State of the Street - December 2011

Now that Carla's back, Underworld has staggered to its feet and is soldiering on. The feud with Fosterworld continues with a slight edge to Carla's lot but Sally has developed the inevitable crush on Frank. No surprise there, is it? She's always had a soft spot for a cultured voice and a man in a suit. It's part of that upwardly mobile wannabe gene she's got. And speaking of Fosterworld, Sally told Fiz that Frank might be hiring but we've seen nothing of Fiz since. Did she get hired? Is she working? Did she go back to Underworld? Don't leave me hanging!

With the anniversary of the tram crash upon us, Peter freaked out with flashbacks and memories and the urge to drink gets stronger and stronger until he tumbled off the wagon. Carla tried to hang on to her emotions while waiting for the rape trial and the pair of them shored each other up. Looks like that old black magic has done it's work. Peter and Carla were having an illicit affair by Christmas. I guess it was inevitable but I don't think it will last either.

Peter promised Carla but when it came down to it, he couldn't tell Leanne the real reason why they should split up and he tried to turn it on her, making it sounds like she's nagging and unsupportive. Obviously all his excuses rolled off her shoulders and she's determined to stick by him no matter what. If she knew about Carla, she'd have chucked him out before he had the chance to leave. Peter couldn't really do much in the face of her determination. Not yet anyway so the affair goes underground with Carla the perennial other woman, crying and alone when Peter has to spend time with his family.

And just like every other affair, it's going to be conducted in secret because he can't leave his wife and Carla will put up with what little time she can get from him. And we have to suffer through them being all mushy and loved up for the duration. Peter's had prior experience juggling two women so it's kind of second nature to him and he, like his father, doesn't really have the backbone to leave what he knows for what he doesn't unless forced (i.e. wives throwing him out)

Well Owen is sure taking over at Anna's and Faye doesn't like it one little bit. I know the shed was probably an eyesore and apparently the floor of it wasn't safe but couldn't he just have replaced the floor? He *is* a builder after all. Instead we have big, bad, Owen building a fish pond in the back garden. Would you credit it? Do you think he's softening up with his involvement with Anna? I think he's still got that bully boy underneath it all and if Faye continues to push his buttons like she's doing, she could be in for a shock, especially with David and Kylie already pushing his buttons. He'll be running hot under the collar and it won't take much.

And that feud? A bit childish isn't it? I gotta say, though, as much as one is just as bad as the other, I rather enjoy seeing Owen get bested every now and then. He deserves it for being such a bully and a plonker. I think it's kind of funny at times but I also think the devil spawn Faye may just take advantage of it.

I felt so bad for Becky this month. She started the slide downhill with the divorce and though was trying so hard to get her life back in order and start again, it must have been horribly hard. There's Max back living under her feet practically. That has to hurt. And Steve flaunting Tracy who flaunted her pregnancy. Then of course Tracy manages to get Becky accused of pushing her down the stairs causing her to lose the babies she lost the week before already. Becky only really bought into the cab firm because she was hoping she and Steve would make a new connection and get back together.

Never mind that everyone knows that Tracy has a hate on for Becky as bad as Becky has one on for her and never mind that Tracy has been caught out more than once scheming to wind up Becky and push her buttons. And never mind that even though Deirdre has often suspected Tracy of misbehaving, this time she knew damn well and yet she still let Tracy accuse Becky, succumbing to lame blackmail. Shame on her!

Becky really hit rock bottom and nearly smoked herself out, life threatening to go down in flames, literally! Nick to the rescue! Maybe now Becky can sort herself out and find something happy. She's got nowhere to go but up and partnering with Streetcars probably wasn't the smartest move since it keeps her in contact with Steve which is what she wanted. First move is go to the police. She laid it all out. It really wouldn't make sense if it were true that Tracy wouldn't go to the police though I don't know why Tracy was so bothered. Why not just lie to the authorities? She's done that before except, I suppose, a jury didn't believe her anyway and she got banged up.


I can't get over how vile Steve and Tracy are being to Becky. I know, I know, if you thought someone pushed you and caused a miscarraige, you wouldn't be inviting them for tea. Steve should know Becky better to think she'd do it deliberately. Though it wasn't, it could have been an accident. Tracy could have got away with that but she wants the best-for-her outcome. Deirdre has almost cracked a few times but Tracy is very good at emotional blackmail. It was telling that she didn't go to the police and that should have make her parents suspicious right from the start, Ken at least if not Deirdre as well. Would Tracy have been arrested if she'd falsely accused Becky and it could be proven? Not sure. But the truth will come out, it has to.

