Coronation Street - the 1970s

The 1970s saw Coronation Street's production team dealing with problems routinely besetting long-running soaps - how to write and structure the show when a favourite character leaves or dies, and how to manage audience reaction. When, in 1970, Arthur Leslie (who played the genial Rovers landlord, Jack Walker) died suddenly, his character was laid to rest too. Anne Reid determined to leave the show in 1971, and was written out, electrocuting herself with a faulty hairdryer. Granada's strategy to cope with these losses was to introduce new residents and allow established but smaller characters to step into the limelight. The characters of Bet Lynch, Deirdre Hunt and Mavis Riley were developed between 1972 and '73, while Gail Potter, Jack and Vera Duckworth and Rovers pot man Fred Gee all made their debuts during the decade.

In June 1970 the show celebrated its 1000th episode, and was being sold to ten countries including Sierra Leone, Hong Kong, Holland and Greece (with sometimes dubious subtitling). Colour came to the Street in mid-1972, and sets were expanded to allow viewers to see the houses' roofs and back gardens. In 1976 Bill Podmore, the Street's longest serving producer, joined the team, replacing Susi Hush. He immediately sought out the areas "crying out for a facelift or even a face change". Podmoreinherited such experienced writers as Adele Rose, Leslie Duxbury andHarry Kershaw, and his production background in television comedies ensured that humour became a stronger ingredient of the show.

Legendary couples Stan and Hilda Ogden and Jack and Vera Duckworth's marital spats frequently bordered on music hall turns, while other comic characters - including brassy and brittle Ivy Tilsley, with her background in cabaret, and Eddie Yeats, the ex-con turned bin man with a heart of gold - were brought to the fore.

The staple diet of births, ill-fated marriages and violent deaths continued. Storylines included the birth, in 1977, of Tracy Langton, the marriage of Brian Tilsley and Gail Potter in 1979, and the murder of Ernie Bishop during a robbery at the factory in 1978.

Despite the growing popularity of the daytime soap Crossroads (ITV, 1964-88; 2001-03), the Street had little competition, retaining its primetime slot and increasing its ratings. Novelist John Braine, writing inTV Times in 1970, accounted for the show's longevity: "the most important character in the Street is the Street itself. No matter who comes and goes, the Street remains".

The King of Gamma Garments - Remembering Leonard Swindley (1960 - 1965)

Leonard Swindley was played by the late, great Arthur Lowe on Coronation Street between 1960 and 1965. The character of Mr Swindley also appeared in two spin-off series following his departure from the Street -Pardon the Expression and Turn Out The Lights, making him a unique character in UK soap opera.

At the time filming commenced of the pilot episode of Coronation Street, the character of Leonard Swindley had not even been cast. Because he wasn't supposed to appear until episode three, auditions were still taking place until Arthur Lowe walked in and read for the producers. Lowe, who went on to become most recognised as Captain Mainwaring in sitcom Dad's Army, was already an established actor by the time of his Coronation Street casting, having been in several feature films, but it was his turn as pompous Mr. Swindley that made him a household name in the early 60s.

In December 1961, only a year after the show's launch, a strike of the actor's union Equity meant that Lowe, who was not under contract with the show at that point, was forced to leave the series along with several other stars of the Street. The strike lasted until April 1962, and Lowe agreed to reprise his role once again, returning in June along with Eileen Derbyshire

Upon hearing of Lowe's decision to quit the series in 1965, ITV bosses offered him the chance to continue in the role as the star of a new sitcom based around his character. The end result Pardon the Expressoin debuted two months on from his final appearance in Coronation Street and ran for two series until 1966. It in turn produced its own spin-off Turn Out The Lights, again based around Swindley, which lasted only six episodes.

Swindley, in his role as lay preacher, was a central figure in the local community. The Mission Hall would regularly play host charity ventures and plays among other uses. Swindley and his assistant Emily also organised several trips out for the locals.

In 1962, Swindley's clothes store was failing and piling debts forced him to sell up. The buyer, Niklos Papagopoulos, was the owner of a successful chain of clothes shops in Manchester called 'Gamma Garments'. Papagopoulos re-opened the store as Gamma weeks later, deciding to keep Swindley on as manager and Emily and Doreen Lostock as his assistants.

After working closely for over three years, Swindley's relationship with his colleague Emily grew and in 1964 she proposed. Swindley hesitated before accepting and a date was set for only a few weeks later. When the wedding day came however, Emily realised that neither of them truly loved each other and decided to call off the marriage. He assured her that he felt the same way and the pair managed to salvage their friendship to continue working together.

The next year, following Arthur Lowe's decision to quit, Swindley was offered a promotion at Gamma Garments and duly accepted, leaving the Mission, and Weatherfield behind. The character later moved on to work as manager for Dobson and Hawkes, the clothes store seen in the spin-off Pardon The Expression.

Classic Corrie: The Rovers is Robbed (1975)

It's back to the good old days of Coronation Street before it became too shite and the programme deteriorated beyond belief! Back in 1975 Annie Walker found herself with visitors, unexpected visitors to say the least. After hiding themselves in the toilets after time was called, Les Grimes and Neil Foxall are intent of nicking from the Rovers. After finding nothing of value in the Living Room the pair go upstairs to Annie Walker's bedroom.

