{"id":388338,"date":"2025-09-01T02:26:23","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T02:26:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/388338\/"},"modified":"2025-09-01T02:26:23","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T02:26:23","slug":"at-the-gates-of-coronation-street-studios-with-the-superfans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/388338\/","title":{"rendered":"At the gates of Coronation Street studios with the superfans"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cYou make friends for life here because you\u2019re interested in the same thing. You have a shared interest and you put the world to rights.\u201dCoronation street fans.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s midday on a grey and rather chilly August afternoon and Brian Altman has wheeled his Corrie themed suitcase over from a budget hotel to the gates of the Coronation Street<\/a> set.<\/p>\n

He is one of six fans pitched up here in Trafford<\/a> today, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favourite cast members – but there are often far more.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were about 37 people here last week,\u201d Brian tells me.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s probably the best known Corrie superfan, featured in the pages of the Manchester Evening News<\/a> and known for his many tributes to the cast in photo montages.<\/p>\n

Get news, views and analysis of the biggest stories with the daily Mancunian Way newsletter – sign up <\/strong>here<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

He is wearing a fabulous M&Ms shirt draped casually over an enviable \u2018Free the Weatherfield One\u2019 top, which features a doe-eyed image of the wrongly convicted Deirdre Rachid behind bars.<\/p>\n

Brian Altman(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

It was a storyline so big back in 1998 that a newspaper campaign to free Deirdre was even mentioned in Parliament by then Prime Minister Tony Blair.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey gave these t-shirts out in The Sun at the time. They\u2019re quite rare now,\u201d Brian says.<\/p>\n

He’s right. A cursory glance on eBay reveals just one such garment available for sale.<\/p>\n

Brian, 63, is also wearing wonderful blue-rimmed glasses much like the kind sported by Bettabuy boss Reg Holdsworth.<\/p>\n

Ken Morely, aka Reg Holdsworth, was one of the first cast member’s Brian Altman met<\/p>\n

Ken Morley, who played Reg, was one of the first stars Brian met back at the old Granada Studios on Quay Street. He has been an avid collector of pictures, autographs and memorabilia ever since.<\/p>\n

In fact, his Glasgow flat has become a shrine to the soap<\/a> with items such as Becky McDonald’s wedding dress and a letter from Doris Speed among Brian\u2019s most treasured possessions.<\/p>\n

His regular pilgrimages to Manchester to meet the stars of the show see him waking at the ungodly hour of 2.45am to catch the first train from Glasgow Central so he can be at the studio gates as early as possible. Then, he waits patiently.<\/p>\n

(Image: MEN)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great when they stop. There are some who don\u2019t want to so it makes it all the more worthwhile when they give up their time,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will never forget how hard they work. I\u2019ve seen them go in at 7am and come back out at 7pm. To do all that and still say \u2018hello\u2019 is wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian with Tina O’Brien<\/p>\n

Brian is not the only one with a long history of autograph hunting here.<\/p>\n

Janet has set up her turquoise camping chair directly next to the automatic barrier which lets cast and crew past the security lodge and into the studios.<\/p>\n

She doesn\u2019t have a camera with her – just a little autograph book reserved for Corrie and Emmerdale cast members.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been coming donkey\u2019s years,\u201d she says. \u201cI started when it was Granada on Quay Street. It was great back then, you could get loads of people there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Janet has been collection autographs from cast members for years(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

Janet was also here yesterday and \u201csat around all day\u201d before Sue Nicholls, who plays Audrey, and Cait Fitton who plays Lauren, eventually came out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve not got a camera phone and I wouldn\u2019t know how to use it anyway so I just get the autographs,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just a buzz. I\u2019m not bothered about taking photographs but I have got loads of autographs at home and they mean something to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got autographs too,\u201d says 18-year-old Chloe Roylance – a superfan whose ultimate aim is to become an actor on the show.<\/p>\n

Corrie fan Chloe Roylance outside the studio gates(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

