Corrie icon Hilda Ogden immortalised as a Manchester bee

Canadian Coronation Street fan Deborah Cyr is currently over here in the UK. Deborah visited Manchester from where she's posted these amazing pictures of one of the Manchester Bees. This one's based on Corrie icon Hilda Ogden and it's called Hilda Bugden.

The Hilda bee is part of Bee in the City which runs until September 23rd.  There are over 100 giant bees all over Manchester City Centre. The website has a trail of bees you can view and Hilda Bugden bee can be found on King Street.

You can follow Deborah on Twitter @Deborah726

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BE KIND

I really enjoyed Wednesday’s Coronation Street. There was that classic Corrie mix of comedy and drama, with much of the latter focused on Fiz and Tyrone’s parenting problems. My heart broke for little Ruby after Tyrone lost his tempter and smacked her as she ran away denying SHE’D been naughty for the umpteenth time. Sitting on those stairs, with tears streaming down her face was both upsetting and brilliant to watch – what a performance from little Macy Alabi. 

Innocent.

Fiz had finally been given a taste of her own medicine after blaming Ruby for all the recent incidents in the Stape / Dobbs household, letting Hope off the hook. Now the truth was out Fiz had learned an important lesson but perhaps a little too late. As she tried to deal with the aftermath over at Chesney’s she forcefully told her daughter to be kind as Hope went off to play with Joseph. I don’t know why, but that line really stood out for me. She didn’t say “behave” or “play nice” – she said “be kind” and I liked that. Perhaps she was reminding herself to do the same. 

Feature wall 

Sally & Tim’s wallpaper / fresco fiasco turned success made me laugh. I sometimes get the impression Sally is turning into a more pretentious version of Hilda Ogden – even more so now she’s got a feature wall. The couple bickered at home and in the Rovers before inevitably Tim caved in to Sally’s domestic demands. When Tim made the big reveal after paying Kirk to put the knock-off paper up, I suspected Sally would go mad. She did not. She loved it. Or at least the thought she should give the impression she loved it because the kind of person she would aspire to be would love it. She thinks. It also made me think of Jack and Vera in the episode where they install bar-like drinks optics into the dining room. “It’s a touch o’ class that. A real touch o’ class.”

Sally explodes as Tim arrives home drunk again

Sean’s bedroom tales 

More insignificant but enjoyable scenes came in Sean’s haircut anecdotes from his previous night of passion. His camp enthusiasm and unwillingness to let Maria in on the conversation made for hilarious watching – even if poor David was within earshot of the conversation. 

I see dead people

What a coup to get Sophie Thomson in Coronation Street. With her she’s brought a great opportunity to reminisce about loved characters long dead. And some very much unloved characters long dead too. We all know she’s not talking to the dead – even if it would be wonderful to hear from ‘Our Alfie’ after all these years. So of course 'something’s' coming – will it be connected to the return of Lewis and Claudia? We’ll soon find out. In any case we’ve been given more scenes with Audrey, which is always welcome, especially when she’s sharing a bottle or two of vino with her daughter. Corrie perfection. 

RTS award

The Boss

It’s been a bit of a fractious few weeks between Corrie, its fans and the media. Kate Oates has come under some heavy criticism for months now about the show’s dark and more dramatic scenes involving murder, sexual assault and addiction. There’s more of that to come soon with Pat Phelan’s leaving storyline, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Even if in recent interviews Kate has stubbornly held her ground on how she wishes to run Corrie, I think the powers that be are listening. The UK tabloid The Daily Star recently took my interview with writer Martina Cole and exacerbated the issue by putting a negative twist of our chat on its front page. We can really do without that. And this week Corrie won a prestigious RTS award (best soap and continuing drama) so now it’s onwards an upwards for our favourite show. 

Let’s hope writers remember the words “be kind” when putting pen to paper over the coming months.

@StevieDawson

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Five things we learned from Classic Coronation Street this week

Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye...

This week was all about the departing Hilda Ogden. Following her attack at Dr Lowther's house, Hilda had become quite a recluse and despite the efforts of a caring Sally and Kevin, saw little point in going on. Jean Alexander was a joy in these scenes, acting her socks off and clearly relishing her final storyline. A bleak mid-winter trip to Stan's grave was particularly moving. Before too long though, a bright new future beckoned as Mrs O was offered the chance to move out to Dr Lowther's country cottage and become his housekeeper. It was a bittersweet send off for such a glorious, iconic character but it all felt so right that Hilda got a happy ending.


