Positive vibes, lots of love, and LOTS of glitter. Yes, it
was the time of year for Manchester Pride. Having only been to Manchester once
in the past, I was more than keen to return to the wonderful city and celebrate
the LGBTQ+ community. Tickets and the hotel were booked way back in January so
over the last seven months my excitement reached levels that I didn't know
excitement could reach. When the time finally came to pack my suitcase and head
up north, a little part of me was worried that I had imagined a weekend that
couldn't possibly live up to my expectations. That little part of me was soon
silenced as even by the first night I was having the time of my life.
But, no matter how excited I was to party the weekend away,
one thought remained firmly in my head. I'm in the land of Coronation Street.
Nerdy as it may seem, I fangirled my way through the weekend from seeing the
Corrie studios, to meeting some of the cast.
Friday was the first full day in Manchester so naturally my
friend Laura and I decided that the first thing on our agenda was to hop on a
tram and go to Media City. Is it possible to be star-struck by a building? In
our case, the answer is most definitely. Some people may think it a bit odd but
I was honestly so in awe of it. I mean, this is where Corrie history is made!! It
definitely was a fantastic moment for us and I most definitely would go and see
it again (even if it is just a building for some). Finding Coronation Street
merchandise in a corner shop was also a bonus.
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| MediaCity is gorgeous! |
After seeing the studios, it was the day of the very
fabulous Manchester Pride Parade, where the best Manchester has to offer weaves
through the city streets being, well, fabulous. The atmosphere was
indescribable, there wasn't a shred of negativity to be found anywhere. Of course though, the highlight of the parade
for me was the gorgeously put together Corrie float. Following the theme of
“Weatherfield High”, a selection of the cast happily waved at the spectators on
the street. The float also payed a wonderful tribute to Martyn Hett which was
just stunning. Once the procession had finished, I had the wonderful privilege
of meeting Daniel Brocklebank (Billy Mayhew) and Dolly-Rose Campbell (Gemma
Winter). They were so immensely lovely and were more than happy to stop for a
photo and even a chat. Safe to say I finished Saturday with a very big smile on
my face.
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| How amazing did the Corrie float look?! |
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| Dolly flying the flag. |
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| Daniel and Dolly! |
Monday was our final day in Manchester and what better way
to spend it than watch a host of soap stars play table tennis for charity. It
was such an entertaining event and it definitely looked like the stars were
enjoying themselves as much as the crowd stood along the street outside ‘New
York New York’. Corrie stars in attendance included Dolly-Rose Campbell, Chris
Gascoyne (Peter Barlow), Mikey North (Gary Windass) and ex-Corrie star Hayley
Tamaddon (Andrea Beckett). I also saw that Daniel Brocklebank and Melanie Hill
(Cathy Matthews) made an appearance.
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| Dolly and Chris enjoy a game of ping-pong. |
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| Mikey shows off his skills. |
Each star was keen to play against each other as well as
members of the public. At this event I couldn’t quite
believe it when I also had the pleasure of meeting Hayley and Mikey, who couldn’t
have been nicer.
As the table tennis continued, I looked at the time to
realise it was time to leave Manchester and head back home. I was gutted to
miss the Candlelight Vigil that night, hosted by Daniel Brocklebank, but the
videos and photos I’ve seen all look incredible.
Written by Sophie Williams.
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