Getting it right when a Rover Returns

Ah, the perils of a returning character. It either works or it doesn't. For me at the moment, Coronation Street is all about the return of that legendary ginger minx, Jenny Bradley. 

This is a joy for me as it brings back memories of one of Corrie's best ever sagas from what I still see as a golden era for the show. So far Sally Ann Matthews has been on fine form, performing the difficult task of bringing life to Jenny over twenty years after her last appearance. 

I think it is working a treat. It is stirring up drama for some of the more established, long standing members of the Corrie cast and that can only be a good thing. The return story is plausible and Sally Ann is clearly relishing being back. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Bringing back former characters is a risky business. It's a gamble that can pay off, rewarding long-time viewers with references to the past, although sometimes they can just get it wrong. I think the main principles for bringing an old character back to Corrie are quite simple. Firstly, the character concerned must still be relevant. They must have current, ongoing links and often unfinished business with regular cast members. Secondly, the actor must be returning to play a character that is still recognisable to enough of the regular, loyal Corrie viewers. Finally, the writers must be able to write authentically for the character and understand both them and their motivations.

Sometimes I do sympathise with the powers that be. They can't do right for doing wrong. Either they are bringing in too many new faces which fans think do not gel or are not right for Corrie or they are bringing back too many old hat characters that have long since past their sell by dates.

Some recent returns have been surprisingly good. Jenny aside, I found myself enjoying CIlla's brief visit to Weatherfield last year. I was never much of a fan of Cilla during her original stint, she was always too extreme and too pantomime for my tastes. However the toned down, vulnerable CIlla we saw more recently worked well and felt a lot more believable. One of my favourite returning characters of recent years has to be Wendy flamin' Crozier. Coming from the same period as Jenny Bradley, the Ken-Deirdre-Wendy triangle of the late 1980s was superb. Roberta Kerr just seemed to pick up where she left off and it was great to see her back to upset the Barlow applecart.

Sometimes though, we are left scratching our heads and wondering where it all went wrong. Step forward Julie Goodyear, former queen of the Rovers Return as the iconic Bet Lynch. I loved our Bet - the comedy, the drama, the frocks, she had it all. The ill-advised come back in 2002 left a sour taste in the mouth as both Ms Goodyear and the viewing public quickly realised too much water had flowed down the Irwell since her last appearance in 1995. Some things are best left in the past as glorious, camp memories. 


At least the character of Bet remained true to herself on her much heralded return. The same cannot be said for others. I loved Sunita when she first appeared in 2001. She was sweet, kind and easy to love. Her come back in 2009 proved otherwise. She returned to Dev, they did a crazy, Nazir-like move into the street and the writers morphed her into a vamp, a seductress with the morals of something you'd find up the ginnel late at night. The same can be said of Dev's errant daughter Amber. She was the funny, sharp kid for a while, then left only to return solely to ruin Sawphie's relationship with Sian. It didn't work at all. Of the current cast, we have returnee Todd, another previously mainly decent character who has now inherited the warped mind of the tricyle riding child from The Omen. I think we are finally due an explanation of what the devil has happened to him.


There are always characters I would still love to see make a return to Weatherfield, whether for a special one off appearance or for a longer stint. Everyone has their own wish list of those they'd love to come back, so here is mine:

1. Mavis WIlton. Oh for one final glimpse of our Mave. I want this so badly I was over the moon just to hear her name mentioned recently when Rita went to stay with her. Seeing Barbara Knox and Thelma Barlow reunited for that special documentary at Christmas was an absolute joy. It would be wonderful to see RIta and Emily visit Mavis at her guest house for a special episode. Go on, Corrie, make it happen.

2. Eddie Windass. Why Corrie ever got rid of the fantastic Eddie Windass I'll never know. He was a classic Coronation Street character in the making. He was lazy, work shy and needed a good going over with a damp flannel yet he still managed to turn out beautiful cakes for any occasion. Now that we are seeing the back of Owen, isn't it time Gary went to look for old Eddie, bringing him back to Weatherfield and reuniting him with Anna?

3. Suzie Birchall. One of my all time favourite Corrie women, Suzie epitomised the golden Corrie era of the late 1970s. Indeed, Suzie really brought Corrie into that decade with a bang. I loved the set up of Gail, Suzie and Elsie, it really was cracking stuff. Gail rarely mentions Suzie these days, perhaps not surprising considering she tried to pinch her husband Brian back in 1983. In fact, with hindsight, it might have been better for Gail if she'd succeeded. I understand Cheryl Murray has suffered some ill health in recent years but I think it would be terrific to see Suzie turn up on Gail's doorstep one more time. We've had Gail the overpowering mother from hell and we've had Gail the simpering lovestruck bride to be, so why not have Gail having some fun and turning some heads with her old pal?

