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104-557: The Rovers Return Inn is a fictional public house in the long-running British soap opera Coronation Street . The Rovers Return occupies a corner of the fictional Coronation Street and Rosamund Street set location in the show. The pub was constructed by the fictional brewery Newton and Ridley. The name comes from the Ye Olde Rovers Return in Withy Grove, Manchester , a 14th-century building that operated as

208-416: A jukebox or dartboard ). By the 1970s, divisions between saloons and public bars were being phased out, usually by the removal of the dividing wall or partition. While the names of saloon and public bar may still be seen on the doors of pubs, the prices (and often the standard of furnishings and decoration) are the same throughout the premises. Most present day pubs now comprise one large room, although with

312-518: A Sunday. Ted did turn up, but he barely remembered the ladies from his school days and got his memories of them hopelessly confused. Martha clung to Ted throughout his stay, and the man was too gentlemanly to put her off. When Martha told him that she had never been out of Lancashire , Ted suggested that she go to London to stay with his sister Alice as she missed the north. Martha took this as an invitation to go along with him when he left Weatherfield, and she immediately made travel arrangements - much to

416-484: A child performer since the age of three and went on to have a long career in theatre, radio and television. Though Martha was said to be the second-oldest character in the programme, 46-year-old Carol was given the part of the 64-year-old Martha. Her relative youth compared with her co-stars was obscured by the character's wardrobe, with Martha normally wearing a hairnet, beret, spectacles, and an old mackintosh, all of which were provided by Carol who bought them second-hand in

520-482: A crate and threw the mobile down the cellar stairs. When Dan went to retrieve it, Steve locked him in the cellar. Dan, suffering pain from the blow of the crate, fell over in agony on the stairs. Steve, however, had already left and did not hear his shouts for help. The next day, Michelle Connor ( Kym Marsh ) found Dan and he was rushed to hospital. Steve was arrested for attempted murder and unlawful imprisonment. On 18 March 2013, Karl Munro ( John Michie ) set fire to

624-524: A day, was increasing and that 39,404 pubs in England and Wales remained open at the end of June. There was regulation of public drinking spaces in England from at least the 15th century. In 1496, under, Henry VII, an act was passed, "against vagabonds and beggers" (11 Hen. VII c2), that included a clause empowering two justices of the peace, "to rejecte and put awey comen ale-selling in tounes and places where they shall think convenyent, and to take suertie of

728-610: A fatal heart attack in the Rovers snug in Tim Aspinall's inaugural episode as producer, broadcast on 13 May 1964. Due to the nature of the character's exit, and her popularity with the cast and viewers, Carol's colleagues fought her sacking, with Violet Carson threatening to resign. She was talked round by Carol. When rehearsing the death scene, Peter Adamson refused to deliver the line "she's dead", and during recording he hesitated before saying it so that his words could be cut, with

832-584: A good life for himself as a farmer and shopkeeper. Ted was back in Weatherfield to look up old friends and visit his cousin Clara - who also happened to be Martha's next-door neighbour. Setting her cap at Ted, who was now a widower, Martha asked Clara to invite him over to hers for tea. Ena's suspicions were aroused when Martha bought a tin of best salmon from the corner shop and invited both her and Minnie Caldwell ( Margot Bryant ) to tea, even though it wasn't

936-537: A historic interiors list in order that they can be preserved. The pub took the concept of the bar counter to serve the beer from gin palaces in the 18th century. Until that time beer establishments used to bring the beer out to the table or benches, as remains the practice in (for example) beer gardens and some other drinking establishments in Germany. A bar might be provided for the manager or publican to do paperwork while keeping an eye on his or her customers, and

1040-698: A jumble sale. Martha and Minnie were initially supporting characters, with their storylines revolving around Ena Sharples. Over time, they got stories of their own, notably Martha's attempts to effect a relationship with her old school friend Ted Ashley ( Jerold Wells ). The three were most often seen in the Rovers snug, where they reminisced and shared the latest gossip over glasses of milk stout . Most of these scenes weren't connected to any storylines, but proved very popular with viewers. Carol stated in an interview, "The scriptwriters used to say that. 'We don't need to think about scenes for you, you three, we can say anything, and as soon as they see those three chairs round

