to know her adult daughters. It turns out she had an affair and Owen threw her out and then lied to the kids about why their mother left. Linda was a long time figuring out that she could come back and face him, though. She did mention herself that she regretted not going through the courts to get access to the kids. I think we all wondered why she never did that, just legged it out of town and gave up. Once the girls found out, they turned on their father and slowly seem to be accepting their mother back into their life. I'd still harbour some resentment there, though. She'll have been gone nearly 20 years. It's easy to handle parenting when your kids are grown adults. With Anna and Owen continuing to be at odds over what Gary did and Owen thinking Gary dumped Izzy when we all know he did nothing of the sort, this is going to cause further ructions.


Steve is starting to make his way back to his old self but it's going to take a lot of time and he still has a lot of stuff to face up to. The crash was one thing, but don't forget he was spending like mad, taking money from Streetcars and probably ignoring the bills from the pub, too. He's likely in pretty dire straits, financially. Steve seems to be putting on a front a lot of the time, still feeling pretty hollow inside but the meds and councilling must be doing something because he didn't even have the energy and spirit to do that much a few months ago. I know Michelle has berated herself for not seeing the problem earlier. I wonder if we'll ever hear her regret insulting him and making fun of him back when he was first going back to night school. Probably not.

Tracy and Tony are now in business and all of a sudden out of nowhere, after Tony and Tracy both insisting their romp was a one off mistake, she hops on his lap and it's back on full on. Wha'??? He's got his fingers into her business, literally and figuratively (sorry!) and this can only end badly. From what I understand, Tony has always been a womanizer and it's the thing that Eileen dumped him over back in the day so I guess it makes more sense even if he's telling Tracy that Liz is The One.
Todd has been up to his old ways and that seems to have come out of the blue, too, after he seemed to be on a more even keel but he's using Tony against Jason, making him think Tony and Eva are having it off. I don't think he really believes it, but he just wants Jason to think so. He's jealous of Jason. He probably whines to himself that Mom Loves Jason Better. And the way Todd has been behaving since he came back is it any wonder? Still, it makes him interesting to watch if not a little frustrating! His latest efforts broke up Eva and Jason and I'm surprised nobody noticed his involvement considering they should have been more suspicious due to his not so distant past manipulations.

And we have a return of a native, Jenny Bradley, who's dating Kevin Webster. She has grown up and seems to have regrets but Rita has no time for her. Nice to see her and it's a good storyline so far, unfinished business and regrets. I wonder if she really has changed? She did talk about a messy divorce. Why would that be? I guess we'll find out!

Linda Armstrong's return, Falling flat for me

First off, you're right. There was no State of the Street for January because my PC packed up just before the end of the month. I had a document saved that had all my thoughts and I can't get to it. No point in reviving it when I get the data copied over to a new machine so we'll just skip January. February's State will be posted, though, at the end of the month.

Now that's out of the way.

What I really wanted to write about was the current storyline with the Wind-Strongs and the return of the native, Linda Armstrong as was.

A bit of back story: From what we've been told to date, Owen's ex and the mother of his two children abandoned the family when Katy was a baby, a toddler perhaps. She has no memory of her mother at all. Izzy, a few years older, remembers her mother. She had just been diagnosed with the syndrome that has disabled her and mainly keeps her in a wheelchair. She, as most children do, thought her mother left because of something she did or because of her illness. Her father, greatly hurt at his wife's departure, allowed her to think that and stepped up to the plate to be as good a dad for his girls as he could. He might be a bit strict, a bit over protective of Izzy and a lot rough around the edges, but his daughters knew he loved them very much.

Still, Izzy grew up feeling guilty that she was the reason her mother left. She's got confidence and a lot of bravado but some of that is to cover that insecurity and guilt.

Now, out of the blue, Owen's ex, Linda has appeared. She has decided she wants to get to know her daughters. That's an uphill battle with Owen doing everything he can to undermine her with Katy and Izzy. Katy, though, doesn't have that guilt and was too young to remember her mother leaving. Katy wants to get to know her mother. Izzy is horrified and has too much resentment and guilt to want anything to do with her mum.