4. Janice Battersby. Perhaps a bit of a Marmite choice here, but for me her relationship with Leanne was always much more truthful and believable than anything the writers cooked up with Stella. Janice has all but been wiped from our memories which I think is a shame as Vicky Entwistle brought a lot of verve to the role. She wasn't always nice, but she was fiercely protective of her own. I'd like to see Janice back for a visit.

5. Finally, please powers that be, tempt Suranne Jones back for a stint as the wonderful Karen McDonald. Karen has been the only real match for Steve as far as I'm concerned. I loved their fiery relationship and Suranne is a brilliant actress. There are plenty of reasons for her to make a return with the likes of Steve, Liz and Tracy all still in the show. And I for one would love to see her take on Michelle.

So there we have it, my take on the pros and cons of bringing back classic characters to Corrie. The next cab off the rank will be Gail's darling Sarah Lou. We shall have to wait and see how that one goes. 

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Top 50 Corrie Couples - Nos. 46 and 45

46. Eddie and Anna Windass, 2008-2011 (16 votes)

When they arrived, Eddie and Anna had aspects of Stan and Hilda and Les and Janice – him being the layabout and she being a screech. Although not married, Anna took Eddie’s name. Introduced as a family that refused to pay Joe McIntyre for a kitchen refit, they soon moved into No.6, next door to Joe! Both Anna and Joe’s partner Gail tried to make amends between the two warring families but to no avail.

While Eddie got a job in Streetcars, Anna got a job as a waitress at Roy’s Rolls. Anna disagreed with Eddie’s scheming and scamming and was ashamed when Eddie stole and posed as Roy Cropper in a scam to get a free holiday. In 2010, the Windasses become interested in adoption and they take in Faye Butler. A troubled girl, Faye caused a rift between Eddie and Anna and when Eddie issued an ultimatum to Anna, she chose Faye and Eddie left for Germany.

Do you think Eddie suited Anna better than Owen does? Should the Windasses be at 46?

45. Don Brennan and Ivy Tilsley/Brennan, 1987-1994 (18 votes)

After first husband Bert died in 1984 and a romance with George Wardle in 1985, Ivy Tilsley met cabby Don Brennan in 1987 when he drove her home. Don was a widower, and he and Ivy married in 1988. Ivy’s life changed forever in 1989 when Brian was fatally stabbed. Already a staunch Catholic, she turned more towards religion and away from Don, leading to tension between them. Only being married for two years, Don soon realised that he had made a mistake in marrying Ivy as she became obsessed with the relationship of Gail with toy boy Martin Platt and the effect it had on Nick and Sarah Louise and even got Social Services involved. Don forced Ivy to apologise.

By 1992, Don had an affair with barmaid Julie Dewhurst and when Julie later dumped him, he attempted suicide and had to have his lower leg amputated. Ivy, devastated by his adultery, turned to drink. They soon reconciled, but slept in separate rooms. Don left Ivy in 1994 and she went on a long retreat to a convent, where she suffered a stroke and died. Although he’d asked for a divorce, Don was left a widower for the second time.

Were you a fan of the Brennans? Should they be at 45?

Check out who was 48 and 47.

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Ginger Nuts

Last night's Corrie ended on a bombshell: Faye's bullying of Simon had resulted in a report to the police.  It seemed that the young Miss Windass was going to be getting a visit from the fuzz in the near future.  Across the nation, viewers turned to their loved ones and said, "Good."

How did it all go so wrong for the Windass family?  They are, by quite some margin, the most tedious family in the Street at the moment.  They haven't reached the levels of boredom induced by the Mortons (a.k.a the Family of Sinbad) but your heart sinks when you see their names appear on the EPG.  Gary and Izzy have more problems with baby Jake.  Katie is upset.  Anna has an argument with Faye.

It could have been radically different.  The Windasses were introduced as the new "family from hell", a 21st century version of the Battersbys.  They had a comedy surname and everything.  They started by ordering a kitchen from Joe McIntyre and then refusing to pay for it; Tina and David's perfectly reasonable response was to set it on fire.  Next thing you knew, the Windasses were moving into Gerry's old home, though how they managed to move up from their scabby estate to a well appointed modern three bedroom house (with luxury shed) was never satisfactorily explained.
 

