50 Years Of Corrie In 50 Days – 1965

Day 5 of our 50 day countdown of Coronation Street - written by blogger Sunny Jim.

Formerly the barmaid at the Farrier's Arms on Collier Street, Florrie Lindley appeared in the first scene of the first episode of Coronation Street, taking over the corner shop from Elsie Lappin. Though she had an estranged husband who had run away to work as an engineer in India, she let it be known that she was a widow and even set her cap at Harry Hewitt, losing out to Concepta Riley. She found business hard and she had problems paying some of her suppliers, so in an attempt to generate more income, she had two of the upstairs bedrooms converted into bedsits and rented them out. The first lodgers were two young clerks from the Town Hall, who only stayed a month. They were followed by Sheila Birtles and Doreen Lostock who lived there for over a year, despite Florrie's strict rules about gentlemen callers.

After the girls left, Florrie became lonely and spent many evenings playing bingo, once winning £100, only to have her handbag snatched on the way home. In 1964, she had the shop converted, moving the doorway from the windy corner, to the side next to No.13 and adding a sub-post office, complete with telephone kiosk. While Florrie sold stamps and cashed pensions, Irma Ogden ran the grocery shop, eagerly encouraging the pensioners to spend the money that they had just got from Florrie.

Jealous of her youth and popularity with men, Florrie turned on Irma and had a minor breakdown, throwing a tin of meat through the shop window, before collapsing in a sobbing heap on the floor. Despite her doctor's orders she soldiered on with the shop, but in 1965 her past was to catch up with her as her estranged husband Norman returned seeking a divorce. Norman had a brief affair with Elsie Tanner, before he reconciled with his wife and the two of them left to start a new life in Canada where Norman had taken a job.

Following the break-up of his marriage Jerry Booth returned to Coronation Street in 1965 and became a partner in Len Fairclough’s builders’ yard. One of their first jobs together was to demolish no.7 which had collapsed due to a snapped window beam. It left a gap in the terrace which would remain empty, save for a bench, until 1982. The real reason for the demolition was that the casting budget wouldn’t reach to filling it. It had another fortunate consequence in that as it was in the middle of the Street, only half of the set needed to be erected in the studio at a time.

Also in 1965: Susan & Peter Barlow born; Robert Maxwell dies; Violet Carson is awarded the OBE; Irma Ogden marries David Barlow; Leonard Swindley leaves the Street to star in spin-off programme ‘Pardon The Expression’; Ena Sharples becomes Elsie Tanner’s landlady.