I am never quite sure what will appear in this little round up but there is usually room for Steve who has just asked Shona for some ideas for Tracy's chrimbo present - she responds with the suggestion of a muzzle which Steve acknowledges Tracy already owns - which only made me wonder is how they use it - not on Rover surely? He gets Eileen to give him the holiday in Tenerife for free but tells Tracy he has sold his vinyl to pay for it. Steve never learns does he? Tracy soon discovers the vinyl is still in the loft and that he got the holiday for free so she plans to make him pay - she tells him that Tenerife will be far more painful than Morocco (presumably she is taking the muzzle!).
Roy has had a quiet year but here he is keeping us spellbound extolling how he sees himself as very similar to "Elf", with Buddy's personal quest for contentment similar to his own, although Roy does not consider himself an elf. Profound thinking from Roy as we would expect. Later he observes the minefield of Christmas present giving (from personal experience of his mother giving him the presents she thought her son ought to receive) and the disappointment which often results.
A challenge for my readers. My wife remembers Ken and his bells. I have some faint memory that this may not be the first mention of handbells. Can anyone tell us the last time they were mentioned please? The familial reactions were typical of most family obsessions! And so the Barlow family are looking forward to bells and a nut roast. (Well except Kirk and Beth who take themselves off to the bathroom for a good stuffing - of turkey what did you think I meant?).
Digressing slightly Sally Dynevor's performance in jail as Tim visited Sally for the first time since her conviction was telling and moving. Eyes watered the second time I watched her heartfelt welcome for Tim assuring him that she had not cheated with Duncan, whilst we know that in a second he would be forced to admit to his (non-existent) adultery, therefore knowing her pleasure in seeing Tim was actually about to ruin her Christmas Day.
The milk of human happiness rarely seems to grace the Roberts/Platt/Tilsley/Hillman/MacIntyre family at Christmas time and above we can see the slapped-arse faces of Nick and Sarah (nice hair though) as Audrey gives them all a family mini-break holiday in a forest eco-lodge as a Christmas present out of her recent inheritance from Archie. Not to mention Gail's face also getting a slapped-arse look as she arrives in the Bistro to find the entire family are toasting Lewis for his comments on families.
Maureen Lipman's late husband, Jack Rosenthal, wrote episode 30 of Coronation Street and she says [in her show "Up for It"] "it feels like coming home" to be working on the Street. Here alongside her mean and difficult persona we also see there is another side to Evelyn as she has worked out that Tyrone has used his bonus to pay for Cerberus and it gives me a chance to wonder if she will be in the running for "Best Newcomer of the Year" when the awards shows come around?
With Sean away, Liz sacked, Sarah elsewhere we get a new (temporary?) barmaid - Emma - to whom Jenny turns in desperation to cover the bar as she seeks to find Johnny. That beam as she surveys her new empire is enough to power the lights on the Street for weeks.
Kirk spent much of Friday eating nuts although I missed the explanation. Have you noticed that Peanut the dog never seems to walk anywhere? Kirk and Dev are seeking to convince Peter that the long closed snooker hall (have we ever heard of it before?) is haunted. Peter is having none of it and when he later treads on a load of nuts in the snooker hall showing Simon around his new empire he knows that Kirk and Dev have been playing tricks and exacts a small revenge.
Peter and Carla have just walked across the set arm in arm and Peter offers her a private viewing of the snooker hall - she declines saying that her bath is summoning her so Peter offers to scrub her back - a suggestion which Carla simply laughs off. But has she really lost all her feelings for Peter?
It was a great Christmas week on the Street and I hope this look at the lighter side (in general) helps fill in some of the finer details which cannot always find a place elsewhere.
Extras at Work
There were various pet extras around this week (Cerberus and Peanut both appearing) but I thought Eccles deserved a look in. Having petted her, Evelyn then called her a glorified tea-cosy as Ken walked away.
Just before I sign off for the last time in 2018 a couple of words. Firstly my thanks to Flaming Nora for allowing me the opportunity to contribute to the Corrie Blog. I just do not know how she finds the time to do all the writing she does. And secondly I would also like to just briefly remember Tvor our sadly departed colleague from Canada. A much missed presence among us.
See you all in 2019.
Writers: David Isaac (Monday); Julie Jones (Tuesday); Martin Allen (Wednesday); Ella Greenhill and Chris Fewtrell (Friday)
Directors: Tessa Hoffe (Monday); Neil Alderton (Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday)
Kosmo
@Kosmo100
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