Episode 300 (28th October 1963)

Plot

The next day, the police call at the vestry to interview Ena further about the break-in. She has difficulty holding her tears in check. Annie's had a restless night, predicting a crime wave, but Jack is certain that the perpetrator had a grudge against Ena. Det Sgt Bowen asks Ena if anyone left the party before her, and if anyone has a grudge against her. Swindley and Emily are shocked by the wrecked vestry. Emily feels responsible as all the trouble happened because of the meeting. Walter is alarmed to hear from Jack that the police are investigating on the street and warns Dennis, who assures Elsie that he's innocent. Minnie and Martha decide to keep away from the vestry. Len's suffering from a terrible hangover. Val can't find Albert and wonders where he's got to. Ena starts to tidy up the vestry, asking to be left alone. Annie calls to give Bowen a message to ring the station. Ena breaks down and collapses when Annie points out the state of her harmonium. Jack tells Bowen he's seen no suspicious characters around. Annie explains to him about Ena's dispute over the children's party. Minnie worries why the doctor's car is outside the vestry. The doctor diagnoses arteriosclerosis and prescribes tablets and tells Swindley to ensure gets as much rest as possible. Bowen questions Swindley as they've decided the intruder must have used a key to enter the vestry. Swindley informs him that Len has one of the three keys for the premises for carrying out repair work. Harry and Concepta tease Len about his hangover. Len admits he can't remember a single thing about last night. Minnie is desperate to ask Ena to move in with her for a while. Martha tells her she'll regret it. Minnie ventures to the vestry where she breaks down when she sees Ena's smashed willow pattern plate. The two are reconciled and Ena accepts the offer to move into No.5. Dennis comes into the Rovers tells Harry that a policeman has called at No.7 but Concepta swiftly follows to say that it's Len they actually want to see.

Cast

Regular cast

Annie Walker - Doris Speed
Jack Walker - Arthur Leslie
Ena Sharples - Violet Carson
Minnie Caldwell - Margot Bryant
Martha Longhurst - Lynne Carol
Concepta Hewitt - Doreen Keogh
Harry Hewitt - Ivan Beavis
Valerie Barlow - Anne Reid
Kenneth Barlow - William Roache
Elsie Tanner - Patricia Phoenix
Miss Nugent - Eileen Derbyshire
Len Fairclough - Peter Adamson
Dennis Tanner - Philip Lowrie
Leonard Swindley - Arthur Lowe (Uncredited)

Guest cast

Places

Notes

As Ena Sharples collapses in the vestry, Leonard Swindley's voice can be heard from the adjoining mission hall where he is giving a reading from Revelation, chapter 21, verses 3 and 4.
From Episode 172 (6th August 1962) to Episode 459 (5th May 1965) the programme featured a standardised cast list for the regular characters. This means that in this episode the following were credited but did not appear: Albert Tatlock (Jack Howarth), Frank Barlow (Frank Pemberton) and Lucille Hewitt (Jennifer Moss).
TV Times synopsis: The police move in, and Minnie plays the Good Samaritan
Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast - 8,762,000 homes (2nd place).

Notable dialogue

Len Fairclough (about Martha Longhurst): "That voice! You know, she'll have the noise abatement society after her one of these days."

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Jack Walker: Eh, 'ave you 'eard about Mrs Sharples?"
Len Fairclough: "Aye, I bumped into that guitar-playing skeleton, what's his name?"

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Ena Sharples: "You know, I remember when I were a little lass - went to live with me Aunt Ethel in Bolton because that were the only place me dad could get work. There were four of us went - an' it was her as asked us. An' in six months we weren't wanted and we'd nowhere to go. An' I can remember me mam sayin', 'always keep your independence - choose 'ow.' Well, I always 'ave."

October 1963 episodes
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