Episode 3237 (10th June 1991)

Plot

After a restless night, Alf rings Gail to try and locate Audrey. Gail is startled to hear that Audrey has left him. Des arranges to have the capsized boat lifted out of the Wiltons' garden by crane. Derek tells him to have his house moved to the other side of town while he's at it. Mavis tries to save her flattened shrubs. Gail is sure that Audrey will return once she's made her point. Meanwhile, Audrey lounges about in a five-star hotel. The crane men can't move the boat until the weekend. Mavis is distraught. Mike and Jackie worry about the recession as they start redundancies. Derek becomes more upbeat when Alec passes on Ken's suggestion that he claim the boat as marine salvage. Audrey contacts Gail but refuses to tell her where she's staying. Gail tells her that she's stupid for leaving Alf. Audrey wants Alf to decide who comes first: her or the shop. Mavis thinks about moving as Percy has got her thinking that her house is cursed. Jim and Don plan a fishing trip. Alf is angry that Audrey phoned Gail and not him. He's alarmed to learn that she's living it up at his expense. At the hotel, Audrey keeps to herself. Mavis keeps her curtains closed as she can't bear to look at the boat. Derek gives Des and Steph a bill for £850 for material and emotional damage. He suggests they haggle but only offers to knock off £50. Des refuses to pay and tells Derek that he can keep the boat.

Cast

Regular cast

• Alf Roberts - Bryan Mosley
• Gail Tilsley - Helen Worth
• Martin Platt - Sean Wilson
• Derek Wilton - Peter Baldwin
• Mavis Wilton - Thelma Barlow
• Des Barnes - Philip Middlemiss
• Steph Barnes - Amelia Bullmore
• Ivy Brennan - Lynne Perrie
• David Tilsley - Thomas Ormson
• Audrey Roberts - Sue Nicholls
• Percy Sugden - Bill Waddington
• Mike Baldwin - Johnny Briggs
• Jackie Ingram - Shirin Taylor
• Alec Gilroy - Roy Barraclough
• Ken Barlow - William Roache
• Betty Turpin - Betty Driver
• Rita Fairclough - Barbara Knox
• Don Brennan - Geoff Hinsliff
• Jim McDonald - Charles Lawson

Guest cast

• Waitress - Heather Phoenix
• Avril - Pam Conway

Places

• Rovers Return Inn - Public
• 4 Coronation Street - Downstairs rooms and garden
• 6 Coronation Street - Garden
• Corner Shop
• The Kabin
• Jim's Cafe
• 5 Grasmere Drive - Living room and hallway
• 33 Hammond Road - Living room and hallway
• Ingram's Textiles - Offices
• Postgate Hotel - Swimming pool, poolside restaurant and suite 275

Notes

• The Granada Plus repeat of this episode on 4th March 2003 was edited down for timing reasons and omitted a scene of length 56" where Audrey Roberts is joined in the Postgate Hotel's hot tub by the talkative Avril who asks her questions about herself but doesn't get anywhere. The character of Avril doesn't appear elsewhere in the episode.
• TV Times synopsis: Audrey has left husband Alf. How is he coping alone?
• Viewing Figures: UK broadcast - 14,793,000 viewers (4th place).

Notable dialogue

Alec Gilroy (about Derek Wilton): "He's the only man who can make half a bitter last a fortnight."