I thoroughly enjoy the interaction between the more mature actors in Corrie and I particularly enjoy Rita and Audrey, who are the most senior women in Corrie currently.
So, what a shame that they had a bit of a falling out, seemingly over money.
As viewers will know, Rita has had a bit of a windfall and has kindly decided to invest in Maria who is joining forces with Claudia in her hairdressers.
I am a little surprised by this as I hadn’t noticed a special friendship between Maria and Rita, but maybe Rita just thought that Maria needed a break. And she’s right. Maria is a single parent to Liam and being a single parent is not an easy role.
But is there more than meets the eye in Rita’s investment? My own view is that I don’t think so. Rita is good-hearted and I don’t think for one minute she would try to do down Audrey and pose a threat to her business. Initially it was Carla who was going to invest in Maria’s hairdressers, but Carla is too welded to the factory.
I found it hard to watch Audrey and Rita bickering. News travels fast of course on the cobbles, so Rita and Maria having a drink were shortly joined by Audrey and Emma. Audrey opens with, ‘How far do we go back Rita?’
‘Oh Audrey! Longer than I care to remember.’
‘Well, I expected better,’ says Audrey. ‘And as for you Maria…’
‘It’s not up to you what I do with my money or what she does with her scissors,’ says Rita.
‘And where would you be without me Maria? Back in the kennels,’ says Audrey, answering her own question.
Rita counters, ‘And where would you be without her? Closed down.’ Rita also answering her own question.
Maybe Audrey should have promoted Maria or at least offered her a share in the business. Did Audrey take Maria for granted? Was it inevitable that Maria would eventually want her own salon or a part share in a business
Rita and Audrey bustle out of the pub and Maria and Emma are left to ponder what they themselves might be like in 80 years…
All being well, Rita and Audrey will make it up to each other, but I have a nagging feeling that there is more to this fall-out than Rita investing in Maria’s future, and that the old friends will not be reconciled fully. Audrey was always a tiny bit jealous of Rita as she knew her Alfie had a soft spot for Rita and proposed marriage before he proposed to Audrey. Or might this spat be about Lewis Archer?
Maria is a good hairdresser and she has to make her own future as bright as possible for herself and for Liam She is showing ambition too, which there seems to be a dearth of among the younger cobble dwellers.
In general, then, do people forgive and forget or are they more likely to bear a grudge and take it to the grave?
By Ruth Owen, twitter: @Ruth1722
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