But now the truth comes out. Right from the start of her visit, we the viewers could see that there's more to this story than meets the eye and recently, Linda told her girls the truth. She took Izzy's diagnosis badly, had an affair with her boss and left. She soon regretted her actions and wanted to come back but Owen wouldn't let her. He wouldn't even let her see the girls and returned every card, gift and letter she ever sent. He was determined, mainly due to his own heartbreak, that they would either forget her or see her as the villain of the piece. Katy and Izzy believed their mother's story, mainly, I think, because she said she had the proof of the returned letters and cards. Katy has the added experience of something similar, having a fling with Ryan Connor when she was with Chesney but it didn't mean she couldn't be a good mother and Chesney agreed to that concept.

Owen is now the villain of the piece and Izzy's reaction in particular is heart-rending. She accused him of letting her feel bad about herself so that he could be the hero. That's how she sees it and even if he wasn't thinking that specifically, that is in effect what he did. And the truth hurt. Good! I hollered at the telly. You deserve what you get. It's a big betrayal, isn't it? It is going to be difficult for the girls to forgive this one in a hurry. Maybe they never will or if they do, it will be a long time coming.

The storyline, as a whole, is good soap fodder. But I do have one thing that dissatisfies me. Suspending disbelief, I can accept that even though Owen has lived in two different homes since he left the family home where Linda would have lived, Linda was able to find them with no problem. Presumably she either asked at a nearby business and we didn't see it on screen or there is information online available that she could find or even more likely, there are still relatives in the area she could contact. The thing that makes it a bit more difficult to buy into the storyline is that I don't think I like the actress that plays Linda, or at least, don't like the way she's playing it.

I have no previous experience of the actress and don't know if this is her usual acting style. It seems to me she's a bit too bland and low key. She's not really getting shouty and angry like I thought she would, fighting back against Owen's bullying. She's not cowering but she's not putting a lot of obvious anger in her reactions either. It doesn't even come across as an under-the-lid simmering, like someone really trying to hold it in, avoiding losing their temper else be reduced to his level. It just doesn't feel like anything at all. She ought to have eyes a-snapping and teeth gritting, telling him in no uncertain terms where to go and where to shove his attitude. She doesn't have to scream and shout, but I would think most women in that position would be a bit more passionate in their response, too. It doesn't feel realistic in my view.

The other issue I have with this is another reality point. I read a comment on the Coronation Street Blog and fully agree. Why didn't Linda ever try to gain access via a solicitor? There was no reason for Owen to withdraw access to the children. Was she an abused spouse? Was she afraid of him? Did it take her this long to return because he had browbeaten the confidence out of her? It can take some people a long time to work their way through it and get the confidence and strength to face their past fears. We haven't been told that was the case but seeing Owen's temper and sometimes violent outbursts, could that be the case? It would at least make more sense as to why she finally fled and didn't take legal action.

I do think the reactions of Katy and Izzy are spot on. Katy has been cautiously giving her mother a chance, a small foot in the door but ready to shut it if her mother didn't manage to say the right things. Izzy has been resentful and defensive, with grief and guilt mixed together, trying desperately to keep her walls up and armed. Now, finding out what Owen did, Izzy is crushed. Katy is furious because she can identify with her mother to an extent and she's protective of Izzy, too. Anna is just shocked and I do agree, that Owen's showing signs of never having got over his hurt, it's resurgence a worrying sign that he could still be teetering on that love/hate borderline.

Without spoiling it, I do know the end result of all this but it will be interesting to see the rest of it play out, including watching the girls finally get to know their mother.

The Mini-bus slippery slope

Holy crap, Batman! I knew the minibus was going to crash (who didn't?) but wow, didn't it look convincing? I didn't doubt it would be great to watch, visually, after what they were able to pull off with the tram crash. Well, they actually did flip the bus with a stunt driver so it was real in that respect. This might not have been quite as dramatic as the tram crash but it still caught my breath. The Manchester Evening News has an article on the night shoots and some behind the scenes info here.

Here's a run down with lots of screen captures:

It's awards night and everyone's up for a party. But Beth gets drunk and misses the bus.

Never mind, Tracy Barlow bags her spot. In case you forgot, Tracy used to be an Underworld packer. I suppose the only reason she wanted to go was the free booze and drinks because I can't see any other reason she'd want to celebrate her arch enemy's success! Michelle is also an ex-employee and contributed significantly to the factory's success. She's also Carla's best mate so her presence made more sense.

