Plot[]
Part One: It's Harry's birthday and Florrie takes in a parcel for him from his sister. Martha and Minnie try to get away with under-paying their fares but get caught out by Harry. Builder Bert Driver looks over No.3 and tells Frank that the repairs and solicitor's fees will come to £100. As they can't afford the sum, Ida is disappointed that they'll have to forgo buying the house. Eileen Hughes finds out it's Harry's birthday. Florrie prepares the chicken for Harry. Albert identifies a coin that Florrie has taken as a dud. Lucille is allowed a night away from the orphanage to see Harry and is left alone in No.7 by Mrs Donovan who has accompanied her home. Harry calls into the corner shop for food for a meal and Florrie invites him in to "share" her meal. She is also forced to invite Lucille as well when she calls into the shop.
Part Two: The meal goes well but they are interrupted by the arrival of Eileen. Elsie insists on seeing the contents of the box but Dennis tells her she'll be sorry. Eileen gives Harry a birthday present. He takes Lucille to see Concepta and Florrie and Eileen are left with each other. Ena gets Martha and Minnie to test their gas pressure as she is having a problem with hers. Elsie threatens Dennis with eviction unless he opens the box. He does so to reveal a python. To Dennis's surprise, she feels sorry for it.
Cast[]
Regular cast[]
- Florrie Lindley - Betty Alberge
- Elsie Tanner - Patricia Phoenix
- Dennis Tanner - Philip Lowrie
- Harry Hewitt - Ivan Beavis
- Lucille Hewitt - Jennifer Moss
- Frank Barlow - Frank Pemberton
- Ida Barlow - Noel Dyson
- Albert Tatlock - Jack Howarth
- Martha Longhurst - Lynne Carol
- Minnie Caldwell - Margot Bryant
Guest cast[]
- Postman - Roy Maxwell
- Charlie - Ted Morris
- Bert Driver - William Wymar
- Eileen Hughes - Prunella Scales
- Jeff - Lionel Ngakane
- Mrs Donovan - Mary Duddy
- Fred Jackson - Joe Gladwin
- Mary Jackson - Barbara Ashcroft
Places[]
- Coronation Street
- 3 Coronation Street - Back room, kitchen and yard
- 11 Coronation Street - Back room
- Corner Shop - Shop and back room
- Jackson's Chip Shop
- Bus Depot - Canteen
- Bus and bus stop
Notes[]
- For the first time in the programme's history, no cast or production credits appeared at the end of the episode.
- The python seen at the end of the episode, which was placed inside a box on a props table away from the actors for the camera to cut to at the appropriate moment, was meant to rear its end when unveiled by Dennis Tanner. During recording, the snake handler on set tickled the animal with a stick, but this failed to wake the sleeping python. As serial editor H.V. Kershaw put it: "We resigned ourselves to a shoal of letters asking why Elsie had been so frightened of a lifeless python." (The Street Where I Live, Panther Books, 1985).
- Kathy Staff makes a pre-Vera Hopkins appearance as an unnamed extra customer in Jackson's Chip Shop.
- Albert Tatlock correctly identifies a dud coin that Florrie Lindley has taken as a Manchester Halfpenny.
- Minnie Caldwell is stated as living at 9 Jubilee Street instead of the later-established 15 Jubilee Terrace.
- TV Times: No synopsis appeared in the magazine between Episode 3 (16th December 1960) and Episode 25 (6th March 1961).
- Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast - 5,346,000 homes (chart placing unknown). This episode was second-placed in the viewing figures for the Northern region covered by Granada Television, achieving a 68% share. The previous episode achieved first place. The first episode to achieve the No.1 nationally was Episode 73 on 23rd August 1961.
| February 1961 episodes |
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