Five things we've learned from Classic Coronation Street this week

(No) Curtains for Ida

We waved a not so fond farewell to poor Baldwin's Casuals troublemaker Ida Clough this week. Ida was a semi-regular for a decade but was restricted to factory-based stories and generally only popped in to cause bother. Often found in the sewing room or a booth at the Rovers, she had a face liked a squashed barmcake and was rarely seen without her equally unappetising colleagues, Ivy and Vera. I actually felt a bit sorry for Ida as she remained on the second rung of Corrie staples for ten years, perched uncomfortably beside the likes of Sam Tindall. While Ivy and Vera graduated from small part players to actually owning homes on the Street, complete with families, Ida was tabard bound for all those years with only brief visits from her caridgan-wearing dope of a son Bernard and her disgusting gob on a stick daughter, Muriel.

Muriel Clough was a three part harmony of Renee Roberts, Amy Burton and Olive from On The Buses. Surprisingly, she didn't last long. The early part of the week was dominated by a dreary story at the faktry which saw Baldwin shift production from denim flares (well it was nearly the 90s) to curtains. This caused an incredible amount of friction with thick, unpleasant mouth mountain Vera apoplectic with rage. Vera really was quite horrible back in the day and is far removed from the softer granny persona we came to know and love later on. Anyway, Ida shot her mouth off once too often so Mike very swiftly gave her the boot. Never fear though, she would return later in the year for Ivy's wedding to Don. I know you're as excited for that festival of polyester as I am.

Broken Britain

 

Curly Watts, who has been at something of a loose end since Terry Duckworth took off with that Polish prostitute from Brookside, found himself in the role of Weatherfield's moral compass this week. While Kev and Sal ran into bother with their mortgage application thanks to an unpaid debt and Martin Platt was paid under the Rovers bar for renovating Number 13 whilst claiming benefits, Curly was a picture of honesty and decency, calling them all out. Well fair enough, Sally quickly bought him off, not once, but twice with half-inched Walnut Whips from Alf's serving hatch. I really liked Curly's young man with an old soul. 

In the kind of storyline they just don't feature anymore, Curly had recently taken steps to better himself. Enrolling at Weatherfield Tech on a business degree, his intentions were excellent even if this positivity would soon lead to an extended spell working with Ken Morley in a disused branch of Prestos. Yes binman Curly had come a long way. And things were about to get a lot more interesting as young machinist Shirley Armitage had taken a fancy to him too. This week saw Curly escort Shirley to the pictures to see Nightmare On Elm Street III. Oh the glamour. Thankfully we were spared the details of what Shirley did to steam up Curly's specs in the back row at the Roxy.

Thanks a bunch, Pauline!

 

This week saw Sarah-Lou's first birthday party! So of course Gail had to throw a vibrant party full of love, cheer and caterpillar cake. Well actually what Sarah got was a homemade sponge, a bag of cheesy puffs and three bottles of cheap plonk from Alf's in the company of Phyllis, Don, Ivy and Gail's mate Pauline. All this in the drab setting of the Tilsley living room at Hammond Road. Of course the whole thing was really just an excuse for Brian to pop the question and ask Gail to marry him once again. Gail being Gail, she flew into a strop, look heaven-ward a great deal and fluttered her eyelashes endlessly. Brian reacted in typical house brick fashion. 

Later, Pauline was back full of anticipation at the thought of extra lolly for filming some wedding scenes. She couldn't understand Gail's reticence and pretty much frogmarched her down the aisle with the threat that if she turned him down, Brian would become a weekend dad to her kids. I was wrong-footed by Pauline's delivery of this line as it seemed to suggest that would be a bad thing. Gail, all tracksuit and scrunchie, feared this decision would mean a lifetime of being Mrs Brian Tilsley. I wouldn't worry, cock. I really wouldn't worry...

 

Mavis Riley, Gold Digger

 

In a slightly bizarre story strand, which may or may not have been pointless padding, Mavis and Rita took on a geriatric paperboy this week. Our Reet was forever being rushed off her feet despite the fact that the Kabin was only ever visited by Percy Sugden and Gail looking for change. Anyway new papergrandad Harry Ashton was taken on and soon caused a right kerfuffle with the very best Sylvia Young's theatre school had to offer in Wayne Pickles and the gloriously named Priscilla Millbanks (played by future Brookside lesbian nanny Nicola Stephenson). When the shell-suited brats threatened to strike Mavis donned her best pussy bow blouse and released her inner Iron Lady over tea and iced buns to set them straight.

