CATCH-UP - Life

"Life is a rollercoaster," sang the quaveringly-voiced Irish pop sensation Ronan Keating. Whereas Kiwi tunesmiths Crowded House were of the opinion that it was possible to experience "four seasons in one day."

And this proved to be very much the case with yesterday's double episode of Corrie. We started off thinking that Baby Freddie had gone to join his grandfather and namesake in t'big butcher's shop in the sky, I say gone to join Fred Elliott. Then Ashley was given the confusing and disturbing news that no baby had been found in the house. Poor Claire was beside herself, Ashley was beside Claire and also beside himself, and Eileen didn't know what to think. All she could say was that she'd put Freddie to bed, kissed him, and he was certainly in the cot while that was going on.

Then the news that a baby had been found in a local park. It was alive, it was a boy, but Claire and Ashley were not to get their hopes up - it might not be Freddie. But it was Freddie, and the Peacocks were joyfully reunited. Only the news that the fire had been started deliberately, and the thought that someone had taken Freddie and left him in the park, marred their delight.

Seventies purveyors of puffed up pop tosh 10cc disagreed with Ronan Keating's assessment of life, concluding that "life is a minestrone." And Corrie is very much like a minestrone, in which ingredients are mixed and mingled to make a satisfying and hearty meal. Rather like Betty's hot-pot. Anyways, also in the soup today were Liam and Leanne. Totally loved-up, they are. Liam has gone all gushy and slushy and other things rhyming with ushy, and as such Leanne has decided that she'll still be bold but she'll no longer be a brass. She's given the escort work up, and even handed her work mobile to Janice. Now she only has the problem of trying to keep up with the happy-spending Carla when the money runs out.

I really thought that Fiz would want Kirk back when she heard about his heroic rescue of Claire, and she did look a bit twinkly at him for a second or two, but then she went to meet Drama Teacher (whom I must henceforth call "John," for that is his name) at Roy's Rolls, and told him that she realised she'd never loved Kirk, because she had experienced True Love in her life once before, and it was with John.

Michelle and Steve are also trying to experience true love, but finding time to be alone together is proving tricky.

Wish the same could be said for Steve's mother and her bit of stuff Derek. I really don't want to see him topless ever again.