When Coronation Street women hit 60

Guest blog post from Coronation Street fan Rob Coates.Rob his on twitter @abfabrobcoates 
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On 3rd November, Liz McDonald turns 60.

That’s not too surprising, is it? After all, she has twin sons in their 40s. But what’s more surprising is that in a matter of weeks, Liz will be more or less the same age as Ena Sharples was in the very first episode! 

Let that sink in.

Just look at the difference. 

Things have certainly changed since the not-so-swinging sixties of Weatherfield.  Back then, you’d never have caught Ena or Minnie popping to the hairdressers for a nutrient-rich hair repair and some blonde highlights and then over to the cafe for a skinny Frappuccino. 

On their pensions in those days, they were hand-to-mouth. For those of you living comfortably in the Home Counties, “hand-to-mouth” is a northern saying. Roughly translated, it means you spend a lot of time moaning about the cost of a quarter of potted meat in the corner shop but then spend every evening in the Rovers snug supping stout. 

But it wasn’t just the cost of life back then that hindered our poor pensioners. It was their sense of strong Victorian values. You’d never have seen Martha queuing for a bus in stilettos and a Handbag with a strap made from a chunky gold chain. 

That would quite literally have been a years worth of gossip on the cobbles and probably have resulted in a citizens arrest to preserve the morals of the street. 

These days, grandmas don’t look like grandmas. Grandmas used to have white perms, walking sticks and shopping bags on wheels. 

These days, they have low-cut blouses, toyboys and a heck of a lot of bling.

I have it on very good authority that in the 60s, it took three strapping lads to lift Ena’s heavy woolen coat over her shoulders. 

These days, it takes three strapping lads to locate Liz’s skirt. 

So Ena, Martha and Minnie became Liz, Eileen and Audrey. 

But that’s understandable. After all, in the 60s, we all knew an Ena. And I suspect, these days, we all know a Liz. 

By Rob Coates.Rob his on twitter @abfabrobcoates 

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Making sense of new layout at the Baileys house on Corrie

Guest blog post from Coronation Street fan Rob Coates
Rob his on twitter @abfabrobcoates 

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The new layout of number 3

Since the Baileys moved into Emily’s old house, they’ve undertaken some drastic refurbishments.  

On screen, it has been quite confusing to figure out the new layout, but here it is:

The orange line (in the picture above) which appears mid-way up the new staircase is a small window. Perhaps an odd place to put a window as it looks directly into the new hallway. But I’m sure it lets lots of natural light onto the stairs from the front door.

With the dividing wall between the front and back parlour gone, we finally get to see more of Emily’s bay window.

The back door has moved from the side of the kitchen to the back wall, to which we saw Ed get his hand stuck on Monday!

So, as a new era begins at number 3, let’s hope the new decor doesn’t last as long as the layout will. Because the Bailey’s have the most hideous taste in wallpaper and tiles. 

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In praise of Steve McDonald

Guest blog post from Coronation Street fan Rob Coates.
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Steve McDonald. Lazy? Layabout? Lothario? Just a few words that spring to mind when the name is mentioned. Ok, perhaps lothario is pushing it, though he's certainly had his share of lovers since he first walked the cobbles as a teenager back in 1989. But cast your mind back to the 90s and you'll find Steve was quite a different character to the one we know and love today.

Steve married Alec Gilroy's granddaughter, Vicky, in an attempt to get to her inheritance. In those days, he was very much driven by cash. He said he loved her, of course, but he's said that so many times in his life, we've all lost count (he managed to fall out of love with Michelle, in love with Becky, out of love with Becky and then back in love with Michelle again!)

But cash was his driving force back in the day and amongst wooing Vicky and selling stolen car radios, he tried his hand a printing t-shirts. He was a grafter. It seemed, at least to me, that back then, the producers were priming him to be the next Mike Baldwin (unfortunately, Mike discovered he had a family he'd forgotten to mention for 30 and they ended up running Underworld). But by the late 90's, Steve had lost all interest in money.

Or perhaps he just grew up. Either way, he turned into the man who runs two businesses whilst barely seeming to lift a finger. Except to reach for the tin of biscuits in the cab office.

