Winners announced in Granadaland Wrap Party competition

Congratulations go to two lucky Coronation Street Blog readers who have been drawn at random to win tickets to this weekend's party at Old Granada Studios.

The party takes place in sound stage one at the Old Granada Studios in Manchester.  The studios was home to some of the UK’s favourite TV shows and movies including Coronation Street. There'll be live bands, a DJ, food, drinks and all kinds of good stuff going on.  You can find out more at the Granadaland website.

Tickets will be on their way to our winners Steve Marshall and William Fawcett.  Well done to you both!

And thank you to everyone for entering.

More Corrie news and spoilers at Coronation Street Blog

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Coronation Street's amazing prop store

I really enjoyed ITV's recent celebration of all things Granada, Goodbye Granadaland. The lovely Flaming Nora even blogged about it right here.

That fabulous prop room seemed to be acting as home to everything from costumes and wigs to gravestones and even set designs. 

This made me think about posing the following question: If you found yourself with access to that Corrie treasure trove for the afternoon, what item in particular would you go searching for? What would be your biggest and most cherished find?

It might be the glasses Hilda Ogden's cried over after Stan's death? Or maybe a set of Bet Lynch's infamous earrings? What about one of Rita's delightfully tasteless sparkly woollen creations from the 1980s? 

Personally, I'd love to try on Deirdre's re-entry shield glasses from the 1970s. What a pair! 

So what about you?


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Why Coronation Street fans must watch Goodbye Granadaland

If you haven't seen the Goodbye Granadaland programme, shown on ITV1 this weekend, it's well worth a look.

For Coronation Street fans in particular, it's worth viewing from around the 48 minute mark onwards because there are some lovely little behind-the-scenes snippets worth watching. 

The programme is narrated by Suranne Jones, who played Karen McDonald and includes contributions from Corrie creator Tony Warren and Corrie actors Barbara Knox and Philip Lowrie (Rita and Dennis Tanner) as well as ex-cast members Julie Goodyear (Bet Gilroy) and Sally Lindsay (Shelley Unwin).

Brooke Vincent, who plays Sophie Webster is interviewed and says this about Corrie:  "Looking back to how it first started, it's like a different programme. A completely different programme".

I'm not sure I agree with that statement. What do you think?

The original Head of Wardrobe called Edna Walker talked about dressing Pat Phoenix as Elsie Tanner with her tight blouses, and said that Doris Speed wanted comfy shoes as Annie Walker.  Priceless.


Then host Peter Kay, who himself appeared on Corrie once as a brewery drayman, had a peek into the props store, a veritable warehouse of a place housing Corrie props including such unlikely things as Sunita's coffin and Fred Elliot's coffin and a pair of Deirdre's very early - and huge - glasses.

Here's Peter Kay pictured holding the urns with ashes of Jack and Vera Duckworth.

There were also a large amount of models for previous Coronation Street set.

What will happen to all of these old props, no longer needed, by Coronation Street as they move from the Quay Street set to the new one at Media City?

We've read in the tabloids in the past of Corrie props being found in rubbish skips, thrown out and unwanted. I've even seen Corrie props up for sale on eBay by someone who worked for the show.

Would it be too much to hope that these props, these amazing bits of history from Coronation Street  the longest running soap in the world - might find their way into a museum of some sort, a tribute? Let's hope so.

(edited. You can watch the show on Youtube here. Thanks to Stevie for the link!)
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