Perhaps they used their criminal connections; because the Windasses that moved into Coronation Street in 2008 were part of one of Weatherfield's most notorious families.  Graeme visibly blanched when he heard their name, and he'd just come out of a young offenders institution.  The clearest sign of this dodgy past was Uncle Len, who was every Gallagher rolled up into one sheepskin jacketed package.  He didn't so much walk down the cobbles as swagger, his legs so far apart you'd think he was doing an impression of Viz's Buster Gonad.  Uncle Len was bent as a nine bob note, and didn't care who knew it.  He was cocky and violent, and was suspiciously similar to his nephew Gary, which made all the viewers give Anna side eyed looks.  Oh aye, we thought.  There's a big revelation to come out over the Christmas table in 2010.

We were, after all, baffled by what little chirpy Anna saw in Eddie.  His long ginger hair dangling pathetically round a hangdog face, a fag dripping from his fingertips, a crutch welded to one arm just in case the Social were watching.  Steve Hulson brought every part of his considerable comic arsenal into Eddie Windass, making believable as the kind of man you end up sitting next to on the bus, the man who moans about his lot while stinking of Rothmans and Poundland aftershave.  Eddie was a loser, the biggest loser the Street had seen in a very long time, and a considerable part of Anna's life was devoted to mopping up after him.

Gary Windass, meanwhile, was wandering around the Street with his hands down the front of his trackie bottoms, leaning on the garden walls and lasciviously staring at Tina's legs.  The textbook definition of "a bit of rough", he was soon diddling Rosie Webster as a way of passing his afternoon, robbing copper from Joe's lock up, and generally showing David up for the spoilt little bad boy he really was.  While David's devilish plans ran to "sending some forged birthday cards", Gary was smacking blokes in the jaw and gobbing into the gutter.  No wonder Tina was intrigued by his hot ginger ways.

But almost immediately after arriving, all the corners were knocked off the Windass family.  Eddie was introduced as a benefits cheat of long standing; it was strongly implied that his disability allowance had been granted on account of his crippling allergy to work.  A couple of months on the Street though and Anna was badgering him to get a job at Streetcars, while she was installed behind the counter at Roy's Rolls.  Anna, it turned out, was the only one of the Windasses with a conscience; you got the feeling that she'd spent many a night fretting in front of a gameshow, wondering where her men were and scoffing bakewell slices to ease the pain.  She revealed this heartfelt side in a teary soliloquy to Gail Platt outside a prison, where she begged her not to dob in her Gary for his latest  crimes.

While Anna and Eddie were going straight, Len was just going.  He was at their house so often in the early days he may as well have taken the spare bedroom; suddenly he vanished, presumably to the same place that Jerry Morton's scary haunted father went to.  Overnight, everyone just stopped mentioning him, and Gary - who'd looked up to him as a better role model than the decrepit Eddie - simply accepted his disappearance with a shrug.

Gary was changing as well.  After David conned him into robbing Audrey's house, as part of their interminable feud, he was banged up for six months.  He came out a little more subdued and then, after a chat with Gail's gay dad Ted (who also subsequently vanished into the Len-hole; perhaps we should start an investigation?), Gary decided to join the Army.  Our teenage thug was suddenly a member of Her Majesty's Forces - quite a turnaround.  This probably had nothing to do with the fact that Mikey North got attacked by a drunken idiot who had problems differentiating between "stuff that happens on ITV" and "real life".  After that, you could understand if Mikey asked the writers to make him a bit less confrontational and a bit nicer.  On the plus side, it gave him a broken nose which added to his scally charm.

The writers perhaps went too far.  The Gary that returned was shell-shocked, yes, but he'd lost some of his bile and spite and become a bit... bland.  The old Gary wouldn't have bothered romancing Izzy - he'd have dropped his trousers and said "Do you want a go on it or what?"  Now he was coquettishly loitering around her, devoted to her, locking her up in her own home to protect her.  Ok, that last one isn't exactly the actions of a modern day Romeo, but at least he cared.

In the meantime, Anna was coping with empty nest syndrome by adopting.  Eddie wasn't exactly overkeen on the idea; he seemed to go along with it just because it would annoy Steve and Becky, who were trying for the same thing.  Of course, the McDonalds were rejected as parents, while the Windasses were seen as perfect fostering material; in unrelated news, Weatherfield Social Services received a massive "must do better" from the Audit Commission.  They were given Faye, a troubled young girl with a devilish streak.

