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in: Year guides, 1964, Coronation Street year-by-year

Coronation Street in 1964

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Logo 1964

1964 was Coronation Street's fifth year.

Main characters[]

Ranking Character Played by Duration Number of Episodes Running total Previous year's ranking
1 Annie Walker Doris Speed Full year 88 358 8
2 Len Fairclough Peter Adamson Full year 87 328 5
2 Jack Walker Arthur Leslie Full year 87 353 11
4 Elsie Tanner Patricia Phoenix Full year 84 356 5
5 Ena Sharples Violet Carson Full year 82 353 1
6 Dennis Tanner Philip Lowrie Full year 75 230 18
7 Valerie Barlow Anne Reid Full year 74 225 1
7 Minnie Caldwell Margot Bryant Full year 74 332 10
7 Ken Barlow William Roache Full year 74 305 12
10 Albert Tatlock Jack Howarth Full year 67 315 8
11 Emily Nugent Eileen Derbyshire Full year 66 224 15
12 Lucille Hewitt Jennifer Moss Full year 60 202 17
13 Florrie Lindley Betty Alberge Full year 57 282 14
14 Irma Ogden Sandra Gough January and from March 52 52 -
15 Concepta Hewitt Doreen Keogh Until August 47 305 5
16 Charlie Moffitt Gordon Rollings From May 43 43 -
17 Stan Ogden Bernard Youens From June 42 42 -
18 Harry Hewitt Ivan Beavis Until August 41 301 1
19 Martha Longhurst Lynne Carol Until May 38 299 4
20 Frank Barlow Frank Pemberton Until May 37 271 13
20 Leonard Swindley Arthur Lowe January to March, May to July and December 37 186 20
20 Hilda Ogden Jean Alexander From July 37 37 -
23 Jerry Booth Graham Haberfield Until May 33 133 16
24 Myra Booth Susan Jameson Until May 30 52 24
25 David Barlow Alan Rothwell From December 4 34 27
26 Billy Walker Kenneth Farrington December only 2 42 29
27 Sandra Petty Heather Moore November only 1 1 -
27 Rita Littlewood Barbara Mullaney December only 1 1 -

Production[]

Martha longhurst death

The death of Martha Longhurst is ordered by controversial producer Tim Aspinall

Margaret Morris's year-long term as producer ended with Episode 356 on 11th May, with Coronation Street's original producer Stuart Latham returning for a three-week stint between February and March. Morris's replacement was 29-year-old ex-journalist Tim Aspinall. Though only in charge of the programme for four months, Aspinall made massive cast changes, terminating the contracts of five actors in total.

The first to leave was Lynne Carol, whose character Martha Longhurst died of heart attack in the Rovers snug in Aspinall's inaugural episode. One of the trio of pensioners who inhabited the snug along with Ena Sharples and Minnie Caldwell, Martha was extremely popular with viewers, and Carol's sacking went down particularly badly with the cast; Violet Carson threatened to resign, changing her mind only after Carol persuaded her to stay, and when the episode was being recorded Peter Adamson hesitated before delivering Len Fairclough's line, "she's dead", so that his words could easily be cut. Martha was the first character to have an on-screen burial, with the graveside scenes shot on location. The killing of Martha has since been heavily criticised, with H.V. Kershaw describing it as one of the worst decisions in Coronation Street history.

Between May and August, Frank Pemberton, Doreen Keogh and Ivan Beavis left the programme. The Hewitt and Barlow clans were axed in their entirety, with Frank Barlow leaving Weatherfield for Wilmslow after a Premium Bonds win two weeks after Martha's death. Jennifer Moss was spared when Granada chairman Cecil Bernstein insisted that the street's only child had to stay. Harry and Concepta Hewitt moved to Ireland without Lucille, who moved into the Rovers as Annie and Jack Walker's ward.

Jerry and Myra Booth also left during this period when Susan Jameson decided to leave and Graham Haberfield took a break from his role.

With Episode 396 on 28th September, Harry Kershaw returned as producer after completing work on Granada police drama The Villains. One of his first acts was to retain William Roache and Anne Reid, whose on-screen exits had yet to be filmed. Plans for Ken and Valerie Barlow to emigrate to Australia were shelved, and instead the Barlows were built up with Val becoming pregnant with twins and Alan Rothwell returning as David. Betty Alberge was the last actor fired, but Kershaw didn't intervene in her case and Florrie Lindley left the following June.

