Novels by Coronation Street Blog Editor Glenda Young

Showing posts with label aidan connor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aidan connor. Show all posts

Monday, 20 May 2019

In Praise of Corrie - Mental Health Awareness Week 2019


In the past 12 to 13 months, Coronation Street has been predominant in bringing issue-based storylines into the Weatherfield world, with praise and abhorrence heaped upon them equally amongst us die-hard cobbles fans. Personally, I am quite the fan. In an age where social media (as opposed to tabloid sensationalism) can sway opinion and equally grab headlines, dramas that reach millions of people, several nights a week, certainly have an important role in modern society.

Working in my day job (in the disability industry), I am acutely exposed to ‘awareness days/weeks’ and their importance in raising awareness for minorities and (often underrepresented) health issues. This past fortnight, I think it's worth praising Corrie for serious awareness raised of two equally important conditions.


Where Carla’s psychosis and mental health storyline is rapidly developing during this week's #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek,  Freda’s reappearance, to coincide with the legend Malcolm Hebden returning to the cobbles, was actually aired during #DeafAwarenessWeek.  As a hearing-aid wearer (it has its benefits, trust me!), I was glad to see Freda back on the street and jovially winding up Amy’s efforts at BSL (British Sign language) and the character being so expressive with the signing.
Wouldn’t it be great to learn BSL?


With mental health now (finally) being at the forefront of the UK's social health agenda, Carla’s descent into psychosis and paranoia is also worth its weight in gold, when highlighting an issue that is equally troubling for both men and women. In 2018, we saw her fictional brother Aidan fight and lose his battle with mental health, and Aidan’s suicide was remarkable (without sensationalism) in highlighting how suicide is the biggest killer amongst men, under the age of 50, in the UK. Aside from opening discussion amongst the UK press, social media discussion, and with some brilliant charities involved, who can forget Gail's (Bafta nominated) incredibly moving monologue, written by Jonathan Harvey.


Carla’s demise then, during mental health awareness week, is not only timely, but will do wonders in raising more awareness of severe psychosis and how mental health is incredibly important to us individually, and society as a whole.  I doubt many of us will be embroiled in faux factory collapses, but, it is of course a metaphor for many a drama we all face as individuals and how we cope

Although issues-led storylines can come up for scrutiny, personally I think we can get more 3-dimensional characterisations from these storylines and I think it does help rather than hinder character development.

I wanted to write this to thank @itvcorrie cast and writers for raising awareness over the past fortnight of two important health issues within the UK.

With a promised special episode devoted to Carla's mental health still to come, it will be interesting to see how Corrie develops future storylines based on issues affecting modern working-class Britain.

What do you think?. Let me know in the comments section.

I am @rybazoxo on twitter, your (self-titled) 'cobbles connoisseur' and writer of the Wednesday episode blog reviews.





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Friday, 15 February 2019

Shayne Ward gets hairy for horror role


Shayne Ward, who payed Coronation Street's Aidan Connor, will be starring in a new horror film based in Lincolnshire. The film is called Skendelby and tells the frightening story of an ancient evil archaeological curse lurking within the estate of Skendleby Hall in Lincolnshire.

Shayne said: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining a great cast and crew on an exciting new British film. The script is brilliant and I can’t wait to get going. I loved making my last film and the part I have landed has huge potential. I hope the film will be a big hit and I know audiences love the horror genre and will be keen to support an all British project.”

The film is expected to be released in 2020 with filming set to begin in April this year.

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Saturday, 11 August 2018

Coronation Street Episode Review: Friday 10 August 2018


First up grateful thanks to Kelly (on twitter at https://twitter.com/mskelstar) for taking up the challenge so well last week.  I had hoped to be back but circumstances conspired against me. 

There has been huge change on the Street this week as that central role - landlady of the Rovers - changed and we said farewell to Toyah as she threw the baton at Jenny and more or less told her to get on wi'it!  At the top of the page we can see Jenny in full hostess with mostest mode as she gets people asking for the usual (even though she does not know what that is yet!)  Let us hope that this brings the Rovers back to centre stage.  She also recruits "sister" Gemma to do some shifts - nice touch.