Faye is actually a miraculous character; she's had a lifetime in care and children's homes, has a waster of a father in Tim, a smack-addicted mother, and a decade of psychological trauma and fear of abandonment.  We should all want to care for her and understand her pain, but for some reason, all we want to do is drop her in the canal.  Poor Ellie Leach is doing a fine job with a character that is, and always will be, deeply unlikeable.  In fact, it's possible that Grace was only invented so that Faye would look better in contrast.

Eddie seemed to have a similar reaction to the viewers, and after a few months of putting up with Faye, he wandered off to Germany.  It was a distinctly low-key exit, and didn't really make any sense.  He deserved better; perhaps they could bring back Auf Wiedersehn Pet to catalogue his antics on the worksites in Frankfurt?  Gary, in particular, greeted the destruction of his parents' twenty year relationship with little more than a "meh", suggesting that perhaps he still has a bit of shrapnel wedged in his skull somewhere.

Newly single Anna was now free to hook up with Owen Armstrong, because after Eddie a borderline psychopath seemed like a great catch.  Owen showed his devotion by buying the house with her in it, which seems like a bit of a feudal way to romance a lady to me, a bit Droit de seigneur.  It actually worked out remarkably well as Gary was busy squiring Owen's daughter Izzy; the resultant foursome was a bit crypto-incestuous, but let's face it, we've seen worse on the Street.

Izzy and Gary decided that the perfect way to enhance their love would be a child; unfortunately Izzy's disability meant that she was unlikely to carry a baby to term.  "Hey!" said Gary, in a moment of inspiration, "Why don't we ask that girl I spent almost a year trying to seduce out from under her boyfriend if she'll lend us her womb?"

"I'd be happy to," Tina replied.  "I've completely forgiven you and your family for contributing to my father's bankruptcy and subsequent mental collapse.  My uterus is yours to play with."

So began a year long odyssey of tedium and gynaecological meddling that destroyed any remaining shred of fondness we might have had for the Windass/Armstrong clan.  Even Katy literally giving birth in a manger couldn't bring a ray of sunshine to watching Izzy wail and Owen lose his rag for no apparent reason.  Gary became so sensitive and caring, Dr Miriam Stoppard asked him to fill in for her when she took a holiday from her problem page; the ballsy young thug who'd roger you in the ginnel and not even drop his chips was a very distant memory.  When Tina finally gave birth, it was a far greater cause for national joy than the birth of HRH Prince George: finally! we thought.  This storyline is over!

In the meantime, Katy had an illicit bunk up with Ryan Connor; it was hard to have any sympathy with her because Chesney is basically a sentient glove puppet, and has spent a decade on the Street being loveable and chirpy.  Anyone who makes his plasticine face go all crumbly and upset is naturally evil, and the audience wishes a pox upon their house.  It's similar to the current Faye vs Simon Barlow storyline; Simon is quite clearly the most adorable child in the north west, so we have no sympathy for anyone who makes him blub.  Couldn't they have picked on someone less personable?  I mean, Amy Barlow was right there.

Add in the gormless waste of space that is Tim, and number six is just a big hole of tedium at the moment.  There's no spark to any of them, and all their storylines seem to go on forever.  Perhaps the house is cursed - it's where Tracy Barlow murdered Charlie, after all, and she was replaced by the repulsive Family of Sinbad with their baffling familial relationships and horrible hair.  Remember in the Sixties when number 7 collapsed, and it was replaced by a park bench for twenty years?  Maybe the producers should consider that as a potential future storyline for the Windass house.  Preferably while they're all inside*.

*Except for lovely Gary.  His character may be dull as ditchwater now, but he's still a Hot Ginger.  He can stay.

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Favourite Corrie couples countdown - fifth poll

 

Hello all! Now, I hope you've voted in the third poll of ten because that is now officially closed. But you have until midnight next Monday to vote for two of your favourite couples in the fourth poll.

 

So, who's in our fifth poll?

 

Eddie and Anna Windass (2008-2011) – You could say they were the Stan and Hilda of the modern era – him being the layabout and she being a screech. Although not married, Anna took Eddie’s name. Introduced as a family that refused to pay Joe McIntyre for a kitchen refit, they soon moved into No.6, next door to Joe! Both Anna and Joe’s partner Gail tried to make amends between the two warring families. Anna disagreed with Eddie’s scheming and scamming and was ashamed when Eddie stole and posed as Roy Cropper in a scam to get a free holiday. In 2010, the Windasses become interested in adoption and they take in Faye Butler. A troubled girl, Faye causes a rift between Eddie and Anna and when Eddie issues an ultimatum to Anna, she chooses Faye and Eddie leaves for Germany.

