This wonderful sketch by Denis Parkin, Coronation Street's original designer, featured on the show's 1961 Christmas card, which was also designed by Mr Parkin.Note that the bay windows in this early sketch are not joined together in pairs, and echo the architecture of Archie Street, which provided the rough template for the Street's terrace. The reason that the windows were joined in the show was because of lack of space on the original exterior set, which was built in the studio.
Here we see No's 11 and 13, the Corner Shop, the viaduct, part of the Glad Tidings Mission Hall (including Ena Sharples' vestry), and Elliston's Raincoat Factory.
2 comments:
Andy, this is a superb find. Nice to get a glimpse of both sides of the street - especially the walls of the factory.
Full bay windows were a feature of the early version of the indoor set (eg as seen at Ida Barlow's funeral cortege). I think this version of the set was condensed to form joined windows some time in 1962.
Great to hear from you, Sky - I've missed ya! Actually, photographs of the original street set before the first scene was shot in 1960 show that the windows were joined. There's one of these in HV Kershaw's book, "The Street Where I Live", taken whilst the little girls in the very first scene outside the Corner Shop were receiving last minute instructions. I think that Ida's funeral scene was a piece of location filming - perhaps in Archie Street. All the best for Christmas and 2011, matey, keep in touch!
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