Aspinall's purge reduced Coronation Street to a main cast of 15 actors. For the next few years, due to a tight casting budget the programme featured fewer main characters than before. To offset his axings, Aspinall introduced a new family for No.13 - Stan and Hilda Ogden, a beer-swilling layabout lorry driver and his nagging wife. Stan and Hilda were the parents of Irma Ogden, who had been introduced by Margaret Morris in January. They also had three other children - Trevor, Tony and Sylvia - but when recording of episodes 372 and 373, in which the family was to move into No.13, were cancelled due to a strike, plans were revised and Tony and Sylvia were cut. Jonathan Collins, playing Trevor, appeared in ten episodes before the character left home and went to London.

Gordon Rollings first appeared as sporting club comic Charlie Moffitt in May, while Barbara Mullaney made one appearance as exotic dancer Rita Littlewood in December before reprising the role eight years later and eventually becoming one of the longest-serving members of the cast.

The programme's second title sequence debuted with Episode 366 on 15th June. The new sequence, where the shot of Archie Street was replaced by a location shot of a ginnel with a woman scrubbing the path in the background, was introduced after the Corner Shop door was moved from the corner of Coronation and Viaduct Streets to Coronation Street, meaning that the sequence no longer matched up to the programme.

Viewing figures[]

1964 ratings

Ratings chart for the year

1964 was the most successful year in Coronation Street history, with an all-time high average of 18.40 million viewers. For the fifth year in a row, the programme increased its overall audience and at least one episode rated higher than any so far - at 9.71 million homes / 21.36 million viewers, Episode 400 had the biggest audience of the year. This record for an episode of Coronation Street stood until 1985.

In the first week of January, Coronation Street was beaten to first place in the ratings by an episode of Steptoe and Son, the first occasion since November 1961 where a regular episode of another television programme had done so. However, ratings from January to April were up year-on-year, as they had been every month since the programme began, dispelling the notion that Aspinall's cast cull was an attempt to arrest a decline in ratings. May - the month when Tim Aspinall started work on the show - broke this trend, and July to September were also down, with July falling by over a million viewers on 1963. All other months rose year-on-year, with June and December experiencing the biggest rises of almost two million viewers.

41 episodes reached number one, dropping eight from 1963.

Episodes[]

