Ena and Minnie ask Cyril to help get Albert out of No.1. Albert enjoys telling Sandra all about the First World War. Alan is puzzled why Len doesn't get Bill Gregory to move into No.9. When Len discovers Bill is after Elsie he gets him to stay for competition with Alan. Tommy reveals he sent the valentine to Annie hoping for a free drink. Elsie is amazed to see Bill. She agrees to go out with him. Cyril breaks into No.1 and makes Albert realise people are worried about him. Len tells Alan and Bill they're both after Elsie. Annie is horrified to discover Tommy sent the card. Bill tells Elsie that Phyllis is dead and he is buying a bar in Portugal. He asks her to marry him.

The Men form a 'Kibbutz' in self defence against women's campaign to deny them "services". Ena sets a trap to pay Stan back for stealing her song. Ken admits he's thinking of buying the Salon.

Ray decides to move in with Len. Ray and Sandra set the date for 23rd May. Ken and Val host a fifth birthday party for Peter and Susan. Audrey begs Ray not to give her up but he stands firm. She weakens him and they kiss, witnessed by Maggie as she passes the Builder's Yard at night.

Bernard asks Irma not to go to the dogs with Dave but she doesn't listen. Hilda is ashamed that Irma is going out with "one of Elsie's cast offs" and rows with Annie when she feels that she's looking down on them. Stan wants to warn Dave off but can't because of the deeds to the house. At a club after the dogs Dave and Irma bump into Bet Lynch and Bob Chadwick, a former associate of Dave's. Irma remembers Bet from their time at the PVC Factory. Keith Lucas, a customer at the Rovers takes an interest in Betty. Irma and Bet enjoy themselves. Lucas follows Betty home and tells her that Cyril put him in prison three years ago and he wants his own back.

Elsie asks the Barlows to be witnesses but they can't. Handel Gartside returns to Weatherfield after thirty-three years in Canada. Ena and Minnie remember him and they tell him of the death of Martha Longhurst six years previously. Len and Bet turn up at the Registry Office and surprise Alan and Elsie as their witnesses. Irma and Bet move into the flat. Elsie and Alan marry. The residents throw a surprise party at the Rovers for the Howards before they honeymoon in Paris. Ray tells Len that Alan, despite signs of wealth, owes them £350 and it looks as if he has money troubles.

Hilda shows off her exotic wares that she's obtained for the corner shop such as artichoke hearts, anchovies and Spanish olives. Val is astonished at both them and their price. Walter Gilfeather calls back and tells her that the items weren't on a "sale or return" basis and she should try some free offers to shift them. Frank tells Bet about his police and jail record and promises he won't steal any more cars. Hilda offers a mystery free gift with each order of £1 or more but no one is interested. She confides in Ken that the gift is spaghetti. Alan gets a £2 a week wage rise out of Billy. Frank annoys Alan with his cocky attitude.

Hilda doesn't have any basic foods in the Corner Shop, which turns the customers away. Ken annoys Val when he doesn't like her attempt at a new look with a maxi skirt. Frank and Judd Johnson work on a stolen Mini at the Canal Garage. Bet isn't pleased to see that Frank is back with Judd. Hilda and Betty bicker over the shop as customers boycott her to go to Cissie Battersby's. Billy calls at the garage and realises Frank and Judd are ringing the car with false plates, log book and paint job. He throws them out. Ken advises Billy to go to the police but he refuses. Val tells Bet about the incident. Frank sells the car. Bet lies to Frank that the police are onto him and hides him in the flat, telling Judd to scarper. Ken realises that Val has warned Bet.

Hilda tells the dubious residents about the sale. Ken and Val argue about her tipping Bet off. Frank is annoyed that Bet is trying to make him go straight. Bet wants him to drop Judd but he refuses. Bet gets a flat for her and Frank. He tells her he doesn't want her changing his character and doesn't want to move in with her. He tells her she's hemming him in and finishes with her. Frenzied shoppers descend on Hilda's sale. She sells things at less than cost. Val tries to comfort a heartbroken Bet. Frank and Judd leave for London. Ken waits to hear news about a trip to America. Hilda is pleased with her efforts but Stan thinks they're about £20 down. Hilda thinks Irma will be pleased though at the sight of the near-empty shelves.