 

Les and Janice Battersby (1997-2001, 2004) – Les and Janice, with daughters Leanne and Toyah, moved into 5 Coronation Street in 1997. While Les was unemployed and an ex con, Janice secured a job at Underworld factory. The minute they arrived, they caused havoc – clashing with the neighbours. In 2001, Janice had grown tired of Les and began an affair with his best mate and lodger Dennis Stringer and left Les. A heartbroken Les attempted suicide. Dennis saved him but while taking Les to hospital, he crashes the car and later dies. A heartbroken Janice blamed Les for Dennis’ death. They nearly reconciled in 2004, but Les was won over by Cilla Brown, who’d be his next wife.

 

Steve McDonald and Becky Granger/McDonald (2008-2011) – What began as an affair turned into a marriage. Their relationship and marriage wasn’t smooth with many trials and tribulations. They included having to have two weddings; Becky being falsely accused of taking drugs; Becky suffering two miscarriages; Steve and Becky deciding to adopt but are turned down; Becky buys her nephew Max from sister Kylie; and various troubles with Steve’s ex Tracy Barlow. They divorced in 2011 and Becky left for Barbados.

 

Peter Barlow and Carla Connor (2011- ) – Carla had feelings for Peter since 2010 and Peter had refused her seductions as he was married to Leanne. But in 2011, they embarked on an affair which was revealed in Frank Foster’s court case for raping Carla. Leanne offers to forgive him, but Peter declares his love for Carla. Over time, Leanne comes to accept the relationship and she then marries Nick Tilsley. In 2012, Peter and Carla go to America for a few months and in 2013 they became engaged.

 

Ken Barlow and Deirdre Langton/Barlow/Rachid/Barlow (1979-1990, 1999- ) – One of the longest running partnerships on the cobbles. Their first wedding proved to be a ratings winner in 1981. In 1982, Deirdre had a headline-grabbing affair with Mike Baldwin, but the marriage survived. By the end of the 1980s, they were a power couple – Ken a newspaper editor and Deirdre a councillor. Ken had an affair with Wendy Crozier in 1989 that ended the marriage. They nearly reunited in 1994, but it was in 1999 that they finally did, thanks to Blanche’s meddling. They remarried in 2005. But since their reunion, they have had their fair share of problems with affairs and their dysfunctional family!

 

Have you got favourites among these five? Well, vote for two of them and we'll see where they'll be in the countdown! Voting closes at midnight on Monday, 9th December.
 

 

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Steve Huison's Coronation Street signed portraits for sale

Steve Huison, who played Coronation Street's Eddie Windass has been busy since he left the cobbles.  One of his many talents is as an artist and he created some wonderful pictures of the Corrie cast.  Many of these are now up for sale on ebay to help support The Shoestring Theatre.

The picture shown here for sale is of Alison King, who plays Carla Connor.  Check out all of the portraits for sale here. 

They really are excellent and along with the portrait have comments from the actor typed up on each one.

PS: Bring back Eddie Windass!

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Corrie A-Z: L is for Layabouts

Over the years, there have been many layabouts on the cobbles. I believe the original layabout was Stan Ogden. Henpecked husband of Hilda, Stan was often seen snoozing, doing the pools or supping in the Rovers and didn’t contribute much to the Ogdens’ income. Yes, he did have a window cleaning round, but he found excuses to finish by lunchtime, often complaining of a bad back! As well as being bone idle around the house, he reluctantly did anything in the community. Unless it was a drinking beer contest! Stan’s partner in crime was Eddie Yeats. Although he eventually found a job as a bin man in the 80s, during the 70s Eddie was the brain behind their various schemes. But it was after Hilda telling them to go out from under her feet that they did these schemes. And every chance they got, Eddie and Stan were often found supping in the Rovers until closing time, often putting Annie Walker’s nose out of joint!

In 1983, another layabout moved into the street in the form of John Harold Duckworth. Jack was very much a second-Stan as he was a lazy layabout and was also henpecked by wife Vera. Jack avoided doing a lot of work and was always seen feeding his pigeons, having a flutter on the gee-gees and drinking beer. He entered paradise when he was hired as Rovers potman in 1986 and remained in the job until 1999. He loved to go down to the cellar to read the paper and do his betting and helping himself to Alec Gilroy’s ale. In his retirement, he loved to go down to the Rovers or the betting shop to escape Vera’s wrath.

