Coronation Street

- Season 22

(1980)

Len refuses to let Rita sing at the Gatsby Club as its New Year's Eve. Ken returns from Glasgow with Susan Barlow. Rita is furious when Len promises her a big night out at a new club but forgets to get tickets. Deirdre and Susan like each other. Ken is put out at Susan's sexy clothes when she dresses up for a Community Centre disco. Ken and Deirdre decide not to go out but see the New Year in together at No. 1. Alf is chosen to let the New Year in at the Rovers. He gets kidnapped by a group of three women going to a party at Molly Coggan's house in Bessie Street. Fred...

The men return at 7.00am after spending the night with fifteen women at 32 Bessie Street. They go for an early morning "Hair of the Dog" in the Rovers and decide to tell everyone Alf tripped and fell and they all took him to hospital. As soon as they see their wives they crack and tell the truth. Ken lectures Susan about bringing Roy Stevenson home. Elsie runs short of money. Fred tells Annie about Alf going to hospital and is annoyed that the others have confessed. Annie finds out the truth when she rings the hospital and pleases the women by presenting their ...

Rita tells Len she wants a decent home to live in. Len tells her to make a list of alterations. Jim Sedgewick tells Emily and Gail he's bought the cafe off Joe Dawson. Susan returns to Glasgow. Elsie asks Mike for her old job back, promising she'll be reliable. He tells her that he does need someone to help him at the factory. Gail fears Sedgewick will sack her. Rita gives Len her required alterations for No. 9, which include knocking the two rooms into one and a fitted kitchen. She accuses him of not caring and rips the list up. She tells him that she's sick of the ...

Len tells a gullible Hilda that Aspinall's are paying their girls' fares to France. Emily is unhappy when Jim Sedgewick installs a one-armed bandit in the cafe. He tells her that he means to make the place pay. Ivy is livid when Elsie appears in the sewing room to see Mike however he refuses to re-employ her as she walked out on the job. Elsie kids on to the girls that she'll be returning as supervisor. Rita is fed up with No. 9 and Len's attitude towards her when he refuses her a new kitchen and structural changes to the house. She tells Len she's had enough. Ivy ...

Rita gets a room at a theatrical lodging house in Clarence Street, Salford run by Poppy Watts where she meets an old showbiz friend, Ossie Oswald. Len tells the neighbours that Rita is ill. Jim Sedgewick changes the cafe around, getting rid of the old counter and installing the cooking equipment in the shop and a new employee - Mrs Bolton. Elsie rows with Ivy in the Rovers calling her a "tin pot busybody" and blames her for not getting the job. Rita phones Mavis and tells her that she's left Len for good. Emily tries to make the greasy meals more attractive but the ...

Jim Sedgewick renames the cafe "Jim's Cafe". When one of the girls can't go to France, Ida and Ivy both want the place. Mike tosses a coin. He tells Ivy she can go even though the coin comes up in Ida's favour. Elsie goes for an interview at a gown shop. She doesn't get the job. Hilda, Vera and Ivy leave for France and Vera tries to chat up the Coach Driver. When a lorry driver, Fangio, pats Gail's bottom, Emily threatens to throw him out. She tells Sedgewick the place is a pigsty and refuses to work in it anymore. Len tells Mavis that Rita will be back. Rita contacts...

Rita asks Mavis to get her cabaret clothes out of the house behind Len's back. Mavis refuses to get involved. Eddie asks Stan if he can use the house whilst Hilda is away to court Lorna Ferguson - Stan agrees. Gail can't cope on her own as Mrs Bolton is too slow. Jim Sedgewick helps out and tells her that she'll have to work Sunday as well. She protests but he threatens to sack her if she doesn't. Rita returns home for her dresses. Fred tells Len he's seen her and Len returns home in time to catch her. He assumes she's back to stay and gloats. She tells him that she's...

Elsie cooks for Len. She tells him that he should swallow his pride; his marriage is worth fighting for. Eddie goes for his dinner with Lorna Ferguson. Rita gives Mavis her address in Salford. Brian is annoyed that Jim Sedgewick is working Gail too hard. Fred gives Stan £3 to let him entertain a woman at No. 13 for the evening. Elsie advises Mavis to give Rita's address to Len, telling her that she's the only one who can reconcile them. She gives him the address. Eddie tells Stan he wants to entertain Lorna in the house; Fred will have to go somewhere else. Ralph ...

Deirdre throws a party for Tracy's third birthday. Lorna Ferguson helps Stan tidy No. 13 as Hilda is returning. Len tells Elsie he's angry with himself for letting Rita slip through his fingers. Hilda, Vera and Ivy return from France. Hilda is suspicious as the house is so tidy. She gives Stan a model of the Eiffel tower as a present. Len offers Rita's job at the Kabin to Elsie. She turns it down for Rita's sake. Fred tells Hilda he wants £3 from Stan. Mrs Bolton walks out of the cafe, leaving Gail on her own. Elsie agrees to join the staff.

Stan tells Hilda the £3 was a bet from Fred and the house is tidy as Lorna Ferguson tidied up. She refuses to believe Lorna exists. Elsie starts work at Jim's Cafe. Ken and Alf looks for somewhere for Ena to stay as her flat is being decorated. Fred tells Hilda that Stan has been renting the house out to couples. She is horrified and threatens Stan with a poker for using the house for lust and immorality. Eddie turns up with Lorna - Hilda is surprised that she's so respectable. Hilda encourages Lorna to go steady with Eddie who gets nervous that marriage is being ...

The Town Hall receives a letter from Charleville complaining about the workers' behaviour. Ivy tells Vera she's in trouble. Ena doesn't like the idea of living with Elsie but has little choice as the builders move into the Community Centre. Annie is ill and Betty and Bet have to man the Rovers. Vera worries that the Charleville police might be after her. Ena moves into No. 11, horrified by the state of it. She sets to tidying up and stocking the kitchen. Les Carter, a reporter on the Gazette, investigates the French going-ons. Getting nothing from Bet, he turns up in ...

Mavis is advised to contact the police when her mysterious caller continues to harass her. Ken tells Albert that he is considering proposing to Deirdre. Rita's absence is common gossip and Len decides to go in search of his wife.

Mavis fears that the police do not take her complaint seriously. Ken is annoyed to learn that Albert has been gossiping about his relationship with Deirdre. Len continues to search for Rita.

Len searches out Harry Bates to see if he's seen Rita. Albert thinks Deirdre is taking Ken for a ride. When the caller rings, Mavis tells him off for not turning up. She arranges to meet him again. Albert tells Ken that Deirdre is a load of trouble and advises him to stay clear of her. Len tells Annie that Harry says he hasn't seen Rita in years. Mavis waits in the same spot in the precinct. Eddie sees her and stops for a chat, the police jump him and arrest him for being the caller. Mavis follows them on to the police station and makes them see he's not the man. Gail...