Gypsies camp on a slum clearance site near to Coronation Street. Irma returns from holiday in Torquay and is horrified to discover the shop is almost empty with no stock on order. Ken is given a grant to visit New York and study technical education, leaving next week. Not knowing previously of his application, Val hides her upset. Irma tells Hilda she's made a loss of £7, 2/9. Gypsies Reuben Ward and John Smith collect junk in the street. Tommy Deakin rows with them for operating on his patch. When Reuben goes to hit Tommy, Ray scares him off. Hilda is tearful at Irma's lack of gratitude. The shop's replacement stock arrives from the wholesalers. Irma discovers from Ray that Hilda sold Stan cigarettes at cut price. She orders her father to pay the difference. When Tommy provokes Reuben and John in the Rovers, Billy shocks Annie by threatening to bar him and not the gypsies.

Irma lets Hilda clean the shop as a penance. Annie is annoyed when Billy and Lucille help the gypsies. Ellen Smith allows Lucille to visit their site. Val is annoyed that Ken is having a trip abroad without the family. Ray catches Reuben Ward looking for scrap in the yard and throws him out. Lucille asks Val for old children's books to give to the gypsies. Val considers learning to drive whilst Ken is away. Stan hits it off with Reuben as they both wear the same shirt. Annie orders Lucille to have a bath after coming back from the encampment. Hilda cooks Stan and Reuben a meal not realising that Reuben is a gypsy. Minnie hides in Ena's flat with Bobby after Ray tells her that the gypsies will eat him. Ray discovers the scrap he has put aside for Tommy Deakin has been taken. Ken leaves for America. When Annie hears about the theft of the scrap, she forbids Lucille to go to the camp again. Lucille refuses to obey her order.

Lucille stays out for the night. Worried about her, Annie visits the encampment and calls the gypsies liars when they say they haven't seen her. She also tells Hilda off for giving Reuben Ward a meal. Ena sees John Smith buying children's medicines in the Corner Shop and drags out of him that his five-year old son is ill. John tells her they can't get a doctor to visit them. Ray suspects the gypsies of stealing the scrap. Annie gets the residents to sign a petition against the gypsies. Lucille returns having spent the night at Vera Bland's, a friend of hers. Alan and Billy fix the gypsies' cars which have been sabotaged. Annie bars the gypsies from the Rovers. When the Ogdens and Elsie threaten to leave as well, a furious Annie allows Betty to serve them.

Elsie and Mark get to know each other. Ray gets together some heavies to get the scrap back from the gypsies. Annie petitions the police to get rid of the gypsies. Alan is surprised to see Mark waiting for him at No.11. Lucille tries to stop the oncoming fight by warning Reuben Ward and John Smith and going off to the encampment herself. Irma and Hilda ask Elsie to get them jobs as Charm Cosmetics' girls. She puts them off with talk of references, medicals and the rough estates they'll have to visit. Ellen, Flora and Lucille cower in the caravan as Ray and his mates fight the gypsies. An axe is put through the caravan window. Elsie agrees to let Mark stay at No.11 until he can find somewhere else. The police break up the fight and move the gypsies on.

After refusing to see Annie at the police station during the night, Lucille is released in the morning with a caution but no one knows where she has gone to. Mark tells Elsie that now he is eighteen he is able to see his dad without his mum's permission. He wants to do so as he is special to him. Elsie tells him he is welcome to stay as long as he wants. Handel returns from visiting his cousin in Whaley Bridge. Irma is tired of doing all the work at the Corner Shop with Maggie away with Gordon in Birmingham. Billy advises her to buy Maggie out. Albert tells Annie that Lucille hasn't been seen at work at the betting shop.

Billy gets Bill Sweeney's terms to lend money to Irma to buy the Corner Shop outright. She says she'll write to Maggie in Birmingham. Ena feels put out with Handel hanging around No.5. Minnie tells him that she's disappointed when he tells her that his intentions are honourable. Irma decides she's definitely going to buy Maggie out with the borrowed money. Annie thinks Mark Howard is a nice young man and hopes Lucille will like him. Mark asks Lucille if she is free that night. While his room at the Rovers is decorated, Billy moves in with Minnie. Maggie suddenly returns, much to Irma's surprise. Mark tells Alan that Laura foretold his business affairs going badly. Handel is upset to hear Billy is Minnie's new lodger. Lucille agrees to go out with Mark to spite Ray. Elsie is worried that Mark is trying to lure Alan back to his mother. He tells her how much he hates his ex-wife. Ena tells a surprised Maggie that Irma is planning to buy her out.

