Some Corrie moments of 1988... click on the image to enlarge, then read the text below for the full story...Back we go, back down the time tunnel to the decade of big hair, big shoulders and big trouble. Yep, we're talking 1980s, and as we land in The Street this time, we discover more events of 1988 via screen captures.
The wedding of Mavis Riley and Derek Wilton (Thelma Barlow and Peter Baldwin) had not happened in 1984. Both had had second thoughts on the day. But after Derek had proposed to Mavis through the Kabin letter box in 1988, a second try was on the cards. Derek decided to spend his stag night at The Rovers, where his "pals" decided to have some fun: Martin Platt (Sean Wilson) phoned the pub's private number from the payphone and Jack Duckworth (William Tarmey) called Derek to the phone, saying it was somebody called Victor.
Victor?!!
Derek went to the phone and Martin, who had no idea what Victor Pendlebury sounded like, told Derek that Mavis had decided to marry him instead!
But Derek was not fooled. Returning to the bar, he said so:
"Victor Pendlebury has a voice once heard never forgotten. You find that with opinionated people. For another thing, Mavis would never desert me for him, never in a million years."
One thing was troubling Derek: Percy Sugden (Bill Waddington) was paying him close attention. Was he...? Derek asked Jack, making a limp wristed gesture. Jack pointed out that Percy was always saying that his happiest days had been in the Army...
Derek was worried.
And after two pints and a brandy he was also extremely drunk.
Vera Duckworth (Liz Dawn) told Mavis about Derek's sorry state when she arrived at her hen night party, and Mavis sped round to The Rovers, tremendously concerned. But Derek was safely concealed in the back and Alec and Bet Gilroy (Roy Barraclough and Julie Goodyear) told Mavis that he'd gone home for an early night before the Big Day arrived.
Mavis's hen night went well, apart from a sozzled Vera unwittingly introducing the spectre of 1984 to the revels by singing There Was I Waiting At The Church.
Percy took Derek home in a taxi. "PLEASE DON'T LET HIM TAKE ME HOME!" wailed Derek, terrified of Percy's intentions. But if he had but known it, Percy was his guardian angel.
Our Mr Sugden had elected himself as the man who would make sure that Mavis was not let down a second time.
As Percy told Ken (William Roache), he'd been in charge of seeing that men went to the firing squad, and they'd gone to that wall smiling!
"Probably with relief!" Ken muttered to Deirdre (Anne Kirkbride), rather uncharitably.
Despite last minute doubts on Derek's part, Percy got him to the registry office. And at long last, Miss Mavis Riley became Mrs Mavis Wilton.
At Jim's Cafe, Gail Tilsley (Helen Worth) had employed Gina Seddon (Julie Foy) to help out as a waitress and to operate her new sandwich round. Gail had bought a butcher's bike for the enterprise. Gina was excited, seeing great promise in the venture if they expanded it: "We'll be a couple of yuppies in no time!" she told Gail.
When Alma Sedgewick (Amanda Barrie) called a halt to the venture, saying that she'd rather Gail concentrated solely on the cafe, Gail was not pleased and gave in her notice. She would operate the sandwich round independently with Gina. Brian (Christopher Quinten) was horrified, deciding that the venture was doomed to failure. Upwardly mobile Gail had a dream in which she could fly. And Sarah Louise could fly. And Nicky. But Brian would never be able to fly, never in a million years, she bitterly told her baby daughter.
Phyllis Pearce (Jill Summers) was horrified, fearing that Gail was making a bad decision which might leave her jobless, and also that changes at the cafe might affect her own little job.
Having played at being the big boss, Alma was severely shaken by Gail's decision to leave. She'd have to employ somebody else. How long would it take? Would she be stuck working at the cafe herself for a while?
She announced that the sandwich round could continue and gave into Gail's final demand that she should have a share of the profits.
So, it all ended happily.
Or did it?
Brian's decision not to support Gail with her plans to set up on her own rankled with Gail. You see, Gail could tell Brian he wasn't doing right at any point in time, but if Brian, a mere man, didn't back what Gail wanted... well, that was very different.
And certainly did nothing for the Tilsleys' marriage.