1144-439: A licensed public house but ceased to be so in 1924 and was demolished in 1958. The fictional pub has had three in-universe layouts. The original layout generally consisted of the style of a public bar. The fictional pub was later destroyed after a fire, caused by character Jack Duckworth . Later, the original layout was replaced by a single bar, until once again, being destroyed by a fire. The Rover's Return Inn opened in 1902 on

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1248-459: A mysterious voice Roy Cropper ( David Neilson ) could hear was "Martha Longhurst's ghost". In 1964, 29-year-old ex-journalist Tim Aspinall replaced Margaret Morris as Coronation Street ' s producer . January that year had seen Coronation Street beaten to first place in the ratings by a regular episode of another TV programme for the first time since November 1961 (the sitcom Steptoe and Son on BBC One ). Although ratings were actually up on

1352-411: A particular kind of image, or in many cases simply as a pun on the word "in". The original services of an inn are now also available at other establishments. Hotels, lodges, and motels focus more on lodging customers than on other services but usually provide meals. Pubs are primarily alcohol-serving establishments. Restaurants and taverns serve food and drink. In North America, the lodging aspect of

1456-609: A patent in favour of John Lofting for a fire engine, but remarked upon and recommended another invention of his, for a beer pump: "Whereas their Majesties have been Graciously Pleased to grant Letters patent to John Lofting of London Merchant for a New Invented Engine for Extinguishing Fires which said Engine have found every great encouragement. The said Patentee hath also projected a Very Useful Engine for starting of beer and other liquors which will deliver from 20 to 30 barrels an hour which are completely fixed with Brass Joints and Screws at Reasonable Rates. Any Person that hath occasion for

1560-651: A series of small rooms served drinks and food by waiting staff. By the early 1970s there was a tendency to change to one large drinking room as breweries were eager to invest in interior design and theming. Isambard Kingdom Brunel , the British engineer and railway builder, introduced the idea of a circular bar into the Swindon station pub in order that customers were served quickly and did not delay his trains. These island bars became popular as they also allowed staff to serve customers in several different rooms surrounding

1664-500: A voice like Martha's in the snug. Ena also claimed that she had seen Martha's ghost in the snug on several occasions. The residents later used a ouija board to try and call Martha from beyond the grave; the storyline concluded with Martha's glasses being found in the snug, in the exact position they were when they toppled off her face as she suffered her heart attack. Martha was referenced again almost forty years later, on 2 September 2011, when Dennis Tanner ( Philip Lowrie ) joked that

1768-425: A wider selection of better quality drinks that cost a penny or two more than those served in the public bar. By the mid-20th century, the standard of the public bar had generally improved. Many were built between the world wars as part of the "improved" pub movement and as "roadhouse" inns—with large car parks to attract passing trade. Pub patrons only had to choose between economy and exclusivity (or youth and age:

1872-574: Is a painted backdrop which looks over to the Metcalfes' house, Audrey's salon and the flat above the salon. In a 2001 episode of podcast, Something Rhymes with Purple, 'Torquemada', Susie Dent and Gyles Brandreth discuss cryptic crosswords . One clue is: "Bar of Soap." The answer is the Rovers Return, because this is a bar, within (or 'of') a soap (this soap being Coronation Street). Public house A pub (short for public house )

1976-631: Is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises . The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private houses from those open to the public as alehouses, taverns and inns . Today, there is no strict definition, but the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) states a pub has four characteristics: The history of pubs can be traced to taverns in Roman Britain , and through Anglo-Saxon alehouses, but it

2080-420: Is when a pub owner allows patrons to continue drinking in the pub after the legal closing time, on the theory that once the doors are locked, it becomes a private party rather than a pub. Patrons may put money behind the bar before official closing time, and redeem their drinks during the lock-in so no drinks are technically sold after closing time. The origin of the British lock-in was a reaction to 1915 changes in

2184-467: The Covid pandemic , followed by the wave of inflation that increased prices. By June 2022, pub numbers in England and Wales had fallen to a record low of 39,970, a loss of 7,000 in 10 years. Pubs also found it difficult to hire enough staff, with 142,000 jobs unfilled in the accommodation and food services sector by 2023. Figures published in 2023 showed that the rate of pub loss, equivalent to two closures