Imran is in a fix.  His ex wants cash so his share of Speed Dahl (which he only got going a couple of months ago) is on the block.  Also he is duty solicitor and on call.  However he also wants peace restored to the family - so persuades Rana to visit the hospital where his father (Hassan) is reported by the doctor as unlikely to recover and therefore Saira continues to argue with Rana.  Saira tells Rana that if Hassan dies then she (Rana) will have it on her conscience.  When Imran's phone goes he is glad to escape the family and go to the local police station who introduce him to a prisoner who is clearly responsible for a major fraud - open and shut case according to the police. 

In my view Alya is some form of superwoman, she over produced knickers and failed to go bust; she dealt with a moth invasion; she lost a rabidly sexist customer (Hanlon) and now Fergusons,  new customer who were playing hardball have only doubled their first order!  Even more amazing is that the Connors have stopped fighting over the factory ownership.  What a wonderful bed of roses Alya is enjoying!

In Roy's Rolls Sally observes to Tracey that the recent bonus from StreetCars was good news.  Or as Tracey saw it - completely new news!  She catches up with Steve in the Rovers (where Abi had just apologised for her behaviour on Wednesday) and orders the two of them to the jewellers to find her an engagement rock so large it has its own Twitter account.


We know that Daniel and Sinead will not be taking the empty unit on Victoria Street - might this be where "Connors' Cuts" appears - a franchise from Claudia, financed by Carla and run by Maria who meet for brunch in the Bistro.  Claudia makes several digs at the supposedly "silent" partner Carla whose (sensible business) observations are considered unwelcome.  The quiet is briefly broken by the celebrating Alya and Sarah who beat a quick retreat when they see the Connors in situ.

The social worker catches up with Abi having missed her previously, so did not see her drunk thankfully.  It does look as though the social worker is trying to ensure the family do end up back together.  And the Street gods are conspiring to those ends.


Hmm, does that bed of roses have a thorn?  Apparently unbeknownst to anyone Aidan gave an interview on being a kidney donor during his stay in hospital for a student project.  The student had delivered it to the factory as she felt that those who knew Aidan should see it as he comes across so well.  Sarah hands on the package to Alya.


Peter finally gets together with Carla for a cup of coffee in Roy's Rolls.  Peter amusingly suggests that the old spark is still there between them and this seems to strike Carla as unbelievable and manages to silence her completely.  When she recovers her voice she reminds Peter of events on their wedding night (for latecomers he slept with someone else); then they were supposed to be having a baby together and he behaved badly; then Peter finally realises that Carla was using him for the birth certificate, a couple of weeks ago!  She tells him there is not a snowball's chance in hell of them re-uniting.  If he feels led on, he should take that feeling and multiply it by a million to get some idea of what he has done to her.  Her face quite clearly shows her hatred as above!

Sally is busy organising a fund raising for adapations for Kevin's house for Jack - raffle prizes and getting people to attend a circus themed event on Monday.  Geoff volunteers to do some escapology from a straight jacket - assuming he learns how to do it by then.  Abi winds Sally up but Tim calls Sally the most thoughtful, kind, generous and sexy woman he has ever met which puts the smile back in place.  They are holding a family BBQ - Yasmeen, Geoff, Gina, Dev and Tim are all are happy working on their plans for the event, a huge happy family.  However as we watch their happiness this is intercut with Duncan's fairytale:


Imran's client is of course Duncan Radfield who for the benefit of his defence lawyer has a wonderful story concerning how the fraud was inspired by the former Mayor of Weatherfield, Sally Metcalfe, who coerced him and with whom he has been extremely intimate at her request and how he followed her instructions in carrying out the fraud putting the money into their joint account and he passes Imran a "burner" phone with records of their intimate and financial communications in the last couple of months which Duncan and Imran provide to the police.

There are several slips up between Abi and Steve but a ring is acquired and is delivered to Tracey's finger and she is impressed by the size of the rock.  To me Abi is becoming too "Becky" like - that cannot be a good thing.


