Facts about the Rovers Return

Here's a few interesting facts about the Rovers Return and the new set, according to the ITV website

The current set is the fifth version of Coronation Street.

The new Street set is a bit bigger, closer to real life dimensions. The previous set was about a third smaller than normal streets would be. This new set also has the light standards set back a bit and the kerbs dropped to make it easier for the production staff and cameras to move around.

The tree in front of Audrey's Salon has been replanted. ITV says "The tree outside Audrey's salon is an Alnus Icana, delivered from Holland it weighs six tonnes and stands 40 feet high. It is around 25 years old and is one of the largest trees ever planted in the UK"

About a quarter of the bricks used were reclaimed from Salford de-constructions and most of the cobbles are reclaimed as well.

Both Streetcars and Underworld sets will no longer be housed in the large indoor studios, they will be behind the doors on the outdoor sets. (I hope they have installed heating. That was one of the complaints when Underworld was in the same place in the old set so they finally moved it indoors).

And yes, the Rovers has a second upstairs window and not before time. With living areas and kitchens and bedrooms for all and sundry up there, it wasn't very realistic looking. It still doesn't seem like the building is big enough to house everything and everyone but that's television for you. At least we're back downstairs in the pub living quarters instead of in the upstairs pseudo flat we saw when Steve and Becky were married. 

There's a good book now out by Tim Randall about the Rovers Return. Read our book review of it here. It's a great Christmas gift for any Corrie fan!

Photo from the ITV Corrie website.

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Book Review: The Rovers Return Companion

Tim Randall's new book, The Rovers Return: The Official Coronation Street Companion, is available now. I have just finished reading this lovely book and thought you might all like to hear about it.

The hardback cover is designed to look like an older book, with discoloured and frayed edges.  The content, however, sparkles!

The Rovers Return Inn is the heart of the long running British television show, Coronation Street. Since December 1960, the pub has been the center of action and the gathering place for the neighbours. Births, deaths, anniversaries and marraiges have been performed, celebrated and/or commemorated here. There have been disasters and triumphs, parties and drama and plenty of pints poured over the heads of those who misstep.

Tim Randall's book gives us the run down on the highlights of the pub since the beginning of the show including a potted history of all the licensees, barmaids and pot men. He tells us about the disasters, including both fires and a crash into the front of the pub by a truck (lorry) load of wood. We hear about babies born under the roof of the pub, deaths on site and some of the many marraiges celebrated. There are fancy dress parties, and pint dousing drama.

The book is full of facts and stories and lots and lots of great photos! Very much worth buying if you're a Coronation Street fan. I don't know if you'd get the photos in the Kindle edition so I would definitely recommend the hardback.

On Amazon.co.uk, the book is currently selling for £9.
On Amazon.ca, the book is currently selling for $20.98 CAD.
On Amazon.com, the book will be released on January 1, 2014 and will sell for $28.35 and you can pre-order it.

Both the Canadian and American versions are/will be available for Kindle and the UK version is available as well

You may also be able to find it in local book shops.

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Winners announced in Rovers Return book competition

Congratulations go to five lucky Coronation Street Blog readers who have each won a copy of the new official Coronation Street book, The Rovers Return: The Official Coronation Street Companion.

The five lucky winners, all drawn at random from the huge amount of correct entries we received are as follows:

Mark Thompson in Germany, Greg Robertson in Scotland, JoAnn McLean in Canada, Chrissie in Canada and Barbara Henderson in Canada. 

The books will be on their way to you all very soon.

This really is an excellent book, with some previously unpublished pictures and great trivia.  It's written by Tim Randall and published by Headline,  

The Rovers Return: The Official Coronation Street Companion contains all the action from over 50 years, along with lots of photographs to remind fans of both the dramatic and hilarious events in Rovers’ history. 

Check out more Corrie competitions here.

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Last chance to enter! WIN! New Rovers Return book

Competition ends today, Tuesday 22 October at 5pm

There's a new official Coronation Street book on sale now, called The Rovers Return: The Official Coronation Street Companion. 

It's written by Tim Randall and we have five, yes five!, copies of this fab book to give away in a competition here on the Coronation Street Blog.

From the moment that The Rovers Return opened its doors to television viewers, the pub has witnessed everything, from births, deaths, brawls and break-ups to weddings, wakes and even its own ghost.

Published by Headline, The Rovers Return: The Official Coronation Street Companion contains all the action from over 50 years, along with lots of photographs to remind fans of both the dramatic and hilarious events in Rovers’ history.   The book includes previously unpublished photography!

Overseas fans can enter this one.  Entries from moneysavingsexpert, Loquax and all other competition entry websites will not be included.

To be in with a chance of winning one of these five books, all you have to do is answer the two following questions correctly and email you answer to me at Glenda.young@btinternet.com with ROVERS in your subject line.  Deadline for entries is Tuesday 22 October at 5pm.  Five winners will be drawn at random from all correct entries received.

Here are your two questions, good luck!  

1. Tim Randall, the author of this book, was inspired to become a journalist by which Coronation Street character?
2. Tim Randall has an inquisitiveness second only to which Coronation Street character?

Check out more Corrie competitions here.

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Is Tim for real?

I've been thinking about Tim this weekend.  You saw him snap at Chesney. That came out of nowhere. But is it the first crack in the nice guy facade or was it just a bad mood? Nice guys are allowed to have the occasional temper.


So far, the powers that be are being careful in how they're filling out Tim's personality. I'm curious as to where it's all going and have blogged a few thoughts over here.

What do you think of Tim? Good guy or bad?


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Faye to accuse Anna of abuse

It sounds like Faye is about to take desperate measures to be with her biological father who, it seems, is going to move into the Street. According to the Daily Star, if they've got it right,  she accuses Anna of hitting her and is removed from the home by Social Services who investigate a devastated Anna. Owen assures her that Faye is making up stories but  you can see where this will quickly get out of hand. It's the child's word against the parent.

It might not come to much, though, since Faye never really thinks these things through but it will be heartbreaking for Anna just the same.  I'm not surprised at this turn of events, should it be true, as Faye is already established as a child that will lie and sneak around to get what she wants. Tim seems a reasonable bloke so far, though he has no reason not to believe Faye. Perhaps he'll be the one that sees through her lies in the end.


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New Coronation Street book: The Rovers Return Story

As Coronation Street sets fire to the Rovers Return and burns one of the Corrie icons to the ground, details of a new book have been released to celebrate the famous pub.

The book will be called Coronation Street: The Rovers Return Story and written by Tim Randall. He's the chap who wrote The Coronation Street Treasures book.

The publisher Headline said: "It is wonderful for Headline to be working again with ITV Studios and the ever-popular Coronation Street brand, and The Rovers Return Story promises to be a fitting tribute to the legendary Weatherfield drinking hole, its residents and patrons, and the countless unforgettable moments that have taken place within its four walls."

It will be published in hardback and e-book this autumn.  And we'll have copies of the book to give away in competitions here on the Coronation Street Blog.


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New Coronation Street Treasures book

From the publishing company which brings you Coronation Street: The Saga (updated for 2008 by yours truly), is another update of a current Corrie book.

Carlton Publishing have updated Tim Randall's The Treasures of Coronation Street book and it's now in the shops just in time for Crimbo. I have to admit I was no fan of the original Treasures book as I felt it was way overpriced and once flicked through on the day of purchase, was put on a shelf and never read again.

However, the new Treasures book has been updated and reissued in a different format making it easier to handle, nicer to look at and therefore more fun to read. More importantly, it's half the price of the original book. Get your copy here.