I quite liked the character of Harry (played by Keith Marsh, who once upon a time had starred in the Sid James sitcom George and the Dragon - just call me a televisual saddo). Harry relished the job and enjoyed getting his Jimmy out first thing in the morning. Stop it now, that's his dog. After treating Mave to a posh tea at the steakhouse in the precinct, Miss Riley received a visit from Harry's sister, who whilst thumbing through a copy of Vogue, accused Mavis of being after Harry's cash! I always knew she was a fast cat on the quiet. I almost wish Mavis and stuck with Harry as he was a damn sight less irritating that Demon Derek.

Souk it up, Alec

 

Bet Gilroy started the week treating Alec's tastebuds to a ready meal moussaka from Alf's. In typical earthy fashion, Bet enquired about the product by asking young Sally "ay up cock, what's this muuuuusaka when it's arrr 'ome?" At least it's an improvement on that cock up au vin she fed him the other week. Having settled into married life well enough, Bet was rightly peeved at Alec's reluctance to whisk her off on a honeymoon. The best part of two episodes were spent following Bet follow Alec round the Rovers like Judith Chalmers on heat (what's new you ask?) Eventually Bet gave up and announced she'd booked ten days in Morocco with fellow landlady Stella Rigby.

Alec was horrified. Apparently La Rigby had a reputation for having a go at anything in trousers so let's hope Bet left her slacks at home. I wish we'd seen more of Stella of the White Swan. Bet and Stella were worthy successors to the lady vics rivalry of Annie Walker and Nellie Harvey from many years earlier. Camp, backcombed and shoulder pads-a-plenty, they injected some much needed 80s glamour into a Weatherfield world of loose perms, tabards and bacon slicers. And there was definitely a spin off to be made of Bet's jaunt to the souks of Marrakesh with our Stella.

Sadly there's no time to pull apart Don and Ivy's bizarre market stall exploits with a load of exercise wheels. I'm sure you'll be heartbroken. And for fans of Fanny, get in quick. Only four episodes left before Amy Burton, the tinned salmon pinching, hat with teeth is hoofed out of Weatherfield in the boot of Vera's Nova.

Until next time...

You can follow me on Twitter @GraemeN82 if you fancy a natter...

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Five things we've learned from Classic Coronation Street this week

 

I was overjoyed when the announcement came that ITV3 would start re-running classic episodes of Coronation Street. To begin with, I was disappointed the network wasn't going to show episodes from earlier on - I believe the mid 1970s to early 80s to be the golden age for the show - however I can now see the benefits in starting in 1986. The episodes broadcast this week are modern enough to feature a vast number of characters viewers today will still be aware of, either because they are still regularly on our screens or because their time has only recently been and gone.

Coronation Street in 1986 featured regular characters who stlll appear today - Ken, Rita, Jenny, Audrey, Gail, Sally and Kevin. The likes of Deirdre, Emily, Jack and Vera, Betty and Hilda are still very much in our consciousness too. Early '86 also began some long running stories, introducing Sally Seddon to enliven Kevin's life for many years to come and most of all, the start of the three year Alan Bradley saga. 

I have been tasked with cobbling together a blog on five things we've learned from this week in the life of Classic Coronation Street on ITV3. This week in 1986 saw most of the cast showing off their finest polyester summer fashions and even a few of them boasting modest tans. Obviously a hole in the ozone layer up the Red Rec. The new Rovers was revealed, with the bar propping up the same old faces while the vast majority of the storylines still managed a lightness and a deftness of touch the Coronation Street of 2017 can only dream of...

Hilda Ogden, Local Celeb

Miss Weatherfield re-opens The Rovers

The brewery wanted Bet to recruit a local celebrity to declare the renovated Rovers officially open. They sent some tiresome young irk with bad hair to lend Miss Lynch a hand but it was instantly clear she could easily have demolished him before her morning fag. While Curly and Kev girded their collective loins at the prospect of Miss Weatherfield flashing her ankle at the Rovers Bar, in a touching little scene, Bet asked long serving pub char Hilda to do the honours. There was so much warmth and genuine feeling in this little scene that it could be a lesson to all the actors of today.

Despite Bet's brash exterior, she really cared about those around her and Hilda's reaction was priceless. Getting dolled up in her best outfit (seen at Mike Baldwin's wedding and dusted off again for Kevin and Sally's later in the year) our Hilda gave a lovely little speech, despite rude and common interruption from Vera, and declared the Rovers Return officially open. Lovely stuff.