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2288-574: The smoking ban of 2007 , intense competition from gastro-pubs, the availability of cheap alcohol in supermarkets or the general economic climate are either to blame, or are factors in the decline. Changes in demographics may be an additional factor. In 2015 the rate of pub closures came under the scrutiny of Parliament in the UK, with a promise of legislation to improve relations between owners and tenants. The Lost Pubs Project listed 42,519 closed English pubs on 6 August 2023, with photographs of over 29,000. In

2392-459: The "weasel" is unclear but the two most likely definitions are: a flat iron used for finishing clothing; or rhyming slang for a coat ( weasel and stoat ). A few pubs have stage performances such as serious drama, stand-up comedy, musical bands, cabaret or striptease ; however, juke boxes , karaoke and other forms of pre-recorded music have otherwise replaced the musical tradition of a piano or guitar and singing. The public bar, or tap room,

2496-471: The 17th century, this represented a fundamental shift in the way that many pubs were operated and the period is now widely regarded as the birth of the tied house system. Decreasing numbers of free houses and difficulties in obtaining new licences meant a continual expansion of their tied estates was the only feasible way for breweries to generate new trade. By the end of the century more than 90 per cent of public houses in England were owned by breweries, and

2600-504: The 1980s). In the Manchester area, the public bar was known as the "vault", other rooms being the lounge and snug as usual elsewhere. The vault was a men-only bar, meant for working men in their dirty working clothes. This style was in marked contrast to the adjacent saloon or lounge bar which, by the early 20th century, was where male or accompanied female middle-class drinkers would drink. It had carpeted floors, upholstered seats, and

2704-508: The 2010 documentary "Coronation Street - 50 Years, 50 Moments" that "the scream at the top of the stairs was for real. I was terrified." Kevin climbed up the ladder and arrived at the window, using a brick to smash and then open it. Shouting to the rest of the residents that he could see Bet, he climbed in. Down below, the front windows of the pub exploded out into the Street, sending shocked residents screaming and running. As Kevin dragged Bet to

2808-675: The UK, soft drinks and often food), but less commonly accommodation. Inns tend to be older and grander establishments: historically they provided not only food and lodging, but also stabling and fodder for travellers' horses, and on some roads fresh horses for the mail coach . Famous London inns include the George, Southwark and the Tabard . There is, however, no longer a formal distinction between an inn and other kinds of establishment. Many pubs use "Inn" in their name, either because they are long established former coaching inns , or to summon up

2912-826: The Unready prescribes fines for breaching the peace at meetings held in alehouses. A traveller in the early Middle Ages could obtain overnight accommodation in monasteries, but later a demand for hostelries grew with the popularity of pilgrimages and travel. The Hostellers of London were granted guild status in 1446, and in 1514 the guild became the Worshipful Company of Innholders . A survey in 1577 of drinking establishment in England and Wales for taxation purposes recorded 14,202 alehouses, 1,631 inns, and 329 taverns, representing one pub for every 187 people. Inns are buildings where travellers can seek lodging and, usually, food and drink. They are typically located in

3016-421: The advent of gastropubs , some establishments have returned to maintaining distinct rooms or areas. The "snug" was a small private room or area, typically with access to the bar and a frosted glass window above head height. Customers in the snug paid a higher price for beer and nobody could look in and see the drinkers. Not only did wealthy visitors use these rooms, but also patrons who preferred not to be seen in

3120-499: The baby. Episode 6834, Transmitted: 6 June 2008 In June 2008, Steve McDonald ( Simon Gregson ) and Dan Mason ( Matthew Crompton ) became engaged in a petty feud. Steve believed that Dan scratched his car (the real culprit was Norris Cole ( Malcolm Hebden ) ), which resulted in Steve stealing Dan's mobile phone. At closing time, Dan went to the pub to confront Steve. He ended up hitting Steve by accident. Steve then struck Dan with

3224-431: The bar. A "beer engine" is a device for pumping beer, originally manually operated and typically used to dispense beer from a cask or container in a pub's basement or cellar. The first beer pump known in England is believed to have been invented by John Lofting (born Netherlands 1659-d. Great Marlow Buckinghamshire 1742) an inventor, manufacturer and merchant of London. The London Gazette of 17 March 1691 published

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3328-591: The big breweries to sell their tied houses, the Government introduced the Beer Orders in 1989. The result, however, was that the Big Six melted away into other sectors; selling their brewing assets and spinning off their tied houses, largely into the hands of branded pub chains, called pubcos. As these were not brewers, they were not governed by the Beer Orders and tens of thousands of pubs remain tied, much in