 And marrying Tracy? Seriously, Steve? He's gone from Karen to Becky to Tracy? Does anyone else spot the pattern here because he sure doesn't. Well, I really don't think this wedding will happen because the truth has to come out.  I can't imagine why he would stay with her in the face of yet another nasty trick discovered. I also can't imagine why he wouldn't try to get custody of Amy and use a little blackmail himself to do it.

Max is back and Kylie wasn't very happy about his bond with Becky. She never did have a lot of confidence in her own ability to be a mum and it was only David pushing her and supporting her that got her to agree to try to get him back. She doesn't have a bond with Max and she knows it and I hope they continue to show her trying hard to form that bond, sometimes not quite getting it right. I also hope David continues to be as supportive as he has. He's turning his life around and this marraige and now little Max both seem to be the making of him. Finally!

Tina's really really REALLY annoying me and her mouth is getting gobbier and gobbier. And this feud with her and Kirsty is a non-starter. Tina needs to move out. Why is she still there? It was only meant to be temporary! But the more we see of Kirsty, the more we are realizing that she's not quite what she seems. Tina just might be right now we are seeing more of Kirsty's uber-possessiveness and jealousy of any of Ty's female friends. Any person that isolates you from your friends is to be deemed suspicious.

And the month ended with Sophie and Sian's wedding. The dresses were fairytale lovely. Why on earth would Sian take offence just because Sophie seemed a bit nervous reading her vows? Immediately, she thinks Sophie has doubts and the wedding's off. Huh? Looking at it from Sian's point of view, she has no reason to think that. Looking at it from the viewers' point of view, of course we know that Sophie had a crush on Amber and Amber was pushing all her buttons. Most of us grown ups watching are all thinking "Well they're both too young to get married anyway!"


Katy gives birth while playing Mary at the Nativity play, rather ironically, and almost literally in a manger. Didn't any of the mothers in the audience twig that Katy was having contractions. Owen was taking out his worry on everyone and being vile. Nothing new there, then. The birth was like most soap births, a bit of screeching and then a somewhat greasy baby presented and everyone's happy. Never mind. Katy was home in an instant but then they do that these days. I keep getting the feeling that Chesney and Katy look like kids playing house with a doll. At least they admit to being scared but they're so young! I know Chesney has had a harder life than most and he's had to grow up to survive but Katy has been sheltered and it's not going to be easy for them. I hope that's brought out in storylines in future.

Wedding Blues

The brides looked really lovely in fairytale frothy dresses. The house and the church were decorated in white flowers, white for innocence. But one of the brides had doubts and in the face of God, couldn't manage to get the words out. The father of that bride spoke up. He knew his daughter had some collywobbles. So did her friend/employer, even more than her father. And the bridesmaid who was at the root of the doubts knew that the bride was making a mistake.

I think the guests at Coronation Street weddings must be getting used to weddings getting interrupted and not coming off. We had two this year alone! No wonder Rita hasn't bought a new hat for one in awhile. She's worn that black furry thing for most occasions in the last few years.

Sophie might be over her crush on Amber, but it served to show her that maybe she's not ready to settle down. I do believe she loves Sian and loved her all through everything else she was feeling but at 17, is that enough? Kevin didn't think so. He tried to talk to her in the conservatory with that sad Adele song in the background and then he was the one that stopped the wedding when Sophie was hesitating.

Sophie herself tried to talk to Sian but Sian overwhelmed her with loved up words and gifts. Most of us grownups have been watching this unfold and thinking that we knew 17 was far too young to get married and it will all end in tears and that's what happened. Kevin and Sally both felt that way about it but when the girls tried to elope, they backed off and went along with it. Sometimes  you have to let your kids make their own mistakes but faced with them running way, they were in a hard place. I'm sure both of them felt it was a mistake, too, even before Kevin discovered Sophie was having doubts.

And it most definitely did all end in tears. Wailing, crying, sobbing, shrieking on the street. Should Kevin have interrupted the wedding like that? Did it hurt him like a knife through his heart to see his little girl in a white, frothy, soggy heap on the pavement with her heart in pieces all over the cobbles? I bet it did but I also think he did the right thing.

