HAPPY 60TH ANNIVERSARY, CORONATION STREET!

This Wednesday (9th December) will see Coronation Street celebrate it's 60 year anniversary, so I thought I would write an article to celebrate this milestone with all of my favourite memories and more.

Over the past 60 years, Coronation Street has given us viewers many incredible memories thanks to their wonderfully fabulous storylines many of which have been gripping viewing, and have helped so many charity raising awareness and viewers open their eyes to many different issues in life.

Over the past 60 years, Coronation Street has seen many famous faces including Sir Ian McKellen, Joanna Lumley, Spice girl Mel B and Maxine Peake, Suranne Jones (Karen McDonald), Denise Welch, Anne Reid, Peter Kay, Paddy McGuiness, Katherine Kelly (Becky McDonald), June Brown (EastEnders' Dot Cotton), and Bradley Walsh (Danny Baldwin now presenter on The Chase), alongside Andrew Sachs, Joanna Lumley, John Thomson, Les Dennis, Martin Shaw, Honor Blackman, Anna Friel, Nigel Havers, Kym Marsh, Patricia Routledge, Stephanie Beacham, and many more to name a few. Michelle Keegan was a brilliant addition to the street for her amazing portrayal of Tina McIntyre, and seeing everything that she has gone on to achieve for a young girl like me its amazing and so inspiring. However, my favourite has to be Sarah Harding being the big Girls Aloud fan I was, and Sarah arriving on the cobbles as Robert Preston's ex-wife, I was laughing because the casting of Sarah was just brilliant back in 2015.

One of the very first memories, I have of the show is the Sarah Louise Platt pregnancy at the age of 13 as I remember the press in the papers and there being so much hype around the issue of teenage pregnancy. Tina O'Brien delivered this storyline with so much grace, and the worry was so honest, and believable to the character and what teenagers face in life when they make this decision. Sarah's friendship with Candice Stowe played by Nikki Sanderson was something that I remember the most because despite their differences in the situation, Candice supported her friend.

Many other of my favourite storylines include; Richard Hillman's revenge on the Platt family back in 2003. In 2004, Violet Wilson's arrival to the cobbles was one character I caught myself liking a lot because everyone knows someone like her (or at least we did at the time of the show - she reminded me of someone I went to school with). Between 2010/ 2011, Sophie and Sian's relationship because their relationship was something viewers wasn't expecting but one many enjoyed watching, The arrivals of the Kate and Aidan Connor in 2015 as it was nice to see more of the Connor family arrive for Carla as we saw the character develop and her relationship with Peter Barlow.

Alison King and Chris Gascoyne have been nothing but incredible and I love the show have realised this with everything that is being thrown at them. I can't wait to see what's to come for the characters.

In 2010, viewers saw the Tram Crash which was an incredible stunt and still one of my favourite ever episodes - what a way to celebrate their 50th anniversary.

Kylie Platt's exit storyline in 2016 was on for me that had me emotional because Paula Lane and Jack P Shepherd's working relationship was coming to an end and I adore them, and all the good and bad things that happened they stood by each other.

Coronation Street has raised awareness on so many difficult situations in life including making history by having a transgender character in Hayley Cropper, Teen Pregnancy with Sarah Louise Platt, Reign of Terror with the Phelan storyline, the heart-breaking suicide storyline with Shayne Ward's character, Aidan Connor in 2018, Cervical Cancer with Sinead Tinker's battle last year which encouraged many young people to go for their smears, Child illness/ Childhood struggles, Social Media usage, post natal depression with Gemma Winter, abuse with Yasmeen/ Geoff, and the Bethany Platt' grooming storyline back 2017/ 2018 and what an eye opening storyline this was for many of the young generation watching the show.

One thing, I love about Coronation Street is that it rolls with the times and the changing world which is just incredible.

I also enjoyed watching many of the older episodes of Corrie including the Love Triangle for Deidre Barlow with Ken Barlow and Mike Baldwin, and Mike Baldwin's death which saw him die in the arms of Ken Barlow this was one of the saddest character deaths alongside Sinead Tinker, Vera and Jack Duckworth. Blackpool episode featuring Alan Bradley's death, and many more.

Also, watching Deidre Barlow's prison storyline - the storyline, acting from Anne Kirkbride, William Roache MBE, and Johnny Biggs and all the attention to detail was very powerful, all the twists and turns made the story even more interesting and gripping for many viewers creating a government campaign.

I am so grateful to Corrie for bringing so much light, and happiness within all of their amazing years with the comedy characters including Karen McDonald, Sally Metcalfe, Kirk Sutherland, Beth Tinker, Mary Taylor to name a few.

One lady, I have to give a shout-out to the late Betty Driver for me gave an amazing portrayal as Betty Williams since I was a little girl many of her scenes are my favourite. Betty lives on through her hotpot!

Few Corrie Facts to leave you with:

There have been 57 births, 146 deaths, and 131 wedding.

Whilst two Royals have been to the cobbles of Weatherfield when Queen Elizabeth II opened the new outdoor street in 1982, and in 2000 when HRH Prince Charles appeared in an episode.

Special shout-out has to go to William Roache MBE as he has been in the show right from the very first episode bringing so much light to the Coronation Street, and it hasn't gone unnoticed by anyone you have ever worked with!

Congratulations also go to him for making the Guinness World Record Books.

To end this blog, I have to say a MASSIVE thank you to all the script writers, the directors, the press team, the producers, the editors, the story producers, the props department, the story-liners, the casting team, the make up team, the programme schedulers, the production secretaries, the costume teams, the cast over the 60 years and to everyone working behind the scenes. We appreciate everything you do to make the show incredible!