Episode 8 (4th January 1961)

Plot[]

Part One: Linda is still staying with Elsie after the Christmas break and Ivan writes to her asking when she’s coming back home. Elsie is annoyed with Dennis for making a noise when he returned at 3.30am the night before. He tells her that Arnold Tanner was in the club again and he’s going to call on her to sort things out between them. Ida is annoyed when she finds that Ken has spent £1 on a rare book and warns him not to tell Frank. Ken has some friends coming round and Ida wonders what he’s up to. Christine has returned to work after the funeral. Ena thinks people didn’t show the correct level of respect at the event. She and Martha argue again in the corner shop. Factory workers Glynis and Sheila see Malcolm arrive at No.13. He apologises for keeping away but Christine shuts the door in his face, knowing that he took another woman out the night before. The girls enjoy watching the spectacle.

Part Two: Ken, Susan and their student friends Ginnie and Milo prepare posters for a “Ban the Bomb” demo. Ida and David arrive home in the midst of the preparations. She tells Ken that he can’t go on the march. Arnold turns up after fifteen years and asks Elsie to give him a divorce so that he can marry again - she refuses. Ena sees him storm out of the house and jumps to the wrong conclusion that Elsie has a new man in her life. Ron Bailey organises May’s insurance policy claim for Christine. Ena spreads it about in the Rovers that Elsie has a fancy man and is told off for doing so by Concepta. Jack and Annie spot that there’s something different about Harry’s bus uniform. Ena thinks Concepta has deliberately given her an off bottle of stout. Harry is congratulated when he reveals that he’s been promoted to Inspector.

Cast[]

Regular cast[]

Florrie Lindley - Betty Alberge
Christine Hardman - Christine Hargreaves
Elsie Tanner - Patricia Phoenix
Dennis Tanner - Philip Lowrie
Linda Cheveski - Anne Cunningham
Harry Hewitt - Ivan Beavis
Ida Barlow - Noel Dyson
Kenneth Barlow - William Roache
David Barlow - Alan Rothwell
Annie Walker - Doris Speed
Jack Walker - Arthur Leslie
Concepta Riley - Doreen Keogh
Ena Sharples - Violet Carson
Martha Longhurst - Lynne Carol
Minnie Caldwell - Margot Bryant
Sheila - Eileen Mayers

Guest cast[]

Places[]

Coronation Street
Rovers Return Inn - Public/snug
3 Coronation Street - Back room and kitchen
11 Coronation Street - Back room and hallway
13 Coronation Street - Front room and hallway
Corner Shop
Glad Tidings Mission Hall - Vestry

Notes[]

First appearance of Sheila Birtles.
Ken's student friend, Ginnie (pictured above holding the "Ban the Bomb" sign), is played by Beryl Bainbridge, the future Booker Prize-nominated writer.
This is the last episode in which Ena Sharples was regularly seen without her famous hairnet.
To help viewers remember which characters live in which houses, the end credits of this episode are shown against a backdrop of an image of the street (in reality, a composite elongated photograph, the majority of which is Archie Street in Salford), which pans from the corner shop to the Glad Tidings Mission Hall, with the credits of the particular actors displayed when their character's house is on screen. In an error, the Mission Hall is shown to be adjacent to the Rovers Return Inn, even though it had been established in Episode 1 that it was across the street. An error occurs in this episode when the caption for Harry Hewitt appears against No.9 instead of No.7.
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 - 3,783,000 homes (chart placing unknown - this was the lowest rated episode of the year).
This episode was included on the following commercial releases:
- Coronation Street - The Early Days released by Granada video on 7th May 2001.
- The Network DVD collection Coronation Street: The Best of 1960-1969, released on 31st July 2006. It was intended as a 'bonus' episode so that each disc of the set included eight episodes (only seven episodes were broadcast in 1960).

Notable dialogue[]

Ena Sharples (to Florrie Lindley, after Martha Longhurst enters the corner shop): "Ooh, I've just 'ad a whiff of a filthy smell. 'As somebody brought somethin' bad back?"
Florrie Lindley: "No."
Ena Sharples: "You could've kidded me."
Martha Longhurst: "Alright, alright, Ena, we get yer meaning - yer wicked old besom!"
Ena Sharples (to Florrie): "Oh, an' while I'm 'ere, I'll 'ave a bottle of disinfectant - the strongest you've got. I've some fumigating as wants doin'."

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Glynis (about Ena Sharples): "I've 'eard she's got religious mania."

January 1961 episodes
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