The famous Christmas Day episode which featured Bet and Mike Baldwin throwing on a surprise party in the Rovers was warm, happy and joyful with the vast majority of the cast squeezed in the Rovers set. It felt like everyone was getting a turn at a final scene with Jean Alexander, with most of her fellow actors appearing in the iconic set of Number 13 over the course of her final episodes. I dreaded the goodbye when it came as there could only be one Hilda and one Jean Alexander. She was a class act and one of the main reasons these repeats have been so worth watching.

Bet's past is showing

 

In a glorious moment during Hilda's farewell party, the woman of the hour in one last classic instance of tact, dropped a subtle hint to Alec that Bet knew Mike Baldwin rather well, nudge nudge, wink wink. As the camera panned away, Alec visibly tightened in every conceivable orifice at the thought of his new wife up the ginnel with the Cockney lothario. This led on to several days of Alec and Bet bickering behind the bar, driving away customers (well Don and Ivy, so it wasn't all bad news) and Alec sleeping in the spare room. 

Of course Alec had nothing to worry about as by this stage, our Bet was strangely devoted to Mr Gilroy despite his penny pinching ways, bad taste in sweaters and peculiar sexual mores. What am I talking about? Well, cast your mind back to Alec's sojourn to Germany with his touring show (comprising a blistering array of turns we'd sadly never meet). Bet and Alec enjoyed several saucy conversations over the phone and at one point swastikas were mentioned. Goodness only knows what went on in that pale pink boudoir up those Rovers stairs.

Fanny's on the rob

 

Fanny Carby continued to grate on my nerves this week as Amy Burton, slotting in to the now absent Hilda Ogden role awkwardly and without many positive character traits. Slovenly rubbing a dirty duster over the Rovers bar, fag in hand, she gave endless cheek to poor old Jack and continued to run rings around her idiotic daughter Vera. Percy Sugden had one of the lines of the week when he barked across the bar that Amy was a "demented old trollop" after she accused him of undressing her with his eyes. I should imagine nobody ever got past that hideous hat, forever suctioned onto her gob-laden face. 

Just when Amy hit rock bottom, she started digging herself a hole under the viaduct. Whilst doing some typically 1987 shopping at Alf's (a packet of party rings, a tin of sliced pears and an industrial sized jar of Daddies Sauce) human cheese grater Amy half inched a tin of salmon, bold as brass. Little Sally didn't know what to do and when Amy the Arduous returned the next day to stick a family sized jar of Maxwell House down her drawers, both Audrey and Sally reacted like a couple of coma-bound store detectives. I can see how this will pan out. Alf will get exasperated, lose his cool and accuse Amy, who will deny it while Vera loses her dentures calling Mr Roberts all the names under the sun. Only to find out once again that she's in the wrong and her family is yet again comprised of lary, unappetising rejects from the pages of Viz.

Carry On, Cabby

 

Despite enduring a night out with Ivy, Jack and Vera earlier in the year, cab driver Don Brennan was back on the scene this week and he only had Ivy on his mind. This romance seems to have progressed quite quickly, with Don easily winning over Brian the Teeth and Gail. Don even presented Ivy with a very expensive gold watch (a quick dash to Ratner's in his Cavalier no doubt) but the viewers were left to ponder whether this fledgling romance had yet been consummated, or consumed as Hilda might have once put it (sob!)

Ivy and Don are quite a good match in these early episodes, all working class good humour and steak and kidney puddings in her front parlour. At this stage Ivy is still wearing that winter coat which makes her look like something from Fraggle Rock and her hair is very much that of a Vauxhall Conference footballer, but obviously Don could see past these minor trifles. Of course before too long they'd be wed, Don would have one leg, with the other repeatedly rammed up Baldwin's backside. And Ivy would be off her head, walking the streets of Weatherfield in her nightie before doing a midnight bunk to a convent. The way ITV3 are going through these repeats, we should be seeing those scenes in early summer. Something to look forward to there.

Jenny Bradley: Man Eater

I had a feeling Patrice would be back on the scene as soon as Alec started mentioning croissants in the Rovers. Sure enough, Jenny flamin' Bradley's fiance was back just after Christmas and as the pair embraced on Rita's vile couch, all we could see was lots of lots of very 80s hair - and that was just Patrice. Rita was obviously heartily sick of mentioning Patrice so every time his name appeared in the script she started calling him Patrick. Fair enough really, although I quite like him myself. He had a lovely little twinkle and provided a much needed quota of Eurotrash to the cobbles. 

Anyway, their reunion was not all it cracked up to be, what with Jenny being a gobby mare, a juvenile spoilt teenager and a rather scary ginger to boot. There was constant festive skriking which made a pleasant change from Mavis crying into her Bailey's at the thought of Derek all alone in a bedsitter in Withington. One forgets just what a nasty-faced baggage Jenny was back in the day as she attended Sally and Kevin's party and copped off with best friend Lisa's fella, Gary. I have no idea why Jenny-from-the-ginnel felt the need to do this as Patrice exuded floppy haired Gallic charm while Gary Grimshaw was dressed like a disgraced radio disc jockey and had obviously suffered a sideburn malfunction. 