We're all in the bus and off on a road trip! I'm surprised nobody started a round of 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall. I bet they would have if Beth had been there!

Oh dear, joyriders acting like pillocks on the road. (I absolutely detest that term "boy racers" and have nothing but contempt for it!). Steve is cut off and loses control of the vehicle which flips over onto the side of the road.

Which.... we discover, slopes down dangerously to a cliff. With no guard rail whatsoever and if I was in that van, I'd be suing the heck out of anyone from as many government agencies as possible. Maybe the bus might still have flipped but a good, strong guard rail might also have prevented it, bouncing the bus back onto the road, who knows?

Sinead had undone her seatbelt to retrieve a phone. Texting, kills, people! Ok, she's not dead but she's very badly injured. Everyone else is mainly bruised and battered. Great stunts here, with people hanging upside down inside the bus.

Steve is the first one to regain conciousness. Looking back, he probably thought he was in hell, in a bus full of his dead friends. He crept out, completely in shock.

Julie and Sean are next out of the bus and all they can see is a spaced out Steve who, after passing Julie his phone, gets up and walks off. He can't handle it. He's probably blaming himself but we know there was nothing he could have done. Walking away isn't going to look good on him but in his current state, this kind of shock very likely could break him completely.

Maddie and Julie are the heroes of the hour, taking charge and organizing everyone.

Everyone is milling about, helping to get the last few out of the bus, freaking out as it creaks and wobbles on the edge, comforting each other while Julie hollers at the Emergency operator to come now, when she's got a signal that is. Terrifying! Kirk is frantic. Everyone has regained consciousness except Sinead. They have to move her, they can't leave her in the bus so they must risk further injury to get her out.

Michelle has gone off to find Steve and find him she does, huddled in a pile of brush. He's sitting but he's bent over himself in an upright fetal position, clearly distressed.

But where's Carla? They all think she's been thrown clear or was the first one out. No, we can see she's wedged under a seat. Tracy's out of the bus and walking around to the edge and sees her through the window. Carla's trapped and whispers to her "Help me!" going by the look on Tracy's face, we're not sure if she's going to. Will she let her worst enemy go down with the ship? We have to wait for Wednesday to find out.

It's Wednesday, now. 
Tracy saves Carla's life. The others want to help but Tracy can feel the bus rocking while she's in there trying to help Carla out. You didn't think she'd let her go over the edge, did you? It might seem odd to you but think about it. She *saved Carla's life*. Carla now owes her. That, my friends, is the ultimate leverage. Tracy will be milking that for some time to come!

But Holy Crap, it was tense. Tracy pulled Carla out but then got caught herself, a seatbelt tangling around her boot! She nearly got dragged over the edge with the bus! That's Tracy's face after she managed to get out just in time

 .while watching the bus do this. Everyone is out and that last shift in weight is all the bus needs. It goes crashing over the gorge and down, smashing at the bottom. Empty, thank Heavens.

Out in the forest, we can hear the approaching sirens of the emergency vehicles as Steve is babbling about Lloyd's heart attack and Tina's death and none of it makes any sense to Michelle who can't talk Steve into getting up. But help finally arrives (they must have been told Steve went off and Michelle off to find him)

I love listening to the background music as it's often very much related to what's going on. In the pub, just as Beth is taking the call and the news then spreads about the accident, we can  hear Bon Jovi's Living on a Prayer from the jukebox. They all rush to the hospital to find out what's happened to their loved ones.

For the passengers of the bus, mostly, everyone's ok, bruised and shocked and shaky, but ok.

One by one, they emerge to the arms of their family and loved ones. Julie is a mess, no, she's not ok, and clearly suffering from delayed shock. Sally and Maddy are surrounded by Tim and Sophie and even Kevin comes to make sure they're ok. Kal is determined never to let Alya cross the street without holding his hand ever again! (He did try to contact Gary but Gary's phone was left in the Rovers Gents' and Jason wasn't contactable either... Gary and Jason had gone into town). Beth hugs her new husband who's really worried about Sinead.  Steve is having a panic attack and he finally admits to Michelle  that he needs help and the penny drops and all the pieces now fit together. Steve has just hit bottom as hard as that empty bus did when it finally slid down the cliff and shattered on the quarry floor.