Sophie had a crush on Sian and she had doubts. By the time she got to the altar, she was over it but the doubts were still there and before her God, she couldn't say the words. She's 17. She's a kid no matter that she wants to be considered grown up. Sian was her first love and it was difficult because coming out as a lesbian is not going to be easy for anyone much less a teenager. All of that is a lot to get your head around at the best of times but at 16 and 17 when your hormones are all over the place and when you aren't as mature as you think you are, marraige a disaster in the making.

It's telling that Sophie wanted to hurry along the wedding to prove to herself that she didn't love Amber. Amber was only winding up Sophie at first but she knew Sophie was making a mistake. I think she just went about it the wrong way, trying to play on her emotions. Or maybe that was the only way she could have done it to really make Sophie think.

Sophie and Sian were a really good couple, I'm not saying thatthey weren't. Best friends turned into lovers and they were really sweet together. But they were still kids. I think the same way about Chesney and Katy, moving in together and planning a baby. They really aren't equipped to handle the really tough times that are going to happen. Relationships are hard work and even harder at that age. Chesney might be more mature than Sophie because he's not had a sheltered life. He's had to learn how to survive in spite of Cilla so maybe he's grown up a bit faster but Katy has been most definitely sheltered even though Owen has brought her up on his own. I don't know if they can survive as a couple, as sweet as they are together.

But this isn't about them, I only mentioned them to point out some similarities and so you know I am not approving of one and not the other as "too young".

I still felt bad for both Sophie and Sian and had to swallow hard a few times watching Sophie in a heap on the ground and Sian crying her eyes out in the car. Sophie is blaming her father but down deep I think she'll realize she really only has herself to blame. She's got to find a way to pick up and make a future for herself. She's had a bad year, too, what with the revelation of her parents' breakup, the tram crash, dropping out of college, falling off the church and now having her relationship blow up. I'd like to see her go back to school and maybe university. She always had the potential before and would have been ok in college if her life hadn't got on top of her.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Streeters!

Wishing everyone that visits us here a very happy holiday season, whichever holiday you celebrate! All the best for a peaceful and happy New Year!

Defending Peter and Carla...sort of

I've been reading a lot of really negative reaction to the pairing of Peter and Carla and I'm here to defend them. Kind of. I am not a fan of the couple. I really prefer Leanne and Peter together but I don't think this is the worst couple "ever", as I've read some people declare. One person even said it was worse than Kevin and Molly.

At the risk of coming over all Panto, Oh No It Isn't! Nothing could be as cringeworthy as "Molvin". That had to be the most ill-conceived pairing every and that is most definitely pun-intended.

I think Peter and Carla do have a certain chemistry and and I like both characters as well, just not as a romantic couple but you have to have triangles on soaps, it's a stape plot device. We could see this one building up for over a year so at least it didn't feel like it was thrown together. Kevin and Molly should never have been a full blown affair. It would have been understandable if Kevin had developed a middle age crush on a cute young woman but all the rest was repugnant even if it did provide storyline fallout and fodder for another whole year.

Some people don't like Alison King as an actor. I didn't at first but she seems to have relaxed into her character and they've written some vulnerabilities into her character as well. I've long been a fan of Chris Gascoyne and I find he has chemistry with whoever he's on screen with. I do find it a bit out of character that Peter would disappear for 24 hours without letting anyone know he was ok, mainly for Simon's sake but he's an addict and I think he's about to replace booze with Carla.

I don't think they'll end up together long term but this will again create a catalyst for the storylines without which we wouldn't have much to watch, now, would we? With Leanne fighting her corner, and Ken lecturing Peter on his failures and Simon's disappointed little face tugging at our heartstrings, we will ride this one out as we do everything else, waiting for the outcome and fallout.

Why Peter and Carla won't work out

Right. So after that blog post from a few weeks back about who Peter will choose and who he *should* choose, he's now gone after Carla. He loves her, he thinks maybe marrying Leanne was a mistake and is going to leave her.

One of the things he said on Friday night's episode was that he was treating her like he did booze, like a bad thing he had to stay away from. That is it in a nutshell. That's why this isn't going to work in the long run.

Peter is a man of addictions and I think Carla is one of them for him. It may or may not really be love but then he really loves booze too, in a love/hate sort of way. He thinks it makes all his problems go away but really, they only make them worse and that's what is going to happen with Carla, too.

Carla understands him in ways that Leanne doesn't because she's flawed like he is. So is Leanne but it's different. Carla has a drink problem and can identify with Peter's. Pity the writers seem to have forgotten that Leanne was once addicted to cocaine but then, that was only a flash in the pan thing anyway and probably best left in the past.