She\u2019s only been coming down to the gates from Walkden<\/a> for a few months, but she loves it and has made friends here.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been watching it for ages,\u201d she says. \u201cMy favourite man on the show is David Platt. And Betsy – I like her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suddenly, a big black SUV rolls around the corner and up to the gates. Brian and the girls wave wildly and there\u2019s a wave back from the driver\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s Sally Dynevor, who has played Sally Metcalfe (nee Webster, nee Seddon) on the soap since 1986.<\/p>\n

Coronation street fans.<\/p>\n

I find myself going: \u201cOooh\u201d and offering up a little wave – even though I haven\u2019t watched Corrie since the Bet Lynch days.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee,\u201d says Chloe. \u201cYou\u2019ll be coming back yourself now.\u201d<\/p>\n

I laugh but tell them I understand, as a dedicated Neighbours fan myself, what it is to meet one of your soap heroes. After all, I once followed Alan Fletcher – aka Dr Karl Kennedy – down a good length of Oxford Road<\/a> in the hope of catching his attention before it was eventually pointed out I might be arrested.<\/p>\n

So what is it that inspires these particular fans to give up so much of their free time to come to the gates of the studio and wait, sometimes for 12 hours at a time?<\/p>\n

\u201cI find it relaxing,\u201d says 42 year-old Clare. \u201cI like the area. Coming from a very busy place, I think it\u2019s calm here.<\/p>\n

The fans wave as cast members pass by<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve made some friends here. It\u2019s about socialising with people who have the same interests.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been watching forever. It has a special place in my heart because I watched it with my parents. It\u2019s a memory thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou make friends for life here because you\u2019re interested in the same thing. You have a shared interest and you put the world to rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

As we\u2019re talking, a large black minivan drives up to the gates and the fans wave and shout out.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Molly, the little girl,\u201d they tell me.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re talking about Molly Kilduff, a child actor currently playing Shanice. Her mum waves back and politely explains that she\u2019s not allowed to stop for pictures. Not long after Savanna Pennington, who plays Joanie, is also driven past.<\/p>\n

Brian explains to me that the girls must be filming a scene with Sally Dynevor – as they\u2019re all part of the same storyline.<\/p>\n

The number of cast who stop totally depends on the day, Chloe tells me. And last week was a particularly good one as the sun shone and lots of heroes were met.<\/p>\n

Some fans bring picnics with them. Others bring balls and frisbees.<\/p>\n

Brian shows me five very small bottles of water in a ziplock bag. He explains that he drinks these so he doesn\u2019t need the loo during long stints at the studio gate.<\/p>\n

Brian and Bill Roache<\/p>\n

He starts telling me about William Roache – the longest serving cast member who, at 93, is still portraying Ken Barlow.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe plays classical music from the car very loudly,\u201d says Brian. \u201cHe regularly stops and always makes sure everyone has got all the pictures and videos they want.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been doing it for 65 years. You have never met such a gentleman in your life. He\u2019s faultless.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Helen Worth is sorely missed. She was lovely.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just don\u2019t know who you are going to get. That\u2019s what\u2019s nice.<\/p>\n

\u201cJack P Shepherd said recently: \u201cBrian I heard you were back. (Producer) Iain MacLeod has just been in the green room to tell us all Brian\u2019s back\u201d.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fans hope to catch a glimpse of Weatherfield’s finest<\/p>\n

As for the girls, they have all got one person in mind that they would love to meet – Alison King.<\/p>\n

She has been portraying Carla Connor on the soap for years and her character recently found love with relative newcomer Lisa Swain, played by Vicky Myers.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a relationship – dubbed \u2018Swarla\u2019 – that has captured the imagination of a lot of fans<\/a> and has ignited flurries of online speculation about their future together.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like anyone really but we all like Ali King,\u201d says Chloe. \u201cI\u2019d cry if I met her\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just nice to see someone you admire,\u201d explains Clare, who travels up from Greater London to try and catch a glimpse of the cast.<\/p>\n