Brian Tilsley: Inside the Actors Studio  

Je m'appelle Brian. Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir...

Much of this week's drama was provided by the breakdown of the Tilsley's marriage following Gail owning up to sleeping with Neighbours reject Ian Latimer. The unborn child's unknown parentage was too much for Brian and he legged it back to Ivy's with his tail between his legs. I could easily do without Gail sniveling and blinking away as she tries to remember her next line and I could easily do without Brian being front and centre but one thing this plot did provide were some excellent, strong scenes for the two flame thrower matriarchs of the piece, Ivy and Audrey. I loved it when the two mothers would go to battle, defending their erring offspring to the hilt. There were several super moments when Audrey put battle-weary Ivy firmly in her place and it was raw and affecting to see. These were real Corrie women, protecting the ones they loved despite of their very obvious failings. I think it's about time the Powers That Be of today realised just what powerful performances Sue Nicholls is capable of and gave her something meaty to get her choppers into. I wonder if they have these ITV3 repeats set to record?

Anyway, despite these terrific scenes, this story did expose the obvious. Brian was a dreadful character and almost as wooden as Susan Baldwin. I thought he might pep up a bit when he got to be all angry at the garage, go mad with a monkey wrench or set upon little Kevin. No, nothing like that at all. He just did lots of wooden shouting and staring into the middle distance against a backdrop of a maroon Morris Marina. When Ken Barlow joined the party I thought he might give Bri some practical lessons on how to emote but alas, it was another phoned in performance. Still, only two and a half years until Brian storms off on that fateful night...

The Retiring Mrs Turpin

The Hot Pot Queen is not for turning...

Of course all the goings on at the Rovers gave the writers the chance to give Betty Driver a bit of a storyline. Betty T was never really front and centre when it came to dramatic plots and that's probably why she lasted so long and equally why we loved her so much. Her character's presence was so constant and reassuring, the mother hen of the Street. Much to Bet's shock and horror, Betty decided that the changes at the Rovers meant it was time for her to retire and see more of her Gordon. I should imagine her Gordon was probably quite busy at Everton football club and coining it in on the back of tired old regional tours of A Taste of Honey with Irene Handl to spend time in his Wimbledon conservatory with his Mam. 

Anyway, Betty was less than pleased when Bet started interviewing new strumpet barmaids in her front parlour. Tutting and folding her arm under her bosom at a young piece who'd dressed to resemble a liquorice allsort, Betty was sure she'd made the right decision. However, like a hot pot seeking missile, our Mrs Turpin couldn't stay away from the Rovers for long. Despite catty asides that Bet had become a nasty, sharp tongued article (had Betty developed amnesia for the previous seventeen years of her employment?) she imagined Bet would give her her job back when Bertie Bassett sloped off for a job slopping out oxtail soup for Alec Gilroy at the Graffiti Club. Sadly not, as Bet had invited Jackie Corkhill back instead.

The Kabin stars a new line in Wet Lettuce 

Rita the reluctant Cilla

Derek Wilton made another one of his customary 1980s guest returns this week with hot news for Mavis. Mavis, all of a twitter (when wasn't she?) struggled to remain composed against a backdrop of Chewing Nuts and Fisherman's Friends. Derek took Mave out to a posh restaurant to drop the bombshell that he'd married Angela Hawthorne. Not surprisingly, our Mavis barely touched her melon boat. I must admit I found Derek's pathetic, weak-kneed frustration rather unpalatable as he stuffed toasted soldiers loaded with pate a la maison into his quivering gob. 

Rita, lightly bronzed from her week in Jersey with Alan and Jenny (a missed opportunity for location filming if ever there was one), was less than pleased to see Derek back on the scene. Within seconds of offering him a packet of chewing gum in the Kabin she'd threatened to lock him in the cellar until he developed Stockholm Syndrome. Ooops, got my plot wires crossed again. I loved the scenes of Mavis and Derek wittering on like a pair of wet nellies while worldly Reet watches on, judging the scene with a cruel and weathered eye. Bring on the gnomes!