# Ep.
No.		 Date Writer Director Viewing
Figures
(homes/
viewers)		 Chart
Position
1 319 Wednesday 1st January Jack Rosenthal Peter Plummer 7,916,000
17,415,200		 2
2 320 Monday 6th January Peter Eckersley Christopher McMaster 9,092,000
20,002,400		 2
3 321 Wednesday 8th January John Finch Christopher McMaster 8,832,000
19,430,400		 3
4 322 Monday 13th January Tony Warren Michael Beckham 9,097,000
20,013,400		 2
5 323 Wednesday 15th January John Pennington Michael Beckham 8,707,000
19,155,400		 3
6 324 Monday 20th January Peter Berry Peter Plummer 8,970,000
19,734,000		 1
7 325 Wednesday 22nd January Lynn Foster Peter Plummer 8,710,000
19,162,000		 2
8 326 Monday 27th January John Finch Christopher McMaster 8,843,000
19,454,600		 4
9 327 Wednesday 29th January Peter Eckersley Christopher McMaster 8,973,000
19,740,600		 3
10 328 Monday 3rd February Jack Rosenthal Michael Beckham 8,717,000
19,177,400		 4
11 329 Wednesday 5th February Jack Rosenthal Michael Beckham 8,847,000
19,463,400		 3
12 330 Monday 10th February Adele Rose Peter Plummer 8,875,000
19,525,000		 2
13 331 Wednesday 12th February John Pennington Peter Plummer 8,875,000
19,525,000		 2
14 332 Monday 17th February Tony Warren Milo Lewis 9,139,000
20,105,800		 2
15 333 Wednesday 19th February Tony Warren Milo Lewis 9,139,000
20,105,800		 2
16 334 Monday 24th February Adele Rose Michael Beckham 8,489,000
18,675,800		 2
17 335 Wednesday 26th February Lynn Foster Michael Beckham 7,967,000
17,527,400		 3
18 336 Monday 2nd March John Finch Peter Plummer 8,754,000
19,258,800		 2
19 337 Wednesday 4th March John Pennington Peter Plummer 9,016,000
19,835,200		 1
20 338 Monday 9th March Adele Rose Milo Lewis 8,758,000
19,267,600		 2
21 339 Wednesday 11th March Jack Rosenthal Milo Lewis 9,020,000
19,844,000		 1
22 340 Monday 16th March Lynn Foster Michael Beckham 8,892,000
19,562,400		 2
23 341 Wednesday 18th March Tony Williamson Michael Beckham 8,500,000
18,700,000		 1
24 342 Monday 23rd March Peter Eckersley Gerard Dynevor 8,633,000
18,992,600		 1
25 343 Wednesday 25th March Jack Rosenthal Gerard Dynevor 8,241,000
18,130,200		 2
26 344 Monday 30th March Lynn Foster Milo Lewis 6,153,000
13,536,600		 9
27 345 Wednesday 1st April John Finch Milo Lewis 8,640,000
19,008,000		 1
28 346 Monday 6th April John Finch Michael Beckham 8,383,000
18,442,600		 3
29 347 Wednesday 8th April John Pennington Michael Beckham 8,383,000
18,442,600		 3
30 348 Monday 13th April Tony Williamson Milo Lewis 8,386,000
18,449,200		 5
31 349 Wednesday 15th April Peter Eckersley Milo Lewis 8,779,000
19,313,800		 4
32 350 Monday 20th April Lynn Foster Peter Plummer 8,520,000
18,744,000		 2
33 351 Wednesday 22nd April Lynn Foster Peter Plummer 8,388,000
18,453,600		 3
34 352 Monday 27th April John Finch Michael Beckham 8,392,000
18,462,400		 1
35 353 Wednesday 29th April Jack Rosenthal Michael Beckham 8,392,000
18,462,400		 1
36 354 Monday 4th May Peter Eckersley Milo Lewis 8,659,000
19,049,800		 3
37 355 Wednesday 6th May Tony Williamson Milo Lewis 8,003,000
17,606,600		 5
38 356 Monday 11th May Lynn Foster Richard Everitt 8,533,000
18,772,600		 2
39 357 Wednesday 13th May John Pennington Richard Everitt 7,877,000
17,329,400		 3
40 358 Monday 18th May Peter Eckersley Michael Beckham 6,436,000
14,159,200		 6
41 359 Wednesday 20th May John Finch Michael Beckham 7,880,000
17,336,000		 1
42 360 Monday 25th May Jack Rosenthal Douglas Hurn 8,148,000
17,925,600		 1
43 361 Wednesday 27th May Lynn Foster Douglas Hurn 7,097,000
15,613,400		 3
44 362 Monday 1st June Peter Eckersley Milo Lewis 8,678,000
19,091,600		 1
45 363 Wednesday 3rd June Frank Bryce Milo Lewis 8,152,000
17,934,400		 2
46 364 Monday 8th June Adele Rose Michael Beckham 8,236,000
18,119,200		 1
47 365 Wednesday 10th June John Pennington Michael Beckham 7,838,000
17,243,600		 2
48 366 Monday 15th June Jack Rosenthal Douglas Hurn 7,972,000
17,538,400		 1
49 367 Wednesday 17th June John Finch Douglas Hurn 7,972,000
17,538,400		 1
50 368 Monday 22nd June Vince Powell Christopher McMaster 8,375,000
18,425,000		 1
51 369 Wednesday 24th June Peter Berry Christopher McMaster 7,046,000
15,501,200		 3
52 370 Monday 29th June Adele Rose Michael Beckham 7,846,000
17,261,200		 2
53 371 Wednesday 8th July John Finch Michael Beckham 6,543,000
14,394,600		 2
Episodes 372 and 373 were never recorded due to the 1964 ITV strike
54 374 Monday 13th July Peter Eckersley Christopher McMaster 6,929,000
15,243,800		 2
55 375 Wednesday 15th July Jack Rosenthal Christopher McMaster 6,416,000
14,115,200		 4
56 376 Monday 20th July Jack Rosenthal
Harry Driver		 David Boisseau 7,060,000
15,532,000		 2
57 377 Wednesday 22nd July Jack Rosenthal
Harry Driver		 David Boisseau 6,546,000
14,401,200		 4
58 378 Monday 27th July Adele Rose Douglas Hurn 7,058,000
15,527,600		 1
59 379 Wednesday 29th July John Finch Douglas Hurn 6,792,000
14,942,400		 2
60 380 Monday 3rd August John Pennington Peter Plummer 4,663,000
10,258,600		 16
61 381 Wednesday 5th August Tony Williamson Peter Plummer 6,529,000
14,363,800		 1
62 382 Monday 10th August Peter Eckersley Michael Beckham 7,732,000
17,010,400		 1
63 383 Wednesday 12th August Peter Eckersley Michael Beckham 6,932,000
15,250,400		 4
64 384 Monday 17th August Adele Rose Douglas Hurn 7,601,000
16,722,200		 4
65 385 Wednesday 19th August John Pennington Douglas Hurn 7,868,000
17,309,600		 2
66 386 Monday 24th August John Finch Pauline Shaw 7,737,000
17,021,400		 2
67 387 Wednesday 26th August Peter Berry Pauline Shaw 7,070,000
15,554,000		 5
68 388 Monday 31st August Harry Driver
Vince Powell		 Gerard Dynevor 7,607,000
16,735,400		 2
69 389 Wednesday 2nd September Jack Rosenthal Gerard Dynevor 7,474,000
16,442,800		 3
70 390 Monday 7th September John Finch Royston Morley 8,012,000
17,626,400		 2
71 391 Wednesday 9th September Tony Warren Royston Morley 8,012,000
17,626,400		 2
72 392 Monday 14th September Tony Williamson Pauline Shaw 8,150,000
17,930,000		 1
73 393 Wednesday 16th September Adele Rose Pauline Shaw 7,883,000
17,342,600		 2
74 394 Monday 21st September John Pennington Christopher McMaster 8,555,000
18,821,000		 1
75 395 Wednesday 23rd September Geoffrey Lancashire Christopher McMaster 8,154,000
17,938,800		 2
76 396 Monday 28th September Jack Rosenthal Royston Morley 8,559,000
18,829,800		 1
77 397 Wednesday 30th September Tony Williamson Royston Morley 8,559,000
18,829,800		 1
78 398 Monday 5th October Harry Driver
Vince Powell		 David Boisseau 9,435,000
20,757,000		 1
79 399 Wednesday 7th October Peter Eckersley David Boisseau 8,626,000
18,977,200		 2
80 400 Monday 12th October Jack Rosenthal Christopher McMaster 9,710,000
21,362,000		 1
81 401 Wednesday 14th October John Finch Christopher McMaster 9,305,000
20,471,000		 2
82 402 Monday 19th October Adele Rose Peter Plummer 9,310,000
20,482,000		 1
83 403 Wednesday 21st October Jack Rosenthal Peter Plummer 9,310,000
20,482,000		 1
84 404 Monday 26th October John Finch Claude Whatham 9,315,000
20,493,000		 1
85 405 Wednesday 28th October John Finch Claude Whatham 8,910,000
19,602,000		 2
86 406 Monday 2nd November Peter Eckersley Christopher McMaster 9,457,000
20,805,400		 1
87 407 Wednesday 4th November Jack Rosenthal Christopher McMaster 9,322,000
20,508,400		 2
88 408 Monday 9th November Harry Driver
Vince Powell		 Douglas Hurn 9,192,000
20,222,400		 1
89 409 Wednesday 11th November Adele Rose Douglas Hurn 9,192,000
20,222,400		 1
90 410 Monday 16th November Adele Rose Peter Plummer 9,200,000
20,240,000		 1
91 411 Wednesday 18th November Jack Rosenthal Peter Plummer 9,060,000
19,932,000		 2
92 412 Monday 23rd November Jack Rosenthal Christopher McMaster 9,070,000
19,954,000		 1
93 413 Wednesday 25th November John Finch Christopher McMaster 8,930,000
19,646,000		 2
94 414 Monday 30th November Peter Eckersley Douglas Hurn 9,480,000
20,856,000		 1
95 415 Wednesday 2nd December Peter Eckersley Douglas Hurn 9,480,000
20,856,000		 1
96 416 Monday 7th December John Finch David Boisseau 9,210,000
20,262,000		 1
97 417 Wednesday 9th December Tony Warren David Boisseau 9,210,000
20,262,000		 1
98 418 Monday 14th December Jack Rosenthal Michael Cox 9,350,000
20,570,000		 1
99 419 Wednesday 16th December Adele Rose Christopher McMaster 9,350,000
20,570,000		 1
100 420 Monday 21st December Jack Rosenthal Douglas Hurn 8,820,000
19,404,000		 1
101 421 Wednesday 23rd December Tony Warren Douglas Hurn 8,820,000
19,404,000		 1
102 422 Monday 28th December Harry Driver
Vince Powell		 David Boisseau 9,100,000
20,020,000		 1
103 423 Wednesday 30th December Pam Tickell David Boisseau 8,820,000
19,404,000		 2

