A Wonderful Week of Celebration

It’s been a great week if you’re a Corrie fan. There’s been so much going on, even as many of us have been hidden away in our homes, to celebrate another big birthday on those famous cobbles. Sixty years of laughter and heartbreak in equal measure, Coronation Street really is a great British institution. 

And it’s been even more joyful seeing my fellow bloggers popping up on social media, tv, radio and online with their Corrie stories, sharing why the show means so much to them. In many ways it has seemed even more eventful than Corrie’s 50th - can you believe that was a whole decade ago!? 

I think we all needed this week and the big dose of positivity the anniversary brought with it.

And today the Coronation Street Blog celebrates a birthday too. Thirteen years! In that time, Glenda’s hub of Corrie updates, interviews, quirky observations and yes, even the odd moan from time-to-time, has really become part of the Coronation Street community, and it’s a real joy to be part of it. 

Glenda has been celebrating individual Bloggers on social media today, and it’s a lovely little team that ranges from those who like to pop in from time-to-time and share their thoughts, to superfans who Blog loyally and brilliantly several times a week. Glenda’s brought people together from all over the UK, and indeed the world, and poignantly gave a mention to her dear friend and co-editor Diane from Canada who passed away a couple of years ago and is very much missed. 

Normally the Bloggers would get together and share a drink and some food, and even a visit to the cobbles we love so much. But not this year. For obvious reasons all our field trips, excursions and press events have been put on hold or done on Zoom. 

But strangely, I’ve never felt more connected to and thankful for this little community of people. The Corrie fandom provides a little escape from the uncertainty and strangeness of the world we live in. During lockdown I really got into gardening and stepped up my astronomy. Those things kept me sane. And thankfully (and amazingly) Corrie stayed on, and the Blogs on this amazing site kept coming too. I know from reading the comments on some of the Blogs, and the amazing Tweets that people really appreciate this haven for all things Corrie.

So like a drunk uncle at a wedding, I’d like to raise a toast. Not only to the brilliant, funny, heartbreaking and inspiring show we love, Coronation Street, but also to Glenda Young, who has brought so many people together through the Coronation Street Blog. It really is a beautiful thing and we are so grateful for it.

Happy Birthday Coronation Street Blog!

@StevieDawson 

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Competition time! Win THE TUPPENNY CHILD audiobook

Coronation Street Blog editor Glenda Young's second novel THE TUPPENNY CHILD is now available in hardback, ebook and audiobook. The paperback will be out in this autumn.

Sorry, I find it really hard talking about myself in the third person! So here I am!

I'm running a competition to win a copy of the audiobook for the novel. It's read by talented northeast actress Janine Birkett who once appeared in Coronation Street too!

To enter to win a copy of the audiobook visit http://Facebook.com/GlendaYoungAuthor 

Overseas fans can enter.

Deadline is Monday 17 June at 5pm, 2019 (UK time).

Good luck!

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Glenda Young

Author of historical novels with Headline

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

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From Weatherfied Women to Belle of the Back Streets

Today - November 1st 2018 - is the day that blog editor Glenda Young's debut novel Belle of the Back Streets is published.

It's out in hardback and as an ebook today and comes out in audio on December 15. The audio recording is by esteemed actress Janine Birkett who starred in the film Billy Elliott as his mum. She's also appeared in Coronation Street, twice, as a nurse. 

The paperback of Belle of the Back Streets is released in March next year and we'll be doing a competition then to win copies of the book. 

Belle of the Back Streets is about a young girl who takes on her dad's rag and bone round in the northeast pit village of Ryhope.

You can find out more about Glenda and about her book which is the first novel of three to be published by Headline.

Glenda Young has already written official ITV Coronation Street books and fan books too. She's gone from being a Corrie fan to a Corrie fan book writer to being a novelist writing her own drama! 

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Coronation Street Blog editor gives two talks next week

Corrie fans who are in or around the north-east next week, please come and join me at the Sunderland Libraries Literature Festival.

