Taking a trip down Coronation Street
My earliest memory of Coronation Street was when I was really small, lying in bed (a 7pm bedtime!) listening to the music when my Mum switched the television on downstairs. I’ve followed it ever since, so the opportunity to explore this national treasure (that’s what we call it in Manchester) was too exciting to be missed! For the first time, guests have been invited behind the scenes to take a fascinating journey, to the very heart of our longest running, er, national treasure.
The journey starts in the green room, where the stars relaxed or rehearsed lines, you can take a look at the well worn pigeon holes for fan mail, including my favourite, labelled – Dame Antony Cotton. I took a peek into Rita’s dressing room, she had wallpapered it and brought in flowers; David Platt installed a camp bed in his! The wardrobe and dressing room areas were fascinating – the fur, the cardigans, the wedding dresses!!
Amazing to see the dressed sets – Carla’s flat, the Platts’ living room and kitchen, The Rovers, Underworld, and you can actually dine, dance, or simply have a pint, or perhaps a glass of champagne right amongst them.
Audio clips from scenes past and present echo through the studios, bringing everything to life, and film clips are also there to enjoy
Outside, the cobbles, the cladding, the shop fronts, the garage, The Rovers, the back alleys, they are all there and it all feels so familiar.
The cast have signed the walls, taken bits of wallpaper and memorabilia from the sets to their new home, it looks like they were as fond of this space as I am.
Coronation Street is available for corporate events until 2015. It’s unique and almost completely flexible (don’t actually step onto a dressed set and try and wash up, but you can pull a pint in the Rovers). Largest capacity is 250 for a standing reception and its licensed until half past eleven in the evening.
By ‘eck it’s good.
– Rachel