Sometimes I think that we take stories for granted.  The Coronation Street press office is always rabbiting on about the next "explosive storyline" or the next "dramatic exit", but what about the days when things were far simpler than risking murder each time you go to the shop?  Today's top Corrie storyline is a simple saga about misunderstandings, false accusations, and most importantly, some very fiery women. 

This month on Corrieblog we are featuring some of our favourite Top Stories.  Most of these unfolded over weeks or months but some of my favourite top stories only lasted an episode or two. This is one of those brief storylines.

 After many years of scrimping and saving, pensioner Martha Longhurst saved up for a holiday in Spain. She made all the arrangements and got her passport without even telling her best friends, Minnie Caldwell and Ena Sharples, fearing they would consider her frivolous. She did let Jack Walker in on her news.

Coronation Street get a lot of things right, as you good people know, but one thing I think they get very right is teenagers.  Whilst other soaps are impregnating their your women at such a rate you could be mistaken for thinking it was some poorly-written version of The Handmaid's Tale, or the lads are killing people or getting involved in gunplay; Corrie simply allows teenagers to be teenagers.  There was no greater example than the glorious relationship between Rosie & Craig: the star-crossed lovers of Weatherfield.

What are your top Corrie stories? In 1986 one of Coronation Street's best-known storylines took place: the Rovers Return Inn was gutted by fire. The Granada set designers had grown concerned that the Rovers was looking quite drab, so the decision was made that in order for the pub to be refurbished, it must burn down. Jack Duckworth did some DIY electrical work down in the cellar of the pub and in the middle of the night, the fusebox sparked and the cellar set ablaze.

Another of my all-time favourite storylines has to be the saga of Richard Hillman. From the first time he appeared, dapper and slick, at Alma's funeral, to the last time we saw him, in a body bag, this story kept me watching.

Richard was a financial advisor. He said he was Alma Halliwell's cousin. Was he or wasn't he? I think probably not. I think he was an opportunist out looking for gullible clients. He immediately charmed both Audrey and Gail but it was Gail he was attracted to. I do think that was genuine. Richard badly wanted a home and family, having had a rough upbringing and failed first marriage. He slowly insinuated himself into the Platts' lives, even winning over skeptical David in the end, with holidays and a dvd player.

Coronation Street stories can often make me laugh and occasionally make me cry. This one made me cry buckets. It was New Years Day 2000 and at 2am Raquel returned to Weatherfield to see Curly. He thought she’d returned to make a new start but his hopes were cruelly dashed as Raquel gave him the news that would break his heart.  Raquel told Curly he had a three year old daughter, Alice Diana Watts. And just as Curly was taking in this bombshell, Raquel then twisted the knife, said she was in love with a French count, living in a chateau “a real one, detached and everything” and wanted a divorce. Click through below for more.

One shorter storyline that initially played out over several weeks  was the introduction of Sunita Parekh. She was discovered hiding out in the Coronation Street shop flat, owned by Coronation Street's lothario, Dev Alahan. Geena, his fiancee, thought he was hiding another woman in the flat. She was right but not in the way she thought.

Here on Corrieblog, we've had a bit of theme going each month. In February it was a one-a-day Secret Trivia Treat from the Street. And in March it was Corrie's Unsung Heroes. We hope you've been enjoying reading all of these as I know we've had a lot of fun writing them. As we head into April, we're going to bring you each weekday next month our own personal favourite Coronation Street stories. Each of the Corrieblog writers will be penning their own fave Corrie storylines from throughout the years, will any of them be your favourite story too? 

If anyone has any suggestions for more themes that we can bring to Corrieblog that you'd like to read, either leave a comment below or send Flaming Nora a knee mail.

Toyah Battersby (played by the very talented Georgia Taylor) came to Coronation Street in the summer of 1997 along with the rest of her rough and ready family. She quickly established a reputation as a tough cookie, ready with her kick boxing talents and if trouble didn't find her, she found it. An idealist at heart, though, she soon found her self confidence. After some tutoring from Ken Barlow, she discovered she was more clever than she thought. Our little duckling evolved into a lovely swan, and in the process she took on good causes and stood up for them along with her mate and first love, Spider Nugent. She and Spider were a couple and lived together for awhile but broke up over idealistic differences. Spider left for London and Toyah moved on.