3432-450: The brewery). Another common arrangement was (and is) for the landlord to own the premises (whether freehold or leasehold ) independently of the brewer, but then to take a mortgage loan from a brewery, either to finance the purchase of the pub initially, or to refurbish it, and be required as a term of the loan to observe the solus tie. Martha Longhurst The character of Martha was conceived early on, when Tony Warren realised that

3536-479: The character he devised Ena Sharples ( Violet Carson ) would need some drinking companions. His experiences of the real-world Enas and their cronies greatly informed the character; Warren said of it, "Whenever you got tough old viragoes like Ena, they always had henchmen. They generally had a talkative one that could be shouted down, and then there was always a silent one who nodded but was a bit rebellious". The former character outline turned into Martha Longhurst, and

3640-469: The characteristics that make pubs instantly recognisable today. In particular, and contrary to the intentions of the Beerhouse Act, many drew inspiration from the gin houses and palaces. Bar counters had been an early adoption, but ornate mirrors, etched glass, polished brass fittings and lavishly tiled surfaces were all features that had first made their appearance in gin houses. Innovations such as

3744-573: The country or along a highway. In Europe, they possibly first sprang up when the Romans built a system of roads two millennia ago. Some inns in Europe are several centuries old. In addition to providing for the needs of travellers, inns traditionally acted as community gathering places. In Europe, it is the provision of accommodation, if anything, that now distinguishes inns from taverns , alehouses and pubs. The latter tend to provide alcohol (and, in

3848-410: The development of the large London Porter breweries, a trend grew for pubs to become tied houses that only sold beer from a single brewery. (A pub not 'tied' in this way was called a free house .) The usual arrangement for a tied house was that the brewery owned the pub but rented it out to a private individual (landlord) who ran it as a separate business (even though contracted to buy the beer from

3952-533: The drinks traditionally served include draught beer and cider , most also sell wine , spirits , tea , coffee , and soft drinks . Many pubs offer meals and snacks, and those considered to be gastro-pubs serve food in a manner akin to a restaurant. A licence is required to operate a pub; the licensee is known as the landlord or landlady, or the publican. Often colloquially referred to as their "local" by regular customers, pubs are typically chosen for their proximity to home or work, good food, social atmosphere,

4056-417: The empty snug. Unnoticed by anyone else, Martha had a sudden heart attack which killed her almost instantly. She was eventually spotted by Myra Booth ( Susan Jameson ), who thought that she had fallen asleep. When Jack Walker failed to revive her, he alerted Annie and Len Fairclough ( Peter Adamson ). While Jack called for a doctor, the revellers stopped singing and looked towards the snug one by one. Ena, on

4160-478: The excursion had whetted her appetite for travel. When invited to go on holiday in Spain with her daughter Lily Haddon ( Stephanie Bidmead ) and family, Martha bought her first passport and proudly showed it off to anyone who showed the slightest interest. It was during a singsong at a party in the Rovers thrown by Frank Barlow to celebrate his selling his shop that Martha became ill and retreated to her usual chair in

4264-446: The factories and laundrettes which boosted our viewing figures for a period, but when the dust settled we were simply left with a Coronation Street without Martha Longhurst. The trio had been reduced to a rather sad duet and there is little doubt that by that one action many future stories were denied us." Subsequent producers have lamented the loss of Martha, with Bill Podmore referring to it as "the Street's greatest mistake". After

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4368-490: The fifteen years to 2017 a quarter of London's pubs had closed. The closures have been ascribed to factors such as changing tastes and a rise in the cost of beer due to tax increases. Some London boroughs where there has been an increase in British Muslim population— Islam forbids alcohol to its adherents—have seen a high amount of closures. The industry suffered a major decline from 2020, due to reduced trade during

4472-476: The first country in the world to ban smoking in all enclosed public areas. Scotland was the first UK nation to introduce a ban on indoor smoking in March 2006, followed by the rest of the UK in 2007. Australia introduced a similar ban in 2006 and now has some of the world's toughest anti-smoking laws, with some territories having also banned smoking in outside public areas. Some publicans raised concerns, prior to