Phyllis Pearce, Sage of the Street

Phyllis Pearce: Sage. And she knows her onions

Jill Summers was the perfect person to drop in to your average humdrum scene in the Corner Shop or the Kabin and sprinkle a little blue-rinsed fairy dust on proceedings. She did that many times this past week as the gloriously earthy pan scourer, Phyllis Pearce. In one beautiful scene in the Rovers, she chewed the cud with Gloria and Vera, remarking wisely that the youth of the day were so desperate to get the next big thing, to amass all the latest possessions and foreign holidays, that they didn't take the time to appreciate what they did have. Wise words from Mrs Pearce and if it were true in the summer of '86, it's absolutely bang on 31 years later. Characters like Phyllis provided some superb moments of wisdom and a very natural grounding which was so refreshing against a backdrop of Vera caterwauling and Gail skriking over her ructions with Brian. There's nobody quite like that in the show now and that makes me sad.

And I leave you with the wholesome sight of Granny Audrey shoving vin rouge down her pregnant daughter's gob. It explains oh so much...

Gerrit down you, luvey...hmmm

  

Until next week!

Classic Coronation Street is broadcast on ITV3 every week day at 14.40 and 15.15, repeated from 6am the next day.

You can follow me on Twitter @GraemeN82

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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

Five things we've learned from Classic Coronation Street this week

 

I was overjoyed when the announcement came that ITV3 would start re-running classic episodes of Coronation Street. To begin with, I was disappointed the network wasn't going to show episodes from earlier on - I believe the mid 1970s to early 80s to be the golden age for the show - however I can now see the benefits in starting in 1986. The episodes broadcast this week are modern enough to feature a vast number of characters viewers today will still be aware of, either because they are still regularly on our screens or because their time has only recently been and gone.

Coronation Street in 1986 featured regular characters who stlll appear today - Ken, Rita, Jenny, Audrey, Gail, Sally and Kevin. The likes of Deirdre, Emily, Jack and Vera, Betty and Hilda are still very much in our consciousness too. Early '86 also began some long running stories, introducing Sally Seddon to enliven Kevin's life for many years to come and most of all, the start of the three year Alan Bradley saga. 

I have been tasked with cobbling together a blog on five things we've learned from this week in the life of Classic Coronation Street on ITV3. Week four of these wonderful repeats and it's finally time for Mike Baldwin to take Susan up the aisle. Ahem. Susan's father Ken, the aging bouffant provocateur of the piece, is still refusing to play any part in the proceedings until a stern talking to from the lovely David Lonsdale incarnation of Peter sees our Kenneth finally turn up to the wedding in style...

He had style back in the day, our Kenneth

The saga of Hilda's Drawers

The Street's answer to Bargain Hunt

Poor Hilda lost a friend this past week, albeit one we never actually saw. The main reason for this little storyline was Hilda's inheritance - some rather manky looking old furniture and Rommel the cat. Ada, for it was she, left her cousin Tony (a rather unsavoury looking creature in a cheap suit and bad hair) to inform Mrs Ogden what she had been left and after initially feeling rather crestfallen that it wasn't cold hard cash, she soon perked up after a visit from Weatherfield's very own Cheap and Cheerful, Terry Duckworth and Curly Watts. I'll let you decide which one's which. 

Terry and Curly soon convinced Mrs O that the old sideboard (the furniture that is) was actually worth about £400. No sooner had that little lot spilled out of Duckworth's mouth than our Hilda was down the travel agent booking a week in a hotel in Torquay (so posh they have shaver plugs in every room, apparently). As Hilda pegged out her best clobber, all of which looked out of date in 1968, Kevin the grease monkey persuaded her to splash out on some new outfits in case she went on to meet a rich sugar grand daddy with a penchant for fried bread. Unfortunately, as is the luck of the Ogdens, the sideboard is actually worth a lot less than estimated. Well so says a posh piece in a dodgy beret (Granada wardrobe for arty) and an old geezer in a kipper tie (Granada wardrobe for dirty). Poor old Hilda!

Vera Duckworth - Women's Choice

Yes but only if you've got it parked outside a nice bit of stone cladding

No, not some controversial storyline that never made it to the screen. In May 1986 Vera Duckworth got the shock of her life when she opened a letter to find she'd won a competition she hadn't actually entered. Vee would hardly write in to win a husband of the year competition given she was married to "our Jack the piecan". Jack had sneekily entered himself while laid up with a bad leg and as soon as the truth came out the Duck-eggs were at odds about whose car it was going to be. 

I loved Jack and Vera the most when they were knee deep in one of their comedy arguments and this was a cracker, with their Terry as the voice of reason (they were desperate). Of course Vera couldn't drive so I'm braced for the comedy storyline which sees her learn and eventually pass. The car itself also led to one of my favourite pieces of dialogue some years later when Vera shared her concerns with Jack that they might be common. As Jack rightly stated, "Who could think we were common? Loft full of pigeons, Vauxhall Nova". Who indeed.

