1984: The Complicated Love Life Of Miss Mavis Riley...

Rivalry at The Rovers and consternation at The Kabin in 1984... Victor Pendlebury (Christopher Coll), Derek Wilton (Peter Baldwin), Mavis Riley (Thelma Barlow) and Rita Fairclough (Barbara Knox).

1984 always sounds ominous to me - also being the title of George Orwell's famous novel. Did you know that Mr Orwell took several years to write the book back in the 1940s, and that it was originally to be set in 1980, and then in 1982?

The real 1984 didn't see the arrival of Big Brother - I think that today is far more like that, with the various databases (established and planned) and security cameras logging our every move - but it did see the arrival of the Apple Mac - complete with affordable computer mouse. A revolution was beginning...

The UK edition of Trivial Pursuit arrived and we went trivia bonkers. Sir Alec Jeffreys accidentally discovered DNA fingerprinting, at the University Of Leicester, England (More here). The miners fought a bitter, losing battle; Frankie Goes To Hollywood shocked the charts; the yuppie era was drawing in; V was on the telly and Do They Know It's Christmas? hit the No 1 spot. Agadoo was another chart favourite. Push pineapple, grind coffee? Hmm...

In the world of fashion, shoulder pads were getting bigger and bigger, people were streaking their hair blonde and using hair gel to very striking (or ugly, depending on your viewpoint) effect and moon boots were a must-have, as were Frankie Say T-shirts.

And, in Weatherfield, one woman agonised over the attentions of two very different men...

The love life complications of Miss Mavis Riley, reported in the News Of The World, September 16, 1984.

Having met meek-and-mild mother's boy Derek Wilton way back in 1976, Mavis Riley had developed a very diffident, on-off relationship with him. Well, when I say "relationship", I don't mean that anything improper took place, goodness me, no!

But it was more of a (kind of) romance than just a friendship.

And the Derek and Mavis "romance" flickered on, and off, until 1982. Towards the end of that year, Mavis met one Victor Pendlebury at an evening class, and together they penned a story which was broadcast on local radio. Of course, Mavis was nerve-stricken on the day - was the story too... earthy? she wondered. But, apart from one or two adverse comments, the local branch of civilised society did not collapse in a heap.

And then, in 1983, Victor, every inch the poetic wanderer of moor and heath, the weaver of words, the potter of pots, asked Mavis to join him in a trial marriage.

Mavis, whatever you may think, wasn't really a fuddy-duddy, despite her dithery ways. Our Miss Riley wasn't totally out of touch with the racy realities of 1980s living, wasn't a total prude - in fact, she was once accused of being a "Jezebel" (though only by Derek). But this sort of behaviour, living with a man outside of wedlock, was certainly not for her. She was particularly upset when she discovered that Victor intended to pass her off to his neighbours as "Mrs Pendlebury" and she would be expected to live a lie. Brave and unconventional Victor - not!

Then, in 1984, Mr Wilton and Mr Pendlebury suddenly made plain their desires to make Mavis their Mrs. And Mavis was left in a hopeless state of dither. Which should she choose?

Finally, she plumped for Derek. The wedding was arranged, the church and the reception were both booked...

But on the big day the indecisive couple suddenly chickened out. Neither turned up at the church. Their feelings for each other were simply not strong enough.

We, the folks sat at home in front of the "one-eyed monster" (as my granny called the telly), were absolutely agog.

The News Of The World had leaked the non-wedding story-line, and, in September 1984, contained an interview with Thelma Barlow.

She worked in an office for years, devoting her spare time to amateur theatre.

"Then I decided the time had come to make a break and really do something about acting," she says.

"So I went off to London, as green as a cabbage."

She got a job with Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop, and then appeared in plays all over the country.

Thema has been a Street regular for the last 11 years.

She confesses: "I'm not at all like Mavis in real life. Someone like that would drive me mad. I admire strong, positive people, and she's the essence of indecision.

"Unlike Mavis I've long since lost my shyness.

"When you're up there on the tele in front of millions of people, you're bound to meet some of them off screen.

"If you can't stand to be hailed by total strangers you shouldn't be in the Street.

"We're friends of a huge family of viewers and we've got to accept it."

The Street's scriptwriters originally did not plan Mavis as one of the series' main characters.

"I was only supposed to be in one episode, but the character clicked and I've been fluttering over medium sherries ever since," says Thelma.

"There are some good qualities in Mavis. She sticks to her principles at all times and is starting to develop a little bit of steel...

"I can imagine masses of spinsters all over Britain watching me in the midst of all this wedding drama.

"They all obviously picture themselves in Mavis's situation and identify with her like mad.

