Anniversary Trivia

MY FIFTY CORONATION STREET TOP TRIVIA FACTS

1. The first set used as the interior of the bookies had been built for the Granada sit-com ‘Mother’s Ruin’ which starred Roy Barraclough (Alec Gilroy) and was written by John Stevenson.

2. The first actress cast as Ena Sharples was called Nita Valerie.  She had run her own theatre company in Huddersfield.  They cast Vi Carson as her replacement between the pilot and the first screened episode.

3. Martin Platt’s dad and Curly’s girlfriend Kimberley’s dad were played by the same actor – John Jardine.

4. Kenneth Alan Taylor who played brewery boss Cecil Newton is married to actress Judith Barker who played Ken’s wife Janet.

5. Roy and Hayley’s wedding was filmed in two locations – the inside and outside of the wedding venue were actually different places.

6. The venue used as the location for Ken and Deirdre’s second wedding is actually a museum.

7. The filming for Blanche’s funeral took place at a different church to the one used as St Christopher’s.  The usual church was having major restoration work done at the time and wasn’t available.

8. In the QE2 video Rita and Alec look off the back deck at fireworks going off.  They were actually filmed in a field in Cheshire and added into the footage shot on the ship.

9. Mavis’ budgie and Scamper, the dog owned by the Mallets, retired to a guest house in Wales after they left the show.

10. Annie Walker’s maiden name was Beaumont.  It’s rumoured that a real lady named Annie Beaumont who ran the box office at the Oldham Coliseum Theatre inspired the name.

11. Jean Alexander (Hilda Ogden) worked in the wardrobe department at the Oldham Coliseum and was frightened by seeing a rat in amongst some costumes.  She says that’s why she decided to become an actress!

12. William Roache played Ken in one pilot and Philip Lowrie played him in a second pilot.  Philip went on to play Dennis Tanner.

13. There is a real pub in Salford called the Rover’s Return.

14. The real streets in the Salford Quays area are named after Canadian and American places.  That’s why Mike Baldwin’s address was Montreal House.

15. Granada blundered by announcing the death of actress Lynne Carroll (Martha Longhurst) some months before her actual death.

16. The new ‘Knight’s Tale’ DVD was filmed at Peckforton Castle, the same location as the Patrick Bergin ‘Robin Hood’ film.

17. In the scenes where Vicky Arden (Chloe Newsome) went riding on her horse Saracen, one of the riding extras in the background was William Roache’s wife Sara.

18. Although a real narrow boat was used for filming the scenes with Ken and Martha, an interior set was built in the studios.

19. Dev and Sunita’s wedding was filmed in the car park at Granada Studios.  The street Dev rode along was a fake and the ceremony took place inside a disused studio building.

20. Chesney’s market stall scenes were filmed on the old Granada Studios Tours lot.  Where his stall stands used to be a copy of Checkpoint Charlie!

21. Barbara Knox, Eileen Derbyshire, Betty Driver, Tony Warren, William Roache, Roy Barraclough, Julie Goodyear and Liz Dawn all have the MBE.

22. The usual church where weddings and funerals are filmed has had another use.  Next door is the rectory, which doubled as the old folk’s home which Cilla worked at.

23. Bill Waddington (Percy Sugden) first embarked on a career as a butcher.

24. Jill Summers (Phyllis Pearce) was really called Honor.  She chose her stage name as Jill was her favourite measurement of drink and Summer was her favourite time of the year.

25. Jack Howarth (Uncle Albert) used to take the best cakes off the trolley at afternoon tea and put them in his pocket to take back to his hotel.

26. The picture hanging in the Barlow’s hall has a scouting theme.

27. Inside the medical centre is the hospital set.

28. The site of the original outdoor set is still in use.  The viaduct arches were most recently used as the front of Davenport’s car showroom when Sally had her affair with the car dealer.

29. Tony Warren also wrote the TV series ‘The War of Darkie Pilbeam’ in which Roy Barraclough appeared dressed as a nun.

30. Bill Owen, best known as Compo in ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ appeared in Corrie in the early years.  Very soon actress Jean Fergusson (Marina) will make an appearance as Charlotte’s mum.

31. Doris Speed lived in the same street as footballer George Best.

32. Liz Dawn’s real first name is Sylvia.

33. Gail’s recent trial was filmed at Bradford – the same location was used for Tracy’s trail.

34. The Lowry Theatre recently hosted the ‘Corrie!’ stage play.  It also doubled as the hotel Leanne was tracked down by Janice in when she was on the game.

35. The first vegetarian character was played by Frazer Hines who went on to be Joe Sugden in ‘Emmerdale’.

36. Betty married second husband Billy in the same church where Joe’s funeral was held last year.

37. Betty’s first husband Cyril was played by actress Mollie Sugden’s real husband William Moore.

38. When the 50^th anniversary cast photo was taken Nick T and Lloyd weren’t there so on some versions they’ve been added in and on others, such as the back of the 50^th book, they’re missing.

The 50th anniversary picture             Thanks to:ITV

39. Alf Roberts was Mayor twice – in the 70s and 90s.  The Mayoral chain changed completely in between.

40. When one of the production team retired she declared a desire to ride down the street set on an elephant.  Her request was refused.

41. The cobbles changed direction when the outdoor set was re-built.  It’s said that there are 11,101 cobbles on the set.

42. The famous 1983 story when Mrs Walker’s jag went into the lake was filmed at Tatton Park in Cheshire.

43. The Rovers’ staircase used to run in the opposite direction.

44. The first ‘flying ducks’ to appear in Corrie weren’t in Hilda’s house but in Elsie Tanner’s at number 11.

45. When Elsie was married off the producers decided viewers wouldn’t like it if her name changed so they invented Steve Tanner as her future husband.

46. Vi Carson (Ena) was plagued with coaches of people driving past her home such that she had to change its layout and put her lounge at the rear.

47. Ena, Alec and Bet have all switched on Blackpool’s famous illuminations.

48. The tram which killed Alan Bradley is still operating in Blackpool.

49.  Some years ago, along Water Street, outside the studios, were hung lights depicting classic Corrie characters.  Before that they’d been used in the Blackpool illuminations.

50. Long before Hyacinth Bucket was invented, actress Patricia Routledge played the owner of a café on Rosamund Street.

Compiled by Mark Llewellin, locations guide

Visit my blog http://markllewellin.blogspot.com for my favourite stories from taking Corrie fans to look at the locations used for filming.