If I was Leanne's friend, and Simon wasn't involved in the equation, I think I'd tell her to leave him and let him stew in his own boozy juices. Love him she may but he's going to drag her down eventually. But Simon is involved and if he's going to have to watch his father's ups and downs like this, at least he's got Leanne to hold on to and help keep a little normalcy in his life. If she can stick it out, that is. And if she can't, then she might almost have a case for getting custody. Too bad she's not formally adopted Simon yet. I know there was talk about it but I don't think it went any further than that.

You know all this business about Leanne having trouble getting pregnant, already having been assured by the doctor that though it may take a bit longer, it could still very likely happen? Don't you think it's pretty obvious that she's going to get pregnant and quite likely Carla will as well? Standard Plot device. They used it before with Maria when Carla nearly took Liam off her. Maybe that's Weatherfield's cure for infertility, have your fella fall in love with Carla and bob's your uncle!

I really don't think Peter and Carla are suited, not for the long run. I think Peter needs Leanne and Simon a lot more than he realizes. I really don't think this relationship with Carla is going to go the distance but whether he and Leanne will manage to salvage anything is still up in the air.

State of the Street - November 2011

Fiz was sentenced but don't worry, She was later released pending an appeal which of course, she'll get. Meanwhile, Chesney lost his beloved dog and nearly put him and Katy in the poorhouse. One question was answered, I see Ches and Katy did in fact give up their flat to move into Number 5 because that's the flat that Brian and Julie are now renting. I guess they're all sharing the house now. Gonna be a bit crowded when the baby comes along!

John's funeral was appalling, only in that Sally really made a show of herself. I can understand her anger but for someone that thrives on appearances, she sure made a nasty scene. The man is dead, for whatever he did, his funeral is not the time to muck rake. She didn't like Rosie airing the dirty laundry all over the newspaper. Was doing this any different because she wasn't paid for it and there was no photographer? And the Vicar asking for memories? Surely Chesney who arranged it would have given him a heads up to keep the service short.

It's not even as if John really did threaten Rosie's life, ever. Both times he kidnapped her, he never harmed her. It doesn't make it right and of course Sally was scared witless but she really did blow it all out of proportion but that's typical Sally. At least she finally backed off and realized what she'd done but did she apologize? Of course not, she had time to think about it and when Fiz came back to the Street, she started right up again until Fiz found her inner Cilla and nearly put Sally in hospital and she'd have had it coming if Fiz actually did hit her! I kind of wish she had really. Sophie, Rosie and Rita brought Sally up short and maybe made her think even if she never will change her mind completely.


And nobody really thought Fiz would leave the Street, did they? So what happens next? Surely Fiz must be able to get some job seekers' benefits now she's out of prison, at least until she gets a job with the rapist. Does she know about Frank and Carla? Surely someone has told her. But she's desperate for a job at the moment. Even so, I really don't think she would ever consider working for Sally who's the supervisor nor would I ever believe Sally would actually hire her, having to work under the same roof as the woman who was married to the man that kidnapped Rosie twice, and who she believes knew all about it no matter what she says or how she may have backed off a bit. Sally did recommend Fiz check at Fosterworld but we haven't seen Fiz since. Did she apply for the job? Is she working?

Speaking of flats, Jason's and Tina's flat went forgotten since it was rebuilt in January/February. No word about how difficult it was to sell. Why didn't Jason just move in there since he's been paying mortgage anyway? Rosie might not have liked it but surely it was better than staying in the Grimshaw Boarding House? Besides, rebuilt, it isn't really the same flat he stayed in with Tina. And why doesn't Tina ever mention it? Why didn't she stay there instead of Tyrone's? She must be contributing to the mortgage too so would be equally entitled to it. Now, neither of them have can use it since it's Chris and Cheryl's love nest. For a minute. It was hardly worth them moving in, they moved out again so quickly. I consider it my  Christmas miracle that they were gone before then.

Eileen has been dragged into Pitiful Paul's life again. He wanted her to help him find his wandering wife. But he had the police on it and he could have had the whole Fire Department at his disposal. I guess he really does care for her and I'm sure is a very lonely man. Tugs at your heartstrings doesn't it? I'm sure it's a tough position to be in. The lady playing his wife Leslie is very believable.

