Episode 247 (24th April 1963)

Plot

Dennis mistakes Christopher for a baby girl. Jerry helps Val find a ring that dropped into the sink drainpipe. Dennis asks to use the Barlows's phone rather than the Rovers's one and enquires when the 9.25am London train will arrive. Ena warns Val that Dennis will take advantage of her. Ena treats herself and Martha to a shampoo and set using her legacy money from Alice. They think Frank must have something else on his mind to recover from Christine so easily. The Rovers men only just won their match. Frank questions Len about the DIY market and how it affects him. Len is puzzled by his questions. In Swindley's absence, Emily and Doreen happily run Gamma Garments very smoothly and persuade Concepta to buy more items than she intended to purchase. Doreen is enthused enough to delay going on her lunch with a surprised Sheila. Dennis can't switch off the scullery tap and sends Minnie to fetch Len. She momentarily forgets and Len is late. Once he's arrived Dennis rushes to Manchester Central Station and puts out a message for Mavis Fox to meet him but she has made her own way to the street. She is puzzled that it doesn't have large detached houses with double garages. Hearing she's from London, Len guesses that there's a connection with Dennis. Mavis waits in the Rovers, puzzling Annie, Ena and Martha. Len tells Dennis where to find her when he returns. He catches up with her and she tells him that her mum suggested she follow him when he suddenly disappeared. He explains that his "Grannie Mottershead" lives in the street whilst he's looking after his father's mill. She is thrilled and he installs her in a hotel. An amused Len overhears their conversation. Emily and Doreen fall for two good-looking van drivers, Alf and Fred who transfer some of their stock to the Lancaster Street branch on head office's instructions. Frank drops a hint that he may be leaving the GPO. Len warns Dennis against getting Elsie involved in whatever he's up to. Emily rings head office and discovers there was no transfer and the stock has been stolen.

Cast

Regular cast

Guest cast

Places

Coronation Street exterior
Rovers Return Inn - Public
9 Coronation Street - Front room and hallway
11 Coronation Street - Back room, hallway and scullery
15 Mawdsley Street - Back yard
Gamma Garments
Manchester Central Station

Notes

Len Fairclough states he had left his previous employer, Hargreaves, whereas in April 1962 he was sacked from Birtwistles.
The tap in No.11's scullery stops pouring out water before the first scene concerning it ends, making a nonsense of Dennis Tanner's desperation for Minnie Caldwell to fetch Len Fairclough. The prop is successfully restarted before the next scene in which it appears.
The scene in Manchester Central Station was recorded on film and contained a dubbed station announcement for Mavis Fox recorded by an unknown actress.
From Episode 172 (6th August 1962) to Episode 459 (5th May 1965) the programme featured a standardised cast list for the regular characters. This means that in this episode the following were credited but did not appear: Jack Walker (Arthur Leslie), Elsie Tanner (Patricia Phoenix), Florrie Lindley (Betty Alberge), Leonard Swindley (Arthur Lowe) and Christine Appleby (Christine Hargreaves).
TV Times synopsis: Visitors - for Dennis Tanner and Gamma Garments
Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast - 7,475,000 homes (3rd place).

April 1963 episodes
← Mon 1st • Wed 3rd • Mon 8th • Wed 10th • Mon 15th Wed 17th • Mon 22nd • Wed 24th • Mon 29th →