At the end, Sinead is finally awake but she's got a back injury. Kirk worries that they had to move her to get her out but there isn't anything else he could have done. She'd have gone over with the bus if they hadn't moved her. She is scared stiff and admits to Chesney that she can't feel her legs!

So we wait for the fallout (no pun intended) and the recovery. Looks like Sinead has an uphill battle in front of her.

Steve will probably face accusations of his friends for not helping get people out of the bus. I'm sure they realize down deep that the accident isn't his fault though he will blame himself anyway. Walking away while people are trapped, though. That's cold (in their eyes), something you do when you don't care about your friends. It might be something you do when you're in deep shock and in a shattered state of mind. It might take some time but they'll realize it eventually. Steve also has an uphill battle for his recovery, a very different road than Sinead will have.


I don't mind telling you, my heart was in my throat during the crash and later, while Tracy was getting Carla out. though I knew everyone would be rescued. It was a close call, though. Real edge-of-your seat stuff. Coronation Street really pulled off an exciting few shows this week. The star of the week, though, has to be Simon Gregson for his portrayal of Steve. I think it was the best stuff I've ever seen him do and he sure knocked it right out of the ballpark. (forgive me, what's the UK expression? "Back of the net" just doesn't seem enough here. )


Superb stuff. Top notch stunts and effects. All the actors nailed it, true to their individual characters and situations. Full marks, ITV, cast and crew.

Rest in Peace Anne Kirkbride

People die every day and it's always sad and heartbreaking. When someone well known/famous dies, the media goes over the top commemorating their career and it doesn't seem fair to all those people who pass away without mention.

When it's an actor that you've followed for a long time, admired and respected, that suddenly dies, people do pay attention. Tributes pour in and there's a lot of attention. It must be difficult and comforting as well for the loved ones left behind to see their beloved splashed all over the front pages of all the newspapers and on all the news shows but it must also be nice to read all the nice things about how that person brought a little joy into the lives of fans.

Anne Kirkbride played Deirdre Barlow for over 40 years on Coronation Street and she died last night, after a "short illness". They haven't said what that was and it doesn't really matter. She was an iconic character on the show. You would be if you were in it that long.

Deirdre was a quirky character and much loved. She was known for her huge glasses frames and her husky voice. She had a bad perm in the 80s and she had her share of fellas, ultimately going back and forth to Ken Barlow mostly.

The actress asked for a leave of absence last fall and it seemed odd that she would have timed it that she'd have missed some crucial storylines. I assumed it might be a bout of depression brought on by overwork but perhaps it was the illness that eventually killed her.

 They will write her death into the storyline (where she's currently away visiting a friend) but it will take a few months before we see it on screen. They film 6 - 8 weeks in advance and need lead time to devise the story and aftermath so i doubt we'll see anything until late spring earliest.

 Her character will be missed on the show, very much and of course the actor herself will be missed by her loved ones and friends.

Is Anna Windass channelling Vera Duckworth?

You know how Corrie fans and the media alike tend to refer to various characters as "the new...." whoever? For instance, several characters have been touted as new Elsie Tanners including Denise Osbourne and, currently, Carla Connor. A number of couples have been likened to Stan and Hilda Ogden or Jack and Vera Duckworth, especially if they're scrappy, with gossipy women and feckless fellas.


Eddie and Anna Windass were likened to Jack and Vera, as well, back when they first arrived. With talk of Blanche's ghost haunting the street and watching Anna turn on faithful Roy for his attack on Gary, I'm starting to see a lot of Vera coming out in Anna. Perhaps Vera's ghost is haunting Anna Windass? Seriously, though, Vera was a much loved character but if you think back, Vera could be a right nasty cow, taking against people she's known for years in an instant and thinking her husband, Jack or her son, Terry, could do not wrong, even when, deep down, she knows both of them were a screw up.

Sound familiar? I think the worst of Vera is living in Anna, especially these days. Anna and Vera both had big hearts but they could/can also turn on anyone indiscriminately, at the drop of a hat, especially if they're defending their loved ones, whether they deserve defending or not.  Vera was allowed to castigate poor, feckless Jack or shout at her beloved son but if anyone outside the doors of Number 9 did then it was war. That's what you do, right? Support your family through thick and thin. There might be a harsh word for your loved one that's disappointed you or even worse, betrayed you, but in public, it's us against the world.