Storylines[]

January[]

Episode 322

No.11 is besieged by fans of Brett Falcon

  • Walter Potts has a successful concert and No. 11 is besieged by his fans. Lucille Hewitt is jealous of Jennifer Knott's claim to be President of the Brett Falcon Fan Club. She gets herself a tattoo on her arm about "Brett" which brings a horrified Harry Hewitt into conflict with Walter. The singer though is offered a national tour and a singing engagement in Cannes. Dennis smuggles him out of the house and sends him off from Weatherfield. Walter shows his appreciation by giving Dennis money from his best-selling record to have a bathroom installed for Elsie.
  • Florrie Lindley plans to open a sub-post office in the corner shop and plans to move the front door from the angle of Coronation Street and Viaduct Street to stop the draughts.
  • Laure Frazer plans to open a gambling and nightclub in the basement of Elliston's Raincoat Factory. Ena Sharples and Leonard Swindley immediately make plans to oppose the venture while Laurie offers Len the work of converting the site.
  • Traffic is diverted down Rosamund Street making the road busy and dangerous. Ken campaigns for a crossing, even though Val worries that this might jeopardise his promotion application at Bessie Street School. Susan Schofield is knocked down and killed on the road. Dave blames himself as he was looking after the children at the time and Val comforts him. Ken does a television interview blaming the council for Susan's death, but without the school's permission.

