Corrie fan? Join the Coronation Street Blog team!

Stuck at home, feeling anxious? Yup, me too.

Then come and join us here on the Coronation Street Blog and write a Corrie blog post or two. Or even more if you'd like!

If you'd like to write anything about our favourite show, do please get in touch.  All we ask is for a few paragraphs on a subject close to your heart that you want to get off your chest (as it were).

Go on... you know you want to.  Email me at glenda.sunderland@gmail.com.  Don't worry about spelling and grammar, we'll do our best to fix those as best as we can. And we'll link to any website, twitter, blog etc., of your own that you'd like us to. We'll share you on social media too.

Or maybe you'd like to feature as one of our Coronation Street fans of the week. If so, all details are here.

And if you're famous, even just a little bit, why not tell us about your love of Corrie in exchange for a charity donation.  All details are here.

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Glenda Young

Author of gritty, family saga novels with Headline

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

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Why I love Coronation Street Blog

Guest Blog Post from Lucy Inman who is on Twitter: @LucyInman31

“What are you doing tonight Lucy?” “Well it’s a Corrie night, so making a brew and watching that.” “No seriously, what are you doing?”
This is a conversation I’ve had before. People often don’t believe how invested I am in The Street. But I am. I really am! After a long day at work, sometimes all I want to do is sit and get lost in someone else’s problems and worries, albeit fictional. I don’t have Netflix (I know, I think I’m the only person in the world who doesn’t) so when people are talking about Game of Thrones or Stranger Things, they could be speaking Double Dutch. In fact, I thought Game of Thrones was a board game for a long time, until I was corrected. Then I heard people talking about someone called Jon Snow and I thought he was a Channel 4 newsreader! (I’ve since been informed he’s a character in said show).

Basically the point of this blog is to introduce myself. I love Corrie and I love writing, so this seemed like the dream combination! It’s refreshing to find people who want to talk about what’s happening at Roy’s Rolls, why Michelle wears so much eyeliner and what little tearaway Simon is up to now, just as much as me. Coming from Up North, namely Bolton, I have grown up with Coronation Street and many characters such as David Platt. People tell me it’s not real as I yell at Tracy to shut up and arrange some flowers, but I beg to differ. Of course, the characters are fictitious, but often the situations aren’t.  I learn a lot from Ken!

Although uncomfortable to watch, David’s current male rape storyline, exquisitely portrayed by Jack P Shepherd and Ryan Clayton, has massively opened my eyes to such a harrowing crime. To see the breakdown of David and know that this is actually happening in real life has been heart breaking. 
Personally, my favourite storylines are those where the characters that aren’t normally at the forefront of the soap get to show off their abilities, for example Mary’s friendship with Bethany throughout the child grooming story. Again difficult viewing, but Patti Claire has excellent empathy with a skill for comic timing and it was nice to see her talents showcased with a vulnerability not often possessed by the more satirical characters. 

In my opinion, Coronation Street struck gold with Connor McIntyre, aka Phelan. No wonder they kept him on his killing spree longer than intended! Never has an actor confused me so much. I knew I should have morally hated the character for what he was doing, but at the same time I didn’t want him to get caught for his portrayal of the evil builder; a true testament to Connor. However, the  other night I had a dream Phelan was chasing me with a gun and then I had to hide someone in my house so he couldn’t get to them, so for my own health I’m glad he’s gone! (For now…)

Finally, I need to mention Roy. There’s not an episode goes by where I don’t wish he was in my life. What a man! It must be an absolute pleasure for Alison King to work alongside David Neilson. A masterclass in acting, their friendship was a stroke of genius. Roy really is the Grandad, best friend and life coach we all wish we had! Mine’s coffee one, please.

Guest Blog Post from Lucy Inman who is on Twitter: @LucyInman31

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Coronation Street Episode Review - 26th July 2017

More mid-week musings from your Sheffield-based Corrie connoisseur.