Betty is annoyed by Irma's actions. Minnie fusses over Billy's breakfast and thinks Irma is after him, while Handel thinks he ought to go out with the girl. Handel thinks Billy is in the way at No.5 and interfering with his courtship of Minnie. Irma tries to talk to Maggie about the Corner Shop purchase but Ena deliberately gets in the way, much to Maggie's amusement. Mark tells Alan and Elsie that he's taking Lucille out. Behind their back, he is annoyed at their closeness. Betty storms at Irma for being duplicitous and Irma realises that Maggie knows everything. Albert doesn't like Handel hanging around Minnie as he's a stranger. Mark puts on a front of being worried about Alan's money situation and uses it as an excuse to tell Elsie that he seemed happier when he was with his mother. Maggie tackles Irma about her plans. They both realise they need the shop, financially and as an emotional prop. Maggie agrees to let her buy more of the business to make them 50-50 partners. Elsie come

Minnie tries to buy something special for Handel's meal. Paying a shilling, knocked down from 1/9, she buys one of the tins of clam juice for chowder that Hilda bought in. Irma worries that Billy's friend who's lending her the money is dodgy. Mark tells Elsie he didn't get on with Lucille. He says that she's the sort of girl who would say untrue things about you behind your back. Annie and Betty conduct a stocktake, each in a bad temper. Annie is disappointed to hear Lucille bad-mouthing Mark. Albert tells Minnie she's been deceived by Handel; he was a conscientious objector in World War I. Minnie tells him that she admires Handel for his courage of conviction. Albert gives Handel a white feather and storms out of No.5. Ena calls on Elsie for an update on Mark. She points out to Elsie that she's naturally biased towards Lucille and she may just resent Mark's presence. Minnie serves up her home-made clam chowder for Handel and Billy's dinner. Neither of them are happy with the dish pres

With Ken still away, Ray flirts with Val, offering to carry her shopping. Ena celebrates her birthday, counting herself lucky for the amount of cards she's received. Minnie organises a birthday party for her but refuses to invite Albert for the way that he's treated Handel. Lucille won't tell Annie why she doesn't like Mark. Nor will Billy tell his mother if he's seeing Irma. Maggie tells Elsie that Lucille is saying some strange things about Mark. Len returns from a council trip to Holland. He meets Mark and tells him that he and Elsie are great friends. Elsie questions Lucille and is told that Mark asked her point-blank to sleep with him and his language was offensive. Elsie goes to the Rovers where she is short with Mark. He listens in as Len tells her he'll be bringing a present round later. Minnie tells an annoyed Annie that Billy and Irma spent the evening together at her house. Some visiting football fans from Newcastle lead a Geordie sing-song in the Rovers that Alan is delight

Minnie and Handel set off for the Sunday service at the Victoria Street Mission and invite an unwilling Billy along. Elsie is surprised that Mark is a churchgoer when he goes to a service. Alan tells Elsie that Mark overheard her and Len and found it embarrassing to be in the same house with them. Elsie is livid. Albert drives Val mad with his complaints about Handel. Billy's room is finished. Betty tells Annie of the interest Billy has been showing in Irma. She decides to call on her. Billy reluctantly agrees to move back when his mother tells him he can do so. Alan tells Elsie that she's not to let Len in the house when he's not there but she point-blank refuses and tells Alan that he shouldn't believe Mark just because he's his son. Annie tells Irma to keep away from Billy, citing class differences. Elsie summons Len from next door and gets Len to tell Alan that nothing went on between them. Alan is angry when Elsie calls Mark a liar. Billy moves back to the Rovers and tells Handel