Brian spends the night on the sofa. Deirdre goes to see Blanche so Mavis is alone again. She tells Len she can't cope so Len tells her to hire someone. Ivy wants to know why Brian and Gail are arguing. Mavis doesn't like Doreen Lovell who is sent from the Job Centre as she's bossy but Len takes her on. Len gets dressed up to go to the new Playmates club in town with Mike but Mike dumps him for a girl. Brian accuses Gail of being a nag. Gail is upset that Brian isn't saving properly. Elsie cheers her up by telling her it'll get a lot worse. A drunk Len tries to get ...

Renee and Alf discover Bet owes over £20 for cigarettes she's taken while living in the flat. Alf tells Renee it's nothing to do with him. Bert tries to give Brian some marital advice but Brian isn't interested. Doreen Lovell treats Mavis like a junior. Ivy thinks Brian has fallen out with Gail about her overspending. Gail is outraged and gets Brian to tell Ivy it was him who was overspending, not her. Mavis puts Doreen onto a better job at a dress shop and is relieved when she's taken on. Alf fails to get the money out of Bet. Brian and Gail make up. Sam Littlewood ...

Fred upsets Hilda by telling her Stan doesn't care about her and it's obvious she's spent her whole life supporting him. She is so angry she walks out of the Rovers in the middle of her work. Stan gets a letter from a solicitor asking him to call. Betty is furious that Fred has upset Hilda into resigning, especially as Annie is away and she's responsible for the pub. Ken tries to explain to Emily why he can't marry Deirdre. Hilda urges Stan to go to the solicitors but he fears they might have something on him. At the cafe Elsie is persuaded to take lorry driver Ian ...

Elsie enjoys having Ian McAllister about the house. Alf asks Len to look at his guttering but Len tells him he's off to Blackpool to find Rita. Stan is nervous of what the solicitors want and avoids them. Renee gossips to Emily about Ian. The solicitors, Rosenfield, Blackburn and Fox, write again telling Stan that Dora Entwistle of 2, Chapel Yard in Weatherfield has named him as a beneficiary in her will. Hilda wants to know who she was to Stan. He says he's never heard of her. Len finds Rita working at the launderette in Blackpool that Sam told her about. She is ...

A fed-up Mavis decides to take someone on at The Kabin without consulting Len. Len realises his marriage is over. He breaks down, telling Elsie he loves Rita. After being upbraided by Mrs Tetlow for giving her the wrong change, Mavis takes cheerful papergirl Louise Clayton on at The Kabin full-time. Rita returns home for good. She tells a relieved Len she realises he's the closest person to her and she can't leave him - she can't face the future on her own. Len thanks her for returning. Stan is left £100 and a pot dog by Dora Entwistle. Annie reads of the bequest in ...

Elsie puts Dan Johnson up for the night, but tells him it's a one-off. Rita tells Len she's not returning to The Kabin. She tells Len she wants to be a housewife. Louise Clayton starts work at The Kabin, and she provides a record player so they can play the stock. Stan is unable to cash his inheritance cheque as he hasn't got a bank account. Annie cashes the cheque for him. Rita braves the Rovers' customers. She tells Louise she can stay on at The Kabin as she's retired. Rita tells Mavis she wants to start afresh with Len, away from the Street. Hilda threatens to ...

Annie decides to extend the food menu at the Rovers. She starts soup and sandwiches. Betty, Bet and Fred realise it'll mean extra work. Fred is voted to ask Annie for more money. Len and Rita look at some houses near the East Lancs Road at Rita's insistence. Hilda is hurt when Annie spurns her offer to assist at lunchtimes. Deirdre returns from Blanche's. Elsie continues to put Dan Johnson up. Rita wants a semi but Len is horrified at the thought of paying £25,000 for a house. Annie agrees to give the staff a pay rise and, at Fred's suggestion, considers having a bell...

Fred installs the bell push in the Rovers, much to Betty's disdain. Rita and Len view a house in Handforth owned by Mrs Lambert. Brian is annoyed that Gail is chatted up a lot by lorry drivers at the cafe. Elsie is flattered as Dan Johnson appears to fancy her. Brian finds Fangio with his arm round Gail. Elsie has to stop him from fighting. Len doesn't like the house as it's surrounded by golf-playing neighbours who have Sunday morning drink parties. Things are awkward between Ken and Deirdre when they meet. Rita realises the house isn't for Len and is taken aback ...

Olive Taylor-Brown, a friend of Annie's, is to call on her from Derbyshire to go to a Ladies' Evening. Annie gets Hilda cleaning to await her arrival. Len installs new kitchen units at No. 9 with Eddie. A lorry driver, Ernie, tells Gail that Dan Johnson has a woman in every city. She tells Elsie. Elsie tells her it's nothing to do with her and is cool towards Dan when he arrives to stay. Dan asks Ernie if he's been saying anything and he tells him of his conversation with Gail. Hilda noses round the improvements at No. 9. Fred chauffeurs Mrs Taylor-Brown to the Rovers...

Annie has the staff waiting on her lunch table to impress Olive Taylor-Brown although they fail to respond to her bell calls as they are so busy and Hilda has to step in. Bet flirts with Dan Johnson. He takes a fancy to her and asks her out. Betty warns her that Elsie won't like it. Fred is forced to chauffeur Annie and Olive to their Ladies' Evening. Dan tells Elsie he's meeting a mate but really goes out with Bet. Fred puts Annie's handbag on the car roof and it falls off when he drives away from the Rovers. Stan finds it and gives it to Hilda. Hilda sets off to the...

As penance for losing the handbag, Fred "volunteers" to give up his day off to drive Olive Taylor-Brown home to Derbyshire. Mike considers making Ivy supervisor. Bert tells Ivy. When Elsie tackles Bet about Dan Johnson, she apologises. Elsie warns her not to make a fool of her. Bet tells her Dan told her he was a free agent. Elsie accuses Bet of throwing herself at Dan. When Bet accuses her of keeping an open house for lorry drivers Elsie calls her a foul-mouthed, cheap, floozy. Len stops them fighting. Aspinall's buyer, Pauline Stringer looks over the factory, ...