As tonight's episode begins, Gemma is still mithering Chesney to push ahead with his compo claim for his stabbing. Although he recovered extremely quickly, Chesney is nonplussed, however a 'Compo-tastic' Gemma prunes him, and Adam Barlow (Baldwin!) ravishes over the potential compo cash.

Over at The Rovers Return, beardy Barlow is still driving taxis (whatever happened to Chloe?) and Toyah is reeling from another saddening IVF failure. I'm not emotionally bereft, just not emotionally attached to this storyline. With Baby Oliver moving in, it's obvious where this could be heading.

I am not at all convinced with this Bistro drama either but hey, I think this storyline may be warming up.

With the customers cancelling in droves, Robert reaches for the whiskey and begins to drown his sorrows. No sooner is he downing whiskey but soon drowning in debt, as £10k is demanded for our Ches by the scheming Barlow (he is a Baldwin, that lad). Compo-tastic! indeed - Robert flees the scene.

Melodrama at the Bistro wasn't my thing tonight but over at Summer's Grandma's house, we saw Corrie absolutely excels itself as Billy and Todd (aka 'Tilly') finally won her custody. It wasn't before the truth was finally revealed by Drew's father though, and the vile homophobe Geraldine, didn't go down without a fight. Awash with drama, raw nerves and a real acting tour de-force from Billy (Dan Brocklebank), these scenes were incredibly well acted and it seemed fitting. Considering 'Pride month' and the UK's 50th legislative  anniversary, Corrie is once again at the forefront 'flying the flag'; love it.

Back at The Rovers, both Battersby girls are behind the bar (I do like that) but Toyah's harrowing news has been revealed to an anguished Peter. Sad it may be, but I do wonder where the writers are going with this. I also miss Liz behind the bar, and don't get me started on Mad 'Medic' Moira.

As Summer is welcomed over at Tilly's (so proud of Corrie for this), the drama continues at the Bistro.

As Michelle is left alone, she hears a rumbling (cue sinister camera angles and nightmarish tension) 'Chelle discovers R.I.P is splattered in RED paint on the Bistro wall. OOOH! Looks like more drama for Michelle?

I think I'd avoid Nick's Bistro and The Rovers Return tonight, in all honesty. You can't get a pint anywhere, it's all doom and gloom.

That's it! I'm off to the 'Weatherfield Arms'. Speak next week.

I am @rybazoxo 

NEW MUSIC DJ @PenistoneFM

Editor of music blog @Drunkonmusic2 

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Review: Coronation Street Blog's Manchester meet-up

Our Coronation Street Blog team met up in Manchester on Friday 28 April, and what a day we had.  We met in Annie's restaurant, owned by Corrie's Fiz (Jennie McAlpine and her husband Chris Farr) and they really pushed the boat out for us with an arrangement of fantastic Coronation Street themed cup cakes, as you can see below.

Over coffee and cakes inside the snug at Annie's, we had a very special Corrie insider come to talk to us.  I won't say who it was and I won't say what they told us, but I will say it was a fantastic opportunity to find out more about our favourite show.  We could have listened to the talk all day, but sadly, we only had an hour of their time before our mini-bus came to collect us and whisk us away on our next adventure.

Half an hour from Manchester city centre, we were dropped at the Daisy Nook garden centre in Failsworth. And if you're wondering what a group of Corrie fans are doing at a garden centre, well, I'll tell you. One of the owners of Daisy Nook is a chap called Mark Llewellyn who is a friend of the Blog and a smashing bloke. He is "Mr Corrie" and knows more about the stars of the show than most.  Mark gave us a fantastic talk on the origins of the show, from Granada and Tony Warren through to classic characters and actors such as the late Jill Summers who played Phyllis Pearce. 

Mark also showed us some props from the show that have never been seen in public before.  It was a brilliant afternoon and we all went away absolutely buzzing with information and insights into our faovurite show.  

Not all of our team could make the day, sadly, but we did welcome two new bloggers - Sophie and Michael - who hadn't joined us on a blog meet-up before.  And before we got on the mini-bus to take us back to the centre of Manchester, Mark kindly took a team photo, so here we are in all our glory, as follows:

Left to right we are:

Emma Hynes, Pickled Jo, David Bridgman, Michael Adams, Martin Leay, Jonny Grimshaw (Corrie extra and Tour Guide), Glenda Young, Jordan's (non-blogging) friend, Sophie Williams, Barry Smith, Jordan Lloyd and Sophie's mum!

