Wednesday 13 October 2010

Granada Studios Tour - More Memories...

Straying out of the '60s, 70s and '80s for a moment - I came across a few more piccies of the Granada Studios Tour yesterday and thought you might enjoy a peek. The Tour is, of course, related to our subject era as it debuted in the 1980s!

There's me above, outside the Corner Shop looking very youthful. If you could see me now... My physog has, as usual, been blanked out to protect those of a nervous disposition.

The shop looks very much as it did after its 1985 transformation into Alf's Mini Market, except for the twee latticed window added by Brendan Scott in the early 1990s.

I was sitting on the pavement outside the Corner Shop with my wife on one visit. It was a quiet moment on the Street, and we were reminiscing, when who should appear from a small door under one of the viaduct arches but Gail Tilsley - actress Helen Worth! Having got over the shock, we were delighted to see her, and she chatted happily with us about the 1970s days when Gail lived in the shop flat with Tricia Hopkins, and the 1980s days when Gail's Mam, awful Aud, married the shop owner.

And also the doings of Suzie Birchall!

It was lovely to meet Helen Worth - she was absolutely charming to chat with - and we also met the wonderful Bill Waddington (Percy Sugden), another of our favourite characters, on a different occasion. He told us that some people taking the tour had informed him that they were afraid of getting told off by Percy as they went round the exterior set!

Taking a stroll in some very English weather!

We managed to sneak a peek at the interior of No 7 - the posh new house built by Len Fairclough in 1982. Posh? We're tellin' you, lovey, it were a right 'ole. Concrete floors, kitchen that small you couldn't swing a cat...

The Duckworths' house, complete with bar, was, of course, much classier!

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