"That's what makes the whole character of Mavis so very interesting.

"I've got a special picture in my mind of who Mavis is, and I play to it."

And she adds: "I can see me playing Mavis for a long time to come."

This was very good news. And it wasn't the end of Derek and Victor as far as the story-lines went, either.

And when Derek proposed to Mavis again, in 1988, through the letterbox of the Kabin door, things turned out very differently...

And Mavis was a "Miss" no longer!

1969: Man On The Moon And Tatlock Goes Over The Top...

An historic headline from the Daily Mirror, July 21, 1969:

MAN ON THE MOON...

Wow!

Inside the paper, we turn to the TV listings...

... and discover such delights as loads of Apollo 11 coverage, Crossroads, Not In Front Of The Children, World In Action and Coronation Street. Whilst history was being written elsewhere, Corrie was focusing on two if its menfolk, and the onus was on comedy. The synopsis read:

Stan enters the rag trade and Tatlock goes over the top.

So, what was it all about? Well, consulting my trusty Coronation Street - 1960-1985 - 25 Years book, I discovered full details of the story-lines: Stanley Ogden (Bernard Youens) had borrowed £50 to buy fifty suit lengths from 'Billy Oilcloth' on the market, planning to sell them for £10 each. But Hilda (Jean Alexander), thinking they were stolen, sold them for £1 each whilst Stan was out.

Meanwhile, Alice Pickens (Doris Hare), out to snare Albert Tatlock (Jack Howarth) into marriage, turned up at his regimental museum where he was giving a conducted tour. He fell off the platform in shock, breaking his arm and two ribs ("Tatlock goes over the top"!), and Alice moved in with him to nurse him - the choice being either that or a stay in hospital.

In August, Albert proposed to Alice, but in September both bride and groom were left waiting at the church when the vicar's car broke down and he failed to make it to the service. Albert and Alice called off their marriage plans.

September 1969 - the wedding that wasn't. Standing to the left of Albert is his daughter, Beattie Pearson. Actress Gabrielle Daye made occasional appearances in this role from 1961 to 1984.

The Rovers - 1976

Dave writes to ask if we have a pic of The Rovers Return, in the days before the wonderful 1982 passageway, when the pub loo doors opened directly into Albert Tatlock's house at No 1.

Certainly, Dave, here's our favourite boozer in 1976.

As some wag once said, no wonder Albert was always so grumpy...

Said In The '70s - 2: Telly Watching With Uncle Albert Tatlock...

Ken Barlow (William Roache) - a frustrated telly watcher in 1976.

Ken was pleased to note that a Shirley MacLaine film was being shown on the telly one night in 1976. As he told Bet Lynch, hopefully he'd get Albert Tatlock to go to bed before the film started at 9pm, and then he could enjoy it.

Just after 9pm, Ken walked into the Rovers Return. Bet was surprised:

"Ah! Don't tell me - Shirley MacLaine run off with another fella!"

Ken: "Yeah, Uncle Albert, actually!"

Bet: "Ah, that I can understand!"

Ken: "He decided that he wanted to watch the film too, and that I couldn't stand! He's got this unbreakable habit of talking through the plot - you know, not the dull bits, he'll keep quiet for those, but let anyone try to say anything vital, and he's off!"

My wife says I'm just the same.

Flamin' cheek!

Anyway, back to our Mr Tatlock - bless him! Although he didn't actually appear in this particular episode, he certainly made his presence felt!

Poor old Ken...

Domestic bliss with Ken and Albert (Jack Howarth) in the early 1980s.

Albert Tatlock - High-Flying Gadabout!

Posh Albert - mixing with Roddy Llewellyn.

Whilst Albert was stuck in The Rovers, hoping for a rum, Jack Howarth who played him was apparently often out and about, mixing with the great and the good.

From Peter Tory's Diary, Daily Mirror, February 9, 1983:

STAR TOURS FOR ALBERT

CORONATION STREET actor JACK HOWARTH (he plays grumpy Albert Tatlock) will be 87 next week. But he rarely misses an important party in London.

The other evening he was hob-nobbing with PRINCE MICHAEL OF KENT. Here he is at another function discussing the Mike Baldwin-Deirdre Barlow situation with PRINCESS MARGARET'S former boy friend RODDY LLEWELLYN and MRS TANIA LLEWELLYN.

The Llewellyns are both fans of the TV show, which is watched by 16 million people every week.

Jack is much admired by MRS THATCHER, who gave him the MBE in the New Year's Honours List. He supports her policies and would like to meet her.

What was the "Mike Baldwin-Deirdre Barlow situation" mentioned in the article?

