I’m off work today and posting this blog as
I embark on an exciting mission to Manchester (more on this in due course).
Hopefully, it won’t be a Blue Monday!
It was fun on Friday night as we went back
to the 80s for Beth and Kirk’s wedding. The highlight for me was this exchange
between Tim and Norris as the bridal party stepped out of Number 5:
Tim: Takes you back does it Nozzer?
Norris: Oh the decades all blur into one
for me if I’m honest.
Tim: Oh is that right Nozzer? The 80s were
a blur, were they? Too many nights in the ’açienda?
Brilliant! But despite Nozzer gurning his
face off while Beth showed off her Madonna costume (Madge made her first ever
UK performance at the Haçienda in 1984, fact fans), it’s safe to assume the Kabin
Killjoy would have given the Haçienda a wide berth during its 80s heyday.
Tim, on the other hand, was no doubt a
regular. You didn’t need to read to have a good time at Manchester’s famous
nightclub – top, sorted, MAD FER IT.
The Haçienda opened in 1982 and was a joint venture between Factory Records and New Order. It was
financed mainly by New Order record sales. Legendary acts such as The Stone
Roses, The Smiths, Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, Happy Mondays and Oasis all
played there – as well as New Order, obviously.
The Haçienda provided an early UK platform for acid house and gave rise to the whole “Madchester” scene. It also laid
the foundations for rave culture and today’s electronic dance music.
While it changed modern music, the Haçienda
famously ran at a loss. New Order bassist, Peter Hook, has
claimed the club lost up to £18 million in its final years. When gangs and
drugs took over by the 1990s, the dream had turned sour. The Haçienda closed in
1997 and was demolished in 2002.
I never got to the Haçienda. I was 15 when
it shut its doors (the same age as the club itself), so there wasn’t much I could’ve done about that. But this
quirk of history does upset me – especially as it’s something my older sister
has over me. She went to Manchester Uni during the peak of Britpop (94-98) and managed
to frequent the Haçienda before it croaked its last.
The site was converted into flats, of course – “The Haçienda
Apartments” now stand at 11-15 Whitworth Street West; the coolest address in
Manchester and one I often visit in homage to what was an iconic cultural
landmark that had a lasting impact on millions of people far beyond the
boundaries of Manchester.
I often wonder which Corrie characters
would have spent their weekends raving it up at the Haçienda. While it’s
difficult to be certain (as I’ve said – I wasn’t there), here are my Top 10
most likely Weatherfield contenders to have had Fac 51 membership:
1. Peter Barlow
Peter would have been 17 when the Haçienda opened
and already in the navy. But if Ken ever invited his son to Weatherfield while
he was on shore leave (unlikely, I know), a trip to the Haçienda would have
been a must for this hedonistic sailor – especially if this T-shirt is anything
to go by:
2. Liam Connor
Liam was a proper TopBoy with swagger and
effortless Manc charm. Remember when he installed a jukebox in his gaff and had
to decide which tunes to have on it? New Order made the cut. I also recall Liam
in the Rovers naming “Fools Good” by The Stone Roses as his favourite song. A
definite Haçienda man – era: the mid 90s.
3. Rob Donovan
A couple of years younger than Liam, they
would have moved in similar circles given the relationship between Carla and
Liam’s older brother, Paul. In planning his doomed marriage to Tracy Barlow, Rob
proved himself a fan of Oasis, The Roses and The Prodigy (for all your
rave/techno needs). He would have turned 18 two years before the Haçienda
closed and so could have sneaked in just in the nick of time (and before his
time in the nick).
4. Karl Munro
Talking of firestarters, Karl would
almost certainly have been found burning down the house at Hac 51. He was
rarely seen wearing anything but Pretty Green (Liam Gallagher’s label) during
his time on The Street. I met John Michie at Labour Party Conference (2013)
just as his final scenes were about to air. I asked about the Pretty Green
clothes. I was impressed when he told me this was something he added to the
character – because even though he didn’t have much money, Karl was the kind of
bloke who would have spent what he did have on clothes (amongst other vices).
Karl would have been 19 when the Haçienda launched. My verdict is that he was there from opening night onwards.
5. Tracy Barlow
I quite like Tracy at the moment. I warmed
to her when she walked down the aisle to “Waterfall”. And when it all went tits
up, she sat and listened to The Stone Roses on repeat for a week. She’s got taste. And she didn’t think much of the 80s tunes that Beth chose
for her wedding day. My view – Haçienda goer: late doors.
6. Beth Tinker
Though her wedding playlist veered towards
the cheesier end of the 80s spectrum, I reckon the misspent youth that Beth
sometimes alludes to would have involved some mad ones at the Haçienda. Perhaps
this is why she gets on so well with Tracy. Beth’s likely Hac heyday – early to
mid 90s.
7. Tim Metcalfe
His banter with Nozzer is all the proof we
need. And that line on Friday night is another reason why Tim is brilliant –
and a nice touch by the writers.
8. Becky Granger
I don’t have much to base this on, except
for the fact that Becky was no stranger to a big night out. Technically she
would have been underage when the Haçienda closed. But I don’t think that would
have stopped her.
9. Steve McDonald
A teenage tearaway when he first arrived in
Weatherfield, Steve was always getting into mischief in his younger days. I
find it hard to believe that Steve and Andy never went up town for a night at
the Haçienda. I just hope that poor Steve can experience the good times again.
10. Owen Armstrong
Age wise, this makes sense. Born in 1958,
Owen was almost certainly still going for it in the early 80s before settling
down and finally getting out of the game with the birth of Izzy in 1986. Recently,
Owen could be heard singing along in the kitchen to “There She Goes” by The
Las, so he's into his music. I reckon Owen went once or twice in the early days.
And that’s my 10. It was a narrow miss for Lloyd Mullaney. Lloyd is more into Northern Soul but as a lover of music and all round cool guy, it's probable he would have made the short journey from Liverpool to Manchester to see what was going on.
Which other Corrie characters were cool enough to have hit the Haçienda? And
who out there on this blog was lucky enough to have been there?
I would like to give an honorary mention to
Luke Britton. Luke was probably still in nappies when the Haçienda closed. But
it’s clear from Kirk’s stag do that Manc vibes run through Luke’s veins. It was
funny watching him try to get the party started in Tyrone’s front room – “This
is quality mate, just wait for the drop” said Luke as he enjoyed his one-man
rave while Craig googled Stag Party Games. It was a genuine case of M.V.I.T.A. (Manchester Vibes In The Area).
Anyway, that’s it from me. My train is
pulling into Manchester Piccadilly and I’m in the mood for a party. I’d better find myself a double espresso and get down The Haçienda Apartments. Top Buzz mate.
By Martin Leay
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In the course of six years, Becky went from a drug dealer who stole Roy and Hayley’s Morris Minor to a much loved Corrie character. She was brought in as an old friend of Kelly Crabtree who she soon framed for theft. She fled the street but returned and found refuge with the Croppers, but soon took advantage by stealing from the till. As always, Roy and Hayley forgave her and thus began a beautiful friendship. 
