Episode 401 (14th October 1964)

Plot[]

The next morning, Dennis still is annoyed that Elsie opened his mail, though she claims it was an accident. She laughs over its contents, wanting to meet the girl, and doesn't believe her son's annoyed protestations that he hasn't any idea who the writer is. Dennis is further annoyed when he finds out that Len knows about the letter. Emily and Florrie make plans to go to the Luxy that night. Pushed by Emily, Lucille gives a grudging promise to hand in her notice to Mr Corbishley that day. Ken and Val make plans to visit Edith Tatlock in Glasgow. Dennis confides in an amused Val about the letter and she also doesn't believe his claim that he doesn't know who wrote it. Emily calls into Mason's Record Shop to see if Lucille has kept to her promise. She wants to wait until Friday so that she doesn't lose any of her wages. A Mr Barroway calls into the corner shop asking for the Hewitts' whereabouts. Ena tells him that all of them are in Ireland except for Lucille who is lodging at the Rovers. He goes there and tells Annie he is a school's welfare officer and he wonders when she'll be well enough to return to school. Annie covers her shock when he tells her that Lucille's "father" wrote a letter a few days earlier saying his daughter was ill. Jack manages to cover, saying he was the writer of the letter and forgot to add "pp" to the signature. Barroway accepts the explanation and leaves behind a livid Annie. Having previously seen Dennis in close conversation with Lucille, Annie goes to No.11 where she and an angry Elsie get a confession of the truth out of him that he wrote the letter. Annie tells Jack what she's discovered. They confront Lucille who is pretending to do her homework. Annie sternly tells her they discovered what she's been doing and that she will be returning to school on Monday. She runs out of the room in tears. Annie thinks they've failed in their task.

Cast[]

Regular cast[]

Guest cast[]

Places[]

Rovers Return Inn - Public and back room
9 Coronation Street - Front room salon
11 Coronation Street - Back room
Corner Shop
Mason's Record Shop

Notes[]

Warren Clarke appears as an extra in Mason's Record Shop.
Valerie Barlow states that she hasn't visited her mother, Edith Tatlock, for more than a day since Ida Barlow died. This contradicts the previous storyline that Val had been in Glasgow with her parents for several months when she returned in Episode 164 (9th July 1962) (being absent during the period of the Equity actors' strike).
Herman's Hermits's recent hit I'm into Something Good is played in Mason's Record Shop. Peter Noone, the lead singer of the group, had appeared twice in Coronation Street in December 1961 - as one of several assorted children and then as Stanley Fairclough, son of Len, in Episode 104 (11th December 1961). By coincidence, Len mentions receiving a letter from Stanley in this episode.
William Roache has to ad lib when entering the front room set of 9 Coronation Street as the door sticks for a moment.
Dennis Tanner tells Elsie Tanner and Len Fairclough that "loverdoll" is "covered all over with gold paint". The James Bond film Goldfinger, in which Shirley Eaton's character Jill Masterson is covered in gold paint, was released in UK cinemas on 18th September 1964, less than a month before this episode aired.
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), Minnie Caldwell (Margot Bryant), Mr Swindley (Arthur Lowe), Charlie Moffitt (Gordon Rollings), Hilda Ogden (Jean Alexander) and Stan Ogden (Bernard Youens).
TV Times synopsis: The Walkers head for trouble and Dennis searches for an unknown admirer
Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast - 9,305,000 homes (2nd place).

October 1964 episodes
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