Coronation Street has been the nation's favorite television show since 1960, but the street has a history before becoming famous on TV. In the early 1900s, Sir Humphrey Swinton envisioned modern housing to replace tenements in Weatherfield. Mawdsley Street and Albert Street were completed, later renamed Coronation Street in 1902 to celebrate King Edward VII's coronation. The Rovers Return pub opened in the same year and has been the heart of the community ever since, passing between several owners throughout the decades.

1. CORONATION STREET – BEFORE OUR SCREENS
Since 1960, Coronation Street has become the Nation’s Favourite television show.
Millions of viewers have settled down to witness the goings on of a little back street
in Weatherfield.
However, the street has a history all of its own, way before the British public became
fascinated with all the goings on, on a small cobbled street.
It is the turn of the 20th Century, & a vision of a new Weatherfield enters the mind of
Sir Humphrey Swinton. Modern working class housing were tobe put in place of
tenements that were cleared and demolished.
Mawdsley Street;
(Martha Longhurst: 1896 – 1964, lived at Number 7 Mawdsley Street.
However during The Blitz, Number 13 Coronation Street became her
home along with her husband Percy whilst her home was being re-built.)
& Albert Street were the last to be completed.
Located behind Hardcastle’s Mill (which in the future would become
Elliston’s Raincoat Factory, where residents including Christine
Hardman, Sheila Birtles & Doreen Lostock were employed) The row of
houses would include a front room, a living/dining room with a coal fire & an
adjoining scullery, on the ground floor.
Three bedrooms would also accompany these on the upper floor, however no indoor
lavatories were tobe included, therefore outdoor toilets were installed in the
backyards.
Also additionally joining the street was a Corner Shop at the end of the street which
connected with Victoria Street (nowViaduct Street) and a public house entitled
The Rover’s Return on the opposite end. The Glad Tidings Mission Hall although
technically part of Victoria Street as also built at the same time. Adjoining this would
be The Vestry.
(The Vestry was accommodation for the caretaker of the mission which
in 1966 was Ena Sharples. 1966 was not a particularly good year for Ena
as that year her daughter Vera Lomax came to stay with her in The Vestry
and sadly died of a brain tumour the following January.
1990 saw a re-development on Coronation Street and The Kabin now
stand’s in place where The Vestry once was. 2004 saw Norris Cole, Rita
Sullivan, Betty Williams and Blanche Hunt hold a séance to contact
Vera’s ghost)
The houses were complete, the names of the streets were given – however when
celebration’s began to celebrate the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902,
Weatherfield then decided to re-name Albert Street toCoronation Street and thus a
legend was born.

2. THE ROVERS RETURN
Since being built, the true heart of the street has always been (and I’m sure always
will be) The Rovers – how the name came to be is again a fascinating story all of its
own. Bringing with it a tale of courage, and fighting for our country.
When Lt Phillip Ridley returned home safe from fighting in the Boar War, it was then
decided to name the new public house in his honour as The Rover’s Return. This
name remained until 1918 when celebrations began for the safe homecoming of
soldiers after WWI. Thus the apostrophe was then removed to then make it The
Rovers Return.
Even though Annie & Jack Walker were at the forefront of The Rovers when we
began watching Coronation Street, there were in fact the third couple to become
Rovers licensees.
16th August 1902 was when The Rover’s first opened its doors. The first pints were
pulled by mill owner Charles Hardcastle and a lady called Mabel Grimshaw (who
was an associate of Sir Humphrey Swinton and the lady who went on to
complete the plans for the street after Swinton’s death. Her legacy lives
on just around the corner as Rosamund Street is named after her for she
had performed in a cabaret act under the name Rosa Hanbury)
It was then up to Jim Corbishley – a former grocery shop owner and his wife Nellie
to begin greeting those who walked through the doors. They would run the pub until
1918. That year due tosadly losing their son Charlie in 1916 whilst he was fighting in
WWI, they decided to leave bad memories behind.
A retired police sergeant by the name of George Diggins then took pride of place
behind the bar along with wife Mary.
George enlisted as a policeman which at one point proved not exactly a wise decision.
He stood against both friends and neighbours in a march on Town Hall, resulting in
them boycotting The Rovers. That didn’t last long and peace was formed. Even
though the couple enjoyed their time in Weatherfield, Southport beckoned in 1937
and thus once again a new era began.
A newlywed couple took over in the shape of Mr and Mrs Walker – Jack and Annie
Walker to be precise. It was shortly before Annie gave birth to son Billy that they
arrived in Weatherfield. In Annie’s mind it was a stepping stone into an area
featuring a more enlightened clientele stepping through the doors.
(Over the year’s Annie would not receive more enlightened customers
than those of the residents of Coronation Street – practically nothing
would escape her notice. Even when in 1977 a surprise party was held to
celebrate her 40 years behind the bar, the words “enlighten me dear,
what on earth is the matter” never passed her lips, instead she would say
“You see dear after 40 years on these premises there is nothing,
absolutely nothing that escapes my notice”)

3. World War II would affect the Walkers in 1939 when Jack received the papers for
service. Annie was left not just to rule the roost at The Rovers, but to also take care of
son Billy and from 1940 that of daughter Joan as well.
A Cheshire pub was an idea fixated in Annie’s mind in 1954, but when she was
deemed too common by those living there, Annie had no choice but to continue her
life in Weatherfield – and so then from 1960 the British public know the rest.
Many residents of the street have hidden stories pre-1960. However that is not to
take away the great event’s and stories that have enthralled the nation making
Coronation Street the nation’s favourite – and long may it reign.