It was a fantastic day out and our thanks go to Annie's Manchester, to our special Corrie insider for his warmth and generosity with his time and his insights, to Mark Llewellyn and to the staff at Daisy Nook for a smashing lunch too!

Read more Corrie news and spoilers here.

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Four fab years of Corrie blogging

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!

Today marks 4 years since I joined the team here on the Coronation Street Blog. Where does the time go? And what a blast those four years have been!

I believe it's also 10 years since I became online friends with Blog editor Glenda and some of the other bloggers. I think it's great to have a place where you can go talk about all things Corrie in a friendly and tongue-in-cheek manner - from last night's episode to bygone characters like Steve Fisher or Sam Tindall!

As the New Year is a time of reflection and reminiscing I thought I'd look back over my last four years of blogging.

While I've enjoyed writing various discussion blog posts which have garnered many comments and questions over the last four years, there is no doubt that I've enjoyed conducting the various polls.

I conducted my first ever blog poll a few weeks after joining the blog with a top 60 character countdown. Looking back, maybe the voting process wasn't the best so maybe in a few years time I'll do another one. But what was wonderful was that Digital Spy got hold of the results and published an article which in turn appeared in many online sources! That was a great moment and brought publicity to the blog!

Llifon's online poll of fans' favourite Coronation Street characters was featured in The Sun, Digital Spy, RTE and STV.

There have been other polls of course like favourite couples and recently favourite males which were also fun to do. 

Blog team on the new set of Coronation Street, February 2015

Other polls came about through requests by commenters. The A-Z weekly polls were fun to do and spontaneous. The accessories poll was another feature that got press coverage which was wonderful.

Llifon's poll to find Corrie fans' favourite accessory makes news in the local press, and in The Star)

2015 was great as well because I got to interview Corrie director Terry Dyddgen-Jones and also met up with fellow bloggers on the new set in February. It was nice to see everyone face to face!

I was the new kid on the block for a while on the blog but in the last 2-3 years we've had new members to the team which have added an extra sparkle to the blog with their witty and honest analyses. It's wonderful that the team has got bigger as it lightens the load on Glenda and Diane and others. It's a great system where we blog when we want to - there might be a hiatus of six months but the void is being filled on a regular basis.

Every day I read insightful and interesting posts. They are not empty words but passionate about the programme. We bloggers only condemn the show because we love it so much.  It is very much a British institution. But we also defend and praise it - there are ups and downs. No television show can have a lifelong golden age. Despite on its way to retirement age, Corrie has no signs of slowing down.

Let's hope the blog goes from strength to strength in 2016 and beyond!

Llifon Jones, on twitter @llifonj

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Youngest Blogger joins Coronation Street Blog team

Here on the Coronation Street Blog we have a diverse range of Coronation Street fans who write here. We're based all over the world including Canada, Dublin and Wales. The rest of us are dotted about the UK from up north to down south, we're male and female, gay and straight, young and old.

Today, we welcome our youngest blogger to join the team. Michael Adams is just 16 years old and is a huge Coronation Street fan.

He has featured on the website once before after he'd been invited behind-the-scenes on a VIP tour of the new set earlier this year. You can read his report here.

This is Michael's introductory post and we'll be hearing more from him in the coming weeks.

And now, it's over to Michael...

"Being asked to be part of my favourite Coronation Street fan site was an immense feeling, and I can't wait to begin writing for the blog.

I may only be 16 and undoubtedly the youngest blogger on here, though I can assure you that my posts shan't all be revolving around Weatherfield post 1999! 

Personally, I prefer the older episodes, with the show at its peak in the 70s, 80s and 90s, and I adore seeing the way the street has evolved and grown over the past 55 years. Corrie was so basic back then - though I believe those simplicities made it more relatable and realistic. 