But perhaps it was his love-life that got in the way of his mission to be the highest paid CEO of t-shirt printing in Greater Manchester. He has, of course, been married six times. Which is quite a lot for someone only just on the wrong side of 40. One might call him the Elizabeth Taylor of Weatherfield. Or the Gail Potter Tilsley Tilsley Platt Hillman McIntyre Rodwell of Weatherfield. But that sounds ridiculous. And would be slightly confusing.

So, Steve dabbled with big business, went to prison, married 73 different people, bought a taxi firm, bought his mum a pub and fathered Rosemary's Baby. Sorry, Tracey's baby (the delightful Amy. Which I think should be her actual name: The Delightful Amy. I can just see her laughing mischievously in a cloak).

But Steve's lowest time came when he was diagnosed with depression. Luckily, it was cured within eight weeks. And, as quickly as the writers moved on, so shall we.

For someone who has been so busy, perhaps Steve has the right to steal every scene he appears in by looking like he just got up from the couch after picking at his feet. Running two businesses seems remarkably stress-free. Who knew?

With thanks for this guest blog post from Coronation Street fan Rob Coates.
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More Barlow babies required on Coronation Street

Another great guest blog post from Coronation Street fan Rob Coates. 

Rob his on twitter @abfabrobcoates

And now, it's over to Rob...

"Is it just me who believes the Barlow gene should always be a part of Corrie?

With Sinead's latest pregnancy news, the possible patter of tiny feet on the cobbles is good news. Because we need the Barlow name to stick around. And the way to do that is by more Barlows being born.

As the years go on, it's becoming less and less likely that Tracy will have another child. Not impossible, but more unlikely. And she's not really a Barlow, anyway. She's a Langton. Which, of course, means that Amy is a Langton/McDonald. So Amy's future off-spring are useless in this argument!

Luckily we have good old Peter who probably can't work the zip in his jeans, having never had the need to keep his pants on for longer than five minutes in any given day. Which is good news for the Barlow gene as there are countless possibilities in the future for some random women to turn up in Weatherfield claiming that at some point in the past, they slept with and got pregnant by our Peter. Meaning the Barlow name could live on.

Then there's Adam Barlow. Surely he will leave a few women alone and pregnant after a night of passion. Meaning we could also end up with a Peter-type situation with Adam. And to think the male biological influence on Adam was the Baldwin gene. Seems as though the Barlow and Baldwin genes aren't that different after all. Who knew?

We also have Simon. A true Barlow. He will have plenty of opportunity to sow the Barlow gene in years to come. And judging by the past actions of Sarah-Lou or Faye, he may not have long to wait.

Although the forgotten Lawrence Cunningham has the Barlow gene, he's now in his late 50s and so the possibility of him having more children seem similar to Tracy's chances.

Lawrence, of course, already has a son bearing the Barlow gene, James. But as James is gay, the chances of James becoming the father of a Barlow child might be slimmer. There are various options open to him, such as artificial insemination, should he so choose. Only time will tell. And that's if anyone actually remembers that he exists.

We might remember that Ken had a brother - David, who did have a son - Darren. However, both were killed off in an off-screen car crash in the early seventies.  

So it's all down to Ken's kids. Let's hope that Sinead and Daniel have their baby so that the Barlow name and gene can live on.

With thanks for this guest blog post from Coronation Street fan Rob Coates. 
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Alliteration Street

Guest blog post from Coronation Street fan Rob Coates.
Rob his on twitter @abfabrobcoates 

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Corrie carefully consider their names. Names, quite rightly, are very important. From day one, we’ve been invited into the Rovers Return virtually every week. With that kind of attendance, the name needed to be memorable. And so it proved. Even those who don’t watch Corrie know about the Rovers Return. 

With such success, it would be foolish to use the alliteration idea just once. And, so, the creative forces behind Corrie have used this winning formula again and again through the years. Many, many times, as it turns out. 

In the sixties, Elsie Tanner helped the women of Weatherfield in their search for a new set of gladrags at Miami Modes.