Until next week!

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

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Why is my beloved Corrie copying Eastenders? asks Fern Britton

The article to the left was written recently by the TV presenter and longstanding Corrie fan Fern Britton. I wanted to share it here because her views chime with those expressed widely on this Blog over the past few months and especially this week. In my view, Fern hits the nail right on the head; Corrie just isn’t Corrie anymore. If you click on the image to enlarge it and then zoom in, the article should be legible. It's worth a read.

I've been writing for the Coronation Street Blog for four years now and I have always tried to apply the principle that if I can't blog something nice, then I shouldn't blog anything at all. That probably explains why I haven't written much recently!

However, watching Weatherfield’s vicar turn up at Church on Monday evening - not to take communion, but to take heroin - was the final straw for me and I had to speak out about the direction of travel my favourite soap is going in. It's the wrong direction. 

It's not that I’m squeamish about a smack storyline - I’ve read a lot of Irvine Welsh! It’s just that this kind of thing doesn’t belong in Coronation Street. I'm also OK with dark drama but not six times a week after a hard day at work.

I have always said that I love Corrie because it is gripping drama juxtaposed by the very best of Northern wit. Sadly, that genuine warmth and humour that Coronation Street has always done so well is currently in short supply.

What a contrast to the Classic Coronation Street episodes being broadcast on ITV3. The episodes on at the moment date from 1987/88 and are an absolute joy to watch. They also bring into sharp focus just how far Corrie has strayed from its original charm and everything that we love about the show - the believable human relationships, the humour, and the reflection of real life that Fern Britton talks about in her article.

On Wednesday, ITV3 showed the episode in which Hilda Ogden left the street. I was only five when Mrs O departed and so it's been fantastic to see her on screen, albeit at the end of her run. The scriptwriters certainly don't make 'em like Hilda anymore.

A few hours later, over on ITV1, we saw Billy the Vicar score some more horse and throw up in his kitchen. Oh, and Bethany glassed some bloke with a beer bottle. Nevermind 'Eastenders' - both are scenes lifted directly from 'Trainspotting'. In a couple of weeks' time, we're going to have the David Platt storyline and that's hardly going to lift the mood!

Fern Britton mentions Mary Taylor, Roy Cropper and Ken Barlow as examples of characters with "that heart we love". Mary hasn't been seen much of late, Roy has disappeared and Ken is little more than a bit-part player these days. It's all looking a bit bleak. If he were still with us today, I'm not sure that Tony Warren would recognise what his beloved Corrie has become. 

What do we reckon guys - is there a way out of the darkness? There must be, right?!! I hope so.

By Martin Leay, on Twitter @mpleay

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Coronation Street's Gas Blast from the Past

With thanks to the wonderful Classic Coronation Street on Facebook I've found this fab old British Gas video featuring none other than Jean Alexander in her Coronation Street role of Hilda Ogden.

The video says that "Hilda gives helpful advice on coping with bills, avoiding hypothermia, beatign the burglars and maintaining gas safety."

I've never seen this before. What a great little find!

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Five Things we Learned from Classic Coronation Street this week

Fear of Fanny

Carby that is. Nothing against the late actress Fanny Carby, I'm sure she was a lovely lady who enjoyed a great career elsewhere, but what the hell is Amy Burton? Obviously preparing for the departure of Weatherfield grandee Dame Hilda of the Muriel, Vera's adenoidal ma was quickly shoehorned in this past week without any previous mention. Apparently she had visited several times before, however until now she'd obviously never popped over on a Monday or a Wednesday. This irritating foghorn of an old crone has made Vera seem almost reasonable and underplayed while her constant skriking has had me actually feeling sorry for Jack Duckegg. 

And it's going to get worse before it gets better. She set upon Alec up his back entry (Stop it) at the end of last week and was soon installed as the new Rovers cleaner. Good luck Gilroys as Amy looks more spit'n'chammy than bleach and elbow grease. Fortunately old Ma Burton would be gone by the following Spring, the Coronation Street production team suddenly coming to their senses and realising she was certainly no replacement for Terry crawling about under the breakfast table in his grundies.