I've been asked to do a couple of talks as part of Sunderland Libraries Literature Festival 2017.  And while I've always shied away from talking in public in the past, and I'm nervous about doing these talks, I'm also excited about it. And if anything I have to say can help any other writers or bloggers out there, then it'll all be worthwhile.

I'm going to be talking about how and why I started up the Coronation Street Blog in 2007 (10 years ago!) and how it all works, what our team does and how we run a successful blog that's published a book - and an app.

I'll also go on to talk about the seven TV Tie-In Coronation Street books I've written.

In addition, I'll speak about the fiction-writing side of my life as I write short stories for women's magazines (Take a Break, My Weekly, The People's Friend) and I have been commissioned to write the first ever weekly soap opera for The People's Friend magazine (the world's oldest story magazine).

And, last but not least, I'll talk about how all of that has led me to writing my first novel - which I'm currently doing - and how a leading London literary agent has signed me up.

So, here's when I'm on...  and if you come along for either or both of my talks, please bear with me if I stumble over words through my nervousness. I've not stood up to speak in front of people since I was in the Brownies!

I'm going to be speaking at the following next week:
Monday 16 October at Washington Town Centre Library at 2pm.
Friday 20 October at Houghton Library at 2pm.

You can find out more about the Sunderland Libraries Literature Festival here.

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NEW! Coronation Street: The official colouring book

New - the Coronation Street official colouring book is released on September 22nd!

It features 45 Corrie artworks of  iconic scenes from the history of the show from when Corrie started in 1960 through to 2016.

Each iconic scene is brought to life with a description and the original picture from ITV’s archives, outlining the scene’s importance in the history of the show.

I'm honoured to have been asked to work with ITV on bringing the book to life.  Working with ITV I helped choose all of the pictures for the book, writing descriptions of each of the key scenes and I also wrote the introduction.  I am very excited to officially announce this book here on the Coronation Street Blog, very excited indeed.

Available in all good bookshops very soon indeed - and to order on Amazon.

You might also like to have a look at my books website: glendayoungbooks.com

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Deirdre - A life on Coronation Street: a review

I have a collection of books based on Coronation Street, and at the end of last month another came through the letterbox.

But this is a special book. Not only is it written by our wonderful editor Glenda Young but it is also the first biography of a Corrie character - the soap icon Deirdre Hunt/Langton/Barlow/Rachid/Barlow.

I promised Glenda that I would do a review of the book, but I won't say much about the content because I don't want to ruin it for others who are yet to read it or are getting it for a Christmas present. 

The book has it all: brilliant photos, chronological storylines and features including Deirdre's men, jobs and fashions. But what else is brilliant is that includes fabulous quotes from the show from Deirdre and various other characters like Blanche, Ken and Rita. There are sometimes the script of famous Deirdre scenes like the love triangle in 1983 and her two-hander with Tracy in 2007.

What we see in this book is a wonderful character developing over 40 years - from cheeky dollybird in 1972 to the middle-aged matriarch of the Barlows who, if it wasn't for Anne Kirkbride's death, could have been a natural successor to Blanche.

There were even storylines that I wasn't aware of, and I thought I was a hard-core fan!

There's a quiz at the end and a list of her appearances which is sourced from the wonderful Corriepedia!

So I say go out and buy this wonderful book about a wonderful lady by a wonderful lady!

And let's hope this is the beginning of a biographical series. Rita next eh Glenda? Or Ken?

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

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Our editor's Corrie milestones

As she's already told you, our editor Glenda Young, or Flaming Nora as she's known here, is celebrating a birthday milestone today - she's reached the big 5-0!

And I thought to celebrate I'd look back at what was happening on Corrie when she reached a certain milestone over the last fifty years.

