Issue #0020

Farewell Maggie Jones (aka Blanche Hunt)

Readers of this newsletter who subscribed through the new Feedburner service will have received the newsflash about the sudden death of Corrie actress Maggie Jones (Blanche Hunt).

Blighty’s Corrie Fan Newsletter is saddened to learn that actress Maggie Jones, who played the role of Blanche Hunt on Coronation Street, has passed away. She was 75 years old.

As previously reported in this newsletter, Maggie received surgery for an undisclosed life-threatening condition a few weeks ago. It had been reported that she was recovering and had been in good spirits, but sadly she passed away in her sleep on Wednesday 2nd December in hospital in England.

Blighty’s Corrie Fan Newsletter will pay tribute to Maggie in our next issue. I am sure that all Corrie fans will share our sorrow in losing so fine an actress. May she walk forever, without pain or distress, on heaven’s own cobbles.

If you didn’t receive this newsflash you may still be subscribed through the old manual system which will be phased out in January. To continue receiving this newsletter – and to get interim newsflashes – you should act now to re-subscribe through the new Feedburner email subscription system (see Issue #0019 for details of how to do this).

Who Was Maggie Jones?

She was born in 1934 in Yorkshire, England. She studied dramatic arts at the British Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA). She performed in repertory theatre, appeared in many popular British TV shows and was married to lawyer John Stansfield from 1971 until his death, aged 72, on New Years Day 1999. Maggie and John did not have any children. Maggie is survived by her sister Joan.

Maggie’s Roles on Corrie

Maggie Jones played three different roles on Coronation Street. We all know and love her for her portrayal of the sharp-tongued Blanche Hunt but that was not her first role. Maggie’s first single episode appearance on the show was as a policewoman in 1961 – the first full year of Coronation Street. Later on she played the part of a drunken shoplifter in another guest appearance.

Her big break came in 1974 when she first played the part of Blanche Hunt, but Maggie was not the producers first choice of actress for that part. Blanche Hunt was originally played by actress Patricia Cutts, but Cutts committed suicide after only two episodes. The writers had already created a storyline involving Blanche and had to find a replacement actress in a big hurry. Maggie Jones had auditioned for the role, losing out to Cutts when the role was cast and was invited to take over.

Maggie accepted the invitation and began a Corrie career that was to last for another 35 years. At first, Blanche made only occasional appearances but all that changed in 1999 when she became a mainstream character. Maggie’s character was written out in October of this year due to the actress’s illness. Corrie writers were anxious to bring her back but an undisclosed life-threatening condition landed her in hospital in Salford, near Manchester for major surgery.

The surgery went well and Maggie was on the road to recovery until her condition once again took a turn for the worse. Maggie Jones died peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday 2nd December.

How Will You Remember Blanche Hunt?

Fellow Corrie cast member William Roache (Ken Barlow) remembers Maggie Jones as a physically frail but sharp-witted woman with the mental agility of a woman half her age.

Will you remember Blanche as an acid-tongued “battle axe”? Or did you empathize with a lonely old widow whose life left her embittered and unhappy? Will you remember her for her famous one line quotes? My favourite from those re-published in the press since her death comes from an exchange between Blanche and Norris Cole in which Norris complains: “Speed bumps? Oh no, they are so ugly and unattractive.” To which Blanche responds: “So are you, but at least they have some use.”

Did you ever meet the actress behind Blanche Hunt? Please take a few moments to share your thoughts with other Corrie fans. Use the comment box at the bottom of this newsletter to have your say (you may need to view the web version of the newsletter to see the comments box).

Steve MacDonald’s 20th Anniversary

Honestly, I just don’t get it. Why do so many of you ladies like this character? Steve MacDonald has had more girlfriends and wives than any man is entitled to have. He is a cheat, a liar and a heartbreaker. So what is about him that you like? No really, I am anxious to find out. Somebody humour me here. Send me a comment to explain the allure of this fella. Is it his eyes? Or his smile? Or …

Anyway, back to our headline. Steve MacDonald is celebrating his 20th anniversary. Yes, I know, he hasn’t been married long enough to any woman to earn a 20th evening sitting down to a candlelit dinner with champagne and a big bunch of red roses in his hand. However, he still has a very good reason for celebrating 20 years of something else; something very important in fact. Actor Simon Gregson has been playing the role of Steve MacDonald on Coronation Street for 20 years.

How Did Simon Get the Job?

It was easy according to Simon. Granada recruiters visited schools in the Manchester area looking for likely candidates. Of course, when the students heard they had a chance to appear on TV a large number of them applied.

Simon was one of the applicants. He went for an audition and a week later he had a job. Sounds so easy the way Simon tells it doesn’t it?. Simon also reported that his mother still thinks the job won’t last. Well her boy now has 20 years under his belt and his character is right at the epicentre of a big storyline here in Canada. We think he is here to stay.

Steve and Becky

So Steve has dumped Michelle and become engaged to Becky. Michelle has told both Steve and Becky that she doesn’t expect the relationship to last. Will she be proved right, or will Steve and Becky meet at the altar sometime in the future? And, if they do marry, will they start their own family? Will Becky become a warm, nurturing mother to Steve’s children?

The answer to one of those questions is embroidered across the back of Becky’s bikini bottoms in the movie “Romanian Holiday”. If you have seen the movie you may have spotted the spoiler as Becky dives into a pool.

The answers to some of those questions haven’t even hit the screens in the UK yet. I know how I can see the plot developing (and yes, I do know the UK storyline – want me to share it? Then read this newsletter’s spoilers page).

Ok, really girls, what is it you see in this guy?