Trouble at Dr Lowther's

Most of this past week has focussed on the violent (for 1987 Corrie) attack on poor old Hilda and Mrs Lowther. The Lowthers' were packing up their house and set to move away to Derbyshire and this, hard as it is for me to type, marked the beginning of Hilda's exit storyline after 23 years in the show. Even though these are repeats and we know it's coming, I've gotten so used to Jean Alexander's beautiful performances that I'm just not ready to say goodbye. The attack storyline, a bungled robbery, was actually quite shocking and featured much more location filming than normal at the time. The use of a real, rather grim looking hospital added to the drama. And back in those pre-multi channel days, with only two episodes going out each week, the cheeky cliffhanger which left viewers guessing which character had passed away would keep viewers hooked for five whole days, not the thirty minutes we're used to nowadays. 

One of the joys of this rather sad story, which also shone a light on Hilda's loneliness, was the brief return of the glorious Geoffrey Hughes as Eddie Yeats. Geoffrey came back for two episodes as he wanted one last chance to act with Jean before she left the show. Lovely stuff. Of course the drama of the situation was lessened slightly by the fact one of the violent thugs was played by Heartbeat's P.C Bellamy, Joan Lowther's sister by the actress who played tarty Marina in Last of the Summer Wine and the hospital consultant by the guy who played the husband of Sonia in the Julia McKenzie 80s sitcom Fresh Fields. And yes, I am that sad.

Alec Gilroy, Employer of the Year

One of the knock on effects of Hilda's hospitalisation this week was Bet having to don a tabard and set to cleaning the Rovers. Alec was most put out and as usual when Alec is put out, Roy Barraclough is at his funniest and most comedically inventive. Not only could he not lay his hands on a teabag, but he rather worryingly found a plentiful supply of jelly in the Rovers' kitchen. He had no idea why it was there but I have a creeping suspicion Bet does (shudder). In a brilliant line, Alec expressed his dismay at the thought of Bet going down the street in a pinny and headscarf looking like a woman who "had been driven from home". The mind boggles.

Later, Alec paid Hilda a visit, ostensibly to check in on the hardworking char but really just to chivvy her back to work. Failing to mask his shock at the sight of the infamous muriel, Alec uses that brilliant Gilroy tact to ask when Hilda will be back scrubbing the Rovers' toilets. With a toe-curling yet joyous touch of comedy, Alec carefully places a bottle of mild on the table in front of Hilda, almost like popping some cheddar on a trap. We soon found out that Mrs O was having none of it as once Alec returned to the pub, that same bottle of mild was bunged back on the bar top! 

The Rosamund Street Avengers

Derek Wilton, the John Steed of travelling salesmen, snivelled back into view this week, once again taking advantage of poor, twittery Mavis. In the hands of lesser actors this storyline may have been little more than an irritating diversion, however Peter Baldwin and Thelma Barlow are just delicious as Derek and Mavis, tying themselves in knots over the intrigue of the mysterious Angela and her alleged paramour. Derek, while sick of domineering Angela and her vile son Neville, seemed quite determined to leave his wife until he remembered his career, his company car and his pension. The scenes which saw Derek turn up on Mavis's doorstep one dark and stormy night, were beautifully played, with Mavis a little bundle of simmering sensuality at the thought of Derek sleeping on the sofa. She was deliciously coquettish in her pink winceyette, knitted toys on her candlewick. 

Rita raised more eyebrows than she sold humbugs this week as she cut through the Brief Encounter romantics with her razor sharp ginger wit. There was a lovely scene when Rita expressed her care and concern for Mavis though and it was smashing to see the genuine warmth and affection between those two chalk and cheese characters. Derek, calling on Mavis like Steed on Mrs Peel, made it clear she was needed and she was off in Rita's Fiesta to the Harvester last seen during Brian and Gail's estrangement the previous year. As Angela and her man friend enjoyed roast lamb and baked potatoes, Mavis sidled round a print of Constable's Haywain while Derek slunk even lower into the passenger seat of Reet's runaround. Belting stuff.

Audrey's Hard Labour

Poor Aud. In the days before Alma resurfaced, our Mrs Roberts was forced to divide her time between filing her nails behind the counter of Alf's Mini Market and taking never-ending tea breaks at Jim's Cafe. With young Martin the Mullet not yet back behind the Horlicks dispenser and Phyllis away having her throat re-gravelled, Audrey was frying chips for long distance lorry drivers and buttering teacakes for Percy. After a long day feeding the faces of folk, Aud exclaimed that she was too old for hard graft and insisted Alfeh took her out for tea. Little did Audrey know what was to come: serial killer son in laws, Gail scrapping in the street in her dressing gown, Demon David, a lapdancing great-granddaughter and Nicky suddenly looking twenty years older than she does. I'm sure our Aud is now sitting in her glamorous gran-pad at Grasmere Drive, looking back misty eyed at the days when all she had to do was shovel chips and submit to Alfeh's salacious desires.

Until next time...

I'm on Twitter @GraemeN82 if you fancy a natter

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