 

In 1997, ex-con Les Battersby and his family moved into No. 5. Opinionated and outspoken, Les epitomised the 1990s layabout, although he lacked the fondness viewers had for Stan, Eddie and Jack. He, like them, enjoyed supping in the Rovers and making bets and wife Janice was disgusted when he spent their electricity money and alcohol which led their power to be cut off. Janice eventually left him and he met and married Cilla Brown. Les worked as a cab driver but whenever chance he got, he snoozed in the cab office, to Eileen Grimshaw’s chagrin.

Eddie Windass moved into the street with partner Anna and son Gary in 2008 and already had an existing family feud with their next-door neighbours the Platts. Like Les, Eddie found a job at Streetcars and was also often seen lounging in the cab office. Unlike his layabout predecessors, Eddie was a dab hand at baking cakes!

The current holder of street layabout is Karl Munro. Like Jack, Les and Eddie, Karl also worked as a cabby before he was sacked by Lloyd Mullaney. Like Jack, he also works at the Rovers as a cellar-man with partner Stella as the landlady. While other layabouts loved a little flutter in the bookies, Karl has a gambling addiction and has lost thousands in the casino. He sponged off Stella and sponged off girlfriend Sunita Alahan but works now as a potman again.

Who’s your favourite layabout? Vote below. Voting closes on Monday, 15th of July. Can you think of any others? And if you haven't yet, you can vote for your favourite Kabin double act here. Voting closes at midnight.
 

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Weekend Flashback Foto

I was watching a Corrie dvd from 2003 and look who I spotted! Katy Harris has let slip where the Harris family has been hiding and the thugs that were the cause of them having to move and hide in the witness protection program have caught up with them. One of them is played by Steve Huison who later played Eddie Windass in Corrie!



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Ken Barlow on my wall

This is a poster sized print of a charcoal portrait of William Roache aka Ken Barlow. The original print is one of a series that were done by Corrie actor Steve Huison who played Eddie Windass. We've blogged about his art before. Steve is a very talented artist and he put on a show with the portraits and is now auctioning limited edition prints on eBay to raise money for his favourite charity, the Shoestring Theatre project in aid of mental health.

A few weeks ago he had some on eBay and I bid on several but the first two I tried for, I didn't get (Sue Nicholls/Audrey and Katy Cavanagh/Julie). This one was still ongoing so I put in a bid. I was outbid but only by a little and I was now determined to have it. Uhoh, I hear you say! Never fear, I sat and waited and watched and nobody else bid so with 20 seconds left on the clock, I entered my winning bid, just a little over the one that was the top bid and held my breath. The thing is, you don't know if the other bidder had put in a higher "max" bid that would automatically outbid your higher bid.

But it seems they didn't do that, and I won the auction and the print. I received it about 2 weeks later which wasn't bad for Canada Post and Steve also included one of his cast cards with a note on the back assuring me the money would go to the charity and thanking me. Result!

He doesn't have anything on the auctions at the moment, but hopefully, this link to his items will work for when he does. You can also buy his portraits from this site. They go for about £50 there. I paid less via eBay but your mileage may vary. Some of them on eBay were going for a lot more.

Here's a link to another blog post showing Steve holding this portrait!

Another taxi, another departure

And so it goes. This time, a Streetcars cab rather than a black cab but the end result is the same. Eddie's gone and leaving us all bereft.

I've just finished watching tonight's episodes and I have to say, I was more upset watching Anna and Eddie split up than I expected. Watching them, watching Gary's upset and Anna's and Eddie's tears, I could feel a suspicious dampness in my eye region myself and was really sorry to see him ride away in the cab. As sad as I was to see Liz go, I wasn't swallowing hard. That's probably because Bev Callard has been absent more than she'd been on screen over the past year or two and her return and leaving storyline was kind of naff really.

Eddie's leaving storyline was also somewhat abbreviated but it made more sense. He only went along with the adoption for Anna's sake, not really expecting it to happen and got backed into a corner when it did. Because Faye was not an easy child to settle in, he found it overwhelming. He had the chance at a fresh start but Anna wouldn't go with him and that was it. She loves him but not enough to marry him, something he's wanted for awhile but only started asking her after it was too late. She's found the courage to be alone where she never had it before.

It's a very sad breakup because you know they both still love each other but want very different things out of life as they approach middle age. As others have said, Steve Huison turned Eddie from a stereotype ignoramus into an ignormamus we all adore, one with layers and a big heart under all that hair and string vest. We'll all miss him here at Blog Towers and wish Steve the best of luck.

Keep in touch with @SteveHuison on Twitter. If you pass him on the street, remember, he looks like this now.

