Wednesday 30 November 2011

Classic Corrie: The Wages Snatch (1978)


Back in January 1978 an ill wind blew along Coronation Street. Ernest Bishop was working as Wages Clerk for Mike Baldwin's Denim empire, 'Baldwin's Casuals.' Before Mike came to his salvation Ernest had owned his own photography business complete with own shop. Spiralling costs and lack of customers had forced Ernest to give up his business and having no money or work had begun to send Ernest into a downward spiral. Denim Tycoon Mike Baldwin arrived on the Street from South London in 1976. Mike had bought the old warehouse and subsequently offered Ernest a job as his Wages Clerk. In 1978 the Denim factory girls earn a huge bonus and one sunny morning Mike & Ernest take a trip to the Bank to collect the girls wages, unaware that two young guys, Dave & Tommo have been tipped off about the money and are sitting outside the factory intent on intercepting Mike & Ernest.
Having collected the money from the Bank and now back at the factory Mike leaves Ernest to his own devices in calculating the wages and bonus. Dave & Tommo find their way to the office and with shotgun in hand threaten Ernest and demand that he hand over the money! Ernest tries to be reasonable with the guys but to no avail. Wandering what the delay is Mike enters the office and in doing so startles the guys and subsequently the shotgun goes off wounding Ernest. Ernest falls to the ground and the guys make a run for it.
The Street is awash with emergency vehicles. Emily dashes over to the warehouse and is told that Ernest has been shot and she then faints.
At the Hospital and accompanied by Betty Turpin, Emily is informed that Ernest had died on the operating table.