Sunita’s Back – Over There

On UK screens, as we predicted in Blighty’s Corrie Fan Newsletter some time ago, actress Shobna Gulati has returned to Coronation Street. Shobna, who plays the estranged wife of hapless philanderer Dev Alahan, left the show in 2005. Press reports in the UK say she quit to spend more time with her young son. Shobna is a single parent.

She told a different story to hundreds of eager fans during her appearance at Toronto’s British Isles Show a few years ago. In a live radio station interview conducted on the show floor she told fans she had left Corrie for anothe British comedy show (Dinnerladies) because the filming schedule for Coronation Street was very demanding and … because the other show paid better!

Who’s Not Who?

Prestigious publication “Who’s Who” has just released its 2010 edition. The book is a sought after reference work detailing the life and achievements of Britain’s most well-known people. The new volume contains two entries involving Coronation Street: Sarah Lancashire and Bill Kenwright. Well done Bill and Sarah!

Excuse me? Did you say Sarah who? Bill Who? How many famous “Bills’ are there with a claim to fame on the cobbles anyway? Bill Roache? 49 years on the show and still working at age 77 but – according to Who’s Who – still a nobody! No disrespect intended to Bill Kenwright though. Bill played the part of Gordon Clegg for a couple of years in the 1960s; he is also chairman of Everton Football Club in England.

And Sarah? That’s Sarah Lancashire who played Curly Watts’ dumb blonde wife Raquel from 1991-1996 and then again briefly in 2000. Congratulations Sarah.

Coronation Streetview

Do you remember the big announcement, some months ago, that Google’s Streetview camera car had been given permission to drive up and down the Coronation Street set, filming the set for live viewing by fans all over the world?

It takes Google months of work to turn the raw images into the street view that you can see on Google Maps. Well, those months of hard work are now complete and you can see the results online.

The easiest way to take a sneak peek is to visit ITV.com’s streetview page. I was a little disappointed at what I saw. Only Coronation Street itself was available. No Streetcars, no Roy’s Rolls. But you can easily do a fly-by of the Rovers Return, The Kabin, Underworld, D&S Alahan’s Corner Store and all the homes on Coronation Street.

It all looks so much smaller than it does on the show of course. That is the skill of the show’s camera crews in action. Take a look, you’ll enjoy it.

Corrie Postage Stamp?

The British Post Office will be issuing a new stamp next year. It will feature an image from one of the UK’s leading soap operas. And, of course, our Corrie is one of the lead contenders. British TV viewers will vote soon on which show will make it. Coronation Street is tipped to make the cut during its 50th centenary year. Should be a slam dunk for the cobbles. We’ll keep you updated on the result.

Fan Feedback

Here is a picture submitted by Corrie fan Christine from Winnipeg. Christine is second from left sitting beside that strange looking young fellow who works in the neighborhood. Take a look up at the top of the picture. Yes – no ceiling! The group are sitting inside Roy’s Rolls cafe, of course. Was Roy was on vacation in Romania with wife Hayley, perhaps?

Anybody who has been lucky enough to visit the set in person will have seen how camera tricks are used to make a film set look real. The next time you see Roy’s place on TV just mentally look up a little and remember that the cafe has no ceiling.

Thanks for the great picture Christine – John

Lynn in Toronto writes: I have been watching the show from the beginning – around 1960. At first I was sorry when you wrote all the old actors out of the show many years ago and brought in the younger people. It’s good to bring it up-to-date, but don’t get rid of the oldies. I was so sorry to see “Mrs. Duckworth” leave. I’d like to see “Mike Baldwin” return.

Well Lynn, we lost Blanche but we still have Jack, Emily and Ken – John

Cheryl writes: I have watched the show since Dec. 1960 with my mom and dad in England, and have followed the show ever since. Missing it so much when we moved to Canada in 1966; we were so glad to see it come to Canada. We had our friends in England keeping us up to date each month with letters from England and phone calls. My trip to England in 2000 I planned to go to see the cobbles only to find out they closed the set for reno and never opened it again. I would love to see them. It is a life time dream of mine.  Thanks for the newsletter I eat up all things Corrie. They are all like family.

You are so right Cheryl; all Corrie fans around the world are part of that family – John

Pauline writes: Love your newsletters, please keep them coming.  I have watched Coronation Street since the 60s (both in England and here in Canada).  Thank you.

You are very welcome Pauline; glad you like the newsletters,, a lot of work goes into preparing them – John

Mary writes: I like your newsletter …

Thank you Mary. I appreciate that kind of feedback – John

Tricky Picture Contest

We received lots of entries for the last mystery picture competition and we learned one thing about fans – you are all very smart. The winner will be drawn from a hat on December 15th. We are making this one a little harder to figure out. Send your entry using the comment form at the bottom of this newsletter (you may have to view this newsletter on the web to see the comment form). The winner will be drawn on 27th December and will receive a $20 shopping credit plus free shipping from Blighty’s online shop.

In this image Kevin Webster and Tyrone Dobbs are watching a mystery character perform some unauthorized bodywork on a car. Who is the mystery character?

You will have to think back over the storyline to work this one out. The scene has been viewed on CBC Television here in Canada so no spoilers are involved.

Good luck everybody!

Last Chance to Shop for Christmas

It is mid-December already. If you haven’t yet ordered gifts for your Corrie friends you can still get them shipped to your door before Christmas – but only if you act quickly. Blighty’s online shop has a lot of the great food and candy that the cast of Coronation Street might just have on their own tables this Christmas. We also have your favourite Corrie fan gifts like the official 50th Anniversary calendar, coffee mugs and a few remaining copies of the fabulous 1100 page book “Coronation Street – The Complete Saga”.

Blighty’s Corrie Fan Newsletter will be back after Christmas. Have a fabulous holiday and keep watching the world’s greatest show. Merry Christmas, John.