Coronation Street

Ah, do any of you Corrie fans remember (or have seen a part of) the train crash at the Viaduct (Viaduct Street) in 1967? If you want details I can help

So plot devices from tonight's show. It looks like this Bradley Diggins is going to cause trouble, the nation will be split on whether Rita is right to give Chesney a good slapping. I also see that the empty unit is finally going to be occupied by Emily and 'Mr Flagg's charity shop after standing empty for years.

Also we see that tram 'go over' the viaduct every episode. Don't you think they should build a bit of a tramstop set behind Kevin's Garage which would allow a new setting for characters to bump into each other. They could get realistic Metrolink signage just like the underground station they have on that other soap on the other side

To be honest with you that kid on the show tonight has already started to annoy me and I can see that this won't end quickly enough, same with the whole Todd and Sarah thing which will probably go on for months. And Blanche though funny, too is starting to get annoying.

Though as I always say I think the Granada Plus episodes have been very good recently with Derek Wilton trying to apply for Assistant Caretaker at Weatherfield Comp. is very funny stuff, especially a German man looking for Percy Sugden. It has been class recently.

Though I was watching GMTV the other day and apparently a new dierctor started on the show on Monday and apparently they want to focus more on the older characters, as said on the show they want to give Rita some more serious storylines and apparently they want to bring Curly back even though his absence has only been short but apparently nothing has been confirmed tonight.

I think I read about that in one of my Corrie books but ive not seen it as Granada Plus didnt go back as far as the 60s in the repeat run. Ive seen very few episodes pre 1976, which was where plus picked up from.

Anyone remember when a lorry crashed into the rover in 1979, and everyone thought Tracy (only a baby at the time) has been killed.

Yes, I remember the lorry crash. I've also got large pictures of the lorry going straight into the windows, one of a policeman, Vera Duckworth, Ena Sharples, Hilda Ogden and Elsie Tanner looking on with fearful faces.

Viaduct crash: Steve Tanner was searching for girlfriend Elsie Tanner, and went into the Rovers. All of a sudden, a great thunderclap followed by clattering and boomering caused Len Fairclough to run in and shout "Come out - there's a train through the Viaduct!" Everyone followed. Everyone screamed when they saw the wreckage fall down onto the rubble, steam and smoke everywhere. In reality, Violet Carson - who played Ena Sharples, had to lie in a confined space under the train, supported by wood rafters, with her hairnet hanging off her head while David Barlow (Ken's brother) and Len rescued her. Minnie Caldwell was in tears. Elsie and Minnie phoned the hospital to find out about Ena - they wouldn't tell Minnie anything and Elsie got angry with the matron as she posed as Ena's daughter... They found that Mrs Sharples had survived with bruises, shock and broken arm.

Steve Tanner was obviously delighted when he found Elsie, who was not trapped under the train as originally thought.

Thanks for that information on the train crash, I had read about it ages ago but forgotten what happened. I read a book about Corrie during the war and it said he and Elsie had an affair with Steve during the war. She didn’t do very well with her husbands did she; her first husband raped her (according to one of Daran Little’s books), her second husband Steve was murdered and her third husband Alan Howard cheated on her (and left her for a younger woman I think?). Maybe that’s why she reverted to the surname Tanner, when she divorced Alan Howard because she loved Steve the most? She was better off without a husband anyway, I loved the scenes they used to have at number 11 when Suzie Birchall and Gail used to lodge with her

I got a reply from the letter I sent to Helen Worth (Gail), as she was so great during the whole Hillman storyline. Ive also written to Kate Ford but haven’t had a reply yet, poor Kate is probably too scared to open her mail, apparently she gets a lot of hate mail, I was nice in my letter though
Im thinking of writing to Barbara Knox and Sally Whittaker too (when she comes back) as they are 2 of my long term fave’s too.

Alna Howard did leave for a younger woman - her name was Elaine, was it not? I have also got both war books - Keeping the Home Fires Burning (WWI "Includes the captivating story of how Albert Tatlock met Ena Sharples") and The War Years (WWII - both books 1939-1942, and the other novel 1943-1945 "Includes the lifes and loves of Elsie Tanner") IOn the whole I've got ten Corrie books, but you probably don't want to here me babbling on...

Yes the name Elaine rings a bell. Did you know Pat Phoenix and the actor who played Alan were married in real life too? They were written out of the show together in 1973, and Elsie didnt appear again until 1976 (which was where Plus picked up from) apparently she had split from him in real life and they wrote the split into the script.

I dont have the book about WW1, the one I have is the WW2 novel and the recent Epic Novel. I also have about 6 other books about Corrie including the 40th anniversary one.

[quote="nwtv2003"]
I couldn't agree more, in fact I think I will start using the mute button, or maybe video Corrie for a while and just bypass the whole storyline and hope that Cilla is booted out along with the new kid and Cilla's evil brat too.

[quote="Pootle5"]

I agree they need to get rid of Cilla, she is a terrible actress. Other than need to go : Nick Tilsley, Maria Sutherld and Katy Harris - infact losing the entire Harris family would be no loss.

After watching tonights episodes I've come to the conclusion that Cilla is the most annoying character since that Greg Kelly bloke a few years ago. Why does she have to pull that horrible face after every line she comes out with? Even Les can do better than her and she must go!
Rita should definately be given more big storylines, she's playing this pretty well IMO.
Nick has become a bit more bareable in the last couple of weeks although his acting, along with cowboy Charlie's leaves a bit to be desired. The whole Dev and Maya thing is now decending into a bit of a farce, I hope she doesn't stick around too long either! Other than that, I found Corrie much more entertaining than Eastenders tonight!

I'm completely baffled at how easily some posters here confuse actors and characters. Cilla and the oft mentioned Tracey are loathsome characters because they are written that way.

You're not supposed to like Cilla. I'd say the actress is doing a pretty fine job.