February[]

  • Ken's promotion is blocked because of the damage done by the television interview. He descends into a bout of self-pity from which Val is unable to help him. At the end of her tether she leaves him and tries to move in with Dave but when confronted by Ken, he tells him he doesn't want his wife and Val moves back with her husband. They go on holiday together to recover their relationship while Dave moves out of the flat.
  • Dennis is set up by his workmates with practical jokes which brings him into conflict with his boss Mick O'Connell. Hating the job, Dennis deliberately gets himself sacked but is promised a job at the club by Laurie. He also employs Martha Longhurst as a cleaner in the same venture.
5 Feb 64

Elsie goes out with Laurie

  • The club gets its licence. Swindley's attempt to oppose the venture is betrayed on all sides as members of PPOP conduct business with Laurie. The final straw is reached when Emily Nugent sells Laurie 100 metres of velvet curtains from Gamma Garments for the club. Swindley shouts at her and tells Laurie he will not do business with him but Mr Papagopolous refuses to rescind the order. When Laurie does so himself, Swindley is left with the expensive and unsold material. He suffers a breakdown and wanders the streets in tears.
  • Len takes on apprentice Eddie Thomas to help him with his huge workload. Lucille falls for him but dutifully asks her parent's permission to go out with him.
  • Len starts to go out with young machinist Joyce Lennox, despite Harry's warning that she is a gold-digger and Elsie's comment that he appears to everyone to be a dirty old man. Nevertheless he is shocked to find that she is a friend of his apprentice Eddie.

March[]

  • Emily traces Swindley to his home after finding that he has left the shop door wide open. Seeing his metal state she summons his sister to help him and she takes him to her home to recover.
  • After several weeks' of work Florrie's Corner Shop conversion is completed. She needs an assistant and offers the job to Myra Booth but Emily wants her to work at Gamma. Jerry Booth opposes Myra working at all and so Florrie, with great reluctance, offers the job to Dennis. He makes a hash of the task though and she is relieved when he leaves to work at the new club. Instead she interviews and takes on Irma Ogden as her assistant.
  • Elsie celebrates her birthday, delighted with the bath bought with Walter's money but appalled when Dennis presents her with a cake with forty-eight candles on it – she's only forty-one. Len drops his other work to install her bath.
Episode340

Martha chases the dreams of her youth

  • Martha discovers old flame Ted Ashley is back after many years away in Australia where he has become a rich rancher. She dresses to impress him and "shows" him off to Ena and Minnie Caldwell but Ted doesn't remember her from his distant past. He makes a polite suggestion that Martha visits his sister in London and she eagerly takes up the offer, despite Ena seeing that she's chasing a dream and trying to put her off. Martha returns after a week but hides away at home and doesn't let on to her friends that she's back.
  • Jerry is worried that Myra's spending is out of control and his fears increase when a delivery of new furniture arrives at No. 13.
  • Lucille is upset when Eddie becomes evasive with her and Len is upset when Joyce stands him up on a night out – to go out with Eddie. Len riles Jerry about his weight and the two compete against each other in a walking race, cheered on by the residents. Jerry throws the race in order not to show up his boss.
  • Ken and Val's relationship improves. He gets a job as Head of English at Granston Technical College.
  • The Viaduct Sporting Club is about to open for business with Gus Lowman as its manager, much to Dennis's disappointment. The preparations for the opening night go badly when the ceiling collapses. Laurie threatens to sue Len but it is revealed that Gus weighted the floor too much by using it as a liquor store.

