Some rather apocalyptic scenes from Weatherfield today as the Manchester Evening News releases photos of the old Coronation Street set off Quay Street in Manchester, looking a little worse for wear.
Courtesy: Manchester Evening News
Almost a year after the tours of the old set finished, and three years after the completion of the new purpose built set at Salford Quays, the cobble-less wasteland is now a far cry from the Street we know and love. Windows and doors have been removed from the famous terrace, the nameless pub at the end of the row is now an empty shell with the sign removed, and overgrown weeds have started taking over – it’s as if the residents of Coronation Street fled some kind of disaster 'Day of the Triffids' style.
An 'Urban Explorer' supplied the photographs to the Manchester Evening News, who have contacted ITV for comment on the site.
Did anyone see ‘The Nation's Favourite Beatles Number One’
the other week? If not, then I would highly recommend streaming it from the
newly renamed ITV Hub,
where it will remain for another 6 days (link here).
I watched it on the train to Manchester for the Coronation
Street Blog Christmas Do. It’s a cracking rock doc and I was particularly
pleased to discover that when The Beatles weren’t busy shaking the world, the Fab
Four liked nothing more than to watch a bit of telly and, according to former
Granada Producer Johnny Hamp, Coronation Street was one of their favourite
programmes.
Hamp produced the TV special ‘The Music of Lennon and McCartney’,
which was filmed at the former Granada Studios on Quay Street, a site that we
bloggers visited earlier this week for the very last time.
The Beatles show went out in December 1965 - when Corrie was
just five years old. A lot of it can be seen on YouTube and it really is
fascinating footage. During the performance, John Lennon played the harmonium
on ‘We Can Work It Out’ (which came in at number 17 in the ITV poll).
But it wasn’t just any harmonium that Lennon used that day
at Granada. Oh no - it was the very same instrument that Ena Sharples played in
Coronation Street! Have a look at this:
Apparently, when the Granada special was being recorded, the
Corrie cast kept on sticking their heads around the door to catch a glimpse of
The Beatles. The cast could have got a lot closer to the band, though,
according to a wonderful article I stumbled across on a Beatles fansite (available here).
The story goes that there was a proposed plot which would
have seen The Beatles’ tour bus break down in Weatherfield while the band were
on their way to a gig in Manchester.
Naturally, Beatlemania would soon take over and with the
police unable to control the crowds, the band would knock on Ena's door in
search of sanctuary (and possibly a harmonium?!!). Ena would take them in and the Fab Four would file in past
her, bringing the episode to a close.
In the next episode, Ena would persuade The Beatles to
perform at the Over-Sixties club. The gig would be gate-crashed by a load of
teenagers and two generations would come together for an amazing concert, after
which The Beatles would rush off to their other show in Manchester!
The Beatles were apparently very keen to do it but weren’t
able to fit the rehearsal dates into their schedule and so the plans were
scrapped. What a shame!
I like to think, though, that in the parallel universe of
Coronation Street, The Beatles did in fact play Weatherfield in the 60s.
Perhaps that would explain the signed Beatles programme that the Peacocks found
in the attic of Number 13 a few years ago!
When I arrived at Manchester Piccadilly to catch my 7am
train back to London, everything came full circle when I saw an advert for a
new collection of The Beatles’ chart-topping hits.
It made me think about the vital contribution that Coronation
Street and The Beatles – two great institutions that emerged from 1960s Northern
England – have made to the UK’s cultural history.
And then I thought about the original Cavern Club in
Liverpool, which was knocked down. It was a decision that city leaders would
soon regret and the Cavern was later rebuilt using many of the original bricks.
I don’t want Manchester to make the same mistake by
demolishing the old Corrie set. Wouldn’t it be great if the
developers decided to keep at least some of the magic alive?
Coronation Street is in our ears and in our eyes. It is also in our hearts. There is so much
history in those cobbles and it would be a tragedy for it all to be bulldozed for
flats and shops.
A website has been created regarding the future of the Granada Studios area of Manchester.
There is a overview of the development on their site, which interestingly includes a certain Coronation Street.
There is more information about the Street on the site here, where they look to be advertising the site to leisure retailers.
It doesn't seem like the plans are final, so I hope they do manage to preserve the set. It's not only the site of our favourite soap, but it's an important part of Manchester's - and the UK's cultural history.
Manchester Evening News has an article today featuring plans of what will become of the old Granada Studios and Coronation Street set.
The picture to the left shows the Bonded Warehouse, which currently sits behind Rosamund Street Medical Centre among new developments, and a new public square.
It must be noted that the area shown is at the opposite side of the warehouse though, the set from this perspective is behind the large building.
While I am a Corrie fan, I can understand the reasoning for the set to be changed into a public area. I just think it would be a shame to demolish the street though, as it is a big attraction for the Castlefield area of Manchester and is an important part of the city's history.
ITV do appear to have plans for the set though, ITV's property director, Peter Copley is quoted as saying: "ITV is strengthening its commitment to the region through its investment at MediaCityUK but is also keen to leave a strong legacy in Manchester City centre. There's an opportunity at Quay Street for a project that extends the already-successful city centre and draws on the rich history and character of the site."
ITV is strengthening its commitment to the region through its investment at MediaCityUK but is also keen to leave a strong legacy in Manchester city centre.
