Here we go with the last one in our series of guest blog posts from David at Corriepedia as their site celebrates 10 years online!
Hello! Flaming Nora has kindly agreed to host a blog post from me relating to the tenth anniversary of Corriepedia, the Coronation Street Wiki. After some thinking, I've decided to expand on something my friend and fellow admin John brought up in his interview with the wonderful Conversation Street podcast last week.
To help readers understand why these episodes are so special, and why David from Corriepedia rates them as hidden gems, you might want to read his original blog post here which explains all.
Here we go with the final gem.
The vicar doesn't turn up (#906, 1/9/69)
"If she's not sizzling down that aisle like a fast fuse at 1200 hours prompt, I'm under no moral obligation to 'ang on."
We finish up with the wedding of Albert Tatlock and Alice Pickins from September 1969. For context, Albert is my number one character of all time. I don't think he really got his due on the DVDs, not if you compare the amount of big Albert moments in the boxsets with Annie, Elsie, Ken, or any of the long-termers. It wasn't until the BFI that I got to see how utterly brilliant he was. Childish, bad-mannered, and blunt as a hammer - before he became just a moaner in the early 1980s. The Blanche of his day. And nobody could steal a scene like Jack Howarth.
Albert is on top form here as he awaits the arrival of his bride at the church, grumbling to best man Ken about all manner of things from the choice of hymns to how much extra he'd have to pay the organist due to the delay. It gradually dawns on the wedding party that the vicar isn't there but they carry on regardless up until the bride and groom are at the altar waiting to say their vows. To buy time, they have the photos taken first before heading off to the reception where Alice, taking the vicar's absence as a bad omen, makes the heartfelt decision not to marry Albert. Not that Albert minds - he didn't want to get married in the first place (shades of Percy/Phyllis again). The vicar, it turns out, had a car breakdown while transporting Albert's aged Auntie Ada Broadbent to the wedding (and the idea of a monument like Albert having a crankly old aunt is freaking hilarious).
Set mostly away from Coronation Street with only a couple of scenes with Dave Smith and his wife Lillian at the Rovers, this is a delightful episode with lots of Corrie-style gentle humour.
And don't forget to check out Corriepedia and follow them on Twitter too.
Fancy writing a guest blog post for us? All details here!
Read more Corrie news, interviews, gossip and spoilers
Please read our advice for leaving comments on the Coronation Street Blog
All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License
Thank you so much for sharing these beauties. I only wish I could watch them all now too.
ReplyDeleteAnd I too loved Uncle Albert, even though I missed all the 1960s and some of the 1970s. I remember a really poignant scene just after the Mike/Ken/Deirdre triangle when either Ken or Deirdre went into the front room to tell him they were staying together. Uncle Albert was so frail and vulnerable and beside himself with relief. it broke my heart.
more of these gems please, I really enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for these fantastic snippets and memories of Corrie Dave. I’ve enjoyed the trip down memory lane.
ReplyDelete