Eddie Windass finally gets the chop

Steve Huison, who plays Coronation Street's Eddie Windass, revealed on Twitter this morning that he is finally getting those trademark flowing locks shorn off.

'One week of hair then it's all coming off live on This Morning Thurs. 21st. What a relief! Inaction Man dolls will be available,' tweeted Steve.

Someone from posh crimpers Toni & Guy will be doing the lopping, so Steve should get a decent 'do, and he's hoping to raise money from the chop for mental health charity Soteria.

From spoilers it looks like Eddie's forthcoming exit will involve evil uncle Len in some way. I'm not sure if Len (Conor Ryan) actually makes an appearance, but I really hope he does, and ideally I'd like him to be wearing that dreadful sheepskin car-coat.

We've still got a week or two before Eddie finally leaves the cobbles though, and you can keep up with what Steve Huison is doing post-Corrie on Twitter and on his website.

Eddie Windass Goodbye Song

Here's the Eddie Windass goodbye song again - but this time with a video, which demonstrates just what a tremendous comedy asset Steve Huison was to Coronation Street. He will be very sadly missed. Great stuff from Tommy Reckless. My blog is here

Eddie Windass' song

Coronation Street fan Tommy Reckless has done a tribute song for Eddie Windass, who as we all know sadly leaves the cobbles very soon.  Actor Steve Huison has now filmed his final scenes on Corrie.

You can find the song here and see more of Tommy's work here on his Youtube channel. He did a cracking tribute to Coronation Street several months ago.

Steve Huison shoots his final scenes on Coronation Street tomorrow

Fat Brenda says so, so it must be true. Her seedy affair with Eddie Windass has been an open secret in Weatherfield for months now, and she has just revealed on Twitter that tomorrow is the day that Steve Huison shoots his final scenes.

Personally I am gutted by this.

The heart seems to have gone out of Coronation Street just lately. Eddie Windass was very much part of that, and he will be sorely missed.

I'm sure that we all wish Steve Huison well in whatever he does next.

Too gutted to write more.

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Who's the fittest bloke on Coronation Street at the moment?

Never mind all the hoo-ha about holey plotlines, slumps and so forth. Let's get completely shallow for a moment and contemplate Coronation Street's line-up of fit male totty. After all, we might as well, till the storylines pick up.

I'm speaking as an older woman, so my personal choices might not chime with everyone else's. Putting it mildly.

Top of my list is always going to be Eddie Windass (Steve Huison). That's just a given. He's had everyone's hearts a-fluttering, parading around in his pants and *swoon* dressing gown. Well - mine anyway.

Second, would probably be John Stape (Graeme Hawley). Living dangerously, I know. But there is something weirdly attractive about him. Dimples, perhaps?

Thirdly, Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne). Needs no explanation whatsoever. Devastatingly good-looking chap. But this has all been said before.

Now we're moving into new territory. I'm throwing Kevin Webster (Michael le Vell) into the mix. What's not to fancy? He's dark and handsome (not sure if he's tall...) with a rapidly-developing world-weary charm. And it's always handy to be on good terms with a feller who knows his way around a motor.

Owen could be up there too, rough and ready along with Bill Webster - only I find him far too alarming. Anyone else got any favourite Coronation Street fellas just now?

Steve Huison's Charity Auction Success

You'll remember reading here about Steve Huison's art show at  the Contemporary Six Gallery in the Royal Exchange Arcade in Manchester. He spent several months creating wonderful portraits of fellow Corrie cast members which were to be auctioned off for charity. He had each cast member contribute some autobiographical info for the portrait and the auction was held last night.

Keith Duffy was the auctioneer and all the portraits were sold with a total close to £6000, according to Steve's Twitter reports. Lots of the cast attended the auction and there's lots of photos of them arriving here. It looked to be a laid back, relaxing and fun evening! You can see all the portraits here on Steve's Flickr site.

Money was raised for a charity close to Steve's heart. It is a theatre project at Psychiatric Unit in Yorkshire that works with the patients giving them a chance to do drama and musicals.

Sadly, Steve's character, Eddie Windass, will be leaving the show soon, though not killed off. We at Blog Tower do wonder if the Powers That Be realize what a loss to the show this will be.

Lamenting the loss of Corrie’s comedic men

As I’m sure everyone who reads this blog knows by now, both Eddie Windass and Graeme Proctor will be bidding farewell to the cobbles within the next few months. I was gutted when I heard about these two departures as it means that out of my top 3 current male characters only Peter will remain. Fortunately my top 3 females of Sian, Sophie and Tina will all remain, although Sian has now decided a couple of weeks in Spain is a better option that living at the Websters - the girl clearly has sense!

