The Mark Brittain Warehouse Fire Of October 1975 - An Anniversary Celebration? No. Just Examine The Newspaper Archives.

The end of the Mark Brittain Warehouse. The fire engines dwarfed the miniature terrace back then and the production team tried their best to disguise the fact. Edna Gee, wife of Fred-Face, worked at the Warehouse with Ivy Tilsley - whose husband was then called Jack.

Rebecca has written to us!

I've been surprised to read on the Coronation Street Wiki that the fire at the Mark Brittain warehouse in 1975, in which Edna Gee died, was intended as a celebration of the show's 15th anniversary. I didn't hear that at the time and soaps didn't usually celebrate with disasters back then. Is it true? And if so, why was it in early October, two months before the anniversary?

It wasn't true, Rebecca. We remember the Street's fifteenth anniversary very well and it was not linked to that. Indeed, as you say, it was two months in the past by then. After all, roasting somebody alive would not have pleased viewers as an anniversary celebration in those days. In fact, I think it would have seemed bizarre and grotesque. Nowadays, folks would adore it. The story seems to have to come from ex-archivist Daran Little, who was a little lad back then. He probably just made a throw-away comment and you know how today's netty types run with these things.

After all, if it was so - and disasters were really 'in' for anniversaries back then, think of the disasters they could have had for their 20th and 25th and 30th anniversaries.

You will find no publicity from 1975 verifying the claim - just examine the newspaper archives (it was pointed out, however, that the Street was low in the ratings and could 'do with some kind of boost'), and the more than two month gap makes the claim an absurdity. Soaps didn't 'celebrate' with disasters back then.

'Liverpool Echo', 1 October, 1975.

Having said that, we've a lot of time for Daran Little. Even if he does make the odd cock-up. His East Street thingie with Gail making her mark on the EastEnders café is a true delight. For that reason alone, we'd walk over hot coals for the lad. Probably.