 

Ivy gets a surprise from Down Under....

Gail in flirtatious mood

Don't worry, it doesn't involve a trip to Dr Lowther. After a quiet time on screen in which Ivy mainly shuffled across to the faktry in a cavalcade of dowdy outfits, this week saw the beginnings of a new storyline for Ivy and the rest of the Tilsley family. Praise be! Instead of Gail popping up to order a tomato juice in the Rovers or chuckling at Mrs Pearce and Sam Tindall getting down to business in the cafe, Gail is about to grab a big story arc, and no it doesn't belong to Brian. The permed teeth himself has been conspicuous by his absence too but that's all about to change with the arrival of cousin from Oz, Ian Latimer. This name may not be familiar to modern viewers but Ian led Gail down a very different path and saw our Brian on the other side of infidelity for a change. 

The most important thing to come out of this little lot was the birth of a certain Sarah Louise Tilsley the following year. Oh yes, I rub my hands with glee at the prospect of endless episodes of Gail calling her daughter Sarah Lou. Oh how I hated that. The parentage of Sarah was questioned by all and sundry in 1987 and led Brian and Ivy to be even more unpalatable than usual. In a brief glimpse at Ivy's abode this week, I realised she still had the same nasty red brown leather furniture that poor, late lamented Bert used to park his polyester strides on back in the day. 

I thought having the Barlow family front and centre was bad enough, what with Susan grasping at RADA accents (I think she was aiming at Taste of Huney this week), but I'm not sure we're all collectively braced for the return of the Tilsleys. Who am I kidding, even though my mother used to leave the room every time either Ivy or Don appeared on screen (they put her off her Maxwell House), I loved nothing better than a good verbal scrap between Ivy and Gail. Those were the days when Gail had spirit and I actually voluntarily rooted for her. 

What I noticed from Ian's arrival was how the street almost stopped at the sight of a black cab and a stranger with a bad fake tan. If the same happened as a result of that lot today the whole place would look like Madame Tussauds. 

It's all happening in Audrey's Front Parlour

Audrey promises Alfeh a blow wave after hours

And I'm quite happy to let that stand as a euphemism if you want it to, cockers. This past week saw the action heat up in Audrey's front room salon. Or saloon as Alfeh called it. Alfeh kept popping in to check on things, normally with a full bladder and a calculator to work out how much Aud had spent on the new fixtures and fittings. Despite clearing Alf out, unfortunately it didn't stretch to ditching that awful stained wallpaper which looked like it went up with the ark. I can't imagine previous resident Elsie Tanner tolerated that nasty wall covering when she was entertaining half of Burtonwood. Given its deeply questionable finish, it was probably slapped up by the Clayton family during their brief, boring tenure. 

Audrey had quite a few blow and gos this week - Mavis, Vera, even Percy Sugden popped in to be humiliated under a blond wig (not one of Ms Goodyear's alas). Unfortunately without a sink in the parlour, Aud had to hoof clients upstairs to their very own bathroom which cause a problem for Alfeh when he was caught unzipping himself in the presence of a strict Methodist. Sounds more like a programme on Channel 4 to me. 
   
Bet gets Butch 

The regulars aren't impressed with Bet's Prisoner audition outfit

Finally, I cannot end without a Bet Lynch style update. Ten years before the regulars of the Rovers were always agog waiting to see what sumptuous to the floor evening gown Mrs Annie Walker was going to emerge resplendent in behind the pumps. Too many trips into Cheshire in the Rover meant Mrs Walker's upstairs must have been packed with man made fibres.This trend continued under Bet Lynch who certainly knew how to make an entrance. Last week I wrote about the changing state of Bet's weave and this week saw a very severe development. 

Gone was any trace of the seventies beehive we had come to know and fear. In its place was a very short blonde back and sides, almost shaved up the back, as it were. To further compliment this back street Prisoner look, Bet was seen this week in a very masculine get up of shirt, tie and slacks. As usual nobody batted an eyelid, probably because they knew the better of it. Just what was going on with Bet's private life, we all wondered. At least she wasn't wearing it back to front, for a change...

   

Until next week!

Classic Coronation Street is broadcast on ITV3 every week day at 14.40 and 15.15, repeated from 6am the next day.

You can follow me on Twitter @GraemeN82

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