Why these Corrie stars are great sports...
VERA Duckworth in boxing gloves must have been husband Jack’s worst nightmare. The Street’s favourite couple had their fair share of ups and downs – but fisticuffs? Surely not.
Mind you, Vera, so brilliantly portrayed by Liz Dawn, probably packed quite a punch!
Fortunately for Jack, equally well played by William Tarmey, she only donned the gloves in May 1982 for a press publicity shot.
The couple’s big storyline at the time was Jack’s affair with barmaid Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear) – and Vera wasn’t at all amused!
It was all far less aggressive for Jean Alexander, who played the wonderful Hilda Ogden, when she shaped up for a dance workout in March 1982.
Hilda’s trademark hair-scarf and rollers were replaced by a smart white suit as Jean went through her paces.
It was no surprise that Hilda was voted the greatest TV character of all time in a Radio Times poll.
Whatever the Street threw at her over 23 years, she always met it with humour and a home-spun resilience that endeared her to millions of viewers. Her gloriously out-of-tune singing will never be forgotten!
There was never much call for horse-riding in inner city Weatherfield, but that didn’t deter Corrie actress Amanda Barrie from posing for a press shot with threetime Grand National winner Red Rum in March 1992.
It was a big year for Barrie’s character Alma Sedgewick. She finally married factory owner Mike Baldwin (Johnny Briggs).
Unfortunately, the romance didn’t last. Alma hated her husband’s underhand business tactics and divorced him after his affair with Julia Stone.
All the Coronation Street cast were out in force in Castlefield in September 1993 for the announcement of the city to host the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Manchester had put in a strong bid – and Corrie had backed it to the hilt with stars joining the campaign and even name-checking it on the programme.
The bid made it to the third round, but the International Olympic Committee ultimately decided on Sydney, Australia. Among the stars waiting to hear the news in our picture are William Roache (Ken Barlow), Julie Goodyear (Bet Lynch), Lynne Perrie (Ivy Tilsley), Barbara Knox (Rita Sullivan), Thelma Barlow (Mavis Wilton), Amanda Barrie (Alma Baldwin) and Sally Dynevor (Sally Webster).
You probably wouldn’t see Stan Ogden or Eddie Yates working out in a fitness video, but it was a different story for some of the younger Corrie faithfuls.
One of the first to take up the weights in the 1991 was Beverley Callard who plays Liz McDonald, the long-suffering wife of Jim (Charles Lawson) and mother of twins Steve (Simon Gregson) and Andy (Nicholas Cochrane).
Callard became a fitness trailblazer, releasing a string of books and exercise videos. She had a fitness page in the Daily Mirror and appeared on GMTV and This Morning.
One sport that has featured strongly on Coronation Street has been football. David Barlow (Alan Rothwell) was a professional for Weatherfield County FC before transferring to a London team in 1965.
He retired after tearing a ligament in 1965, just after his marriage to Irma Ogden.
Since then, Street stars have played in many charity football matches. Our photo shows Kevin Kennedy (Curly Watts) resplendent in a Manchester City kit in August 1993.
Actor Kennedy has strong city roots. He was born in Wythenshawe and attended St Paul’s Catholic High School and Manchester Polytechnic.
Cricket was the order of the day for Simon Gregson (Steve McDonald) and Sarah Lancashire (Raquel Watts) between takes in the summer of 1995. Both padded up – well, they only had one pad! – to face some stiff bowling from the rest of the cast and crew.
Gregson’s technique looks pretty good as he goes for a cover drive outside the Granada TV studios.
Finally, Kym Marsh (Michelle Connor), lined up with tennis ace Tim Henman at Wimbledon in May 2007.
The actress and singersongwriter made a big impact when she joined the Corrie cast in 2006. She won best newcomer at both the 2007 British Soap Awards and the 2007 National Television Awards.
She also won the 2017 British soap Award for Best Female Dramatic Performance for her harrowing portrayal of Michelle’s despair at losing baby Ruairi.
Many more memorable images of the past can be found in Clive Hardy’s brilliant book Around Manchester in the 1970s, on sale for the bargain price of £14.99.
Clive’s two companion books, Around Manchester in the 1950s and 1960s, are on sale at the special reduced price too!
Just go to the iNostalgia website inostalgia.co.uk to place your order or ring 01928 503777.