Len is furious that the porn salesman managed to leave stock at The Kabin. He tells Mavis to burn it all but she points out it's sale or return and they all cost £10. Mike lets Ivy believe she's going to be supervisor. Emily admits to Deirdre that she feels trapped in the house with Tracy. Deirdre realises she's been taking her for granted and won't take the job. Mavis is aghast when the porn salesman offers her a commission for selling his magazines. She throws him and the magazines out. She complains to the salesman's boss. Aspinall's offers Pauline £10 a week more ...

Vera tells Alf and Renee that she is delighted that Pauline Stringer has been taken on by Mike as she's on the side of the workers. Len paints old radiators to look new to make up the central heating system at No. 9 and pays Eddie to do some work for him. Pauline does a timekeeping assessment, interesting Mike who sees an opportunity to sack a few people. He is disturbed to find she reads Socialist Worker. Rita sees the old radiators and Len and Eddie cover for where they're intended for. Len gives her money to go shopping and get her out of the way. Deirdre reminds ...

Vera tells Alf and Renee that Ida is challenging Ivy for the stop steward job. Albert doesn't like Ena staying at No. 1 and urges Ken to get her flat ready quickly. Belshaw's send Len a cheque. Eddie can now get his £30 owing but Len refuses him a bonus for getting the money for him. Ivy and Ida bicker over the sewing machines about the election. Mike is nervous about who will win. Deirdre is despondent that work is slow to come in. Flying Horse landlord Tony Hayes has challenged Fred to a barbershop competition with the Rovers and he tries to find a quartet. Renee ...

Susan Barlow turns up unannounced with boyfriend Duncan Craig who she is on a cycling holiday with. Ken is delighted to see them but is shocked that they're holidaying together. Rita is annoyed that the radiators are old - she accuses Len of palming her off with rubbish. Renee dresses up as a man for the barbershop quartet contest. Rita is pleased when Len finishes the central heating. Tony Hayes complains about Renee being in the quartet but backs down when Ivy threatens a female boycott on the Flying Horse. Fred has to admit that the Flying Horse quartet are better ...

Rita is thrilled to wake up in a warm house for the first time in her life. Susan tells Ken that both she and Peter wish he'd marry again. She is angry that Ken doesn't trust her with Duncan Craig and makes him see that she isn't a child anymore. Duncan and Susan leave for Wales. Ken is pleased at Susan's mature attitude but Albert sulks that he didn't stop them going off together. Ivy snoops round Len's alterations at No. 9 and is surprised that it looks so nice after having been catty to Rita earlier. Mavis fears no one will come to her party. When Rita sees the ...

Hilda gets the chance of a free lift to Chesterfield to visit Trevor Ogden overnight and takes advantage of it. Gail buys a seascape picture and Ivy lets her hang it at No. 5. Bet gets a night off to spend with Dan Johnson. Hilda gives Eddie permission to entertain a girl for the evening at No. 13 in her absence as she thinks he means Lorna Ferguson but he brings Pat Marshall round instead. She frightens Stan. Eddie is put out when she wants to hang round Stan instead of him. Dan assures Bet there was nothing between him and Elsie. Brian and Gail plan to throw their ...

Dan and Bet have spent the night together. Hilda hurts Stan by telling him the idea of him having another woman is like expecting to find a whale in a tin of sardines. Gail is upset that the dinner party has to be put off. Renee is furious when Bet and Dan leave the flat in the morning through the shop in front of Annie. Eddie soft-soaps Hilda and she tells him that he can bring Pat Marshall round again if he wants to; she'll throw water over Stan if needed. Ivy tells Gail that she understands her frustrations about not living in her own house. Bet promises to keep ...

Renee is furious when Dan Johnson spends another night with Bet. The Coronation Street Secretarial Bureau opens. Deirdre deals with typing whilst Emily book-keeps. Bet is besotted with Dan. Emily takes a call from a Mr Bateman who wants to use the Bureau's services. She thinks she recognises his voice . When he calls round it is Fangio who has set up his own haulage service and gives Deirdre typing to do - she is attracted to him but Emily is not pleased. Alf and Renee tell Bet that if she doesn't stop letting Dan stay the night she'll have to leave the flat. She is ...

Bet assures Betty she won't bring Dan Johnson to her house. Arnold Swain gives his pet shop books to Emily to work on. Hilda drags Stan to the bingo. Ivy and Vera go together and pool their money. Bet is disappointed when Dan is caught up in Birmingham. Stan sneaks off to the Legion and leaves Hilda to mark his card as well as her own. She is upset when she doesn't win the jackpot. Jeff Bateman calls for his work but Deirdre is out. He calls at the Rovers and finds that she is separated. Vera wins a game but Hilda thinks it's with one of Stan's cards that he left ...

Mavis goes down with flu. She struggles with the shop, feeling Louise is too young to run it alone but Louise makes her go to bed. Ivy and Gail realise No. 5 is too small for two wives. Dan Johnson returns and he is put out to find Bet has left the flat. Ivy is annoyed when Gail makes her feel guilty for doing things for Brian. Rita agrees to help out at The Kabin as Mavis is ill. Bet views a bedsitter on Ludlow Avenue. She is depressed that she's still living in grotty flats with shared bathrooms. Hilda and Vera row in the Street over the bingo prize. Hilda calls ...

Bet enjoys having a love nest with Dan Johnson in her Ludlow Avenue flat. Rita gets tired of looking after Mavis and gets Albert to sit with her. He makes her feel worse. When Bet is an hour late for work, Annie warns her not to let her love-life upset her working life again. Rita decides she's missed working at The Kabin and tells Len she wants to return permanently. She plans to supervise Mavis and Louise. Bet is upset when Dan has to return to London. Gail and Brian put the deposit down on a plot for a £16,000 house. Gail longs to live in 16 Willow Crescent. Ivy ...

Deirdre is amused to type a manuscript from a local authoress of racy stories. Arnold is impressed by Emily's work and gives the Bureau more jobs. He asks Emily out some time. The building society gives the Tilsleys a 95% mortgage. Gail is delighted. Mavis is annoyed that Rita has returned to work as manageress. Rita tells her it'll only be part-time. Emily is touched by a poem Arnold has written which she finds in his typing. Brian discovers they'll need £1,000 cash to buy the house and they've only got £400. Louise can't face the idea of working under Rita and ...

Deirdre makes Emily excited about her date with Arnold. Rita offers Louise an extra £1 a week to return. When she refuses Rita gives her her cards. Deirdre makes Emily up and she goes for a French meal with Arnold. Bert and Ivy look forward to their holiday in Benidorm with the Duckworths. Brian sells his record player to help with the deposit. Louise's father, Jack Clayton, accuses Rita of sacking his daughter and argues with her. She sees him off. Annie tells Elsie she's worried that Bet is heading for a fall with Dan Johnson. Ivy gives Brian and Gail the £300 they ...