I guess in some respects, that's a good thing. You want to know you can count on your family being there when you screw up. It's different if your loved ones are wearing blinders, ignoring the worst things you do, things you really aren't sorry for like many of the things Terry Duckworth has done over the ensuing years. Deirdre Barlow is famous for this where Tracy is concerned. She's calling Tracy on her stuff a bit more these days but if push came to shove, she'd back Tracy all the way. The difference is that Deirdre isn't as likely to turn on a friend, either. Gary isn't a man that does things out of malice, he just has a volatile temper and a very strong impulse gene.

Anna has gotten a vicious and spiteful attitude towards Roy since this whole incident happened. Be angry, but understand where Roy came from. Carla knows. Roy has punished himself far more than any long arm of the law could and Gary himself takes all the blame. What I want to see is Gary call his mother on the carpet for her lousy attitude.

When Anna's life crashes down around her (again), and it will, she'll expect Roy to be there for her as if nothing happened. The sad thing is, he will be because he's decent and Anna's got a very short memory.

Be afraid, Tony, be very afraid

Did you see the way Tracy took that yob out the other night? He sold off stolen goods, fancy countertop mixers, and when Tony told her they were stolen, somehow she got hold of the seller and told him she wanted her money back. He wasn't about to and she provoked him into roughing her up. If that had been Todd, he'd have given the man the keys to the kingdom and run away screaming but not our Tracy.

It pains me to admit it, but I had to admire her. She's not afraid of anyone much less a posturing little toerag like this guy. She's brought down bigger and badder men that that with a blunt instrument and she used another one, her knee, to reduce this one to a snivelling muppet. Tony set the whole thing up. as we discovered, and his plan was to be the hero, saving Tracy from a dire fate worse than death. But there she was, all red lippy and defiance flashing in her eye and his plan went south. You can't really rescue a dame that can hold her own in the ring and yours in her handbag.

Tony's just going to have to get his hands on her business some other way but if I was him, I'd rethink that plan. He might think he's not stupid enough to fall for any of her tricks but he doesn't know Tracy Barlow like we do. She may end up allowing him to own part of the business so that she doesn't go bankrupt and she may end up coercing him into her bed so that she's not cold at night, but I reckon Tracy will get the upper hand in the end, don't you?

Back to the 80s - Beth and Kirk's wedding

Everyone thinks Beth and Kirk are the best couple, right? We have all been waiting with bated breath to see what their wedding would look like. Posh was just not right for them and we all knew it was going to be fun and quirky, just like them, and it was!

But who knew the normally confident Kirk would get cold feet? Kirk is confident, normally. He is very comfortable in his own skin and knows who he is. He never seems to think badly of himself or have self esteem issues. Kirk is loyal, kind, honest, a hard worker, loves dogs, and if he's not the sharpest tool in the box, he makes up for it by sticking with the people he loves through thick and thin. It broke my heart, therefore, when Beth's gobby family (but you didn't think she'd have any other kind, did you?) decided he was not good enough for her. Beth stoutly defended him but it seemed to have cut Kirk to the quick. When he overheard Beth's relatives really slagging him off, I thought he was going to cry.

He expressed doubts to his friends, thought he wasn't good enough for her and was scared to pieces about having to dance and make a speech, not wanting to let her down. But describing how he felt about Beth to Chesney, like the sun just burst in his chest when he sees her, that right there is the kind of love you want someone to feel for you and who cares if he packs boxes for a living? You don't get that kind of love very often and you're damn lucky if you do. I loved how Chesney told him that he was his hero, with "Superman" stuck to his head. He really is a hero.

But, on the day of the wedding, he went walkabout.

Was he really convinced Beth would be better off without him? We were left at one point, at the registry office, wondering if Kirk would show up. As much as you might think, this was just contrived to add a bit of drama to the day and he'd show up suited, booted and bewigged with a goofy smile on his face, there was that niggling little doubt. Kirk doesn't have wobblers as a rule. And so he did, wanting to make Beth's day just that much more special by coming as Adam Ant, her favourite!


