Because he is despicable, Les decided to take advantage of Rita's confusion and claimed he gave her a twenty for his fags and not a tenner. Rita sent him out with a flea in his ear but Alec assumed it was because of her fogginess and gave him the extra money outside. This angered Rita, and she told him where to go, but when she then cooked him a meal to apologise for flying off the handle he tried proposing again. Alma told Mike he was disgusting and she'd never forgive him for sacking Hayley. It finally pricked his conscience and he rehired her, though he warned her not to reveal her past to the staff because they'd hate her. Eric Firman announced he was retiring and selling the business to an up and coming new firm called Freshco. Maxine mentioned to Kevin that she'd seen Sally going to see Greg with a bottle of wine. When he confronted her about it she told him he was overreacting and he apologised; she promptly went round to Greg's and planned how to leave him. He suggested she walk out but not move in with him to keep the divorce simple. Greg floated the idea that it would be for the best if Kevin slept with Natalie again; when Sally mentioned that she'd understand if he resumed his affair he was rightly confused. But the saddest moment was the final appearance of The Sainted Ida Clough, a stalwart who'd been in the show, on and off, for twenty years. Sadly she simply vanished from the programme without getting a proper send-off. I like to think she's still at Underworld, stitching knickers and causing trouble, and they simply don't show her onscreen any more.
TUESDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 21st and 23rd August 1998
Curly was afraid that Freshco would lay off the existing staff, so when an American turned up in the shop he fawned all over him. (The customer was played by Billy J Mitchell, who's probably best known for getting crushed by Xenia Onatopp's thighs in GoldenEye). It turned out he was just there to shop, because Curly's new manager was actually... DUM DUM DUM... Anne Malone! Of course he was convinced she was out for revenge, but she promised him there were no hard feelings, honest guv. Sally held a raucous knicker party in the Rovers where Maxine boasted of her great sex life with Greg. She realised he was carrying on with two women at once. Natalie offered Kevin a shoulder to cry on, and he admitted he thought Sally was trying to drive him away. Greg gleefully told Sally he'd seen them together. Only 16 turned down Toyah's article and she felt deflated. To encourage her, Les and Janice bought her a laptop, but she had revenge on her mind. She phoned in an anonymous bomb threat to the magazine office but rather stupidly did it from her home phone - and the police turned up on the doorstep.
WEDNESDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 24th and 26th August 1998
Vera docked Alec's pay for spending all his time with Rita at the Kabin. She accused him of being a shirker and he decided to dissolve the partnership because the Duckworths were so petty. Alec told Rita he was returning to Southampton and she thought it was because she wouldn't marry him. The papers for the loan to buy Natalie out of the garage arrived but Sally refused to sign them. Kevin realised that she didn't want him any more and packed his bags. Sally immediately invited Greg round for the night and told Rosie that her daddy was gone for good. No wonder Rosie ended up such a mess. Anne demanded that Curly make some of his staff redundant, including Alma, but he knew that she needed the job to stay independent from Mike. He persuaded her not to let Alma go and Anne told her she was still there because of Curly's intervention. Toyah went for her literature lesson with Ken and Les caught her leaving his house. He immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion and belted Ken for being a pervert. Toyah was disgusted and embarrassed and told Les he wasn't her real Dad and Janice had dragged him from who knows where. Janice slapped her.
THURSDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 28th and 30th August 1998
Vera fretted about losing the Rovers without Alec's financial support. He said they'd have to all agree to sell the pub, and asked them to come up with a price. When they suggested £100,000 for their half he thought they were talking nonsense - until he suggested the Duckworths bought him out, at which point £100,000 sounded very reasonable. Rita thought on Alec's proposal and decided to throw caution to the wind and marry him. They decided to tie the knot as soon as possible. Greg suggested that Sally get Kevin to move back in so he could act as a babysitter. He did, though he was confused about Sally's intentions. Greg also had a business proposal for Sally; a partnership that would put Mike out of business. Of course he'd be the brains and she'd be the money. Toyah was sick of her neanderthal family and decided to go and find someone who cared about her - her real dad, down in That London. She hitched a lift from a lorry, then phoned Leanne to let her know what she was up to. Janice was worried sick and reported her disappearance to the police - but because she was sixteen, they couldn't do anything.
FRIDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 31st August and 2nd September 1998
In That London, Toyah went to see her dad, Ronnie. She called at the address she had and a man invited her in. She didn't realise that he was actually a former cellmate of Ronnie's, Neil, who'd taken over his flat. Janice and Les arrived at Ronnie's real address and broke the news to his new wife that he had a daughter up in Weatherfield. They went to his old address, and Neil sent them away; Toyah overheard and realised that the man who'd let her in wasn't actually her father. When she tried to leave he tied her up then took her out to Epping Forest. Janice realised that Toyah was probably with Neil and contacted the police. Meanwhile Toyah managed to escape, and disappeared into the woods. Kevin asked Greg why he wanted to go into business with Sally, rightly assuming he was only after her money, but he painted a picture of Sally as a budding Deborah Meaden. Guiltily, Sally made a fuss of Kevin for his birthday, but he realised something was up and went across to the factory. He caught her snogging Greg and, enraged, he chucked her and all her goods out on the Street. Anne was all sweetness and light round Curly, but she stole a book from his house then took it home and started cutting it up with a scalpel. She crafted a note together from the cut up letters then posted it with an evil smirk. Alec offered to buy the Duckworths out of the pub - for a reasonable sum - and then keep them on as live-in managers. They agreed but he insisted they didn't involve solicitors. I'm sure this is all completely above board.
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