Bert guesses that Ivy has given Brian their holiday money. He is furious; they need a holiday. Bet befriends neighbour Keith Sadler. Stan refuses to drink in the Rovers when Annie puts the prices up and instead he goes to the British Legion. Vera looks forward to holidaying in Benidorm. She is furious when the Tilsleys back out as she's paid a deposit on an apartment for four. Brian pays the deposit on the house. Stan pins the Labour Club's bar price list on the Rovers' wall so everyone can see how more expensive the Rovers is. Annie is furious and bars Stan from the ...

Vera refuses to speak to Ivy. Ida enjoys mixing things between them. Hilda accuses Annie of victimisation. Annie is annoyed when some of the customers take Stan's side against her. Ken accuses her of being biased against the Ogdens. Mike invites Pauline Stringer out for a drink, telling her to break her date. Stan puts the price of his window cleaning up. Three of his customers refuse to pay and tell him not to call again. Ken brings Stan into the Rovers for a drink and tells Annie if she doesn't serve him then her regulars will walk out. Annie tells Ken it was merely...

Bert tells Ivy they'll have to pay the Duckworths' deposits back. Audrey arrives from Bury and Gail and Brian take her to see the house plot. Bet lets Keith Sadler use her board to iron his clothes. Dan Johnson turns up and catches him in the flat alone. Bet returns from the shops and is pleased to see that Dan is jealous. Pauline Stringer accuses Mike of trying to corrupt her with the high life. He tells her that he knows she's not really a socialist. She storms out. Ivy tells Brian to watch Gail, else she'll spend every penny they'll ever have, like her mother. He ...

The Ogdens take to their bed, struck down by flu. Emily breaks a date with Mavis to spend the evening with Arnold. Mike and Pauline enjoy their newfound intimacy.

Emily treads cautiously with regard to Arnold's offer of advice on her financial affairs. Annie pays a visit to the bed-ridden Ogdens. Mike overrules Pauline's decision about a shopping hour for the factory girls.

Arnold advises Emily to invest her money in stocks and shares. Ivy works out a shopping rota for the machinists. Deirdre types up a letter for Arnold to his bank manager, asking for his overdraft to be extended. Emily wonders what his financial position is. Hilda gets bored, stuck in bed with Stan. Emily fears Arnold is after her money. Annie pays a sick visit to the Ogdens, to Hilda's shame. Mike refuses to let the girls have a shopping hour. He tells Pauline he's not running a charity. Pauline is furious and accuses him of destroying her authority with the workers. ...

Gail tells Brian she thinks that she's pregnant. He doesn't see how she can be as she's on the pill. Mike offers Ivy the supervisor's job on the condition that she mans the machines during sickness and holidays. He offers her an extra £10 a week to be a "working manager". Ivy takes it. Bert is delighted. Gail goes to the doctor's for tests. Arnold gives Emily his stockbroker's name and invites her to the theatre. She turns him down and makes it clear she doesn't want to go out with him in the future. Gail tells Brian she is definitely pregnant.

Brian and Gail are pleased that she's pregnant. Ida tells Ivy she shouldn't be shop steward as well as supervisor. Ivy agrees and tells her that she can be shop steward. Ida is furious when Ivy tells her that her work isn't up to standard. Gail and Brian tell the Tilsleys about the baby - they are delighted. Deirdre phones Arnold's stockbroker and discovers he has all his money well invested. Emily is pleased and relieved but thinks she's made a fool of herself. Deirdre advises her to make contact with Arnold. Arnold is pleased when Emily calls at the pet shop. He ...

Gail suffers from morning sickness. Eddie sells a hanging basket chair to Mavis for £20. Bert tells Brian he feels they won't be able to afford the mortgage. Brian doesn't want to lower his sights. Bert and Ivy urge them to back out of the mortgage as the debt will be crippling. Gail feels that she doesn't want a cheaper house and they'll manage. Brian tells her that he thinks his parents are right. Audrey arrives as soon as she hears about the baby. Eddie agrees to fix the chair up for Mavis. Emily takes Arnold to the Rovers. Annie gives him the once over and decides...

Brian is angry with Gail for forgetting to take the pill. Emily finds it difficult believing that a man is interested in her. Gail is sad that Brian isn't happy about having a baby. She is stunned when he suggests she has an abortion. Ivy is horrified and reminds him that she lost three babies before he was born. Gail is upset that it was Audrey who first suggested an abortion. Ivy slaps Brian across the face. Eddie fixes the hanging basket up in Mavis's flat. Deirdre makes excuses to be out of the way so Emily can entertain Arnold. Renee pushes Alf to take up tennis ...

Brian is angry with Gail for forgetting to take the pill. Emily finds it difficult believing that a man is interested in her. Gail is sad that Brian isn't happy about having a baby. She is stunned when he suggests she has an abortion. Ivy is horrified and reminds him that she lost three babies before he was born. Gail is upset that it was Audrey who first suggested an abortion. Ivy slaps Brian across the face. Eddie fixes the hanging basket up in Mavis's flat. Deirdre makes excuses to be out of the way so Emily can entertain Arnold. Renee pushes Alf to take up tennis ...

Elsie is concerned for Martin as he is despondent about getting a job. She tells him that he can stay with her if Linda agrees. Martin looks for a job at a builders. Eddie puts him off talking to Len. Brian lets slip to Fred and Betty that Gail is pregnant. Gail isn't bothered and Ivy is pleased they can now talk about it to everyone. Elsie urges Martin to take no notice of Eddie and speak to Len himself. Arnold takes Emily and Tracy to the park. Rita is annoyed that Len is so impatient with Mavis. Martin tells Len he wants to be a plumber. Len takes him on as an ...

The Roberts return from a week's holiday in Grange-over-Sands. Renee is fed up to be back with life in Weatherfield. Emily doesn't know whether or not to accept Arnold's proposal. Eddie bosses Martin around at the Yard and makes him call him "Mr. Yeats". He tells Martin he only got his job because Len fancies his gran. Eddie is annoyed when Len gives Martin good jobs whilst he has to continue labouring. Ken organises a raffle for the OAP's. It is to win a date with the mystery man - "Mr. Wonderful". Eddie tries to impress Len but he is only interested in Martin's work...

Arnold tells Emily he realises he tried to rush her. He tells her that he'll keep trying. She is embarrassed and asks him to forget it. She tells him that she's made up her mind and will never want to marry him although she is flattered. Arnold tells Deirdre that Emily won't marry him. She tells him that she'll try and win Emily round for him. Martin tells Eddie that Len is planning to sack him. Arnold sends Emily roses. Len tells Eddie there isn't enough work for three. Eddie is upset that he's been cast aside. Renee wins Alf round to the idea of moving by saying ...

