Coronation Street celebrated its 15th year with the burning down of the warehouse and the death of popular character, Edna Gee. The Fire Service and paramedics worked with the production crew to create the blaze, making it the most ambitious disaster the Street had ever screened. The neighbourhood was being plagued by three young tearaways who were former pupils of Ken Barlow. They were constantly cheeking the residents and indulging in acts of petty vandalism. Albert Tatlock reported them to the police but the youngsters thought that Ken was responsible and wrecked his house in revenge. The fathers of two of the boys tried to bribe Ken into not going to the police but Ken wouldn’t take the money and thinking that society was to blame, didn’t take the matter any further.
However, the boys thought that the police were after them so they broke into the warehouse and spent the night in a store room. In the morning they left a cigarette burning in there and a fire started. The storeroom happened to be Edna Gee’s favourite place to go for a crafty smoke herself and when she opened the door she was engulfed in flames and died instantly. The fire took hold and the entire warehouse was razed, leaving Fred Gee a widower and all the workers unemployed.
1975 saw the marriage of Deirdre Hunt and Ray Langton. Deirdre was engaged to Billy Walker but when Ken Farrington handed in his notice, the storylines had to be rejigged. With the wedding date set and both mothers having bought the same outfit, both Billy and Deirdre started to have second thoughts. Billy broke it off and jetted off to Jersey to take a bartending job. Deirdre and Ray then amazed all the Street residents by getting together and after a whirlwind romance they were married at the local register office.
Also in 1975: Graham Haberfield (Jerry Booth) dies; Lynne Johnson is murdered and Len Fairclough is the chief suspect; Carlos proposes to Mavis to get a work permit; Gail Potter and Tricia Hopkins get conned by a modelling agency; Betty Turpin wins Newton & Ridley’s ‘Personality of the Pub’ competition; Stan Ogden wins free beer for a week.
Also in 1975: Graham Haberfield (Jerry Booth) dies; Lynne Johnson is murdered and Len Fairclough is the chief suspect; Carlos proposes to Mavis to get a work permit; Gail Potter and Tricia Hopkins get conned by a modelling agency; Betty Turpin wins Newton & Ridley’s ‘Personality of the Pub’ competition; Stan Ogden wins free beer for a week.
The warehouse fire was two months before the anniversary, and there was no attempt to tie it in with the event. I remember it all so well! And Edna was quite a minor character.
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