The Queens exterior in 1993.
The Queens, originally named The Queen's Arms, was built in 1931 to commemorate the exiled Henrietta Maria, the wife of Charles I, who had attempted to raise an army to help her husband. Situated on Queen Street in Weatherfield, The Queens was regarded by many as the showpiece of the Newton & Ridley chain and attracted a clientele of professional types.
In May 1993, Liz McDonald was appointed as manager of The Queens after the previous managers were sacked. Her former boss Bet Lynch, who had trained Liz as a barmaid for the past few years, and her husband Jim were both unhappy with the decision for their own reasons. Bet harbored jealousy toward Liz as she believed her seniority should have seen her being offered the more lucrative position, while Jim was suspicious about Liz's swift assent up the professional ladder and accused her of having an affair with Newton & Ridley manager Richard Willmore. The McDonalds marriage was ripped apart when Liz chose the pub over her husband after Jim's suspicions got the better of him and he violently struck out against Willmore. His place was taken by Colin Barnes, who sought to claim Jim's wife as well as his position, but Liz's tenure would be a short one as she was sacked months later due to her reconciliation with Jim.
Long-standing staff of The Queens prior to Liz's arrival include cellarman Bob Cairns and barmaid Tanya Pooley.
Background information[]
The introduction of The Queens saw the first time that Coronation Street showed two individual pubs running simultaneously for an extended period. Prior to this The Flying Horse, and such pubs, were shown operating sporadically or for short-term storylines. Beverley Callard, who played Liz, initially felt that she would be alienated from the rest of the cast as all of the scenes featuring The Queens were filmed on location at The Pig & Porcupine at 310 Dansgate, Manchester, a short distance from the Quay Street studios. The pub closed around 2005 and is today an Indian restaurant.