24th August 1964 (Writer: John Finch; Producer: Tim Aspinall)

Glenda was born on a Sunday so there was no Corrie episode on that day. The following day, the 386th episode of Corrie was broadcast. Here what was happening in that particular episode:

• The Viaduct Street Sporting Club is facing closure and Charlie Moffitt is told he'll be first to go.
• Stan Ogden enjoys his job as chauffeur.
• Dennis Tanner tries to make Elsie's ex David Maxwell see that he'll get over Elsie. Later, David gets out his gun.

What a cliffhanger eh? Spoiler alert by the way, David did confront Elsie with a gun, but when she broke down he told her that the gun was empty and ran out.

Corrie had been on air for nearly four years; Martha Longhurst had been killed off while others were on the way out in a bloodshed; and the Ogdens had made their debut a month or so earlier.

23rd August 1965 (Writer: Jim Allen; Producer: H. V. Kershaw)

When Glenda celebrated her first birthday, the 490th episode of Corrie was broadcast. Here what was in store:

• Len Fairclough makes Jerry Booth his partner at the builder's yard and they have a party.
• Lucille Hewitt is chatted up by a Barry at her new workplace Mitchell's.
• Albert Tatlock takes Ted Bates in after he runs away from an old age home. Albert's sideboard mysteriously jumps in the night.

Spoiler alert: The reason behind the mystery was that Albert had cracked floorboads.

24th August 1977 (Writer: Julian Roach; Producer: Bill Podmore)

When Glenda entered her teenage years, it was on a Tuesday. The following day, the 1733rd episode of Corrie was broadcast. What was happening? 

• Ray Langton asks Len Fairclough for a 50/50 partnership in the builders' yard, but Len refuses. Deirdre tells Ray to set up his own business in competition against Len. Ray tells Len he's leaving the business. They agree to a truce and begin a new partnership but don't tell Deirdre or Rita.
• Ken Barlow agrees to take Peter walking in the Peak District.
• Mavis Riley's aunt Edie leaves her estate to her in her will and her cousin Ethel threatens to contest the will. Mavis is told that Edie's house was sold to a finance company and isn't hers.

Mavis would later move into the Kabin's flat which had been vacant since Rita had married Len in April.

Corrie was now well-established in the TV schedules and this was the beginning of one of the show's strongest eras after a slump earlier in the decade. Minnie Caldwell had left the street in 1976 while Mike Baldwin had established his denim factory also the same year. Annie Walker had been running the Rovers alone since Jack's death in 1970 and had the help of staff Betty, Bet and Fred. Len Fairclough and Rita Littlewood had got married in April in the highest rated TV episode of the 1970s.

23rd August 1982 (Writer: Peter Whalley; Producers: Pauline Shaw and Bill Podmore)

When Glenda became of age, the 2232nd episode of Corrie was broadcast. This is what happened on the cobbles during that episode:

• The Faircloughs move into the newly-built No. 7.
• Eddie Yeats tells Hilda Ogden that his engagement to Marion Willis is off. She tells him she's certain that they'll reunite.
• Mike Baldwin refuses to give Maggie Dunlop money to buy a shop unit. She gets money from Harry Redman instead. Mike is jealous of their relationship.
• Craig Whitely moves into No. 9 with his granddad Chalkie. His drum playing upsets the Faircloughs next door.

In the following episode, Maggie tells Mike that she's pregnant with his baby.

This year was the calm before the storm. Within a year the show would lose many of its key characters but popularity-wise would be at its strongest. 

21st August 1985 (Writer: Julian Roach; Producer: Bill Podmore)

When Glenda celebrated her 21st birthday, it was on a Friday. The most recent Corrie was on the previous Wednesday. Here's what was happening:

• Hilda Ogden tells Alf Roberts about what Les Pringle said about her broken roof. Alf inspects it and tells her her roof is fine. Alf confronts Pringle and tells him he doesn't want him to work on the conversion of the corner shop and throws him out. Hilda's thrilled she doesn't have to move out.
• Terry Duckworth is fed up of having nothing and considers leaving the street.
• Frank Mills and Bet Lynch predict that they'll be sleeping together soon.