April[]

Episode346

Elsie breaks up with Laurie

  • The club opens with the ceiling repaired. Elsie runs the roulette table but her enjoyable evening comes to a halt when a woman appears who says she is Rosemary Frazer, Laurie's wife. Rosemary tells Elsie she is the latest of a long line in mistresses in Laurie's life and she is not perturbed by the situation. Elsie is though and breaks up with Laurie after a row in the Street. Laurie and Rosemary return to London together and Gus runs the club.
  • Ken starts his new job but he finds teaching teenagers harder than the younger children he was used to.
  • Yet more furniture arrives at No. 13, purchased from Frank. Myra wants a foreign holiday and to start a job but Jerry's old-fashioned attitude prevents her doing so. The Booth's credit slate at the Corner Shop starts to build up and she is only able to pay Frank back some of his money. This doesn't stop her putting down the deposit on a foreign holiday. Jerry discovers that she is two month's behind with HP payments and three month's behind with the mortgage, added to which she is pregnant. She admits that she has borrowed money from her father and events reach a crisis when their electricity is cut off. Len is unable to give Jerry a pay rise as he has not yet been paid for all his work on the club but he does lend him £3.
  • Stuart Hodges is appointed preacher at the Mission of Glad Tidings in Swindley's absence and Emily worries that when he arrives the small congregation will lead to him recommending closure. When he arrives, the women fall for his good looks and even Ena starts to like him when he helps her clean the Mission.
  • Martha contacts her friends at last and admits she had a terrible time in London. When she goes to look after her grandchildren, Minnie does her two cleaning jobs but falls down the stairs at the club. Minnie, suffering a torn ligament, stays with Ena to recover. It is established that the fault lies with Len, not Gus or the owners of the club and Stuart finds a solicitor to sue him on Minnie's behalf.

May[]

  • Len is sued, and as he has no money coming into his business, Jerry and Eddie are laid off. Len settles out of court by paying £50.
  • While some of the neighbours try to help the Booths as they become more entangled in their financial problems, Myra is refused credit in the Corner Shop and Jack refuses to lend Jerry money. George Dickinson agrees to pay their debts if they will live with him. Jerry accepts the deal and also gets a new job with Roscoe & Pitts.
  • An excited Martha gets a chance to go on a family holiday to Spain. She obtains her first ever passport for the trip.
Episode 357

Martha dies in the snug

  • Frank wins £5,000 on the premium bonds and sells his shop for £6,000. He uses the money to buy a house in Wilmslow and holds a leaving party in the Rovers, annoying some of the regulars with boasts of his wealth. The party comes to an abrupt end when Martha is found dead in the snug, having quietly slipped away with a heart attack. She is buried by her shocked friends and neighbours, Swindley returning for the funeral, and Ena argues with her daughter Lily Haddon for neglecting her mother.
  • The Booths and Frank leave the Street to begin their new lives.
  • Comic Charlie Moffitt gets taken on at the club as its resident comic and he and his dog, Little Titch, lodge with Minnie.
  • Swindley returns to work with Gamma. Emily realises that as it's a leap year a woman can propose marriage and considers doing just that to Swindley.

June[]

Episode364

Emily gives Swindley the shock of his life!

  • Emily invites Swindley to a meal during which she proposes to him. He panics and runs out but later changes his mind, accepts and they set a date. Len agrees to be Swindley's best man but Emily's father, James Nugent, refuses to attend.
  • An exotic dancer at the club, Pip Mistral, invites Charlie to a party and he brings along Ken, Harry and Len. At the party Ken is taken with Pip and tries for a fling with her but is rejected. Val and Concepta Hewitt find out about the party and Val is hurt that Ken supposedly was attracted with Pip's intelligence, feeling patronised herself by her husband.
  • While Annie is away, Jack takes on Irma as a barmaid. Upon her return Annie is uncertain about her latest member of staff but Jack refuses to sack her.
  • Except for Lucille, who stays with the Walkers, the Hewitts go to Ireland when Concepta's father, Sean Riley falls ill.
  • Charlie convinces Dennis that he is not cut out for showbusiness. He decides to leave his job at the club and take up hairdressing instead. Val agrees that he can watch her at work but when she is out he accidentally dyes Lucille's hair blonde.
  • Elsie gets a part-time evening job but keeps to herself exactly what it is.
  • Len is finally paid for his work on the club.
  • Albert Tatlock organises a Bazaar for the Over-sixties.
  • Lorry driver Stan Ogden turns up on the Street looking for his daughter Freda. It turns out that Irma and Freda are one and the same, she having run away from home and changed her name to escape her poor home life. Stan tells Irma he has changed his ways and is back with her mother, Hilda. She tells him that if he means what he says, he should buy No. 13.