Annie refuses to tell the pair where the money is and a battle of nerves with Neil begins. Albert Tatlock notices that the lights are on and informs Len Fairclough & Ray Langton that there may be something wrong at the Rovers. Neil calls Annie a liar and refuses to believe that there is no money kept at the Rovers. The pair make there escape but are intercepted by Len & Ray and a battle of fists ensues.

Annie tells Len that she is worried the Brewery might think she is vulnerable and falls down the stairs knocking herself unconscious.

Happy 51st Birthday Corrie

It doesn't seem five minutes since the nation was celebrating Corrie's magnificent milestone of 50 years. Yet, here we are one year on celebrating its 51st!

I haven't followed Corrie for years, believing that the 1960s & 1970s were Corrie at its best and will never be bettered. I do however, still hold a special place inside for Corrie and today I salute this great & wonderful phenomena.

Corrie - the 1960s.

Arguably the 1960s saw the best of Coronation Street, with terrific characters, snappy dialogue and plots mirroring real working-class life. In a tradition it was to continue, it was dominated by powerful female characters, most memorably Ena Sharples, caretaker of the church hall and a no-nonsense upholder of traditional values. Often to be found over a milk stout in the snug of the Rovers Return, the hair-netted Ena would hold court with her friends and confidants, the mousy Minnie Caldwell and the gossipy Martha Longhurst. The pub was run by another tyrannical female, the snobby Annie Walker who - many thought - had ideas above her station. She was married to Jack, an easy-going sort easily over-run by his domineering wife..

Then there was Elsie Tanner, the Street's good-time girl. A brassy divorcee with two grown-up children, she became a national sexpot as she careered from affair to affair and from crisis to crisis. Quick-tempered and fearsome in an argument, she nonetheless displayed vulnerability behind the make-up. Elsie and Ena were chalk and cheese: Ena considered Elsie a flashy harlot with the morals of an alley cat; Elsie thought Ena was a mean-tempered, interfering old battle-axe. Their clashes produced some of the most memorable scenes of the '60s. There were plenty of other women but these were the ringleaders, joined in 1964 by Hilda Ogden, a nosy cleaning-woman whose gauche ways brought a new strain of humour to the series.

The men were less memorable, though the Street's academic - and later teacher - Ken Barlow had his moments, clashing with his father over class and social changes in the sort of arguments subsequently explored in Dennis Potter's early works. Builder Len Fairclough was often at the centre of events and always seemed on the verge of committing to a relationship with Elsie. Ancient Albert Tatlock was a sour-faced pensioner who liked nothing better than to reminisce about the war, and Leonard Swindley was a pompous, by-the-book sort who ran the local branch of clothes shop chain Gamma Garments. (The character proved popular enough to spin-off into his own series, Pardon the Expression, 1965-66.)

All human life was on offer in that first decade; marriages (Elsie Tanner to old flame Steve Tanner), births (the Barlow twins) and deaths (Martha Longhurst for one) made for milestone episodes but it was the everyday consistency of the writing and performances that made it the nation's favourite programme.

Coronation Street 35th Anniversary Commemorative Stamps (1995)

These "Local Issue" stamps were issued in 1995 by five postal authorities of the United Kingdom (UK) as part of a joint Omnibus issue to commemorate the 35th Anniversary (1960-1995) of Coronation Street.

Coronation Street 35th Anniversary Commemorative Stamps (1995)

These Local Issue stamps were issued in 1995 by Gairsay in Scotland as part of a joint Omnibus issue to commemorate the 35th Anniversary (1960-1995) of Coronation Street.

Coronation Street 35th Anniversary Commemorative Stamps (1995)

Arthur Leslie & Doris Speed as the irreplaceable Jack & Annie Walker. These Local Issue stamps were issued in 1995 by Gairsay in Scotland as part of a joint Omnibus issue to commemorate the 35th Anniversary (1960-1995) of Coronation Street.

Coronation Street 35th Anniversary Commemorative Stamps (1995)

These Local Issue stamps were issued in 1995 by St Mary's in the Scilly Isles as part of a joint Omnibus issue to commemorate the 35th Anniversary (1960-1995) of Coronation Street. These particular stamps feature the legendary Stan & Hilda Ogden.

Coronation Street 35th Anniversary Commemorative Stamps (1995)

These Local Issue stamps were issued in 1995 by St Mary's in the Scilly Isles as part of a joint Omnibus issue to commemorate the 35th Anniversary (1960-1995) of Coronation Street. On this particular stamp is the great Ena Sharples (Violet Carson)

Coronation Street 35th Anniversary Commemorative Stamps (1995)

Back in 1995 Corrie celebrated its 35th Birthday.  To mark this occasion Granada released a collection of commemorative stamps depicting certain characters over the years.  This particular stamp features the Street's first & best scally, Mr Raymond Langton himself played by the excellent Neville Buswell.

Coronation Street - Then and Now

This excellent mug was released back in the 1990s and was entitled, Then & Now. The mug has a print of classic Coronation Street characters through the decades until the 80's, including Ena Sharples, Albert Tatlock, Stan Ogden and Curly Watts. A must for nostalgia buffs!