The Tram Crashes Into 1980s Coronation Street...

"Mr Wobble" writes:

There's a pic of a tram crashing into Corrie Street that's quite rampant on the web. It's a cheap pic, but the street doesn't look like it does now. The tram is just superimposed. But do you know when the Corrie Street photo dates from?

I think this is the photograph you refer to, Mr Wobble.

It's easy to pinpoint the era: the mid-to-late 1980s. It could be any time from late 1986 to September 1989 when the factory was demolished in the story-line. Look at the clues!

The Corner Shop is Alf's Mini Market, so it's after 1985. The Rovers has its posh new sign lettering and "Rovers Return" windows, so its post-fire and rebuilding in 1986.

This ties in beautifully with an e-mail from Sue:

When were Baldwin's Factory and the Community Centre demolished in Coronation Street? I know it was 1989, but can you be more specific?

Well, there's the story-line and then there's the reality, Sue.

With filming taking place well in advance of episode screenings at the time, it seems that the factory and community centre would have bitten the dust in reality in August 1989, and work then commenced on the new exterior set buildings. In the story-line, the factory and community centre met their end in the episode transmitted on 20th September 1989.