Minnie is upset that Handel has had to return to Whaley Bridge to look after a sick cousin. Billy tells Irma how he's kidding on that she is pregnant. Annie's taken to her bed, supposedly ill, but invites Irma and Stan to tea to sort things out. Elsie leaves for work, telling Alan that she wants things sorted out once and for all with Mark when she returns home. Mark tries to apologise to Alan and asks for another chance. Alan tells Mark that there's no way he could ever return to his mother and makes him leave. Betty tells Billy that he's going too far in winding up his mother. Val asks Ray to fix a dripping tap. Joe Donelli returns to the area after being demobbed from the US army. He asks Irma if she knows of any digs and she sends him Minnie's way. Ena disapproves, thinking Minnie is man-mad. Irma tells Stan that Annie has summoned him. Mark packs and walks out without a word to Elsie. Ray brings round some fish and chips for Val, only to find Ena and Minnie having tea with her. En

Stan can't understand why Annie has cancelled their tea. Hilda is suspicious about Annie's motives in inviting him and tries to find out what went on. Ray agrees to teach Val to drive. Irma winds up Hilda by saying that Stan is obviously keeping the truth from her. Ray gives Val her first driving lesson. Hilda thinks Annie wanted to warn Stan from being amorous with Betty. Bet tells her the truth, having heard it herself from Betty. Elsie and Emily worry about Val's reputation. Gregg Flint and Gary Strauss turn up, telling a delighted Elsie that they're on leave. Elsie tells them that Joe is at Minnie's. Hilda and Stan are upset that people think they're a joke. Elsie tries to warn Ray off Val but he refuses to listen. Gregg and Gary turn up at No.5 to find out Joe has deserted from the US Army and tell him they're taking him back.

Joe Donelli refuses to return to the Army. Bet moves the last of her stuff into her new flat at 44 Victoria Street. She packs up the Laundryer and throws herself at Gary Strauss. He doesn't refuse. Gregg Flint tells Elsie he's lonely. She tells him that Dot Greenhalgh is back with Walter but doesn't mention the break-up of their friendship. Val realises she's a hopeless driver. Elsie gets Gregg to pretend he's interested in herbs and introduces him to Maggie. The Ogdens entertain Irma and Joe. Stan goes on about the Yanks and the War. Irma and Joe manage to make their escape. Ken rings Val from the USA but she misses the call as she's out. Gregg demands to know when Joe is going back to the army but he refuses to answer.

Lucille is pleased to see Gary Strauss. Bet warns her off. Ken phones Val and tells her he's had a letter warning him about Ray and her. Annie decides to take on a hostess' role in the pub and leave the work to her employees. Ernie tells Emily the Mission people are talking about her working in the Rovers. Emily tells Annie she won't work the bar anymore. Irma is frightened when Joe comes on strong. Annie feels that she'll have to run the pub on her own with Billy. He is against the idea. A drunken Joe tells a scared Irma how he killed Steve Tanner.

Joe tells Irma that he smashed Steve's head against the wall and then threw him down the stairs. He threatens her if she tells anyone. He continues to drink as Irma asks to be let go. He tells of a different side to Steve: that he set up poker games and held the loser's pay checks when they couldn't pay him. He tells her that he owed Steve £2,000. Gregg, Gary, Bet and Maggie return to the shop but decide not to disturb them. Joe refuses to leave the flat until Irma acts normally. Bet invites them down for a party. Joe agrees when Irma controls herself.

Billy bets Annie that having Bet behind the bar improves custom. Val accuses Ena of writing the letter. She is hurt. Jean Moseley arrives in the Street looking for Joe Donelli. She shows Gregg Flint bruises which Joe gave her when he got drunk. She wants compensation. Irma worries about being alone with Joe and tries to get Hilda to come round for supper but Joe puts her off and forces Irma to stay with him. Irma breaks down. Ray accuses Elsie of writing the letter. She tells him to get lost. Irma begs Joe to leave her alone. Annie realises Bet is an asset and agrees to let her stay. A guilty Emily tells Ena and Elsie that she wrote the letter.

Elsie and Ena decide not to saying anything to Val. Betty wants it confirmed that she is senior barmaid over Bet. Gregg, Gary and Maggie think Irma is jumpy. The soldiers organise a poker game in the flat. Val rips up a letter from Ken in anger and decides to give people something to talk about. She asks Ray to be in the Rovers at dinnertime. Gregg and Gary ask Joe why Irma is so jumpy. He spins them a story of her not being happy with his protectiveness. Major Ryan summons Gregg and Gary to Burtonwood after getting a call from Saarbrucken in Germany. Jean Moseley accepts £20 off Gregg. Betty is made senior barmaid although she is not on more money. Emily organises a street outing to see Cinderella on 23rd December at Manchester's Opera House. Val and Ray drink in front of everyone's watching eyes. Hilda sees Gregg and Gary get their summons to Burtonwood.