Emily Nugent fell for Leonard Swindley whilst working at Gamma Garments. When Gamma closed, the shop became a florists called the Pink Posey. Not the only time a florists would get the alliteration treatment, as we will see. 

On his return to Weatherfield, Peter Barlow took over the running of the Bookmakers and named the business Barlow’s Bookies. This then became Barlow’s Buys when Tracey Barlow and Rob Donovan opened the unit as a pawn shop. Tracey then opened the shop as a florists, returning to her roots (see what I did there?) and naming the outlet Preston’s Petals. This was a ploy to win back her ex-husband, Robert Preston (it failed. The ploy, not the business).

After Steve McDonald paralysed his dad, Jim “So-He-Does” McDonald, by pushing him off some scaffolding on Victoria Street, the building had been renovated in time for Roy Cropper to move from the Jim’s Cafe premises on Rosamund Street to open Roy’s Rolls. 

When Alf Roberts took over the corner shop he named it the Mini Market. Then in the late 80s all the residents suddenly deserted the Mini Market and started buying their fish fingers from Betterbuys, run by manager Reg Holdsworth. Reg later moved on to manage Firman’s Freezers. 

Then of course there is the Red Rec, where Emily Bishop saved a tree. 

But the alliteration didn’t stop at businesses and places. The people of Weatherfield got in on the game, too. 

There are many examples, some more memorable than others:

Bill Blakey, Bob Bradshaw, Billy Brown, Bernard Butler, Casey Carswell, Connie Clayton, Caroline Clegg, Chris Collins, Carla Connor, Darren Dobbs, Eve Elliott, Frank Foster, Harry Hewitt, Jessie Jackson, Joanne Jackson, Johnny Johnson, Judd Johnson, Kelly Crabtree, Mickie Malone, Moira Maxwell, Megan Morgan, Mel Morton, Nick Neeson, Renee Roberts, Susan Schofield, Sue Silcock, Sylvia Snape, Sandra Stubbs and Winifred Willis! Phew! 

Though I will never quite forgive Corrie for not allowing Tracey Barlow to name the florists in memory of her late mother. Deirdre’s Daisies, anyone? 

Guest blog post from Coronation Street fan Rob Coates.
Rob his on twitter @abfabrobcoates 

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Coronation Street's new cop shop

Another great guest blog post from Coronation Street fan Rob Coates. 

Rob has already written for us on the subjcts of

• Sunliners and why it should be brought back
• Steve McDonald
• and he wrote a poem about Zeedan Nazir.

And now, it's over to Rob...

"One of the things I love most about television is set design. So when my favourite show announces that it will be expanding its exterior set (see the plans here), I'm hooked, wanting to know every last detail.

When Corrie decided to move from Quay Street, I searched Google daily for leaked pictures of the new set. I compared pictures to the old set. I was utterly obsessed. So with news that Weatherfield is getting bigger, I was thrilled.

However, there is one thing that is worrying me... the new Police Station. Will a permanent station mean lots more stories involving the police and crime? I really hope not. I guess my fear is that once the set is built, the writers will be encouraged to use it in their scripts.

As we all know, Corrie does comedy very well and this is the direction I hope it will move in rather than much more crime.

Though, perhaps I have nothing to worry about. Some sets over the years have been such terribly boring places that they either end up changing or disappearing.

The Community Centre barely gets used, which is no bad thing as the place has no soul. And is clearly the size of an old butchers shop.

Back when the kebab shop was D&S Hardware, it barely saw screen time - and the set was as interesting as 'Weatherfield Bus Routes of the 1970s,' a book that I'm sure Roy must own.

Barlow's Buys lasted only a couple of years before it became the much prettier Preston's Petals.

I don't believe we ever saw the interior of the charity shop which occupied the premises where the salon is now, but that's because it sounds utterly boring. We all love Emily, but stories of her working in a second-hand shop were, thankfully, kept to an absolute minimum.

And we've had a GP surgery for many years now, but the writers only seem to use it when it fits the story, rather than write a story that would purposely use the set more often.

So, though a Police Station may feature in the extended set, it doesn't necessarily mean it will be used very often.

Here's hoping."

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