“A nurse in the family? It’d be like having private healthcare”

The house was quiet all evening. The only sound was the relentless march of time as the clock on the wall 'tick tocked'. This was unusual as it's never been known to make any noise let alone tick tock. There were a few long sighs from The Cousin and even Drumgor sat passive and sullen, well more sullen than usual. It felt good to be with family, even if one was a filthy, smelly, hairy, finger sniffer and the other a wookiee. Heh. The Cousin sat forward as if he was about to speak. Drumgor and I waited, our gaze fixed upon him and that's not something I usually like to do. He opened his mouth but folded back into his seat without uttering a word but instead let out another deflated sigh. It's difficult to find the right words at a time like this. I suggested tea and even got up to make it but sat back down before the kettle boiled and the water went cold. It was only when Pubble burst through the front door that we snapped out of our despondency.

She stood looking at us, she didn't say a word at first as she tried to adjust her eyes to the darkness of the sitting room. We had been sitting for so long with our thoughts and our long sighs that we hadn't noticed the day change from persistent gloom to complete darkness. The only light was the disappointing glow from the streetlight outside. Oh I hate that streetlight.

"Christ, what now?", asked the harbinger of joy and light of my life.

We looked at each other then the two mooks looked at the floor.

"Well?", she asked and kicked me with one of her fancy new boots.

"Knock it off", I didn't appreciate being kicked but thought I should better offer something before I got another. The second kick really does hurt more.

"It's...it's...oh I cant even say it out loud....it makes it too real...." I could hear The Cousin stifling a tear. 

"Oh god, don't tell me you three are pishing yourselves about Blanche"

"YES, YES WE ARE!"

"Blanche was the best, she really was" I could see the boys nodding in agreement.

"Oh my god. Are you gonna be whinging all night?"

"Probably"

"Okay then, see you tomorrow you[inaudible muttering]" and off she went. I didn't even get a kiss nor a hug. Death deserves at least hug does it not.

Yes Maggie Jones who played simply the best character in the whole wonderful world of the soaps is dead. And obviously so is the aforementioned best character in soapland, Blanche Hunt. She had the best lines and delivered them with the preciseness of something very very precise. She was a joy to watch. And with lines like these it's easy to see why we will miss her so....

On Postman Pat

"'Early in the morning, when the day is dawning...' Your real Postman Pat rolls up about noon wearing a pair of shorts and his breakfast. And if he's not chucking elastic bands like confetti, he'll be rifling through your birthday cards. 

On the marvel that is Roy Cropper

"He looks like he should be crayoning summat."

Ken is showing off his kimono at a dinner party to Deirdre, Liz, Lloyd and Blanche.

Blanche:Oh, for the love of God!

Ken Barlow (William Roache):OK. Come on. Let's have it. You've got a problem with this, I should imagine?Blanche:A grown man, dressed as a Giesha? Have you gone stark staring mad?

Ken: It is no different to a dressing gown. I mean what. Is there a rule? "Thou shalt wear terry towelling in the North West of England"?

Blanche: There should be.
Lloyd Mullaney (Craig Charles):Oh come on, Blanche. If a man can't indulge his encricitys at home, where can he indulge them?
Deirdre Barlow (Anne Kirkbride): I wouldn't mind if he didn't indulge them in front of guests.
Ken:Look it's not encentic, it's Japanese and it makes me feel comfortable.
Liz MacDonald (Beverley Callard):Well I'm with the boys. I mean Lloyd wears all manner of weird and wonderful things.
Blanche: Well that's understandable. (Turns back to Ken) But Ken! Always got to be different. Always sniffing out controversy. Does Tennessee Williams wear kimono?
Ken: Tennessee Williams is dead!
Blanche: I'm not surprised! 

Speaking to Deirdre

"Good looks are a curse, Deirdre. You and Kenneth should count yourselves lucky." 

After a bit more moping we switched the lights on and made a lovely cup of tea. We watched Corrie and if it hadn't been for John Stape and Rosie's to do in the bar I don't think we could have seen it through to bed time. After all the celebrity deaths this year, and lets be honest there hasn't been nearly enough (your times coming Sandler), this is the only one that I genuinely feel bad about.

Here's to Maggie and Blanche. She showed us all that old people can be okay. As Blanche herself put it, 

"You're going to have to start taking pleasure in the misfortune of others, Kenneth, or you're going to have a long and unhappy old age".

Tremendous.