Val tells Maggie that Ken's phone call rankled with her and she feels as if she ought to teach him a lesson. Ken returns from America. Gregg wonders if Joe makes a habit of beating up women. Gary thinks they should try again to bring him back to base. Ken brings Val a dress back from America. He tells her how great it is to be back but she is distant with him. Joe tells Gregg and Gary that Hildegard Schmidt's fella is the one who beat her up. Gregg advises him to tell Major Ryan that story. Joe feels trapped but says he can't turn himself in. Emily collects names and money for the panto and meal. Gregg decides to see Irma, wanting to know what's upsetting her. Ray and Emily realise they've both been invited to tea at the Barlows'. Ken is surprised to see his two guests arrive. Irma denies that Joe has scared her but when she realises Gregg doesn't know about Steve Tanner's death she tells him of Joe's confession.

Joe lets himself into Irma's flat, locking it behind him. She is terrified. Greg and Gary tell Maggie that they think Irma is in danger. Gary rings Major Ryan. Maggie tells the regulars about Joe's confession whilst Gregg breaks the news to Elsie. The residents don't know what to do about Irma. Ena suggests they throw a welcome home party for Ken, inviting Irma and Joe. The residents persuade Joe and Irma to come to the party in the Rovers. The police and US Army M.P's rush to the Street. Joe escapes through the toilet window when he realises the Ogdens know nothing about a party supposedly being long organised and realises it's a set up. Joe takes refuge with Minnie and his gun in No.5.

The police seal off both ends of the Street, apart from the Rovers, and have No.5 surrounded. Joe starts to crack up. Minnie tells him she isn't frightened of him, just worried for him. The US Military Police tries to talk him out from the back yard but Joe fires at them through the window, frightening the residents. Irma confesses the fear that she's been living under the past few weeks to Hilda. Len hears from the police that they think Minnie is in the house, causing Ena to start panicking as she waits in the Rovers. Gregg tries to talk Joe out, or at least send Minnie out. Joe goes into a reverie about his hatred of his stepfather and his loneliness as a child after the death of his father. Minnie cries as she listens. Stan listens sympathetically to Irma's story and gets furious at both what Joe has put her through and for Minnie being held hostage. Elsie assures Len she hasn't spent the past two years thinking he killed Steve.

Everyone except Albert cancels the panto because of Joe's death and the tickets are given to twenty underprivileged children but Emily and Len can't find any chaperones aside from Albert. Minnie goes out for dinner with friend Rosemary Kennedy and Albert has to make his own dinner. Minnie is still saddened at Joe's death. Irma signs a statement about Joe's confession concerning him being the cause of Steve Tanner's death and Castle tells her the latter case will be reopened. Albert is unfazed by the thought of all the children. Castle asks to interview Stan.

Betty is annoyed that Annie gave Bet a holiday over the Christmas and New Year period and is not impressed by Annie's offer of her assistance during the period. Irma is grateful for Billy trying to bring her out of herself over Christmas. Hilda fills out a questionnaire in the paper which gives her a result that she's undervalued. She thinks a pay rise is due. Annie wins Betty round by telling her she'll call her Elizabeth from now on whilst Bet will remain the more common Bet. Billy finds two boxes of bitter lemons short on the drayman's delivery. He realises drayman Arthur Burrows is trying to rob them and forces him to make good the discrepancy.

Annie awaits the analyst's report. She feels she could lose the licence. Len agrees to Hilda working at No.9. The report shows the gin was watered down. Annie reads the report out in the Rovers. She tells the regulars she was not responsible. Hilda starts at No.9 and feeds Stan there as well. Albert gives in to Minnie and allows Bobby into the house. Len and Ray realise they need a housekeeper, but not Hilda. Irma winds Hilda up that Elsie has been saying that she fiddled the gin. Ray puts a notice in the Corner Shop for a housekeeper. Hilda gives her job up at the Rovers. Hilda accuses Elsie of shopping Annie to the Town Hall. Annie feels sure her neighbours will rally round and support her but they all stay away from the Rovers.