It was the famous Mike/Deirdre love affair, of course, which had an awful lot of people on the edge of their seats back in 1983.

Even posher Albert - mixing with Annie Walker.

Remembering Arthur Leslie As Jack Walker...

Debbie has written to tell me that she fondly remembers Rovers Return landlord Jack Walker, played by Arthur Leslie from 1960 until his death in 1970:

He was such a kind man, putting up with Annie, and very caring to the locals in the pub. He always tried to help people. I used to wish that I knew Jack in real life - he would have made an excellent relative or friend.

I remember crying when Arthur Leslie died in 1970. I was 17 and I had grown up with Jack and Annie and I was just so sorry that the actor had died in real life.

There's never been another Jack Walker!

I agree - Jack was a lovely character, and Arthur Leslie was held in high regard. I have an old TV programme on VHS (tucked away somewhere, I must find it!), featuring an interview with Betty Driver talking about how helpful Mr Leslie was to her when she made her Street debut as Betty Turpin in 1969.

Street writer and producer Harry Kershaw wrote about Arthur Leslie in his 1981 book, The Street Where I Live:

When he died in 1970 show business lost one of its most talented men and certainly one of its nicest. He was a quiet man who wasn't given to talking about his past but his tremendous value as an actor-manager in the theatre was evidenced by the number of 'big names' who, when visiting Granada, first paid their respects to Arthur. Success had come to him late, almost, he confided, when he thought his career was finished. Finished, although he didn't say it, with little in the way of material reward to show for the years of dedication. And then had come Coronation Street and the quiet man who was known only to the repertory audiences of South Lancashire became a national name, a well-known and well-loved face. And he enjoyed every minute of it.

Jack Walker was certainly one of the kindest characters to ever live in Coronation Street. And Arthur Leslie's on-screen partnership with Doris Speed (Annie) helped to make the show's first decade one of its very best.

In fact, in my humble opinion, the very best!

Brian Tilsley - The Brain Of 1987?

Brian in 1987: Concentrate... concentrate...

Estelle has been in touch with a lovely Silly Season query:

I read in Hilary Kingsley's excellent "Soap Box" book, that Brian Tilsley was listed as "Brain Tilsley" in the closing credits of a couple of 1987 episodes. This appeals to my sense of humour and as you recently said that you were studying 1980's episodes, I wonder if you might have seen the episodes?

No, sorry, Estelle. But I'll post some screen caps if I do.

'77, '87...

I've just been watching some Corrie episodes from 1977 and 1987, and reflecting on all the water that flowed under the bridge between 1977 and 1987 in Weatherfield...

In our 1977 screen cap, Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix) and Rita Fairclough (Barbara Knox) had just seen Alf Roberts (Bryan Mosley) and Renee Bradshaw (Madge Hindle) driving off - they were going for a drink together.

In 1978, Renee and Alf married, but she was killed in a road accident in 1980, and by 1987 Alf had transformed the Corner Shop into a mini market and married the gorgeously squawky Audrey Potter (Sue Nicholls). They were living in Elsie's old home, No 11.

Elsie had finally left the Street with her old love, Bill Gregory (Jack Watson), in early 1984 to help run his bar (and enjoy the sunshine) in Portugal.

In 1977, Rita's husband, Len (Peter Adamson), was running the builder's yard in Mawdsley Street, as he had done for many years, in partnership with Ray Langton (Neville Buswell).

By 1987, Ray had gone to Holland, after an adulturous relationship with cafe waitress Janice Stubbs (Angela Bruce), Len had been killed in a car crash, returning from a visit to his secret lover as it turned out, and after a brief period in the hands of Bill Webster (Peter Armitage), the yard was being rented by Terry Duckworth (Nigel Pivaro) and his good friend Curly Watts (Kevin Kennedy). An odd pairing, trying to scratch a living. Both characters had made their Street debut in 1983 and were unheard of in 1977.

How times changed...

1985: An Unfounded Rumour - And Was The Street "Out Of Touch With The '80s"?

The 1980s saw UK soap operas change radically - the arrival of Brookside in 1982 and EastEnders in 1985, both shows featuring gritty story-lines and social issues never seen before, sent out shock waves which rattled and shook the village of Beckindale and the borough of Weatherfield.

And Corrie was also battling the loss of several of its longest running characters.

The ratings remained high, but some of the tabloid newspapers had a field day - was the end of Coronation Street nigh?

I recall reading a rumour that Corrie was to end after the ITV strike of 1979. It had been off-air too long for viewers to regain interest was the rather potty logic of that particular tabloid story.