I was particularly surprised when I heard that the decision on Eddie’s departure was made by the producers not Steve Huison himself. This surprised me as Eddie seems to be a hugely popular character and the adoption storyline seems to be in full swing with Faye (played by Sophie Webster’s real-life cousin) making occasional appearances.

To me this double departure presents a problem for Corrie- where does the comedy come from? Everyone knew it was impossible to adequately replace the incomparable Blanche following the sad death of Maggie Jones, but Corrie has always had brilliant comedy characters who make you laugh just by being them.

To me Eddie’s finest moment came when he was effectively hired by Sally to put off a couple viewing No. 4. The genius of it was that he was simply being Eddie and he had no idea what was actually going on! That said the look on Anna’s face when Sally gave her a can of beer was priceless. He is one of those characters you really shouldn’t like because he is a lazy layabout. However, he also has a heart of gold and loves his family, in his own occasionally odd way.

As for Graeme, he may not be a heart throb but, like Eddie, he has a heart of gold which managed to land him Tina. Let’s be honest his light heartedness was probably a breath of fresh air for her after demon David and nice but dim Jason!

To me the only character seemingly capable of filling the comedy void is Norris. I’m pleased the Kabin will soon be reopening as I’ve missed the brilliant Rita-Norris double act since she narrowly escaped death by bon bons in the tram crash. Even though it’s highly likely there will be more comedy to come, Graeme and Eddie will both be missed.

Picture credits: Holy Soap (Eddie) & Contact Music (Graeme)

Eddie Windass - what might have been

At last the Coronation Street writers are giving Eddie Windass (played by Steve Huison) some decent lines and some really humourous material to work with. (Has anyone else ever dreamed they were holding their own eyeballs? No - me neither!) It's ironic at this stage because as we all know he's due to leave sometime next month.

The door has been left open for a return but who knows what that will mean in practice.

For months they wasted the character, letting Eddie drift and pretty much fade out. Now we're really seeing what might have been.

I've been a total Eddie fan from the start, and have written an eye-watering twenty five blog posts about him - mainly swooning over the sight of him in his various outfits in a very shallow manner. But Steve Huison is obviously a really accomplished actor who has won over a devoted following of fans who will miss him dreadfully when he leaves. There is currently a Save Our Eddie campaign on Twitter and on website Soap Secrets here.

Like everyone else I'm keen to see what Eddie's exit will be. But at the same time, I will definitely have the hankies out.

My own blog is here

Eddie Windass not being killed off

Fans of Eddie Windass can breathe a sigh of relief. Actor Steve Huison, who plays Eddie on Coronation Street, has tweeted that Corrie "are leaving the door open" for Eddie.

His two most recent twitter posts say:

"For those who don't know by now I will be leaving Corrie in about 6 weeks. Anyone know of any jobs going?" and "It was management choice. They're leaving the door open apparently though."

So he's not getting killed off, but we don't yet know how he leaves. It's just a real shame that he is.

Bid to win Steve Huison's Corrie art work

Steve Huison, who plays Coronation Street's Eddie Windass, will have his paintings on show at the Contemporary Six Gallery in the Royal Exchange Arcade between 14 -17 February, giving members of the public the opportunity to place bids on them. On the auction night of the 17th Steve will then be joined by some of the famous faces he has drawn to help encourage bidders to put their hands in their pockets for a good cause.

Boyzone’s Keith Duffy, who plays Corrie’s Cieran McCarthy, will be taking on the role of auctioneer plus guests will be served drinks by a real Rovers Return barmaid, actress Michelle Keegan who plays Tina McIntyre.

Funds raised from the portraits will go towards the Shoestring Theatre Company that Steve set up with his wife that is run in conjunction with a psychiatric hospital, to help people get through difficult times.

Read the interview with Steve at the Manchester Evening News

Eddie Windass - whatever is he going to wear next?

He's already tidying his hair into a ponytail, but now that the Windasses are to be adopting lovely little FayE, I'm wondering if Eddie (Weatherfield's answer to Noel Coward) will start dressing differently - tying his dressing gown up properly would be a good start. But it's not just that. He wanders about in his pants, and wears - well, what IS that dark blue outfit?

Seriously, he can't go about dressing like that with Faye around and I'm sure he won't.

I'll be watching with interest to see what he WILL be wearing. I seriously hope that he gives his socks a wash as well. Oh dear - what will Coronation Street be like without Eddie - make him stay!!!

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