The previously unknown interview of Aidan sees him talking about how his family are so important to him and that he was probably only a kidney donor because it was his sister, so it was a no-brainer of a decision, he does not see himself as brave - that is entering a burning building he explains.  He talks movingly about the importance of the Connor family to him, he has saved the life of someone he loves, and in watching it Alya is moved - why is she now sitting in their factory?  A little later Yasmeen pops in and also becomes aware of this testament from the late Aidan Connor.

Next week I think Kelly will be here.  Enjoy Corrie until then,

Kosmo
@Kosmo





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Wednesday, 8 August 2018

Coronation Street and Rochdale

As soon as I was old enough, I darted out of my home town and went to live in the big city. The older I got though, the fonder I became of the place I grew up. That place is Rochdale in Greater Manchester – a former cotton town that was central to the industrial revolution. Nowadays, Rochdale is often in the news for all the wrong reasons, but I’ve recently spotted that the town has become a regular fixture for location filming on Coronation Street, particularly in and around the town hall. Rochdale has quite a few links to Corrie actually…



AIDAN’S INQUEST
Last Friday was the emotional final part of Aidan Connor’s story. The family gathered to hear and share details of his final hours. Much of Friday’s episodes were filmed at Rochdale Town Hall, both inside and out. Here you can see a stunning stained glass window inside the gothic building, which depicts the Kings and Queens of England and was reportedly admired by Adolf Hitler, who basically wanted to nick it:



BILLY IS STABBED
Billy’s graphic stabbing several months ago took place not far from the Town Hall next to Rochdale police station.

ROCHDALE POLICE STATION

MADISONS (ranked 19 of 325 restaurants in Rochdale)

ROSIE’S BACK
Shortly after Helen Flanagan returned to the Street, the Websters were spotted filming in and around Rochdale Town Hall. The Manchester Evening News reported them being spotted back in February 2017.



CURRENT CAST MEMBERS FROM ROCHDALE
Sinead Tinker is played by Katie McGlynn, who is from Rochdale. She actually went to the same high school as me but clearly benefited from the teachings of Drama head Mr Carroll more than I did.

Katie McGlynn

FORMER CAST MEMBERS FROM ROCHDALE
Michelle Holmes can currently be seen in old episodes of Classic Corrie on ITV3, playing Rovers barmaid Tina Fowler. Michelle was also in Emmerdale and most recently Hollyoaks.

Michelle Holmes

Emma Edmondson  played Mel Morton, part of the short lived Morton family in Corrie. She also went to Wardle High School in Rochdale and was in the year above me. Come to think of it, I’m starting to think Mr Carroll had favourites at that school. Although he did give me the part of Charlie Bucket in a production of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory and if I remember rightly, Emma was an Oompa Loompa. So I win.

Emma Edmondson, bottom centre right

Bob Mason, a writer from Rochdale, started his Corrie journey as character Terry Bradshaw (brother of Renee Roberts) in the seventies. Then in the eighties he became the soap’s first regular writer. According to Corriepedia he is one of only eight people to both write and appear in the show. Bob died in 2004.

Bob Mason

And of course the great Julie Goodyear, Corrie’s Bet Lynch is from Heywood just outside Rochdale. Last year Julie was awarded the Freedom of Rochdale, whether she wanted it or not.


Julie, who last appeared in Coronation Street in 2003 said of the gong: “I am honoured, delighted and thrilled to accept this award from Rochdale council. I was born in Heywood and lived here all my life and never wanted to leave and live anywhere else so this is a very special award from the council. Rochdale is one of the best-known towns in the country and some very famous people have come from here so it will be truly wonderful to be given this honour.”
Julie Goodyear with the Freedom of Rochdale
Aside from it’s stunning town hall and the founding of the Co-Operative movement, Rochdale is also famous for actor Anna Friel, singer Lisa Stanfield, the first global superstar Gracie Fields...and my legendary blogs. 
What's the Coronation Street connection to your home town?
@StevieDawson



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