Former Corrie guest star Anthony Valentine dies at 76

Former Corrie star Anthony Valentine has passed away at the age of 76. He had been battling Parkinson's disease for some time.

While best known for his roles in Colditz and Raffles, Corrie viewers might remember him as Simon Barlow's maternal grandfather George Wilson between 2009 and 2010.

He appeared in 36 episodes. George had been estranged from his daughter Lucy and didn't know of Simon's existence and was keen to make up for those lost years.

I enjoyed this storyline as it put a twist to Peter's alcoholism when George gave him and Leanne a loan to open a bar, much to Ken's protests. It also introduced a new rival for Ken as they battled to be the best granddad to Simon. Ken dressing up as Santa was another highlight as he tried to get closer to Simon.

His last appearance was in March 2010 when Simon did a runner as he realised that George and his wife Eve were attempting to take Simon with them to Berkshire and away from the Barlows. Peter banished him from any contact with Simon.

On a side note, I believe there was a plot to have George and Blanche romantically involved but unfortunately Maggie Jones' death prevented this. It would have been a great dynamic!

For the BBC's obituary on Anthony Valentine, click here.

And to read a character synopsis of George Wilson on Corriepedia, click here.

Deirdre: A Life on Coronation Street - official ITV tribute to a soap icon. Available here.

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Fab Photo Tuesday - One last gasp at Christmas

I know Christmas has come and gone and so has the New Year but technically, the Christmas season doesn't end until Twelfth Night, January 6 so I couldn't resist posting this photo. I saw it on the Corrie Canuck blog here and they've graciously given me permission to repost it here.

Ken Barlow as Santa Claus Father Christmas...Remember that? He took the job to earn a bit more cash to buy wee Simon a bicycle during the war of the Grandad's with Simon's other grandfather, George. George, probably deliberately, outed him and Ken got sacked!

Ken, of course, was a traditional Father Christmas and tried to impart on his young charges the values of the season rather than just "want, want, want", much like Percy Sugden did several decades earlier.


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Has Grandad George gone soft?

I'm on tenterhooks here. What the 'eck's going on?

In last night's episode we had Tina saying she didn't want to see either of Gail's two faces at Joe's funeral. Now we've seen George's second face (I'm hoping he has at least three) and from where I'm sitting it's not a pretty sight. Legal action dropped? Grovelling apologies? He can see that Simon belongs with the Barlows? No, no, no. This won't do at all. Anthony Valentine has been such a star turn, I think it's going to be a complete and utter waste if he backs off now. Look at those flinty little eyes, and that shifty half-smile, and tell me I'm wrong.

I'm clinging on to the hope that this is a bluff, and that George has still got some evil plan secreted somewhere up the sleeve of that creepy black coat.

Killer Dwarf on loose?

Okay, so Blackpool isn't Venice and even with a following wind George and Eve aren't Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie, but when I saw little Simon breaking into a trot and hotfooting it along Blackpool prom, wearing a red jacket with the hood up, it put me in mind of horror classic Don't Look Now. I don't want to traumatise Alexander Bain at such a tender age by saying he looks like a killer dwarf from the front, but the back view is pretty spooky.

George takes the cake, and the child

I've been musing about George and all this palaver over his trying to take Simon away from Peter. Is he wrong to do it? Is he right but just used the wrong methods? Are his concerns justified or are they an excuse? Will Eve tear George a new one for doing all this behind her back? How will it all come out? I had some ideas and speculation and have written about it over here.

Is Grandad George the new Mike Baldwin?

I'm loving the Grandad George story on Corrie right now, but then, I love any story that winds up Ken Barlow. There's lots of similarities between George and Ken's old nemesis, Mike Baldwin... does anyone agree? It's Corrie class-war at its best, with George taking over Mike's place as the person standing for everything that Ken doesn't, chalk to Ken's cheese. All we need now is for George to have a fling with Deirdre - or Ken to have a fling with Eve. Now that could be fun.

Grandad George in Corrie accident on set

Anthony Valentine, who plays Simon Barlow's other grandad, was left badly shaken after he slipped and hit his head as he walked off the set.

The Mirror reports that Corrie production crew ran to help him but fortunately he wasn't seriously hurt. A Street source told the paper: "A nurse was there quickly but, thankfully, Anthony didn't need to go to hospital. He looked pretty badly shaken by it all but he was eventually ok to carry on working."