Ken refuses to tell who the mystery man in the "Mr. Wonderful" competition is, although everyone thinks it's him. Renee is desperate to move and wants to view premises. Annie remembers Jack as it's ten years to the day since he died. Deirdre tells Emily she'd be silly to let Arnold go. Emily tells her that she is not marrying Arnold and is annoyed he has asked Deirdre to be on his side. Mavis is horrified that Emily has turned down Arnold's proposal. She thinks it's a miracle that someone has proposed to her. Emily agrees to be Arnold's friend so long as he realises ...

The vendors tell the Roberts that the sub-post office in Grange-over-Sands is theirs if they want it - Renee can't believe it. Eddie forms his own company, and tries to sell shares in it for £10 a time. Mike chauffeurs Hilda around. She has her hair done for their night out at the Ristorante Roma. Stan is jealous. Mavis feels she's on her way to becoming an old maid and is upset. No one is interested in Eddie's company. Emily drags Mavis along when Arnold takes her out. Mavis feels sick in his car. Mike offers Hilda the £40 the meal will cost as he doesn't want to ...

Elsie falls asleep and sets the sofa alight, leaving Hilda to administer a timely rescue. Arnold and Emily hold an engagement party. Alf and Renee show some prospective buyers around the Corner Shop.

Hilda calls round to Elsie to borrow a cup of sugar. She finds the sofa ablaze and tries to drag Elsie clear but she has to call for Stan to help. Ken and Deirdre talk to each other at the party for the first time since they split. He tries to be close to her but she isn't interested. Stan and Hilda drag Elsie out of the smoke-filled house. Hilda breaks up Arnold and Emily's party for help. The fire brigade arrive but Ken and Stan have already put the fire out. Elsie is full of smoke but refuses to go to hospital. Dr Crawford advises her to give up smoking. Emily ...

Elsie can't settle at Emily's. She has a chesty cough from the smoke and she refuses to stop smoking. Hilda makes a nuisance of herself by checking up on Elsie all the time, pushing home the point that she saved her. Eddie turns himself into a decorating business but no one wants his services. Alf is annoyed when Renee dresses up for her driving lessons. Elsie has difficulty referring to Hilda as her friend and feels obliged to buy her drinks. Hilda tells Stan and Eddie that they're now best friends but Elsie rages to Martin that she can't take much more.

Eddie has been thrown out of his room at Monkey Gibbons's house and he looks for fresh digs. Hilda refuses to take him in until he has a job. Elsie refuses to buy any more drinks for Hilda. Ken gives Eddie a reference as he goes job-hunting. Ivy is annoyed to discover Gail has been looking into employing a childminder. Eddie gets a job and Hilda agrees to him becoming their lodger before discovering he's a binman. She tells him that she's not having rubbish in the house. Elsie buys Hilda a noticeboard so she can note down when she's out of things and won't keep ...

Alf tells Renee he doesn't like her driving with another man but she refuses to stop them. Bert works out for Brian how much his weekly outgoings will be. Stan and Hilda decide to invite Eddie to move in as they feel they're the nearest to family he's got. Betty worries about the Fletchers. Ken advises her to report their mother to the NSPCC. Brian discovers they'll have £17 a week left to live on. Gail is sure they'll cope. When Renee spends all morning driving, Alf storms out of the shop and drinks in the Rovers. He worries about money; he wanted £16,000 for the ...

Eddie starts on the bins. Alf and Renee quarrel when he refuses to give her driving lessons as his insurance doesn't cover her. Len advises them as they are having to change their cover for their new address, they might as well add Renee to the policy. Annie advises Betty to take care in her interest over the Fletcher children. Brian goes to the Building Society and cancels the mortgage. They get the deposit back but not the plot fee or the survey so they are £80 down. Eddie moves into No. 13 and Hilda enjoys being a landlady to him. Brian gives the £300 back to Bert ...

Alf refuses to take Renee out in the car again. Betty worries that if she alerts the authorities over the Fletchers their 'uncle' will take it out on them. Gail isn't keen on Peterloo Place. The Post Master tells Alf he can have the sub-post office. The Roberts celebrate. They go to a country pub. As he's been drinking, Alf lets Renee drive home. Betty phones the NSPCC about the Fletchers. Bert and Ivy look at 15 Peterloo Place and think the house is a bargain. Gail tells Brian to make an offer on the house. The Roberts get lost in the country, Renee stalls the car at...

Police and ambulancemen arrive at the crash site. Renee is rushed to hospital. Alf goes with her and is breathalysed. The crystals turn green. Renee undergoes emergency surgery but she dies in the theatre. Her spleen and her liver were both ruptured. The next morning, the news of Renee's death shocks the residents. Alf doesn't know what to do about anything. P.C. White makes him go over the accident for their report. The driver of the lorry has a broken leg and concussion and Renee's PM is set for this morning. The NSPCC make an appointment to see Betty. The Willow ...

Alf blames himself for letting Renee drive. He is upset as he can't remember what she looked like when she smiled. Hilda buys a new hat for Renee's funeral and tells Stan and Eddie one of them will have to accompany her. Betty controls her grief by looking after the shop for Alf. Daisy Hibbert arrives and puts a strain on Alf by demanding all the grief for herself. Inspector Vaughn - an NSPCC official - visits Betty. She tells him about the Fletchers' neglect and her fears for the children. She is assured her name will be kept out of the investigation. Daisy discovers...

Stan refuses to go to the funeral so Eddie has to. Annie, Elsie, Ivy, Betty, Ken, Mike, Hilda and Eddie attend, along with Alf and Renee's family. Renee is cremated. The Fletchers' "uncle", Reg Sudworth turns on Betty, realising she reported him. He calls her interfering and threatens her. Mike and Eddie walk in on them in the Corner Shop and scare Sudworth off. Ivy takes care of the catering at the funeral tea. P.C. White calls and tells Alf that his blood test was negative. Alf gives Daisy Hibbert a photograph of Renee and him. She tears him off the picture and ...

Bert is tired of working nights. Annie tries to keep her birthday a secret. Deirdre agrees to be Emily's Matron of Honour, with Tracy as a bridesmaid. Ivy goes with Brian and Gail to view the new house. Mrs Fletcher calls on Betty and tells her that Reg Sudworth has left her and she accuses Betty of ruining her life. Annie assures her she did the right thing. Emily is surprised that Arnold wants to marry in the Weatherfield Register Office. She agrees but is upset that he is not a religious person. The Tilsleys look at 5 Buxton Close. Gail thinks it's perfect. Mavis ...