Michelle and Ciaran are back and it seems Michelle has got her degree from the S.S. Carribean Cruise line, that offshore floating college where you sing for your qualifications. She's running the factory and loving it and Ciaran's feeling like dead weight. He likes life on the high seas and it just wasn't meant to be. I think even if they had got married, he'd have ended up hating Weatherfield and feeling tied down. It wouldn't have lasted.

I've already blogged about the exit of Cheryl and Chris and Lloyd's hearbreak here.

Peter's choice

Spoilers say Peter Barlow is going to drink again and is going to finally give in to his feelings for Carla.  I know that happy families on soaps are said to be boring and hardly anyone stays married for long. Love triangles are the staple of soaps and with Peter and Carla sniffing around each other for so long, I guess it was inevitable. But it still makes me sad.

I really liked Leanne and Peter and Simon as a family. They've managed to overcome an awful lot and still stick together. They're a far better family than Peter and Carla and Simon would be even if Carla discovers her inner maternal gene. I don't think Simon will take to her easily if it goes so far as to have the three of them move in together. There's no word on the horizon yet what the outcome of this all will be but if and when Leanne finds out about an affair with Carla, will she be able to get past it? Or will she take it as Karma after her fling with Nick?

And does Peter truly love Carla? We know he probably feels she understands him better than Leanne because she, too, has a drinking problem. But then, she's never really completely accepted she's got one and has never stayed sober for very long. She's not a raging drunk, but she does drink too much and she knows it but she doesn't really consider herself an alcoholic, I think.

Carla always seems to me to be the epitome of "The Other Woman" with her dark, exotic and sultry looks. She's not the type you would expect to see in the kitchen with a pinny on, busy baking chocolate chip cookies is she? She always looks more like the glamour girlfriend of a footballer. Leanne, on the other hand, is pretty but less glamourous but does have that homemaker ability.

Both women are strong and both women came from a rough background. Both are flawed and have made some big mistakes in the past but have clawed their way past them to make better lives for themselves. They've loved, lost, loved and lost again. Leanne is softer, less brittle. Carla just might have the edge over Leanne in determination.

What of Peter? Certainly, he's not a strong man. He's definitely got parent issues. He lost his mother when he was a child and his father sent him away to be brought up by his grandparents. It felt like he was abandoned by both parents. He seems to have inherited his father's gene for the lack of ability to resist women and he's carrying a chip on his shoulder the size of the Blackpool tower. He's an alcoholic, one still prone to lapses. He means well, but he doesn't always manage it. He's a screw up and a bit of a nightmare but somehow, I always thought that he and Leanne really fit together.

Carla seems to have touched something inside him. Maybe it's two damaged people reaching out, trying to keep each other from going under. For her, it does seem like she's grown to love him. This is at least the second time she's fallen hard for a man that she shouldn't. The first time, she was with Paul Connor when she fell for his brother and this time, she's gone for Peter who's married. She runs to other men that she doesn't really love (Tony, Frank) when she can't have the ones she really wanted and look how that's turned out? Also, two of her lovers/husbands have died with rumours of a death in store for Frank as well. Should Peter be worried?

Each coupling has their fans. Some do think Peter and Carla are better together than Peter and Leanne but I don't. It makes me sad that the little Barlow family may be split up. I'm also not surprised that Peter will start drinking again, though it's unknown as to whether it will be a long stretch or just a short lapse. Peter being the type of person he is, is more likely to fall off the wagon numerous times. He's weak when it comes to resolve for anything and seems to be able to resist anything except temptation.

Speculation:

If Peter leaves Leanne for Carla, I suppose it will provide storyline ramifications to play out into the future, which is what they need. How will Carla cope with a very unruly Simon who will resent her for ousting Leanne from his life? We'll definitely see little Simon acting out, maybe running away, getting into trouble. Will Leanne fight for Peter? Will she even want to ? Or will the classic soap twist happen all over again, same as when Liam was going to leave Maria for Carla... Will Leanne get pregnant just as the marriage crumbles? Carla may see her nightmare happening all over again. This time, though, maybe Leanne will refuse to take Peter back and raise the baby on her own.

In soaps, it all goes around in circles. There are only so many storylines you can tell but you can tell them each in different ways. People complain about repetitive storylines. Why do they never complain about yet another love triangle? They are the stuff soaps are made of, with standard plots and plot devices. Marriages will always fall to the influence of another woman or man. Babies will be conceived via a fling with someone, usually ill-advised. Alcoholics usually fall off the wagon. Murderers die or go to jail. Long time "villains" (like Mike Baldwin) always have some redeeming qualities. Some people are perpetual losers in love.

