Meet Classic Corrie Stars at TV Utopia

 

Next February there's a proper treat in store for fans of Coronation Street, and in particular, classic Coronation Street. Thanks to the success of last year's event TV Utopia is returning in 2018!

Banish those winter blues and join us for a unique event celebrating your favourite British television from the last fifty years. From Doctor Who to Crossroads, The Bill to Tenko, or EastEnders and Poirot, we shall be bringing you guests from all genres!

Thanks to the overwhelming success of their Doctor Who event Utopia, Fantom Films proudly presents TV Utopia. Come and enjoy a weekend in the gorgeous Mercure Whately Hall in Banbury with like-minded fans, for what is set to be an unmissable weekend looking at the best in drama, light entertainment, children's television, science fiction and fantasy!

 

Over the weekend you will be able to watch interviews, collect autographs, pose for photos and meet some of your television favourites.

As ITV3 begin a run of classic Coronation Street episodes, we shall be revealing a number of guests and special features for TV Utopia 2018 this week! So far confirmed is Ken Farrington (Billy Walker) 

Philip Lowrie, who played Dennis Tanner

Irene Sutcliffe, who played Betty Turpin's sister Maggie Clegg

Alan Rothwell (David Barlow)

TV Utopia promises to be a very special celebration of British Television and the actors and creatives who have made their mark on the television landscape. Keep checking the website for further guests and event features over the coming months. You can find out more about the event on the Fantom Films website.

There's also going to be four very special screenings!

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Corrie At Christmas 1972 style

As we are well on the way to Christmas now I thought I would take a look at Christmas in Corrie back in the day. One particular Christmas episode always sticks in my memory (and not because I was around to watch it when it was shown!) The 1972 festive episode is a cracker.

Back in the days before regular murder and mayhem, Coronation Street took a more traditional, community-minded approach to the festive season. The '72 episode is a perfect example and although there are touches of drama in the background, the main event is a talent show in the Rovers Select. 

We can deal with the drama first. The main thread going through part one is Alan Howard's descent in alcoholism. Elsie is obviously concerned, so much so that all she has managed to cook for Christmas dinner is a pan of boiling water. Thankfully Betty's sister Maggie Clegg is on hand to share advice from her own troubled marriage. The scenes between Elsie and Maggie are well written and honestly played. 

The other serious storyline focuses on the arrival of a rather strange Irish woman at the community centre who appears to have had a hand in the previous abduction of Ena's grandson Jason. The young woman is played by a very young Frances Tomelty who went on to have a very successful acting career. The main thing I noticed about all these scenes is the pace, it's so much slower than the Corrie produced today. 

Anyway, back to the main event. Billy Walker is master of ceremonies and many of the Rovers regulars are putting on turns for a bunch of rather dodgy looking extras and one Stanley Ogden (I have no idea where Hilda had disappeared to). The Select always looked to be a massive barn of a place, which was completely disproportionate with the size of the pub from the outside. I think they call that artistic licence...

While most of the acts cover old music hall turns most modern viewers have long since forgotten (or never knew in the first place), the great joy of these scenes is seeing so many classic characters doing something a bit different. It also allows many of the actors to demonstrate their versatility and use skills developed in local theatre and variety, often many years before Granada came calling. Ernest Bishop (the late Stephen Hancock) is at the piano as he often was while the likes of Ray Langton, Alf Roberts and Jerry Booth perform. 

There are two highlights for me. The first is the joyous threesome of Betty, Bet and Norma Ford (anyone remember her and her strange obsession with Ken Barlow?) The ladies perform as the Andrews Sisters and it's great to see Betty Driver actually sing in the show. They are obviously having a whale of a time and Julie Goodyear hams it up as only she could! 

We also get a young Barbara Knox, or Rio Rita as she was known in those days, doing her Marlene Dietrich act complete with trench coat, beret and cigarette holder! It doesn't get any camper than that! Fair play to her though for having a go! 

Sadly we don't get to see Emily's Carmen Miranda routine as she has a mishap with her bananas...Perhaps Eileen Derbyshire can give that a go before she departs on New Year's Day?

Anyway, if you fancy a bit of seventies Corrie nostalgia, some lovely person has uploaded this episode in two parts.

You can check out part one here and part two is available here 

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

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The faces of Corrie in 1972

If you remember, last year I had a series of posts looking at the top 12 faces of each Corrie decade - the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s and the 2000s. For the next few weeks or so, I’ll be looking at the top 12 faces of each year between 1960 and 2013.

With thanks to Corriepedia for the information.

 In 1972, 104 episodes were broadcast.

