Should a Corrie home keep its character?

A new poll by Opinion Matters (on behalf of homewares brand Heart of House) has ranked Ken and Deirdre's living room in third place as the most outdated home in soaps. Not far behind are Roy Cropper's living room (5th place), Fiz and Tyrone's living room (7th place), the Rovers' back room (9th place) and Emily's living room (10th place).

As for the most updated and modern abodes, there is Carla's flat (which I think is also Peter's?) at 2nd place, Nick Tilsley's flat (6th place) and the Websters (not sure if it's No. 4 or No. 13!).

To see the full results, check them out on Digital Spy. 

This got me thinking about the homes of Coronation Street, and I asked myself a question: what's most important - fashion or character?

For many years, the interior sets of the street, bar the Rovers, lacked a lot of imagination. The floors were carpet-less and grey and the walls were brown or grey. Since the 1980s, they've been spruced up and a little colour and character has been introduced. Some of the props have been there for decades. The Barlows still have Albert Tatlock's sideboard and table and chairs while Emily's cabinet and table and chairs have been there since the 1970s. Although in real life, they probably would've faced the skip, in Corrie nostalgia is important and so they are kept. 

Following the studies of Darwin and Freud about people's links with their environment, playwrights began to include subtle hints about the personalities of characters through the pictures on the walls,the wallpaper, or the furniture. And Corrie is no different.

Hilda Ogden's 'muriel' and flying ducks symbolized both her quirkiness and her social aspirations; the Duckies' living room symbolized their lives - all over the place; while Mike Baldwin's flat represented his suaveness. It wasn't until 1982 when No. 7 was rebuilt that modern houses were seen and portrayed on screen and it wasn't until the new houses were built that Corrie began modernising.

So, should a Corrie home keep its character? Or should they go with the flow where fashion is concerned?

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Coronation Street muriel on a Weymouth wall

This fab Coronation Street muriel (as Hilda would have called it) has appeared on a wall in a car park in Weymouth.

With thanks to @thresheg on twitter, whose photo this is.

If anyone knows who the artist is, please let us know as we'd like to give you full credit and a link to your website.

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Tied results in blog's fave 1970s Corrie poll

 

In a first in this series of polls, there is a tie to who has triumphed in the poll to find Corrie fans' favourite moment from the 1970s. 156 voted and both when Hilda revealed her 'muriel' in July 1976 and Ernest Bishop being shot in January 1978 came first and received 27 votes (17.31%).

 

In second place with 21 votes (13.46%) came when the Ogdens went on their second honeymoon in November 1977. In joint third place came the Street's Silver Jubilee celebrations in June 1977 and when a lorry crashed into the Rovers in March 1979 with 16 votes (10.26%).

 

Hilda Ogden holding a séance in August 1977 received 10 votes (6.41%) while Valerie Barlow being electrocuted to death in January 1971 received 8 votes (5.13%). Betty Turpin revealed as Gordon Clegg's mother in December 1974; Elsie Tanner's return in April 1976; and Suzie Birchall mistakenly dropping a brick down the Ogdens' chimney in March 1977 all received 6 votes (3.85%).

 

The Kabin opening for the first time in June 1973 received 4 votes (2.56%) while Ernest Bishop and Emily Nugent's wedding in April 1972; Eddie Yeats saving Bet Lynch from suicide in April 1975; the warehouse fire in October 1975; and Len Fairclough and Rita Littlewood's wedding in April 1977 all received 2 votes (1.28%).

Deirdre being assaulted under the viaduct in October 1977 received 1 vote (0.64%) and when Joe Donnelli held Irma Ogden, Minnie Caldwell and Stan Ogden hostage in December 1970; and Lynn Johnson's murder in January 1975 received 0 votes (0%).

Happy with the results? Leave your comments!

And if you haven't, you can vote for your favourite moment from the 1960s here. Voting closes on Monday, 30th September.
 

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