Here's a look at the wedding day:

Kirk doesn't want to get anything wrong and is convinced he's going to do it all wrong. The bridesmaids look awesome and Number 5 is poisonous with hairspray fumes.

 Julie's sweating over the cake, it's Mary to the rescue and they nearly overturn it on the street.

Here's the problem, Kirk walked out of the house and nobody knows where he is!

Now what? Bride's worst nightmare. She's so upset that she's insulted her future in-laws!

Oh never mind, he's here and he changed his costume from another Blues Brother to Beth's favourite, Adam Ant and all is forgiven.

Ooh and they even decorated the room! Brilliant! Though if they'd lost their slot, the lesbians from Levenshulme mightn't have been too keen.

The wedding was wonderful! Beth wrote her vows and of course Kirk just couldn't do it but spoke from the heart. Brief, simple and true and there wasn't a dry eye in the house, me included!

Kirk's parents were looking on, were they emotional or just horrified? I don't know but it doesn't matter, does it? A wedding that was as excellent and unique as I hoped for!

Meanwhile, what's up with Sally Webster? She and Tim got all hot and bothered at Carla and Peter's wedding and this time, they didn't even make it to the wedding! Tim must be way hotter in bed than Kevin!

Steve, meanwhile, is doing his bit for the 80s, fiddling with a real Rubik's cube and off with the fairies. Irresponsibly, Liz decided that she had to do some shopping before visiting Andy in Spain. Even more irresponsible, Michelle, even if she's ticked off at Steve, should be sacked by leaving Steve alone in the bar to handle a wedding reception while she goes on a date. She knows she can't be sacked if her name is over the door but if anyone's pushing Steve over the edge on this day, at least, it's her. Of course Steve can't cope and he just leaves the pub to the punters to it, free booze and he couldn't care less.

The first dance was supposed to be Lionel Ritchie's All Night Long but Beth's mam hit the wrong button, probably on purpose, and they had to make do with Push It!

Kirk's dad, Eric, was even getting jiggy with it!

It certainly got the audience jumping, including, surprisingly, Kirk's dad who was very flirtatious with Tracy Barlow!  The In-laws' gift is free tickets to Cypress where they live. Ok. Romantic honeymoon in a donkey sanctuary with the in-laws? Um....

Most of the reception went smoothly except Sinead's mother latched on to Dev who was flattered but Julie sizzled and fumed until she blew. BACK OFF, LADEH! Dev understood and they're ok with it all.

Kirk kept freezing up over doing a speech so Beth had to do some damage control. They had some "us" time in the back yard of the pub that Kirk decorated with lights and a romantic table for two, and made some very special vows to each other.

Julie caught the bouquet, much to Mary's chagrin.

Carla gave the couple a night in a very posh country hotel and Tyrone lent them his car, decorated, to get there. On getting in it, Beth promised Kirk the best ride ever! Kirk's reply? Why d'you think I married her!!!

Awwww this is the best Corrie wedding ever!

But there were tears, too. Tracy was reminded of her failed wedding.

Julie was upset after the fight with a love rival. Steve withdrew inside himself.

Sean was sad because Billy never showed up until the very end. Liz has finally started to realize that she really should be worried about Steve.

Maria still blowing hot and cold at Luke. She's angry he ended up at the reception, made it clear she didn't want anything serious and then asked him back to her empty flat for a shag. Hot, Cold, Hot, Cold. Make it stop please.

Style:

We wedding cake! Frankie Goes to Hollywood style

The Bride was done up like 80s Madonna and the Groom was Adam Ant and looked great!

and there were two other Madonnas too, and Beth did "get th'ump" even if she pretended she didn't. The best man and Beth's Craig are the Blues Brothers.

There are gaudy shell suits. Sean is an early Wham era George Michael but for some reason is toting a tennis racket, sure to confuse.

Dev is a Ghostbuster while Mary is Molly Ringwald in pink and Mary has imagined herself as Sheena Easton though Julie reckons she's trying to match Dev. A happy coincidence, I think, on Mary's part.

Eileen looked awesome as Boy George in her Frankie goes to Hollywood tshirt and matched the wedding cake!

And just a few more snaps