4576-630: The first pubs, called tabernae (the origin of modern English " tavern "), began to appear. After the departure of Roman authority in the fifth century and the fall of the Romano-British kingdoms , the Anglo-Saxons established alehouses that may have grown out of domestic dwellings, first attested in the 10th century. These alehouses quickly evolved into meeting houses for folk to socially congregate, gossip and arrange mutual help within their communities. The Wantage law code of Æthelred

4680-408: The following episode, when Ena and Minnie played an old recording of Martha's in which she and an unknown man called Philip proclaimed their love for each other. The same episode featured Stephanie Bidmead as Lily Haddon , Martha's daughter who previously had been spoken of frequently but never seen. The killing of Martha has since been heavily criticised, with H.V. Kershaw describing it as one of

4784-609: The growth from 1869 by introducing magisterial control and new licensing laws. These aimed to make it harder to obtain a licence, and control drunkenness, prostitution, and other undesirable conduct on licensed premises. In the United Kingdom, restrictions were tightened considerably following the advent of the First World War. The Defence of the Realm Act , along with introducing rationing and censorship of

4888-415: The hospital. Episode 2631, Transmitted: 18 June 1986 During a sing-along night, when the guests stood around the piano, the lights in the pub had been flickering and cutting out all night. Much to the frustration of Bet Lynch ( Julie Goodyear ) and the rest of the punters. Jack Duckworth ( Bill Tarmey ), potman at the time, decided to fix the problem. Upon return, he was graciously thanked for solving

4992-494: The implementation of restrictions, that a smoking ban would have a negative impact on sales. The impact of the ban was mixed, with some pubs suffering declining sales, and others seeing an increase, particularly in food sales. By the end of the 18th century, a new room in the pub was established: the saloon. Beer establishments had always provided entertainment of some sort—singing, gaming or sport. Balls Pond Road in Islington

5096-566: The introduction of hand pumps (or beer engines ) allowed more people to be served, faster, while technological advances in the brewing industry and improved transportation links made it possible for breweries to deliver beer far from where it was brewed. The latter half of the 19th century saw increased competition within the brewing industry and, in an attempt to secure markets for their own products, breweries began rapidly buying local pubs and directly employing publicans to run them. Although some tied houses had existed in larger British towns since

5200-508: The keepers of ale-houses in their gode behavyng by the discrecion of the seid justices, and in the same to be avysed and aggreed at the tyme of their sessions." The Beerhouse Act of 1830 is widely considered to be a milestone in the history of public houses. Gin was popularised in England in the late 17th century, largely because it provided an alternative to French brandy at a time of political and religious conflict between Britain and France. Because of its cheapness, gin became popular with

5304-585: The latter Minnie Caldwell ( Margot Bryant ). Martha was present in the second of the two dry runs made in November 1960, where she was played by fellow Welsh-born actress Doris Hare . During final casting for the show proper, casting director Margaret Morris offered Hare the larger part of Ena Sharples, but Hare, a noted theatre actress had to turn it down as she had commitments with the Royal Shakespeare Company . Lynne Carol had been

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5408-590: The licensing laws in England and Wales, which curtailed opening hours to stop factory workers from turning up drunk and harming the war effort. From then until the start of the 21st century, UK licensing laws changed very little, retaining these comparatively early closing times. The tradition of the lock-in therefore remained. Since the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003 , premises in England and Wales may apply to extend their opening hours beyond 11 pm, allowing round-the-clock drinking and removing much of

5512-418: The local pub had "recently" been redecorated. The fictional timeline proceeds as follows: Episode 357, transmitted: 13 May 1964 In 1964, the producership of Coronation Street was handed to the young and enthusiastic Tim Aspinall. He immediately began to implement changes. Since it had been fully networked across the various ITV regions in 1960, Coronation Street had never been out of the top ten ratings of

5616-480: The need for lock-ins. Since the smoking ban , some establishments operated a lock-in during which the remaining patrons could smoke without repercussions but, unlike drinking lock-ins, allowing smoking in a pub was still a prosecutable offence. Concerns about the effects of cigarette smoke inhalation first surfaced in the 1950s and ultimately led many countries to ban or restrict smoking in specific settings, such as pubs and restaurants. Early in 2004, Ireland became

5720-486: The newly built Coronation Street (1902 being Coronation year for Edward VII ). It was originally to be called The Coronation, but the brewery was forced to change the name as the go-ahead had already been given for the street to be named Coronation Street. When Lieutenant Philip Ridley returned from active service in the Boer War , the pub was named in his honour. Originally, the pub was divided into three separate bars:

