Ena Sharples: " 'Old friends'? Well, I can't say any of us are old friends of YOURS - we knew your mother! And as for 'new faces'... We don't take very kindly to new faces round 'ere!"
Had a very nice e-mail from Joan, who has many kind things to say about Back On The Street, and posed a question:
I bought the three HV Kershaw novels based on the early years of Corrie in the mid-to-late '70s. I thought I had them all Early Days, Trouble At The Rovers, and Elsie Tanner Fights Back. Each one centred on a particular year,1961, 1962 and 1963, and they were very enjoyable as Mr Kershaw was heavily involved with Corrie since its pre-screen days. Recently, I came across an on-line reference to another HV Kershaw Corrie novel called Old Friends... New Faces. I've never heard of it before, and can't find a copy on eBay or anywhere. Have you got a copy?
Hello, Joan!
No, I'm sorry, I haven't, but as far as I'm aware, NOBODY has - because it was never published. And I got that information from Mr Kershaw himself back in the early 1980s. I had been to my local library and was looking at the massive volume called Books In Print - the "bible" of what was around in the books world in that day and age. No library computers then, of course. I checked HV Kershaw's listings, and came across Coronation Street: Old Friends... New Faces. I wrote to Mr Kershaw, who responded very promptly and pleasantly, stating that only three Coronation Street novels had been published, and that he couldn't explain the error in Books In Print, perhaps the library could? The library couldn't.
I can only assume that this publication was well and truly in the pipeline, but never arrived.
I was disappointed because, like you, I had greatly enjoyed the first three volumes, and the title - Old Friends... New Faces - had whetted my appetite as it seemed likely to refer to the events of 1964, with the arrival of the Ogdens at No 13. I would have loved to have read Mr Kershaw's written version of the events of that year.
I've checked on-line, and I can only surmise that the Books In Print error has been carried forward into our on-line modern world.
But you can rest assured that no such title was ever published.
8 comments:
Alibris lists several copies for sale:
http://www.alibris.co.uk/search/books/isbn/9780583125956
But this page suggests it's a new title for one of the older books:
http://coronationstreet.wikia.com/wiki/Talk:H.V._Kershaw
It was definitely listed as a separate title in Books In Print all those years ago. And the word from HV Kershaw himself was that he knew nothing about it.
I do wonder if it was a title HV Kershaw had in mind for a fourth novel. 1964 was a year of great change in the Street, and introduced the Oggies.
The alibris link simply led me to Trouble At The Rovers. If you actually got the word from Harry Kershaw, I'll go with that. The Web's full of nonsense.
Cheers, Ben - I certainly did "get the word" from Mr Kershaw.
I was watching my old videos of Corrie last night and I found the one of the episode when Percy, Maureen and Maud went to Normandy for the D - Day anniversary. That one brought back a few memories for me - because I went to the same war cemetery as Percy with my mum's dad, my Grandad Joe - who, as I've mentioned, looks very like Percy. I love that episode - it's very moving. Bill Waddington (Percy)played his part so brilliantly - and his emotions were just the same as Grandad Joe's. Grandad Joe - there's never been a minute when I don't feel proud to be your grandson. Lots of love for always - your proud grandson Scot.
Here's a fact that's never mentioned in Corrie - Kevin Webster is actually Percy's great nephew!
Hello Friends
Can anyone help me I am looking for a hardback copy of H.V.Kershaw's 'Elsie Tanner Fights Back'.
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