Thus, Peter falls off the wagon and is going to have an affair. So it goes.

edited to add: On a very related note, Inside TV has a great interview with Jane Danson and Chris Gascoyne on just this very thing!

Lloyd's Heartbreak

Usually when a man gets his heart broken on a soap, he gets drunk, he gets angry and maybe he shags or at least snogs someone else, someone he shouldn't. He might stare off into space moodily. He might snap at his mates. Maybe, just maybe, he might squeeze a little tear out or punch a hole in a wall.

That's why it's refreshing to watch pool Lloyd in bits and pieces. I don't mean that in a smug way. I just mean it's unusual to see a man barely holding his feelings back and it's unusual to see him baring his soul to his male friends and even a female friend without there being any other agenda or mis-placed snogs. You just don't see that side of a male character on a soap.

When it first happened, when he found out about Cheryl and Chris, we saw Lloyd and Steve in the bog of the pub, Lloyd crying in Steve's arms. Have you ever seen that before, one bloke holding another comforting him, in a bog no less? Girlfriends, yes. Absolutely. Then one will help fix the other's runny mascara and shore her up to go face the world again with her brave face on. But two men? Straight men? Never! Most of them are written to be far too macho for that. It's booze and broken knuckles and shattered glass usually.

I also loved the scenes with Lloyd and Becky, who wanted company to drown her sorrows the day she got her final divorce papers. The two of them listened to sad soul music ("What Becomes of the Broken Hearted" comes to mind) and downing shots of tequila while comparing notes. 

I feel so bad for Lloyd! I want to cry every time I see that adorable puppy dog face with tears brimming over. If Lloyd were a woman he'd have had mascara streaks down his cheeks for weeks! It makes it seem so much more real, seeing a man in that much distress over a bimbo that broke his heart. He really loved her, body and northern soul.

I never really believed that Cheryl loved Lloyd genuinely. I believe she liked him but he also rescued her from a bad relationship and I always thought it was more of a rebound than true love on her part. Lloyd was the knight driving a shining taxi. He stood up for her, he loved her kid, he was kind to her and gentle with her. He loved her and she deluded herself into thinking she loved him back.

Nobody suggested that Chris' tumour was to blame for his violence and indeed I don't believe it was. I think that's been going on long before there could have been any inkling of a tumour though medically, I could be wrong. Still, it wasn't brought up as a reason but as he dealt with it, he seemed to be the "old" Chris she fell in love with. In reality, he was milking it, using it for all he was worth to gain her sympathy. Sympathy and the old magic lured her back into his bed but when she found out about the lies, she went crawling back to Lloyd. To me, that's one of the worst things you can do and I'm so glad he didn't take her back.

A man's got to have his pride. He'd never trust her again and he knew it.

Lloyd has always been a really brilliant character and Craig Charles always puts in a hugely impressive performance with dramatic scenes like this. He and Simon Gregson make a superb double act and he pretty much has that sparking chemistry with anyone he's in a scene with. Except Cheryl. I'm sorry to say that I never thought the pair of them had any chemistry but that's also not down to the actress. The writers just created a character that was bland and uninteresting and it all went downhill from there, unfortunately.

Anyway, I digress somewhat.

As much as the whole Lloyd/Cheryl/Chris triangle was dreadful, it did show off Craig Charles' acting chops and gave Lloyd some great scenes, real Classic Coronation Street, I think.

Kirk plays a blinder this week

Kirkeh. He's gormless, he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, and he's true, honest, loyal and the best friend you could have. Kirk has been on Coronation Street screens since October, 2000. He is the older brother of Maria and worked at and ran the dog kennel his parents owned for quite some time.

He's shown time and time again that he can be relied on as a friend and brother and this week surely proves it. As someone that's spent most of his life working with dogs, he knew that Schmeichel was gravely ill and he knew that Chesney wasn't ready to hear it. He took the dog to the vet and broke the bad news and supported Chesney even though he knew Chesney was trying to save a dog that couldn't be saved. But he quietly waited until Ches came to the right conclusion and was there to help the lad grieve.

Later, he paid the vet for the cremation and gave Chesney the urn. What a sweet thing to do! Kirk might not always have a clue but he's kind and generous and he can be thoughtful like that.He also tried to lead a prayer moment in the pub in dedication to a great Dane which had Peter, Karl, Dev and Ciaran giggling into their pints along with me and it was a Classic Corrie moment, that!