5824-414: The only practical way brewers could now grow their tied estates was to turn on each other. Buy-outs and amalgamations became commonplace, and by the end of the 1980s there were only six large brewers left in the UK, collectively known as the Big Six; Allied , Bass , Courage , Grand Metropolitan , Scottish & Newcastle and Whitbread . In an attempt to increase the number of free houses, by forcing

5928-403: The order likely to come from Cecil Bernstein, one of Granada's chairmen who was the programme's strongest advocate within senior management. However, no such order was given. After her sacking was announced by the press on 7 April, Carol spoke to a reporter, where she was resigned to her fate: "They've been three wonderful years, and I am sorry to be leaving so many good friends behind me." Martha

6032-399: The pair spent a few weeks not speaking to each other until they agreed to forgive and forget. In March 1963, Martha was taken on by Jack ( Arthur Leslie ) and Annie Walker ( Doris Speed ) as the new Rovers Return Inn cleaner, and she also worked in the same capacity at Laurie Fraser 's ( Stanley Meadows ) Viaduct Sporting Club the following year. Although she pushed herself hard, Martha

6136-482: The poor standard of rural roads meant that, away from the larger towns, the only beer available was often brewed by the publican himself. With the arrival of the Industrial Revolution , many areas of the United Kingdom were transformed by a surge in industrial activity and rapid population growth. There was huge demand for beer and for venues where the public could engage in social interaction, but there

6240-586: The poor, eventually leading to a period of drunkenness and lawlessness, known as the Gin Craze . In the early 19th century, encouraged by a reduction of duties, gin consumption again began to rise and gin houses and gin palaces (an evolution of gin shops) began to spread from London to most towns and cities in Britain. Alarmed at the prospect of a return to the Gin Craze, the government attempted to counter

6344-640: The popular music hall form of entertainment—a show consisting of a variety of acts. A most famous London saloon was the Grecian Saloon in the Eagle, City Road , referenced by name in the 18th-century nursery rhyme : "Up and down the City Road / In and out the Eagle / That's the way the money goes / Pop goes the weasel ." This meant that the customer had spent all his money at the Eagle, and needed to pawn his "weasel" to get some more. The meaning of

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6448-525: The presence of friends and acquaintances, and the availability of pub games such as darts , pool , or snooker . Pubs often screen sporting events, such as rugby , cricket and football . The pub quiz was established in the UK in the 1970s. Ale was a native British drink before the arrival of the Roman Empire in the first century, but it was with the construction of the Roman road network that

6552-535: The press, restricted pubs' opening hours to 12 noon–2:30 pm and 6:30 pm–9:30 pm. Opening for the full licensed hours was compulsory, and closing time was equally firmly enforced by the police. There was also a special case established under the State Management Scheme where the brewery and licensed premises were bought and run by the state, most notably in Carlisle . A "lock-in"

6656-445: The problem. However, he had replaced the fuse with a far stronger one, leaving the problem of a potential explosion. Bet retired to bed that night, having locked up. In the middle of the night, the inevitable happened, and the fuse caught fire. This scene was shown at the end of the previous episode, Episode 2630 on 16 June 1986. Inside, Bet had finally woken up and raced out of her bedroom to attempt to escape, only to find her exit down

6760-430: The pub and outside where she had left Tracy. In that very spot was a 6-foot pile of timber. Accompanying the pile was a lorry, turned on its side and smoking from the crash. Inside the pub, Alf Roberts ( Bryan Mosley ) had been sitting with friend, Len Fairclough ( Peter Adamson ) in front of the window. Alf lay unconscious as Len, whose own arm was broken, desperately tried to help him. The story concluded when Tracy

6864-507: The pub's cellar to frame Jason Grimshaw ( Ryan Thomas ) but was caught by Sunita Alahan ( Shobna Gulati ) who was knocked unconscious by Karl when he fled to the Bistro to do his "Full Monty" act. Norris Cole ( Malcolm Hebden ) and Emily Bishop ( Eileen Derbyshire ) came into the restaurant to tell everyone about the fire, and Karl discovered Stella was upstairs in one of the pub's bedrooms, so he went back in to save her. As he got to her,

