Roy Cropper and his friend Melvyn are having a difference of opinion about the relative historical importance of Alfred The Great and Alexander The Great. Roy argues that Alexander cut the Gordian Knot to become the ruler of Asia, while Alfred ‘may or may not have burnt some cakes’. Someone needs to commission The Great Leaders Bake Off and sort this out once and for all.
Adam Barlow is working on Good Friday, but he promises his wife Sarah that if things go well with Damon Hay’s case he’ll be able to take her and his stepson Harry Platt to Disneyland. Tracy McDonald has a more relaxing Bank Holiday planned – eating curry while watching a movie with her daughter Amy. Tracy isn’t bothered what the film is, although she’s still emotionally scarred by a beekeeping documentary her stepdad Ken Barlow once made her watch. She must be referring to the 2019 Macedonian film Honeyland. It became the first film to receive Oscar nominations in both the Best International Feature and Best Documentary Feature categories. ‘Die Hard it wasn’t,’ is Tracy’s stinging review.
George Shuttleworth shares his theory that the pomp and splendour of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral has raised customers’ expectations. He’s just spoken to a woman who wants her mother-in-law’s service to include bagpipers playing Mull Of Kintyre. George’s assistant Todd Grimshaw is amazed anyone would select that song from all the jewels in Paul McCartney’s back catalogue. ‘She might as well pick The Frog Chorus,’ he says (or We All Stand Together, to give the song its actual title). Alternatively, what about She Loves Eulogy?
A chance encounter between Glenda Shuttleworth and George’s grandiose customer reveals her to be Estelle Harrington, Glenda’s old cruise ship mucker. The pair treat the Street to a full-on, jazz handsy performance of Everything’s Coming Up Roses from the musical Gypsy. They retire to The Rovers with George and Todd in tow. Drinks are taken and maritime reminiscences are rolled out quicker than the lifeboats on the Titanic, including the night someone suffered an embarrassing split in her costume while singing Bad Moon Rising. There’s also the minor revelation that Glenda hid her family’s undertaking heritage while she was at sea because she was sick of being nicknamed Morticia as a child.
Coronation Street episode 10922/23. Originally aired 7th April 2023.