1.    Len Fairclough (79 episodes)
2.    Elsie Howard (78 episodes)
3.    Ray Langton (77 episodes)
4.    Billy Walker (76 episodes)
5.    Maggie Clegg (74 episodes)
6.    Jerry Booth (72 episodes)
7.    Annie Walker (72 episodes)
8.    Alan Howard (70 episodes)
9.    Hilda Ogden (68 episodes)
10.    Emily Nugent/Bishop (66 episodes)
11.    Betty Turpin (64 episodes)
12.    Ken Barlow (62 episodes)

Due to lack of space, Bet Lynch fails to make the top 12, but she also appeared in 62 episodes.

Average age: 44

Note: This is the last time Maggie (to date) and Alan appear in the top 12

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The faces of Corrie in 1971

If you remember, last year I had a series of posts looking at the top 12 faces of each Corrie decade - the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s and the 2000s. For the next few weeks or so, I’ll be looking at the top 12 faces of each year between 1960 and 2013.

With thanks to Corriepedia for the information.

 In 1971, 104 episodes were broadcast.

1.    Annie Walker (76 episodes)
2.    Stan Ogden (75 episodes)
3.    Elsie Howard (75 episodes)
4.    Len Fairclough (72 episodes)
5.    Ray Langton (69 episodes)
6.    Bet Lynch (68 episodes)
7.    Hilda Ogden (68 episodes)
8.    Betty Turpin (68 episodes)
9.    Emily Nugent (66 episodes)
10.    Ken Barlow (65 episodes)
11.    Lucille Hewitt (62 episodes)
12.    Maggie Clegg (61 episodes)

Average age: 42

Note: This is the last time Lucille appears in the top 12

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The faces of Corrie in 1970

If you remember, last year I had a series of posts looking at the top 12 faces of each Corrie decade - the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s and the 2000s. For the next few weeks or so, I’ll be looking at the top 12 faces of each year between 1960 and 2013.

With thanks to Corriepedia for the information.

In 1970, 96 episodes were broadcast.

1.    Annie Walker (70 episodes)
2.    Elsie Tanner/Howard (68 episodes)
3.    Ray Langton (68 episodes)
4.    Ena Sharples (68 episodes)
5.    Betty Turpin (65 episodes)
6.    Len Fairclough (63 episodes)
7.    Valerie Barlow (61 episodes)
8.    Hilda Ogden (61 episodes)
9.    Maggie Clegg (60 episodes)
10.  Alan Howard (56 episodes)
11.  Ken Barlow (55 episodes)
12.  Stan Ogden (54 episodes)

Average age: 46

Note: This is the last time Ena and Valerie appear in the top 12

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The faces of Corrie in 1968

If you remember, last year I had a series of posts looking at the top 12 faces of each Corrie decade - the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s and the 2000s. For the next few weeks or so, I’ll be looking at the top 12 faces of each year between 1960 and 2013.

With thanks to Corriepedia for the information.

In 1968, 103 episodes were broadcast.

1. Annie Walker (87 episodes)
2. Len Fairclough (85 episodes)
3. Jack Walker (84 episodes)
4. Ken Barlow (71 episodes)
5. Valerie Barlow (69 episodes)
6. Elsie Tanner (69 episodes)
7. Minnie Caldwell (64 episodes)
8. Hilda Ogden (64 episodes)
9. Lucille Hewitt (60 episodes)
10. Stan Ogden (60 episodes)
11. Emily Nugent (57 episodes)
12. Maggie Clegg (57 episodes)

Average age: 46

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Corrie A-Z: C is for the Corner Shop (Part 1: 1960-1980)

With thanks to Daran Little’s Coronation Street: Around the Houses for all the info on the history of the Corner Shop prior to 1960.

 

For many years, the Corner Shop was a staple in every Corrie episode, where characters were seen talking and gossiping about goings-on in the street. And the shopkeeper had an integral part in the community: be it Florrie Lindley back in the early 1960s or Alf Roberts in the 1980s. But in recent years, the Corner Shop has lost its status and has dwindled into extinction, apart from the odd scene here and there.

 

At one time, the Corner Shop played a vital role in many episodes. Indeed, it played the central role in the very first episode back in December 1960 when Elsie Lappin handed the business over to Florrie Lindley after 30 years. It was through Florrie’s eyes that we met the characters as they came to the shop to introduce themselves to the new shopkeeper.

 

Prior to Coronation Street’s on-screen debut in 1960, the corner shop had proprietors since 1902. The first owners were Cedric and Lottie Thwaite who ran the shop until 1915. The Foyle family (including Tommy, Amelia, Lil, Elsie, Hilda and Shelagh) ran the shop from 1930 to 1947. Elsie, and her husband Les Lappin, bought the shop in 1947. Les died in 1952 and Elsie continued behind the counter until she sold the shop to Florrie Lindley in 1960.