In 1985 former Street story-liner Esther Rose was in the news with a similar story:

The Sun, April 15, 1985:

Coronation Street will NOT be axed, angry TV chiefs said yesterday.

They denied a claim by Esther Rose, the Street's veteran scriptwriter, that they plan to end the TV series in December, its 25th birthday.

The show, starring Jean Alexander as Hilda Ogden, has been slammed as "out of touch with the Eighties."

Of course, the Street was not taken off during its 25th birthday month, and has outlived the Eighties, the Nineties and most of the Noughties!

Jack Howarth - MBE

Daily Mirror, December 31, 1982:

Grumpy old Albert Tatlock of Coronation Street makes a special guest appearance in the Honours List.

He receives an M.B.E. in the person of actor Jack Howarth, 86.

Jack, a great fan of the Queen and Mrs Thatcher, has played the part of cadging, cantankerous Albert for 22 years and appeared in the first episode.

In real life he has a heart of gold. He is vice-president of the Stars Organisation for Spastics and a tireless fund raiser.

Of his acting role, he says: "I'll never retire. The Street will go on forever."

A deserved honour for Jack Howarth in my opinion, one of the Street's original greats. But it's interesting to note that the article states:

Jack... has played the part of cadging, cantankerous Albert for 22 years and appeared in the first episode.

But, in the very early episodes, Albert was portrayed as being quite a jolly chap, and Elsie Tanner commented on what a lovely old gentleman he was!

Of course, it wasn't long before The Rovers regulars were hearing little gems of heartwarming patter from Mr Tatlock - like these:

"Bloomin' 'eck! You young folk don't know you're born!"

"I fought for you in't first lot!"

"I'll 'ave a rum if you're payin'."

Good old Tatters!

Back On The Street Disasters Poll - Andy Makes A Boo-Boo...

1965 and 1967 - Consternation Street.

I'm very sorry, luvs, but I've made a cock-up with this blog's first poll! I meant it to run for a month, but somehow managed to set it to end on 30 July! I've only just noticed it was closed. I thought it was odd that there had been no votes at all since the 30th!

Anyway, the Poll has been re-opened, and will run until 30 August, so please vote - I've re-posted the original explanatory blog article below.

Ta very much and ta-ra for now!

Each of Corrie's first three decades seemed to have it in for our cherished Weatherfield back Street. The apparently hippy-trippy, peace loving '60s demolished a house and then attempted to demolish the entire Street - with a train; the pissed off Punky '70s sent a raging fire and an out-of-control lorry to the Street; and the turbulent, technological and hugely shoulder-padded 1980s tried to destroy the Street's central meeting place by fire.

In detail: 1965 saw No 7 come crashing down, and in 1967 the whole Street almost followed suit when a train hurtled off the viaduct.

1975 and 1979 - EEK Street!

The 1970s were just as unkind - the Street was threatened by a huge fire at the warehouse in 1975, and then, in 1979, a lorry crashed into the Rovers Return.

1986 - Conflagration Street.

The 1980s gave absolutely nothing to report on the major structural catastrophes front until 1986, when the Rovers went up in smoke.

Which Street-shattering catastrophe gripped you the most? Was it the shuddersome moment when No 7, former home of Harry, Concepta, Lucille and Christopher Hewitt, came roaring down?

The awesome drama of the train crash, no mean feat to create on an exterior set which was built in the studios?

Or what about the warehouse blaze - with the whole Street evacuated and Edna Gee meeting a terrible end?

Memories of the horrifying Rovers lorry crash still linger - "TRACY! TRACY!"

And as for the Rovers fire - courtesy of Jack "Duck Egg" Duckworth and the wonky old electrical wiring in the pub, well, what can we say? The Street's legendary meeting place temporarily bit the dust in highly dramatic style and would never be the same again...

So, eyes right to our Poll and click on the Street-threatening drama which most sent you screeching to the edge of your seat...

Whose Dinner Is This?

It's just a bit of fun this, luvvy, just a bit of larkin' about, but can you guess whose plate of pie, marowfat peas and tomato ketchup this is? It were right tasty fare for yer dinner in 1979. Mind you, that pie looks shop-bought to me (sniffs disapprovingly).

E-mails... '80s Shoulder Pads...

Sarah has e-mailed me all the way from Canada and asks:

I loved your post on Rita and the '80s shoulders. Are you planning further glimpses of '80s fashion?

Thanks for getting in touch, Sarah. I've been watching a glut of late '80s Corrie episodes and the fashions leave me staggered. '80s fashion is back in this country - I see blonde-streaked hair, off the shoulder tops, neon socks, leggings, ra ra skirts and other '80s glories every time I go out and about. Remember the trend for neon mesh in the mid-to-late '80s? Yesterday, I saw a young girl wearing neon pink mesh arm warmers!