July[]

Episode 371

The Ogdens move in

  • Stan buys No. 13 and he, Hilda, Irma and younger brother Trevor move in. Youngest siblings Tony and Sylvia remain in care.
  • Val discovers that she is pregnant but Ken doesn't want to start a family yet.
  • Florrie finds a paypacket in a box of goods from Ireland. She sends it back to the rightful owner.
  • Albert's bazaar is held with most of the residents manning stalls.
  • On the eve of her wedding to Swindley, Emily voices her doubts to Ken that she is doing the right thing as she feels sure he doesn't love her. On the wedding day itself she fails to turn up at the Mission Hall. Swindley goes to her, they talk and he agrees that it's best that they don't marry. He goes to the booked honeymoon hotel by himself while Emily goes to Wakefield for a rest.
  • Three riggers cause problems in the Street. They challenge Len to a fight which he accepts but none of the residents except Stan back him up and the police don't want to know. Len refuses to talk to Harry for his lack of help.
  • Elsie still refuses to tell Dennis and the others what her job is. When a Grecian urn arrives for her to use, Dennis follows her and discovers that she is a model for art students at a school of design. Dennis is ashamed of her work but Elsie argues with him that it's harmless.
  • Stan asks Len for a job but is refused because of his lack of experience in the building trade. He does offer Trevor an apprenticeship but this is turned down as the teenager wants to make money.
  • Hilda becomes the Rovers' new cleaner.
  • Ena hears an intruder in the Mission at night.

August[]

  • The intruder is Trevor Ogden, who is stacking twelve bags of onions for safekeeping there before selling them. Ena agrees to let him for 10% of the profits. Later, she, Trevor and Irma move them to the cellar of the Rovers. As Trevor completes his sale, Annie catches them all in the act and sacks Irma and Hilda (although Jack reinstates them later). Trevor's profit is taken off him by the women involved in the scheme.
  • The Irishman who received his paypacket back safely from Florrie writes to thank her and promises to visit.
Episode387

Elsie at gunpoint

  • At the art school, young teacher David Graham becomes infatuated with Elsie. She is not so certain because of the age difference and when David turns up at No. 11, an angry Dennis goes for him. Dennis then asks Ken to find out what sort of person David is and Ken reports back that he is slightly unbalanced and has a temper. When Elsie finishes with him, David has a breakdown and traps her in No. 11 with his service revolver. When Elsie cries with fear, David is ashamed and shows her that the gun is empty. He runs off and Dennis comforts his mother.
  • Emily returns from Wakefield to run the Gamma Garments' store, Swindley having moved to another branch to provide holiday cover.
  • Sean Riley has to retire from his garage business. Concepta wants them all to move to Ireland and take it over but Lucille point blank refuses. Harry sides with Concepta and Annie provides a solution to the dilemma when she offers Lucille a room with them so that she can continue her schooling in Weatherfield. Harry gets Stan his old chauffeuring job at Amalgamated Steel and the Hewitts leave a crying Lucille behind to start their new life.
  • To help pick up trade at the club, Charlie organises a talent contest. Annie is convinced that her singing voice will ensure that she is the winner but it is Lucille who takes the prize with a rendition of "My Guy".

September[]

  • Norman Phillips offers Lucille a singing contract but she turns her chance of stardom down.
  • Feeling alone and unloved, Florrie undergoes a breakdown. After Irma walks out on her because of her behaviour, Florrie wrecks her own shop. Her balance is restored when Tickler Murphy, the Irishman whose paypacket she returned, turns up in Weatherfield, planning to make his fortune in England. He makes Florrie feel important and wanted.
  • Stan is sacked from his new job when he takes several people for a joyride in the company Rolls Royce and the interior seating and upholstery is damaged by Minnie and Little Titch.
Episode 391

The residents get nostalgic in the Mission cellar

  • Albert wants to dig up the flags in his backyard to plant a garden. Stan helps him and they discover an unexploded wartime bomb. All the residents are evacuated to the Mission cellar where they enjoy reminiscing and singing wartime songs. When they return home the residents find that some of their homes, shops and businesses have been burgled. Over the next few days there are various other robberies and Tickler and Irma especially come under suspicion. The culprit is revealed to be Trevor who runs off to London with his "takings".
  • Ena angrily castigates Minnie when she discovers she has been gambling on the horses. Charlie is interested when he hears of Minnie's winning luck and that she never backs a loser.
  • As the General Election approaches, Ena invites all three candidates to the Vestry at the same time to hear and compare their promises.
  • Tickler is a wrestling promoter and interests unemployed Stan in becoming a professional wrestler. Emily makes him a cloak with "Ogden the Terrible" on it. A nervous Stan hears that his debut match has been booked – against twenty stone Ian Campbell.

