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January
Teetotal Leonard Swindley, lay preacher at the Glad Tidings Mission,
stumbles upon caretaker Ena Sharples quietly enjoying a milk stout
in the Rovers Return. Ena indignantly claims it is for medicinal
purposes, but the anxiety brings on a stroke. She collapses in
the Vestry and is taken to Weatherfield Hospital.
At Nº1, meanwhile, Albert Tatlock is found on his kitchen
floor, suffering from high blood pressure. He stubbornly refuses
to move in with his daughter Beattie. Roving merchant seaman Arnold
Tanner calls on his wife Elsie, who agrees to a divorce.
February
A fractured gas main is found outside the Rovers. PC 'Bobby' Hartley
raises the alarm and evacuates everyone to the Mission for the
night. Ena strongly objects, but is overruled by Leonard Swindley.
Disgruntled, she orders no smoking, talking or 'funny business'
- and lights out in the dormitory.
Rovers landlord Jack Walker takes his bowls bag for safe-keeping,
and finds his old wartime love letters to Annie. Martha Longhurst
later finds one behind a radiator and wrongly accuses Annie of
having a secret lover.
March
Ena misreads a notice outside Weatherfield Town Hall and starts
a rumour that Coronation Street is to be demolished. The Street's
first wedding: Jack and Annie Walker's daughter Joan marries teacher
Gordon Davies. Annie is pleased she has done well for herself
- Jack is unhappy at the prospect of a teetotal, vegetarian son-in-law.
But as one door opens . . . Ken Barlow ends his affair with middle
class Susan Cunningham, explaining that their backgrounds are
worlds apart.
April
The Street sends Ena to Coventry for rumour-mongering. She sprains
her ankle and moves into Nº7 Mawdesley Street with widow
Martha Longhurst. Ivan and Linda Cheveski buy Nº9 for £565.
Ken Barlow has an affair with an older woman - university librarian
Marion Lund is thirty-three, Ken is twenty-one.
Rovers regulars take a coach trip to Windermere. Elsie invites
rugged Detective Inspector Arthur Dewhurst, whom she had found
beaten up outside her back-yard gate. Lucille Hewitt returns to
her father, and his widowed sister Alice Burgess agrees to keep
house for them.
May
Ena is back at the Mission with a ten shillings a week rise. Elsie
has a brief fling with commercial traveller Walter Fletcher, but
ditches him for the Detective Inspector. Her decree nisi from
Arnold is granted. Billy Walker, Jack and Annie's son, is back
from National Service and starts his first job as a mechanic at
the Blue Bell Garage.
June
Linda Cheveski goes into labour while visiting Dot Greenhalgh,
Elsie's work-mate from Miami Modes, and the Street welcomes its
first baby - Paul Cheveski weighs in at 7lb 2 .5oz. Ena takes
a holiday in Bridlington to recover from her ankle injury. Ken
Barlow closes the book on his affair with librarian Marion - their
age difference is too great, he tells her.
At Nº5 Tom Hayes, a one-armed bandit entrepreneur, moves
in with his sister Esther. Mission-gower Emily Nugent closes her
Mawdesley Street baby linen shop and amalgamates with Leonard
Swindley's Rosamund Street haberdashery business.
July
Ken Barlow's exam results come through: BA 2nd Class Hons, English
and History. Leo and Mario Bonarti open an Italian restaurant
in Rosamund Street. Christine Hardman falls for handsome Mario's
Latin charm.
August
Another exam success as Lucille Hewitt passes her 11-Plus. Florrie
Lindley wins £500 on a new government schme called Premium
Bonds. Frank Barlow is promoted to supervisor at the GPO. Ken's
pulse quickens as he meets Valerie Tatlock for the first time.
Val has her own hairdresser's shop - Maison Valerie in Rosamund
Street - and has moved into Nº1 with her Uncle Albert.
September
Baby Paul Cheveski is christened, but tragedy mars the celebrations.
Ida Barlow is horrifically killed beneath the wheels of a bus
as she crosses the road. Tile Street Police Station investigates
the accident.
October
Rovers regulars go to Blackpool Illuminations. Glowering Ena is
left behind by the bus and has to hitch a lift home on a lorry.
On the coach trip home Harry Hewitt proposes to the Rovers Irish
barmaid Concepta Riley. Their wedding reception is held at the
Greenfield Hotel - Annie Walker is unequipped for catering - and
the couple leave for a honeymoon at the Cresta Hotel, Port Erin.
Doreen Lostock takes over as barmaid at the Rovers. Ken Barlow
goes into industry as assistant personnel officer at Amalgamated
Steel.
Romance rears its head again for Elsie Tanner. An old Navy chum
of Len Fairclough, Chief Petty Officer Bill Gregory, sweeps her
off her feet and returns to his ship, leaving Elsie under the
impression that he is single.
November
Business is bad for Leonard Swindley. Teetering on the brink of
bankruptcy he is taken over by Spiros Papagopolous, and a new
sign goes up: 'Gamma Garments'. Ken quits Amalgamated Steel after
a row with his boss, and takes a teaching post at Bessie Street
School.
Ena is caught again nursing a stout in the Rovers, and accused
of intemperance by Leonard Swindley. She resigns in a huff from
the Mission, and moves in with her friend Minnie Caldwell in Jubilee
Terrace.
December
The Cheveski's emigrate to a new home at 1207 Central Avenue,
Montreal, where Ivan has found work as an engineer. Annie Walker
enters the world of cuisine and provides the sandwiches for a
farewell party at the Rovers. Elsie accompanies them to Ringway
Airport by taxi for a tearful farewell. Ena, Martha and Minnie
celebrate Christmas at the Rovers.