Ciaran is the new Ida Clough . . .

Not literally of course! That would just be silly. No, on tonight's first episode I was struck by the general blandness of Ciaran as he bade farewell to that other piece of boredom in rowdy bloom, Michelle. In the same way that dour old Ida Clough was used to pad out a scene back in the 1980s, we now have the likes of Ciaran and Michelle. I don't particularly care if they are there or not. On they come, inconsequential and they waft back out again. Of course, not everyone can be at the centre of the action all of the time and Ciaran follows in the footsteps of fine scene fillers such as Tricia Hopkins, Phyllis Pearce, Samantha Failsworth . . . and Ida Clough. We salute you!

Corrie Conventions?

"Doctor Who" fans do it. "The Archers" fans do it. Even fans of the "Eurovision Song Contest" do it! I'm talking conventions of course. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places but I was wondering if and when "Corrie" fans gather together to celebrate all things Weatherfield.

If so, is it a case of a mass viewing of old episodes, a few quizzes and the odd star guest. Does it follow the "Star Trek" theme where people arrived in character? I'm not totally sure I'd want to spend a day in the company of 120 Bet Lynches . . .

Maybe a national convention would be a bit of a nightmare to organise but do fans get together locally? Let me know - it would be great to hear what you think!

Who was Nita Valerie?

Harking back to "The Road to Coronation Street" I was fascinated to the point of delerium by the mention of actress Nita Valerie, the Ena Sharples who never was.

Ms Valerie was something of a name in theatre circles. She is also listed as something of a supporting actress, including a one episode appearance in "Corrie" in 1966 as cleaner Polly Sagan.

The "Other Ena", Nan Marriott-Watson seemingly was a star on Broadway so it would have been an interesting journey to the cobbles of Weatherfield.

If anyone knows more about these two unsung heroes, please let me know!

Countdown to the 50th!

Well, here at "Clinkers" we are delerious with anticipation to discover the full details of what will be happening down Weatherfield way in the next few months. The questions I want answering are:

Will Rita get a new carpet in her bathroom?

Will Gail manage to find even more hideous jackets?

Can Gail come to terms with the fact that her eldest son is now ten years older than she is?

Is there a Michelle Connor related storyline that I can actually take an interest in?

Will Owen admit to being Ricky Gervais?

Can David find his electric shaver?

Oh I could go on and no doubt will.

Ready for the big night?

Only a couple of days to go now until BBC4 unveils "The Road to Coronation Street". Judging by the available previews, this one-off drama looks to be of the same standard as previous forays into the world of "Steptoe & Son" and Kenneth Williams. No doubt all eyes will be on Jessie 'Kat Moon' Wallace as she dons a northern accent and 'does' Pat Phoenix. Personally I'm looking forward to seeing Lynda Baron sail into battle as Violet Carson/Ena Sharples. Oh and let's spare a thought for poor old Nan Marriott-Watson who was Ena in the pilot episode - but who wasn't quite 'Ena' enough!

The journey begins . . .

Hello! A warm welcome to my world, a world devoted to all things "Coronation Street". Yes, the aim of this blog is to celebrate the best continuing drama on British television. "Corrie" has kept me entertained since the early 1970s so it's time to give a little back. Actors, characters, storylines - there's a wealth of information to enjoy.

Oh and as for the blog name? Anyone who saw the wonderful Victoria Wood homage to "Corrie" back in the 1980s will know exactly what I'm talking about!