Brian accuses Gail of emotional blackmail. He refuses to be pressured. Emily decides she would really like a church wedding. Deirdre tells her to stick up for herself. The NSPCC's Inspector Vaughn tells Betty that she should be proud of what she did. Gail worries when the 5 Buxton Close manager needs an answer by the end of the day but she can't get hold of Brian. Alf finds it hard coping with the shop on his own. Arnold tosses a coin to see where they should marry. Gail is furious to find Brian has been drinking in the Rovers. Alf tells Mr. Bannister that he's no ...

Gail and Brian move into 5 Buxton Close helped by Brian's friend Andy Rowlands. They haven't a bed and don't know if they can take the one at Ivy's house with them. With Annie and Betty away, Fred is instructed to take on a relief barmaid. The brewery sends Arlene Jones. Fred fancies her. Bet kids her that Fred has something mentally wrong with him. When some machinists fall ill, Mike mans a machine himself to get an important order out - the girls are amazed. The Faircloughs return from a motoring holiday to the news of Renee's death. The Tilsleys have a new sofa ...

Ivy works on her machine at work to make curtains for Gail in her spare time. Eddie is given a table on his rounds. Arlene Jones realises Fred fancies her and plays him along. Eddie sells the table to Gail and Brian for £5. He feels guilty as they're broke so gives them £2 back. Ivy is forced to tell Mike his machine work is not up to standard. He tells her that he's been waiting for her to spot that - he just wants to keep the girls on their toes. He withdraws from the machine room and gives the girls overtime. Brian carries Gail over the threshold. Fred gets Arlene ...

Hilda worries about being short of money with rates due. Mavis decides she doesn't want to be another bridesmaid and decides to be away on holiday during the wedding. Deirdre and Emily agree to finish the secretarial bureau after Emily's wedding. Karen Oldfield applies for a job as machinist at Baldwin's Casuals. Mike makes her wait two hours before seeing her. Hilda asks Annie for next months' wages in advance but she refuses. Mike tells Karen there are no jobs going. She tells him that she'd be a good worker and he'd be a fool not to take her on. She impresses him ...

Mavis tells Emily that she can't be a bridesmaid as she's going to be in London. Hilda is adamant she paid Vera her pools money but Vera is equally adamant she didn't. Deirdre asks Alf if she and Tracy can have the shop flat. He is taken aback. He worries what people will say if he takes a woman in so soon after Renee's death. Annie invites him for his Sunday lunch. Emily braces herself and tells Deirdre that she'll have to move out. Deirdre tells her it's alright; she's arranged to take on the shop flat. As an act of revenge Hilda copies the winning pools numbers ...

Emily and Deirdre close the Coronation Street Secretarial Bureau. Hilda has copied eight score draws onto the factory coupon to let Vera think she's won a little bit of money but Stan tells her there were only ten score draws that week and Vera would have won thousands - suddenly the joke doesn't seem so funny. Hilda tries to get to the coupon but is too late as Vera has checked it. Ivy, Ida, Vera, Karen and the other girls celebrate, thinking they've won a fortune. Mike fears they'll pack up working in the middle of his orders. Vera buys drinks all round at the ...

Vera celebrates her birthday with the knowledge she's won £12,000. Mike is furious that production has stopped because of the girls' excitement. The pools company rejects the girls' claim as their coupon did not include a winning line. The girls accuse Vera of copying down the wrong numbers. She makes them see not even she could copy down all the wrong numbers. Alf attends the inquest on Renee. The verdict is accidental death. Deirdre tells Alf she'd like the job as his assistant. He gives it to her and agrees to her having the flat as well. Vera and Ivy accuse Martin...

The residents prepare to attend Arnold and Emily's wedding at the registry office. Hilda is miserable following her dismissal from the factory and her former colleagues' refusal to speak to her. Martin and Karen strike up a friendship.

Vera tries to get everyone in the Street to ignore Hilda. She is put out when Bet tells her she's pathetic. Arnold and Emily go to the register office. George Turner and Deirdre act as witnesses as Annie and Betty watch. Karen falls for Martin and shares her barm cake with him. Arnold and Emily are married. Martin arranges to go to a dance with Karen after they establish they are both unattached. Hilda tells Stan she can't stand being snubbed and goes to stay with Trevor in Chesterfield. The Swains hold a small reception at No. 3. Emily is touched when Leonard ...

Audrey visits Gail and is envious of her nest-building. Ivy misses seeing Brian all the time. She is annoyed to discover that Audrey has seen them since she has. Deirdre and Tracy settle into the flat. Deirdre hates the smallness of it but is content. Mike's London sales manager Alan Skidmore pays him a visit. He sees Deirdre and falls for her. She lets him help her move into the flat. With Hilda away, Eddie refuses to give his rent money to Stan. Alan asks Deirdre for a date but she makes excuses about not having a babysitter. Brian invites his parents to Sunday ...

Eddie pinches Albert's Sunday newspaper from his letterbox to save him buying one for himself. Alf tells Deirdre that he can't babysit as he's got Council business. Gail lays on a beef dinner to impress Ivy. Deirdre starts work at the Corner Shop. Audrey and her new boyfriend, Les Boden, plan to visit Gail and Brian so Ivy tells them that they're out for the day as she doesn't want the lunch spoilt. Deirdre takes Tracy on her date with Alan Skidmore. He is disappointed. Albert is furious to discover his newspaper crossword has been completed before being delivered. He...

Bert tells Brian how difficult Ivy is making his life. Brian agrees to bring Gail round to No. 5. Mavis returns from her break in London. Bet and Rita go to the sales. They return to her flat only to find she has lost her handbag and is locked out. Brian tries to make the peace between Ivy and Gail but Gail refuses to see Ivy, having had enough of her constant interference. Ivy breaks down when she realises they're not coming round. Bert is angry. After hours, Len manages to break the lock to Bet's flat so she can get in. Elsie meets Karen. They get on well together. ...

Ivy hears that her sister Sheila in Canada has become a grandmother. She refuses to make the peace with Brian and Gail. Bet assures Rita nothing happened between her and Len. Marshall's phone Bet and tell her they have her bag. Bet goes to the store to collect it but Eddie fears it may be a put-up job to get her out of the way whilst someone raids the flat. He and Len rush to the flat and find it ransacked. Bet returns to find everything has been taken and she breaks down. Bert and Brian plot to get Ivy and Gail together. Bet isn't insured. She refuses to stay in the ...