The men in Corrie were conservative dressers, but the women...

Yes, it might be fun to look at the Corrie fashions more closely at some point. At the moment, I'm busy hiding away '80s photographs of myself - especially the ones featuring my neon blue linen jacket (with the rather large shoulder pads), cerise vest, and huge gelled/moussed hair - complete with blonde streaks.

But when I've got over the shock of the return of the fashions, I think I'd rather enjoy doing an '80s Corrie fashion parade post for the blog (I have another blog called "80s Actual" and find that decade fascinating) - and I'd like to write Corrie fashion features on the '60s and '70s too.

Thanks again for writing!

Walling Off The Stairs At Emily's...

Emily had a rotten time, didn't she? The swinging '60s saw her stuck behind the counter at Gamma Garments with Mr Swindley - although she did break out later, having a blissful interlude with Miklos Zadic. The savage '70s (as Corrie writer and producer HV Kershaw called them) saw Emily enjoy brief happiness with Ernest Bishop. Until he was shot and killed. The turbulent '80s sent her mad Arnold Swain and Percy Sugden.

Poor Emily.

And yet she managed to keep going, managed to keep a level head.

But, like every other character in The Street, she never seemed to realise just how architecturally impossible her surroundings were. For instance, that huge Select bar at the Rovers must have extended clean out of the building and across Rosamund Street. Annie Walker's sitting room and kitchen were just the same. The Rovers loos appeared to lead into Albert Tatlock's, until 1982, when the Street suddenly appeared to grow larger, lose its graffiti and smashed viaduct windows, and sprout a tiny passageway between the Rovers and No 1. It still didn't leave space for the loos, but never mind.

The Street's front doors stood side by side (with the exception of the Rovers, No 13 and the Corner Shop), with only a drain pipe and a tiny expanse of wall between them. However, there were often quite large expanses of wall beside the front doors inside each house, and these expanses of wall were sometimes larger than others.

Albert Tatlock was poorly in 1979, and his bedroom and landing were featured in a couple of episodes. At the top of Albert's stairs was a door which, if the architecture was at all logical, would have opened into Emily's house.

The Corner Shop flat sometimes seemed to have a kitchen and sometimes not. It had a number of windows which were invisible outside.

And so on.

Of course, we accepted all this. The Street was made in a studio, sets were erected when needed and taken down afterwards, and not a great deal of attention was paid to the interior architecture. It corresponded to a degree with the exterior (although the houses were impossibly small on the outside from the '60s to the early '80s, and even the 1982 Street was rather on the small side), and we were interested in the characters.

So what if architectural abnormalities abounded?!! Who cared?

My mother certainly never noticed anything amiss.

Until some episodes which appeared in 1979.

Deirdre and a weird wall...

It was the lead-up to the Rovers lorry crash story-line, and the scene was Emily Bishop's back room. Suddenly, my mum cried: "Emily's stairs must run into her living room wall!"

And it seemed they did. Usually, the stairs ran alongside the wall, but for a few episodes, including the lorry crash itself, a new expanse of wall appeared at No 3, blocking off the stairs.

We laughed quite a lot over it, but were soon caught up in the horrors of the lorry crash story-line.

And after the lorry crash story-line, immediately afterwards, the strange new expanse of wall at No 3 disappeared.

And its occupants could use the bathroom and bedrooms again.

To this day I wonder about that wall. Why did it suddenly appear? And where did it go?

Back to normal: "I can assure you, Deirdre, there's nothing in the least odd about the walls in this house. Now, I'll make us a nice cup of tea."

Screen Capture Request - Bet Lynch

Beverley says:

Have you a nice screen cap of Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear) with her beehive hair in the '70s or '80s?

Certainly, Beverley. Here's the Street's beloved blonde (and buxom) barmaid in 1980. Looks a bit miserable, doesn't she?

Perhaps it was something to do with that swine of a lorry driver, Dan Jackson?

First, he was with Elsie Tanner. Then Bet made a play for him. The fur flew furiously when Elsie found out and she lambasted Bet across the Rovers bar. But Bet had landed herself (she thought) a fine catch with brash, macho Dan.

Dan wasn't with Bet long. She befriended a "fella" who lived across the landing from her bedsit, all completely harmless, a bit of company.

But Dan didn't like it. He punched the aforementioned "fella", and then took off when Bet remonstrated with him. He made it plain that he didn't regard Bet as anything very important in his life. There were plenty more women like her.

"Be lucky," he said.

Poor Bet.

She never was.