\u201cCorrie is that comfort zone. You might skip some episodes but you always come back to it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The girls show off thier ‘Swarla’ bracelets(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

Chloe Kay, 20, agrees. She is also here in the hope of seeing Ali King and Vicky Myers.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s part of a growing number of Swarla fans who have visited the studios in recent months.<\/p>\n

\u201cAli King is just really empowering,\u201d she explains. \u201cShe\u2019s been through so much, she\u2019s so well loved.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kate, 30, has come down with some handmade Swarla bracelets which she has handed out to her friends here.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love the family dynamics of Swarla.\u201d she says. \u201cWe come here to show appreciation really. \u201cThey work really long hours. What\u2019s the likelihood of them stopping after a 12 hour shift? So it\u2019s great when they do.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fans tell me that some people have been known to rush in front of cast member\u2019s cars and take things \u2018too far\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are certain fans that are more obsessed than others,\u201d says Brian.<\/p>\n

Another says: \u201cAnd when they say they\u2019re not stopping, they still shove the camera in their faces.\u201d<\/p>\n

Janet says meeting the cast gives you a ‘buzz'(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s a rarity among a group of people who predominantly just want to show their love for the show.<\/p>\n

As Janet explains, the autographs would mean very little to anyone else, but there is a special buzz that comes with collecting them in person.<\/p>\n

She remembers Beverley Callard, who played the perpetually put-upon Liz McDonald, as one of the first autographs she collected.<\/p>\n

Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group <\/strong>HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI bought her exercise video and I used to do that,\u201d Janet says. \u201cIt\u2019s a keepsake.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just love meeting them. I have got lots of autographs at home.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe girl who played Ria – she got to know me. I wrote to her and she wrote me a letter back and every time she saw me she stopped and spoke to me and I keep this note she wrote to me. She was lovely.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian laughs as Cait Fitton tells him the pickled onion crisps he’s been sending for the cast are stinking out the green room<\/p>\n

Brian on the other hand has met most of the cast members numerous times. And he gives just as much love to the crew.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wave to every car and everyone knows me. They say \u2018bye Brian\u2019. And I can\u2019t always see who they are but I wave anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian – who watched the soap with his family as a child – shows me pictures of his Corrie-themed kitchen adorned with rare memorabilia collected over the years.<\/p>\n

\u201cCorrie was part of the furniture, like Ken Barlow. It was just part of our family life,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love the storylines. How realistic it is. The writers have always kept up-to-date.<\/p>\n

Brian shows off his Mr Men and Little Miss themed Corrie cast artwork(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

\u201cTony Warren created a show where he wanted the women to be the stronger characters and to keep that Northern humour.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve always had three storylines running at the same time and since he died that\u2019s been kept on the go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian has been collecting autographs and pictures for decades and has met more than 150 cast members – even David Neilson\u2019s dog. Many know him thanks to the letters he sends and sweets he hands out.<\/p>\n

Brian’s Corrie-themed wheelie case<\/p>\n

But there is one person he is yet to meet. His unicorn – Barbara Knox.<\/p>\n

The 91-year-old actress has portrayed Rita Tanner on the cobbles since 1972 but has proved elusive, despite Brian sending her several gifts over the years.<\/p>\n

Brian shows off his coveted ‘Free the Weatherfield One’ t-shirt(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

He hopes he will one day get the chance to thank her for the hours of entertainment she has provided him and millions of others.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe would be the cherry on top,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Whether or not Brian will meet his white whale remains to be seen. But one thing\u2019s for certain – he\u2019ll keep on trying.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cYou make friends for life here because you\u2019re interested in the same thing. You have a shared interest…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":388339,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3937],"tags":[236,77,8829,382,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-388338","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-coronation-street","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-m-e-n-explore","11":"tag-tv","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115126677860496065","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/388338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=388338"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/388338\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/388339"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=388338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=388338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=388338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}