After the kennels went out of business, Kirk worked with Ashley in the butcher shop, but I don't think he was all that good at it. Probably frustrated Ashley to no end but even so, it was hard for Ash to lay him off when times got hard. I found it very unfair of Ashley not to rehire him. He hired Graeme instead, when Ashley was already trained and he'd promised Kirk the job back if things got better. Probably Graeme was less clumsy with a cleaver, but that's not the point. How could you look at that puppy dog face of Kirk's and not feel bad?

Now he's working at the factory in the packing department. Probably safer than running a machine. This week he also proved that he's not that bad a poker player. He did learn from Les and said he never could beat him, but I reckon Les cheated! Kirk proved he had a great puh-puh-puh-poker face (sorry, couldn't resist the Gaga moment there). He bested the odious Devster and then got out while he was ahead, claiming priorities. He was hungry!

Over the years, Kirk has provided much amusement for this Corrie fan. What of the matching leather jackets he and Jason got? yes, that was a bit boyfriend/girlfriendly but it wouldn't have dawned on Kirk. He's always been the pawn in various schemes, victim of Les, Cilla, and even Tyrone and Jason, his other best mates. Recently he helped Tyrone and Tommy collar a drug dealer to help Fiz out!

Kirk is one of the lads, mates with Jason and Tyrone from away back but makes friends easily. He's the best brother you could every want. He sure has been there for Maria when it counts.

Kirk also took the blame when Gary got into a fight outside the pub, reckoning that Gary already had a record but Kirk, being clean, would get off with a caution. He hardly knew Gary but stuck his neck out because that's the kind of guy Kirk is.

I laugh at gormless Kirk but I also love him. He's such a steady guy, open and kind, honest to a fault sometimes, and he doesn't know how funny he really is. Kirk is played by the talented Andy Whyment. I've met Andy and of course he's nothing like Kirk but when you see him smile, you can't help seeing goofy Kirk. However there's a lot more behind Andy's sharp eyes than Kirk and he doesn't bumble or stumble and man, can he ever sing! That's when you realize just how much talent he really has.

What's your favourite Kirk moment?

Chesney's got to grow up

It's devastating to lose a pet. I feel for Chesney, I really do. He's desperate to hang on to his beloved Schmeichel, but there comes a time when you have to do what's best for the dog and for your family.

This storyline, to me, shows me how young Chesney really is and how much more he's got to mature. It's not a criticism. It is what it is. Chesney has always been an old soul in a young body and has had a rough life. He's been in and out of care and had his mother and Les both leave him. His sister, in his opinion, has ruined her life by hooking up with a nutter like John Stape.

But rather than give the dog up, he and his teen love decided they were old enough to move in to a flat together and have a baby. At 16. I've no doubt they'd love the child, but that's an awful lot of responsibility to carry at that young age. Chesney works in a market stall, not the most steadiest of incomes and Katy was trying to finish school before giving birth.



Now Schmeichel is very ill. Chesney is over his head in debt already, not able to keep up the rent payments on Number 5 while Fiz was in prison. He's been distracted and worried about his sister so hasn't been working. Bills are going unpaid. He swallowed his pride and accepted money from Owen for the back rent but then stole it for the veterinarian bills and is about to rack up more with an expensive operation that isn't going to really help the dog in the long run. Chesney is very emotional but Katy can't understand why he can't take responsibility for his bills and provide for her and the baby. That would be the mature thing to do. Chesney doesn't feel very mature right now but right now is not the time to have a meltdown, not with fatherhood impending.

Schmeichel was the only stable thing in his childhood for awhile. It's understandable that he'd be emotional. But if he believes he's old enough to be independent, to be a father and hold up his end of a relationship, he also needs to realize that he has to make hard decisions. Sometimes it's kinder to put an animal to sleep when there's no hope. It's the right thing to do. Everyone else knows it but Chesney can't accept it. It's as if he's reverted to being 12 again and there are no parents left to make him understand that. He won't take advice from Owen who wants to help but has his daughter to think of first.

Poor Ches. I feel bad for him but he's got to grow up and face the reality of the situation. It's going to be the most difficult thing he's had to do to date but we all know it's going to have to be done. Perhaps this will push Chesney into adulthood a bit further. He's going to need every ounce of it he can get with all his other problems on his young shoulders.