THE Rovers Return Inn has always been the central point of life in Coronation Street.

It’s had some iconic landlords and landladies from Jack and Annie Walker to Bet Gilroy, Jack and Vera Duckworth, Fred Elliott and Liz McDonald.

What they have all had in common has been larger than life personalities. In fact, just the sort of person to run a lively pub at the heart of the local community.

Storylines reflected this in everything from lorry crashes to fires and from volatile wedding receptions to mass brawls. There’s been plenty of humour there, too. Some of the best lines were uttered behind the bar.

So, why on earth in 2017 did producers opt to put two such miserable characters as licensees in Peter Barlow and Toyah Battersby?

Chris Gascoyne and Georgia Taylor are both excellent actors but their Street characters are totally joyless. Most of the time, their attitude would make the beer flat.

I’d rather see Norris and Mary in charge any day. Now there’s a thought.