Elsie rows with Martin for getting Karen drunk. Bet is distraught that her only picture of Martin Downes has been taken. The Swains return from their honeymoon at Shanklin on the Isle of Wight. Arnold carries Emily over the threshold at Eddie's prompting. He tells Emily he'd like to sell No. 3 and buy a country cottage. Annie offers Bet some of her clothes. Karen has her first hangover. She tells Elsie that her father has told her not to see Martin again. Bet is horrified when Annie gives her her old gowns. Elsie rows with Deirdre for selling Martin cider as he's ...

Bet feels as though her flat is dirty. Mr. Oldfield calls at the Corner Shop and tells Alf he'll have him prosecuted if he hears that he's sold drink to minors again. Betty organises a party at Bet's flat to drive away all presence of the intruders. Martin asks Karen out but she tells him she can't see him. Mike gives Bet some denim outfits from his factory. Mavis spends the evening with Arnold and Emily. He can't wait to get rid of her. Ken gives her £56 from the regulars and Annie gives her a brooch - she is touched. Martin gets Karen to meet him behind her father's...

Elsie tells Martin to stick to his guns and keep seeing Karen. Emily is alarmed to discover that Arnold has been telling people they're buying a bungalow in Derbyshire. She feels she doesn't want to live in the country but he tells her that she will. Fellow binman Johnny Webb needs somewhere to live for a couple of days as he and his wife have split up. Eddie suggests he asks Stan who agrees when he offers money but specifies that Johnny must leave before Hilda returns. Johnny pays £25 and Stan has to sleep on the sofa. Arnold asks Len to fit a new front door at No. 3...

Stan doesn't want to sleep on the sofa again and tells Johnny to leave by Friday. At Eddie's suggestion, he bribes Stan with more money. Martin and Karen continue to see each other in secret. Len puts a new glass front door on at No. 3. Emily finds the new door sticks - she pushes on the glass panel, her hand goes through and she is cut. Arnold takes her to hospital. Angry Arnold confronts Len in the Rovers, telling him that Emily has had six stitches in her hand and the door doesn't fit properly. Arnold tells Len he may sue him, calling him incompetent. The residents...

Martin persuades Len to give him a key for the Builder's Yard office. Len refuses to repair the Swains' door until he's paid for putting it in. Johnny Webb plans to move in with his girlfriend Sandra. Hilda returns from Chesterfield. She is annoyed to discover Stan has taken Johnny in but is impressed at his £25 a week rent. Johnny is now sharing Eddie's room. Vera tells Maureen Webb that Johnny is living at No. 13. Karen has her ears pierced. Martin goes with her and has his done. Len offers to repair the door for Emily so long as Arnold will pay his £80 bill. ...

Eddie tries to convince Maureen Webb that Hilda is happily married but she is certain that Hilda and Johnny are living in sin. Martin and Karen have their ears pierced. Elsie and Mr. Oldfield think they're stupid. Karen tells her dad that she's with a girlfriend but really she sees Martin at the Builder's Yard. Maureen confronts Hilda and accuses her of being Johnny's mistress. Hilda is indignant and convinces her that she isn't by introducing her to Stan. Hilda throws Johnny out of the house. Len offers to knock £5 off the door bill as a goodwill gesture but Arnold ...

Audrey arrives at Gail's house with her suitcase. Les Boden has thrown her out and she has nowhere to stay and she has given up her job. Gail lets her stay on the sofa. Deirdre panics when Tracy disappears. Ken and Alf search for her. Alf finds her locked in the bathroom. Tracy doesn't like it in there and starts to cry. Albert's old pal from the Somme, Monty Shawcross, visits him. Deirdre reads to Tracy through the keyhole. Alf gets a ladder up to the bathroom window but is too high up for Tracy to pass the key to him. Albert is jealous as Monty is marching with ...

Gail tries to let everyone think that the cafe doesn't tire her out. Fred celebrates his fifty-first birthday. He is annoyed that Annie has gone away without acknowledging the event. Albert helps Monty Shawcross train for walking in Whitehall. Gail refuses to rest or stop work for another month as they need the money. She breaks down and Brian realises that she can't cope. He tells her that she must stop work immediately and she agrees. Audrey offers to take them for a meal. She persuades Brian to use a customer's car to take them out for the night. Betty gives in to ...

Tony Newall makes Ron Sykes, Brian's boss, knock £50 off his bill as Brian used the car. Ron is furious as Tony involved the police, thinking the car had been stolen. He sacks Brian on the spot. Gail breaks down when Brian tells her that he's been fired. The Swains' door sticks more and more but Arnold still refuses to pay the bill so Len still refuses to mend it. Annie returns from visiting Joan. Fred tries to draw her attention from the sideboard. Emily arranges for Len to repair the door, saying that she'll pay him as she can't stand it going on any longer. ...

Gail can't stop crying as she fears Brian won't be able to get another job. She blames Audrey and tells her to leave the house. She calls Audrey selfish and says she's ruined their lives. Annie finds her sideboard has been scratched. Len repairs Emily's door. Annie assumes Hilda made the scratch but Bet tells her it was Fred. Brian searches for work but no one will employ him without a reference. Emily allows Arnold to believe Len weakened and repaired the door without being asked. Ivy tells Ron Sykes that he sacked Brian illegally and threatens him with a tribunal. ...

Martin assures Karen that everything will be alright. Brian wants to take Ivy's £200 but Gail wants to wait until they're desperate. Elsie buys a new sideboard. Len tells Elsie that the police found Martin and Karen in the Yard. She can't believe his stupidity. Johnny and Maureen Webb are reconciled. Annie is furious when Eddie and Johnny discuss the contents of her bins over the bar, especially the soup tins she throws out - after telling Albert that her bar soups are homemade. She tells Eddie and Johnny that her bins are her own affair. Mr. Oldfield warns Elsie that...

Annie refuses to let Eddie and Johnny touch her bins. Martin tells Karen that he's going back to Birmingham as he's not allowed to see her anymore. He couldn't stand bumping into her all the time. Mr. Oldfield catches them together and is surprised that Martin loves Karen so much he is leaving the area. Monty Shawcross gets Albert a place on the Remembrance coach but he still refuses to go. He feels no one cares about the old soldiers anymore. Gail asks Ron Sykes to take Brian back, but when he refuses she breaks down and tells him they can't cope. Ron takes pity on ...

Annie's bins are not emptied. The mess and smell upsets her. Sam Littlewood invites the Faircloughs for Christmas in Blackpool but Rita isn't keen on the idea of having another man to feed. She tells Len that she'd like to spend Christmas in a hotel. The smell from the Rovers' bins starts to infiltrate the bar. The accountant tells Rita that The Kabin makes 30% more profit than the Yard. Albert hears that Monty Shawcross died of a heart attack before setting out to London. Albert is now upset that he missed the parade. Annie gives Stan £3 to move the rubbish on his ...