 

Let’s take a closer look at who was behind the counter between 1960 and 1980:

 

Florrie Lindley 1960-1965

 

Florrie was a typical shopkeeper: a kind, caring and compassionate soul. During her stint behind the counter she installed a new window and doorway and opened a sub-post office. Irma Ogden became her assistant in 1964. But loneliness ate away at Florrie and led her to have a nervous breakdown and she wrecked the shop. In 1965, estranged hubby Norman re-entered her life and persuaded Florrie to join him in Canada. She agreed and sold the shop to Lionel Petty.

 

Lionel Petty 1965-1966

 

Petty was an ex-Army officer and ran the shop in an efficient but military way and his approach towards the customers was a stark contrast to Florrie. Even assistant Irma stayed off work to avoid him and when he was short towards Ena Sharples many of the residents boycotted the shop. As well as Irma, his daughter Sandra worked behind the counter as did Dennis Tanner. After only a few months, Lionel sold up the shop and returned to his native Wales.

 

David and Irma Barlow 1966-1968

 

Petty sold the shop to young married couple David and Irma. The first thing the Barlows did was close the sub-post office that had been in the shop since 1964 but in recent months had become unprofitable. They settled into shop life and were popular with residents. But within a few months Irma had grown bored and left the shop to work as a machinist at the PVC factory while mother Hilda took up the job of shop assistant, to David’s chagrin. Irma soon returned the shop and life was good until 1968 when David craved for a return to his football career. And when he was offered a place in an Australian team, he persuaded Irma that they should immigrate and sold the shop.

 

Les Clegg 1968-1970, Maggie Clegg 1968-1974, Irma Barlow 1970-1972 and Gordon Clegg 1974-1976

 

The Cleggs bought the shop as a new start due to Les’ alcoholism and a chance for him to stay sober. They arrived on the street with their ‘son’ Gordon. They were happy for two months before Les fell off the wagon and assaulted Maggie and thus ended their marriage. Needing help, Maggie took on Ena Sharples and Valerie Barlow as her assistants. Maggie’s overbearing sister Betty Turpin arrived on the street in 1969 to help her sister out but Maggie persuaded her to get a job as a barmaid at the Rovers. Valerie left her post as assistant at the end of 1969 when she got a job at Alan Howard’s hair salon. In 1970, Les and Maggie divorced and Maggie was given the shop in the settlement. Soon after, a widowed Irma returned from Australia and entered into a partnership with Maggie. As a result, Ena left her post as shop assistant. Hilda helped out now and again; Janet Reid was briefly an assistant in 1971 and Lucille Hewitt from late 1971 to early 1972. Irma sold her share to Maggie and moved to Llandudno in 1972.

 

Maggie was now the sole owner of the shop and took on Norma Ford as her assistant who stayed until the end of 1973. In 1974, Maggie appreciated the help of Alf Roberts. When he proposed, she rejected stating she only saw him as a good friend. But within a few weeks she married Ron Cooke and they immigrated to Zaire. Maggie passed the shop on to Gordon but when he clashed with Betty, he left for London and rented the shop to Welsh couple Idris and Vera Hopkins who moved to the shop with their daughter Tricia and Idris’ mother Megan. But they had a short stay when Megan found out that Betty was Gordon’s real mother and tried to blackmail Gordon into selling the shop to them at a lower price. Gordon had been told that Betty was his mother by Maggie when she visited in early 1975. As a result, the Hopkins were evicted and left in a midnight flit. Gordon did let Tricia stay in the shop flat with her best mate Gail Potter and they ran the shop until mid-1975 when Blanche Hunt took the reins with the young girls her assistants. When Blanche left the street in early 1976, Tricia and Gail took care of the shop. As Gordon was in London, it was Betty who looked after the shop’s financial side and reported to Gordon of any problems. In mid-1976, Gordon sold the shop to Renee Bradshaw.

 

Renee Bradshaw/Roberts 1976-1980

 

Renee took over the shop to be closer to her brother Terry. She soon sacked Tricia and Gail for being terrible assistants and Tricia left the area. Renee soon applied for an off-licence and waged a war against publican Annie Walker and won. Bet Lynch moves in as a flat tenant and Renee becomes her confidante. Alf Roberts romances Renee and they marry in 1978. When Alf is injured when a lorry ploughs into the Rovers, he retires from the GPO to help Renee at the shop. In 1980, the Roberts decided to sell the shop and move to run a sub-post office in Grange-over-Sands. But on the way from Grange, Renee is killed in a lorry-crash collision. Alf decides to stay put on the street and continue behind the counter.

 

To be continued...

 

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