October[]

5 Oct 64

"Ogden the Terrible" in the ring

  • Stan has his first (and only) professional wrestling match which is held in the club. He submits to a Boston Crab hold and is thrown out of the ring.
  • Tickler worries that Florrie is getting too close to him and has marriage in mind so he leaves Weatherfield.
  • Lucille starts skipping school and Emily discovers her working at Mason's Record Shop. She forces her to give up her job and return to school but Mr Barroway, the welfare officer, calls on the Walkers but her notice runs out. Lucille blames Emily, thinking she told the Walkers.
  • The brewery tells the Walkers that the Rovers is not as profitable as some of their other pubs. Jack spends an evening going to the various pubs to see how they manage things differently, completely forgetting it is his wedding anniversary. He placates a furious Annie with perfume. Jack decides that the Rovers needs music to attract customers.
  • Dennis passes his hairdressing exams. He starts to receive anonymous love letters and Lucille meets the woman who claims she is his fiancée - Sandra Petty. Not knowing how to get in touch with this mysterious woman, Irma suggests an advert in the newspaper's "personal" column.
  • Harry Bailey returns from Nottingham with the news that Nellie Fairclough has died. Len asks Elsie to marry him and be a mother to Stanley. Elsie doesn't believe they would be compatible once wed and suggests a trial marriage to prove it.

November[]

  • As part of the trial marriage, Len eats his meals at No. 11 but stays overnight at his own house, his movements carefully monitored by Ena and Minnie. He doesn't like being made to wash up, keep tidy and pay housekeeping money and after a row over his tea not being ready they agree that marriage would harm their friendship. Len subsequently tells Harry that Stanley can stay with him.
  • Trevor Ogden sends Stan and Hilda £4 to make up for some of the money he stole.
  • Sandra Petty turns up at No. 11 - she is one of Dennis's hairdressing clients and is besotted with him. When he sees that she has a train timetable for Gretna Green in her handbag he panics and tells her that he is engaged to Irma. Sandra confronts Irma who realises what is going on and goes along with the deception.
  • The Rovers gets its music licence and the Walkers employ pub pianist Alf Chadwick after the first candidate Howard Seymoure proves unsuitable. During their first new-style evening Stan stops the newly installed electric clock so that the party can go on for longer. Jack is booked by the police for opening after hours. Stan admits his actions and the matter is dropped.
  • Ken and Val decide to decorate No. 9, initially employing Ted Grieves, who proves to be too expensive, and later Charlie to do the job for them.
Episode 412

Annie searches for evidence

  • Annie discovers that their bank account is overdrawn and that Jack has been sending regular cheques to a Mrs. Nicholls. Suspecting Jack of having another woman, she walks out on him, causing embarrassment when Ena comes for an invited Sunday lunch and discovers that her hostess is absent. Jack thinks Annie is staying with Joan but discovers she isn't.
  • Emily starts organising Cinderella - a Christmas pantomime for the Weatherfield Trust Children's Home to be acted by the residents at the mission.

December[]

  • The police won't help Jack trace Annie. Billy Walker arrives from London when he hears that his mother is missing. Annie is staying at the local Egremont Hotel where she "breaks down" so that another guest rings Jack to alert him as to her whereabouts. Jack refuses to go on his hands and knees to Annie but he breaks down at the thought that he's lost her for good. Ena witnesses this and fetches a sorry Annie back herself. Billy tells her that he was sacked from the Blue Bell Garage and Mrs. Nicholls is his landlady – Jack was paying his rent for him. She apologises to Jack and Billy returns to London where he gets a new job.
December 1964

Emily finds out who Dennis Tanner has let stay overnight when she meets Rita Littlewood

  • Charlie, decorating No. 9 and laying an electrical flex in the loft falls through the ceiling to Elsie's bedroom in No. 11 where Dennis has put up showgirl Rita Littlewood for the night. Charlie makes Dennis pay for the damage himself by threatening to tell Elsie of Rita's stopover but Elsie finds out anyway.
  • Local butcher Willie Piggott tries to bribe Ken with £100 to make sure his son Brian passes his exam at the Tech but Ken refuses and publicly hands the money back and tells Piggott he's informing the police. The residents and Val are disgusted with Ken going too far with the butcher.
  • Swindley returns to the Street and takes over the panto when Emily finds the rehearsals too much and the cast walk out on her. They overcome their differences and put on a successful production.
  • Stan gets the idea of running a waste paper collection business of his own with Charlie and Albert after he hears of the similar success of Bernie Sparks, Irma's godfather. Waste paper starts to accumulate at No. 13.
  • David Barlow returns to the Street for Christmas and Irma falls for him. He tells everyone he has a torn ligament and that he wants to avoid the press but causes a puzzle when he goes dancing with Irma. The Ogdens like the idea of Irma dating someone successful like Irma and invite him to tea. The papers report that David has been suspended for taking a bribe.
  • Charlie is sacked from the club.
  • Hilda reads Val's fortune and forecasts twins.
  • Ena receives a letter from landlord Edward Wormold asking to see her.

Who lives where[]

Coronation Street

Mawdsley Street

Coronation Street in the 1960s
1960 • 1961 • 1962 • 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969 →
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