Plot
Ena has spent a frozen night in the Vestry with the amenities cut off pending the demolition. She refuses to tell Mr Ironfield where she's going to live afterwards and insists he helps the removal men shift the harmonium. Jerry tells David that Irma hardly stayed on the ice at the rink but spent most of the night in the snack bar. Nevertheless she wants to go again. Dennis is depressed at Jenny's departure. Hilda questions Annie on her views about women working as she's thinking about devoting all of her time to Stan. Annie worries that Hilda's going to hand in her notice but Jack reminds her that it will deprive Stan of his beer money. Ena lets the removal men pack the van full of her belongings before telling them she's moving across the road to No.5, much to Minnie's delight. Dennis apologises to the Walkers and after several weeks is allowed back into the Rovers. Spotting his depression, Annie advises Dennis to go to London to find Jenny. He resolves to set off immediately. The residents enjoy watching the Mission being flattened but Ena breaks down as she sees her home being demolished and walks off in tears. Agnes Greenwood tells Stan it's all over between Hilda and George. The demolition concludes as the Vestry comes down. Ena is down after the loss of her home but she takes her temper out on Annie and refuses a drink from Len, branding it conscience money. The Ogdens and Albert enjoy the bonfire made from the remains of the Mission. Minnie presents Ena with a key to No.5. At the ice rink, Jerry and Irma bump into Myra. Jerry is thrown by the encounter but Myra is pleased.
Cast
Regular cast
- Minnie Caldwell - Margot Bryant
- Len Fairclough - Peter Adamson
- Jerry Booth - Graham Haberfield
- Hilda Ogden - Jean Alexander
- Dennis Tanner - Philip Lowrie
- Ena Sharples - Violet Carson
- Stan Ogden - Bernard Youens
- Annie Walker - Doris Speed
- Jack Walker - Arthur Leslie
- Irma Barlow - Sandra Gough
- David Barlow - Alan Rothwell
- Albert Tatlock - Jack Howarth
- Myra Booth - Susan Jameson
Guest cast
- Miklos Zadic - Paul Stassino
- Jimmy Gibson - Anthony May
- Mr Ironfield - Anthony Dutton
- Van Driver - Neville Smith
- Van Driver's Mate - Paul Johns
- Agnes Greenwood - Kathleen Helme
Places
- Coronation Street
- Rovers Return Inn - Public/Snug
- 5 Coronation Street - Hallway and front room
- Corner Shop
- Viaduct Street
- Glad Tidings Mission Hall - Main hall and vestry
- Skating rink - Ice rink and snack bar
Notes
- First appearance of Myra Booth since 20th May 1964.
- This episode is notable for the first filming in the yard on Grape Street behind the Granada Television studios, the future home of the programme's outdoor set. The Mission of Glad Tidings set was erected and bulldozed down before the film cameras. Careful use of camera angles prevented the viewer from seeing that no other buildings were erected in the yard at this time. Les Chatfield directed these sequences. Over the next few months, the Maisonettes were built on the spot where filming had taken place and in Episode 770 (1st May 1968) the first building on the terraced side of the street was shown when the Corner Shop was seen in its outdoor setting for the first time. The set, in both wooden and brick incarnations, lasted until 1982. All the other scenes in this episode on the street were, as per the programme's standard practice, recorded in the studio.
- The episode has a "thought track" as Ena Sharples looks over the Vestry and thinks back over old times in the premises.
- Further location film work was conducted for the scene of Jerry Booth ice skating at the rink with Myra Booth watching him from the seats. The snack bar scene was recorded in studio.
- Stan Ogden makes an oblique reference to his wrestling match against Ian Campbell which occured in Episode 398 (5th October 1964).
- TV Times: No synopsis appeared in the magazine between Episode 702 (6th September 1967) and Episode 755 (11th March 1968)
- Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast - 6,000,000 homes (19th place).
- This episode was repeated by Granada on Wednesday 28th December 1983 at 10.20pm as a tribute to Violet Carson who had died two days previously. It omitted the final scenes at the skating rink and ended on the shots of Ena Sharples gazing forlornly at the remains of the Vestry from No.5's front window and the bonfire outside. This repeat gained 6,913,000 viewers (chart placing unknown).
Notable dialogue
Len Fairclough: "If you were my wife, I wouldn't let you go out with any big fat slob."
Irma Barlow: "If I was your wife, I'd be married to one, wouldn't I?"
| January 1968 episodes |
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