Annie tells Fred to take the rubbish to the tip in the Rover. Hilda starts cleaning at No. 9. Albert puts on his medals and takes the bus to Manchester where he lays a wreath for Monty Shawcross. The binmen at the tip recognise Fred and refuse to let him dump the rubbish. Eddie longs to heal the breach but Annie refuses to budge. Annie goes to visit Joan, unable to cope with the smell any longer. Len is annoyed that Rita is paying Hilda out of the Kabin's takings. He tells her that she should try running the Yard if she's so clever.

Len thinks working in the Kabin is easy. Rita challenges him to swap jobs and he agrees. As a result, Martin finds it hard working for Rita, and Mavis doesn't enjoy sharing the shop with Len. Bet phones the Gazette and tells them about the rubbish row. Sandy Lester, a reporter, investigates the bin story. The residents complain to them about the smell. Photographer Tony Watkins takes a fancy to Bet and takes her photograph sitting on the dustbins. Mavis has to run The Kabin as Len spends his time in the Rovers. She threatens to resign if he doesn't pull his weight in ...

Martin smuggles Len's tool bag out of the Yard so he can do plumbing jobs behind Rita's back to keep the company going. Bet's picture is on the front page of the Gazette along with the bin boycott story. She worries when the article quotes her as criticising Annie. Betty begs Eddie to take the rubbish away as Annie is away but the binmen still refuse to touch it. Ken can't bear to see Albert depressed over no longer having his medal and buys it back for him. Albert is annoyed but accepts it back in remembrance of his dead friends. Len is adamant that marriage is not a...

Rita is willing to return to the Kabin if she can land Len a big contract to prove she is a good businesswoman. Arnold starts a petition about the rubbish. Mavis tells Len to stop joking about with Rita and dominate her as she's tired of running the shop on her own. Bet begs Eddie to move the rubbish, telling him she could be sacked but he refuses to budge. Annie returns. Bet takes the blame for the paper but Annie also blames Betty as she was in charge. She makes them both apologise. Stan develops an itch. Bob Atkinson tells Rita about an extension he wants building ...

Rita dresses up to impress Bob Atkinson. She is pleased when Len shows his jealousy and she agrees to return to the Kabin, leaving him to visit Atkinson on the site. Atkinson tells Len he's planning to get Rita into a motel. Len tells him that he's Rita's husband and sees him off; no contract is worth his price. Annie lays on sherry for Eddie and Johnny Webb and withdraws the remarks that started the dispute. Stan's itching drives him frantic. Len accuses Rita of encouraging Atkinson. Mike hears that his father is coming from London to visit him.

Mike turns down Frankie's request for investment in his video recording business. Stan is mortified when the doctor tells him he may have an allergy to beer. Emily makes a shock discovery.

Derek sends Mavis a Christmas card with his new address. She wonders if it's a hint. Mike refuses to back Frankie, he tells him he doesn't think he'll be successful with videos. Frankie is hurt. Dr. Crawford tells Stan he's overweight and he may have an allergy to beer. He tells him not to drink anymore beer until he sees him again. Bert worries that Fosters' may be laying off workers. He fears he'll lose his job. Ivy begins to worry that they won't be able to pay the mortgage. Arnold goes to Birmingham on business to pick up a load of parrots for Christmas. Emily ...

Emily is stunned and waits for Arnold to return from Birmingham. She hides herself at No. 3 and asks Flora Swain to call. Flora tells Emily she has always thought that Margaret was alive. Emily doesn't understand why Arnold told her Margaret was dead. Stan finds it hard to cope without beer. Len tries to get out of having Mavis for Christmas. To his horror, Rita invites Mavis to Boxing Day tea as well. Flora is horrified that Arnold could be a bigamist. Arnold returns from Birmingham. Emily gives him the insurance form and he breaks down.

Arnold tells Emily that Margaret has been dead to him for fifteen years. Margaret left him after three weeks and they never divorced. He was so humiliated that he couldn't tell anyone Margaret had left him. He told his family that Margaret was dead. He started to believe she was dead himself. Emily tells him that she's not his wife but he feels it shouldn't matter to them. She doesn't understand how anyone could be a bigamist and tells him not to touch her. Emily tells Arnold to leave her; he's not her husband. She tells him that he lied to her when he married her. ...

Emily refuses to answer the door to anyone but Deirdre. Deirdre tries to comfort her. Emily doesn't know if she's legally married or not. Bert hunts for a job. Ivy tells him there'll be nothing until New Year. Bet tries to get out of Boxing Day lunch with Annie but fails. Emily puts Ernie's ring back on her finger. Flora asks Emily to take Arnold back, she refuses. She tells Flora that she's getting on with her life. She gathers Arnold's things together and gets Flora to take them away. Hilda employs Mrs Palin as a cleaner as a Christmas treat for herself, at £1.75 an...

Hilda starts to investigate Arnold's whereabouts. Eddie suggests that the Ogdens throw a Christmas party. Hilda doesn't like the idea. Mrs Palin starts work at No. 13. Stan is shocked to discover that Hilda has hired Mrs Palin as a cleaner. Bert spends his time doing housework and cooking. Hilda agrees to hold a party when Eddie agrees to pay half. Deirdre urges Emily to come out of her shell as the Street is full of rumours.

Hilda hopes that her Christmas Eve soirée will be a classy affair for her neighbours. Martin intends to make amends with Karen but finds that she has moved on. Emily reluctantly reports Arnold's bigamy to the police.

Karen wants to apologise to Martin but he has gone to Birmingham. She decides to give his Jam record to one of her friends, Paul Sidall. Emily realises she has to contact the police but doesn't want to get Arnold in trouble. Hilda dons a new wig and dress for the party. Emily goes to the police and finds herself being interrogated by Det Sgt Simms. She has to force them to believe she is not stupid. Karen goes out with Paul. Eddie's binmen friends turn up for the party. Hilda is annoyed when no-one wants her food. Martin returns from Birmingham in order to spend ...

Ken considers buying a car so he can go to Glasgow more often. Gail has stomach pains. Ivy makes Bert call for an ambulance. Martin apologises to Karen for creating a scene. Gail goes to hospital in an ambulance. Brian rushes to hospital to be with her. Hilda tells Mrs Palin that she can't afford her any more and reluctantly lets her go. Gail's contractions stop and she is discharged. She feels embarrassed that it was a false alarm. Martin asks Karen out for the night but she has made other arrangements with Paul Sidall. She assures Martin that she loves him but she ...