blanche hunt (maggie jones) introduces her boyfriend, undertaker archie shuttleworth, to her family and friends. archie thinks blanche is a right laugh. blanche fakes weakness to win sympathy from archie. blanche is cheered up by archie's visit. blanche has a date with archie despite blanche's daughter deirdre rachid (anne kirkbride) and her partner ken barlow (william roache) arrive home to find them dancing in the front room. archie invites blanche to go to blackpool for the weekend with him. blanche says she'll think about it. deirdre is horrified. jack duckworth (bill tarmey) offers his services to archie as a pallbearer; archie says he'll bear it in mind if they're ever desperate. archie and blanche leave for blackpool in archie's hearse. blanche and archie arrive back from blackpool where they've had a fantastic time ballroom dancing. deirdre is shocked to learn that they stayed in archie's caravan, which is open plan. blanche tells norris cole (malcolm hebden) and betty williams (betty driver) that she is going to one of archie's funerals and persuades betty to join them. archie tries to flatter norris's work employee rita sullivan (barbara knox) into also becoming a professional mourner, but she refuses. after letting blanche down by cancelling their plans for a day out, archie promises to take her out for a slap-up meal the following evening.