The storm was now over and the show dedicated itself to its established characters instead of introducing new ones. The star players were mainly Bet, Ivy, the Duckworths, the Barlows and Alf.

24th August 1994 (Writer: Adele Rose; Producer: Carolyn Reynolds)

Glenda reached her 30th birthday in 1994. Her birthday was on a Tuesday and the following day, the 3742nd episode was broadcast. What was happening?

• Deirdre Barlow prepares No. 1 for her boyfriend Samir Rachid. She is alarmed when he's held by immigration officers at Manchester airport. She has to admit that he's her lover and Samir is allowed into the country and Deirdre takes him home
• Tanya Pooley gets the order from the tribunal. She tries to persuade Des Barnes to drop her from the case. Tanya finds comfort in Bet Gilroy's boyfriend Charlie Whelan.
• Percy Sugden encourages Curly Watts to court Paula Maxwell.
• Nicky Platt annoys the Platts by playing loud music.

Corrie was now being broadcast three times. The show was still blessed with long running characters, despite the exit of Hilda Ogden in 1987.

23rd August 2004 (1) (Writer: Jonathan Harvey; Producer: Tony Wood)

When Glenda reached her 40th birthday, it was on a Monday, so two episodes of Corrie were being broadcast, the 5829th and 5830th. Here's what happened in the first episode:

• Jamie Baldwin is angry that Frankie is interfering in his relationship with Leanne. Jamie and Leanne reunite.
• Steve and Karen McDonald go shopping. Karen's dad Malcolm later turns up to her shock.
• Karl Foster tells Todd Grimshaw he's proud that he's come out as being gay. When Les has go at him, Todd stands up for himself.
• Penny King and Mike Baldwin return from holiday.
• Vera Duckworth tells Frankie that Hayley was a man to the Croppers' upset.

And this is what happened in the second episode, that was written by Mark Wadlow:

• Karen is not interested in what her father has to say despite him telling her that her mum is dying. Karen pours her heart out to Steve about her difficult childhood.
• Mike Baldwin is suspicious of Ciaran McCarthy's business dealings, fearing he's ripping Penny off. He's pleased when Ciaran is genuine.
• Karl and Todd bid each other goodbye and Martin Platt warns Karl off the street.
• The bowling team is in disarray after Hayley's exit and think of ideas. Eileen suggests Jack dress up as a woman.
• Cilla Brown convinces Les to go on holiday with her, without Chesney.

Between 1994 and 2004, Corrie had seen a lot of changes. Five episodes were now being broadcast. The show had said goodbye to the likes of Bet, Derek and Mavis, Percy, Alec, Alf and Alma. Between 2002 and 2003, the nation was gripped by Hillmania. Despite the exits of popular characters, the show still had a strong cast with terrific comedy characters like Blanche, Norris and Fred.

22nd August 2014 (1) (Writer: Jonathan Harvey; Producer: Stuart Blackburn)

Glenda reached her 50th birthday today and so we look at the episodes that were broadcast the previous day, which were the 8453rd and 8454th episodes. This is what happened in the first episode:

• Leanne Tilsley is angry that nobody sides with her that Nick is faking his seizures. Having had enough, she smashes up the bottles at the bistro.
• Sophie Webster and Maddie Heath are babysitting Simon and Amy. A jealous Amy unties Eccles who goes missing. She is later found injured.
• Peter Barlow begs Jim McDonald for more booze in the prison. In exchange, Jim wants Peter to ask Steve to visit him.
• Steve and Lloyd think of pranks to play on Neil Beckett

And in the second episode:

• Nick is backed into a corner of his seizures.
• Carla Barlow is furious that Maddie has taken Eccles to the vet's in her car.
• Peter phones Steve to visit Jim.
• Steve and Lloyd are amused by their prank on Neil.

Corrie by now is nearing its 54th year. Since 2004, the show has lost some big characters like Mike Baldwin, Fred Elliott, the Duckworths, Betty and Blanche, but the show is still going strong!

Happy birthday Glenda!

With thanks to Corriepedia for the info.

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