Don't get me wrong though, as it's still as relatable today, and growing up in the same street and little town all my life, I certainly know a lot of people like nosey Norris! 

It's just a shame that not a lot of people my age appreciate the heritage of the show and just take each storyline as it comes, not providing me with the complex, critical conversation that I'd appreciate - haha!

Another annoyance is those on Instagram who are about ten years old whose fan accounts tell every fact wrong and think the world revolves around Carla Connor! Ahhhhh! Bring back Stan and Hilda any day... 

Hopefully you'll enjoy my upcoming posts, fingers crossed!

Michael Adams. On twitter at @MichaelAdamsUK

 

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By fans, for fans. A blog about 'The Blog'.

I was supposed to travel to Yorkshire today to attend a horticultural fair but all the trains were cancelled so I’m stuck in London. Perfect time to write a Coronation Street Blog. About the Coronation Street Blog.

It’s been a busy few months for us bloggers. So many interesting storylines to cover, issues to discuss and episodes to review. I was lucky enough to attend the previews of the fire episodes and meet some of the cast a couple of months ago. It was an interesting experience, not just hearing first hand about how the episodes were put together from the writers and producers, but being among tv journalists and commentators, and being able to question the cast and crew directly. Not for any newspaper or TV programme, but specially for the Coronation Street blog. Glenda, the blog creator and editor has projected your opinions and thoughts on our favourite show across the world – the blog gets hundreds of thousands of readers and I’m sure I speak for all of the blog team when I say we are proud to contribute and be involved. I’m not the most prolific blogger, but I’m an avid reader. So here are a few of my favourite things about the Coronation Street Blog…

Episode reviews

We have it covered. Ruth, Emma and Jordan review most episodes straight after they are aired, so if you’ve missed Corrie, you know where to look.

It’s a community

The Corrie Blog team on the new set

Everyone, whether you’re a reader or blogger, can be involved in the Coronation Street blog. We have Fan of the Week, competitions, fan stories and guest blogs. Not to mention you can comment on every blog that is posted on the website. Admittedly some of the comments are not very nice and Glenda works very hard to ensure they are removed as quickly as possible. That’s probably one of the only rules we have at the Coronation Street Blog – be nice or sod off.

Honesty / critique

We all love Corrie. And that’s why we sometimes have to be a bit negative on the blog. Rest assured our criticism and frustration comes out of love for what is still one of the most successful TV shows of all time. So when you hear us moan about inconsistencies, poor performances, repetitive storylines, unpopular characters etc…bear with us. We just want Coronation Street to be the best it can be.

A blog by fans, for fans

Clinkers, Scott, Tvor, Llifon, Graeme, Sunny Jim, myself – we all have our own take on what Corrie means to viewers and where it’s heading. I like to link my blogs to the wider audience, how it reflects society and what influence it has on the TV viewing population. I’ve written about politics, drinking culture and mental health since joining the blog – issues which might bore some people to tears, but the interaction I’ve had on the blog with people who are interested has made my blogs really worth writing.

Fat Brenda

Get stuffed

Who is she? Where is she? When can I marry her? We all enjoy Fat Brenda’s legendary insights. Long may they continue.

So there we go. My favourite things about the Coronation Street Blog.

I've just heard from my friend in Yorkshire that she won ‘Best Sweet Peas’ and ‘Best Onions’. No mention of who won Best Marrows…

@steviedawson

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Sponsor Coronation Street Blogger's parachute jump

Stevie Dawson, one of our Coronation Street Blog team, is making a parachute jump for charity.

In his own words, Stevie says: "I'm tossing myself out of an aircraft for The Silver Line."

The Silver Line is the confidential, free helpline for older people across the UK, open every day and night of the year. They offer information, friendship and advice; link callers to groups and services; offer regular befriending calls and protect and support those suffering abuse.   

You can find out more about The Silver Line here.

Stevie's parachute jump takes place on July 4 2015 and I urge you reading this (yes, you) to please sponsor him.  

Sponsor Stevie here before he tosses himself out.

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