Plot
Suzie takes her overall in to make it fit her figure. Betty dreams of how to spend her £300 compensation. Suzie decides she could do worse than Steve and thinks of the machinists' reactions if she were to go out with one of the bosses. Deirdre helps Ken by typing up his annual budget report. In return Ken takes Tracy and her out for a picnic. Alf discovers Betty got free legal aid and Mike got £600 for his compensation. Deirdre tells Ken their age difference doesn't bother her. Hilda applies for a job as machinist at the factory as she wants some independence. Mike tells her she's too old to be taught the machines. Ken decides to rent a holiday cottage in the Lake District. He asks Deirdre and Tracy to join him. Deirdre isn't sure if he's propositioning her but agrees to go along.
Cast
Regular cast
- Steve Fisher - Lawrence Mullin
- Mike Baldwin - Johnny Briggs
- Suzie Birchall - Cheryl Murray
- Elsie Tanner - Patricia Phoenix
- Ken Barlow - William Roache
- Deirdre Langton - Anne Kirkbride
- Tracy Langton - Christabel Finch
- Ivy Tilsley - Lynne Perrie
- Vera Duckworth - Elizabeth Dawn
- Ida Clough - Helene Palmer
- Alf Roberts - Bryan Mosley
- Renee Roberts - Madge Hindle
- Betty Turpin - Betty Driver
- Fred Gee - Fred Feast
- Stan Ogden - Bernard Youens
- Hilda Ogden - Jean Alexander
Guest cast
None
Places
- Coronation Street exterior
- Rovers Return Inn - Public
- 1 Coronation Street - Back room and kitchen
- 11 Coronation Street - Back room/kitchen
- Corner Shop
- Baldwin's Casuals - Sewing room and office
- North Cross Park
Notes
- Last appearance of Ida Clough until 5th December 1979.
- Although scheduled, no episode was shown on Monday 23rd July 1979. This was due to a national one-day strike called by EETPU (Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union who handled electronics in the studios) and NATTKE (National Association of Theatrical, Television and Kine Employees) after rejecting a 9% pay offer from the ITV companies. Westward Television and Channel Television were the only companies still on air but they were unable to show networked programmes. The EETPU members had switched off studio equipment before the strike started and ACTT (Association of Cinematograph Television and Allied Technicians) members wouldn't switch it back on, thereby blanking out the screens. This day was within a series of incidents that led to the ten-week strike from 10th August onwards.
- TV Times synopsis: Ken Barlow and Deirdre Langton enjoy an outing to the park. Hilda Ogden gets ambitious and tries for a better job.
- Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast - 13,200,000 viewers (1st place).
| July 1979 episodes |
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