Tonight it became clear that the Cassie nightmare continued - well it does seem that Ty is losing his hair over it. A cab firm owner, Mrs Carlisle, is also a Trustee of a charity supporting women back into work following prison sentences so Cassie letting slip that she and Abi are addicts and old lags works in their favour and Kev has a major new customer!
Elsewhere on t'Street it feels as if Phil and Kirsty have landed as it is relocation, relocation, relocation. In the most obvious co-incidence of the evening Ryan is looking for a flat and Lauren is looking for a flatmate in her new flat over at the precinct. So by the end of the episode Ryan has moved in lock, stock and smoking steroids (as spotted by Daniel when carrying a box). Lauren questions Ryan on his online activities and agrees to ring the bell three times if she returns unexpectedly when he is online. Lauren is 20 by the way.
Also on the move are newly coupled up Aadi and Courtney. The latter's addiction to bathroom occupation is driving Asha to despair alongside the constant use of the washing machine for delicate single items. Once Courtney has had her nails done so that she could look her best for job interviews they go and visit what was recently Shelly's flat (never let a good set go to waste) at the precinct and despite Aadi not being very keen Courtney makes the decision that they will take it. Aadi can hardly believe what he is hearing. Have to hope that Shelly will not pop back to haunt them!
In an all too short scene Kev, Abi and Ty chew over the events of the day and lay bets on the Rovers and who will use it now and in the future. For some of us this is why we watch Corrie. No particular plot advancement, no particular issue to be discussed, just the end of day chat at work before lowering the shutters and dispersing for the day. More please Corrie MUCH MORE!
Elsewhere Paul is able to get his wedding suit on and has decided to walk down the aisle. But only with Bernie on one side and Gemma on the other. Brave man.
I think this is the second time this bunch of ne'er do wells has been spotted hanging around - they abuse Ryan as he walks past as he moves - but I think they may have a bigger storyline coming.
I assume Stephen has sorted Audrey's mortgage, but I doubt it. The police are unable to find Teddy - apparently he never returned to Canada on any plane and Stephen suddenly recalls that when Teddy spoke to him "from Canada" it was from an unknown number. Stephen is getting nervous and decides (probably far too transparently) that having been involved in three deaths might not in itself make him a serial killer (Leo was a sort of accident) but the authorities are closing in and making himself scarce in say Thailand might be beneficial at this point in time.
The Man from Waterfords is a far cry from the Man from Del Monte. Not only does he not say yes, he waltzes into the Rovers and tells the assembled might of Glenda, Daisy and Sean that their services are no longer required. Zero hours contracts, zero hours notice - get thyselves gone from this benighted establishment. They had contractors ready to proceed on redevelopment of another property but following the takeover the need for a makeover of the Rovers Return had been elevated to the highest priority as continuing with a loss-making back street spit and sawdust traditional boozer was a long way away from the corporate aims which the Area Manager would be imposing on the natives with nary a word of explanation. Even J-Co has only four weeks to vacate the flat and given that the property would be boarded up in the morning she might consider it beneficial to relocate first thing in the morning.

Ah well, out of a sow's ear a silk purse is created as the team determine that the owners can afford to stand closing-down drinks for the evening and local social media (which does not seem to reach Platt talk or what ever the group chat is called) lights up with free drinks all night until they drink the pub dry. Asha redeems herself by working out that in the last 33 years Steve has consumed more than 17,000 pints of the various amber nectars which have been available at the bar. Rita and Ken discuss years and weddings past and Kirk thinks that drinks are always free on Tuesday evenings (and how would we know as Corrie never airs on Tuesdays!). in the back Jenny is packing as she and Rita discuss matters. Jenny is considering the trip to Thailand and Rita wishes she had travelled more and seen more of the world. [She and Ken should go on a World Cruise!]. So farewell Rovers Return. Although Paul observed earlier that perhaps pubs have an afterlife and we will be haunted by the Rovers Return - or perhaps a block of flats to ease overcrowding at Eileen's.
In homage to Rita and Barbara Knox's 90th birthday this is my last post for quite some time - I am off on my travels again. On Sunday the "Out of Office" will be fired up and we are off to Pisa, Corsica and Sardinia. I will return for about 10 days - so will just about catch up before we head off again to the Deep South of the USA and it will be somewhere around mid-November when I hope to be back in my normal Friday night berth. And early warning - we have six holidays / breaks booked already for 2024, although not all of them will mean a Friday absence some will.
So a few wishes for when I return. Ryan has listened to the clamour of voices and is coming to terms with his changed life. That Corrie has far more character scenes, that Stephen has finally been caught out on just one of his many lies (can he even remember whom he has told what?) and of course above all that the Rovers will have Returned and by some hook or crook Jenny is still on t'Street, even if not running the Rovers.
Written by Susan Oudot and Simon Crowther. Directed by Becky Wild.
Kosmo