6968-416: The pub's piano, was the last to notice. Failing to find a pulse, Len declared Martha dead. Martha was laid out in the vestry bedroom prior to being buried in the family plot with her husband, Percy. Her insurance policies only came to £ 22, 4 s and 9 d ; not enough for a funeral, so Lily and her husband Wilf ( Henry Livings ) had to pay the rest. Helping Lily clear out the house, Ena and Minnie happened upon

7072-403: The public bar, the snug (usually inhabited by unaccompanied ladies, where drinks were half a penny cheaper), and the select (where drinks were pricier but were served by a waitress). As late as 1960, the ruling in the pub was that ladies were not allowed to remain at the bar after being served. These archaic rules were dropped soon afterwards. When the pub was damaged by an accidental fire in 1986,

7176-410: The public bar. Ladies often enjoyed a private drink in the snug in a time when many frowned on women visiting a pub. The local police officer might nip in for a quiet pint, the parish priest for his evening whisky, or lovers for a rendezvous. The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has surveyed the 50,000 pubs in Britain and it believes that there are very few pubs that still have classic snugs. These are on

7280-494: The ratings. On the night of her death, the credits rolled in silence for the very first time (something that would later become the norm whenever a character was "killed off"), with the rooftop scene replaced by a close up of the snug table that contained a sherry glass, a passport and Martha's famous NHS spectacles. Episode 1893, transmitted: 7 March 1979 Deirdre Langton ( Anne Kirkbride ) wheeled her young daughter Tracy (Christabel Finch) down to The Rovers in her pram. She

7384-463: The ratings. It was decided, by Aspinall, that several "blockbuster" storylines would have to be staged, the most radical being the death of Martha Longhurst ( Lynne Carol ). Despite being a nosy old gossip and, in the Mancunian dialect of the show was "... no better than she should be....", Martha was a highly popular character; thus, she was chosen to be killed off in a highly cynical bid to boost

7488-546: The record Martha and an unnamed man had made in Blackpool in 1934. Although unable to identify the man in the recording, they realised that Martha had had an affair with him and were pleased to know that their friend had once had some fun in her life before returning to her violent husband. The 1964 episode of her death was not the last time Martha Longhurst featured in a Coronation Street storyline. Over ten years after her death, Betty Turpin ( Betty Driver ) reported hearing

7592-426: The refurb but after a failed attempt of offering Owen half the pub in exchange for the refurb, Stella's mother Gloria ( Sue Johnston ) paid him the £80,000 required to complete the work. Sunita was in a coma for a while and was killed by Karl when she began to recover. The Rovers re-opened on 26 May 2013. The Rovers Return set features walls and windows that can be removed to allow filming from different angles. There

7696-769: The said Engines may apply themselves to the Patentee at his house near St Thomas Apostle London or to Mr. Nicholas Wall at the Workshoppe near Saddlers Wells at Islington or to Mr. William Tillcar, Turner, his agent at his house in Woodtree next door to the Sun Tavern London." "Their Majesties" referred to were William III of England and Mary II of England , who had recently arrived from the Netherlands and had been appointed joint monarchs. A further engine

7800-482: The same month in 1963, Aspinall felt that Coronation Street needed a shake-up. Carol was one of several unsuspecting cast members informed by Margaret Morris that they had been fired. Nearly half the cast were axed, although some of them were granted a reprieve by H.V. Kershaw when he returned as producer in September after working on Granada 's The Villains . Carol was the first to depart, with Martha suffering

7904-441: The same way that they had been previously. In reality, government interference did very little to improve Britain's tied house system and all its large breweries are now in the hands of foreign or multi-national companies. The number of pubs in the UK has declined year on year at least since 1982. Various reasons are put forward for this, such as the failure of some establishments to keep up with customer requirements. Others claim

8008-749: The shortest possible time. The other, more private, rooms had no serving bar—they had the beer brought to them from the public bar. A number of pubs in the Midlands or the North still retain this set up, though now customers fetch the drinks themselves from the taproom or public bar. One of these is the Vine, known locally as the Bull and Bladder, in Brierley Hill near Birmingham, another the Cock at Broom, Bedfordshire

8112-529: The snug was a feature of the Granada Studios Tour . The set's exterior doors are narrower than the doors on the interior set. This has always been the case as the exterior set is reduced in scale. In early 2008, the Rovers Return was redecorated, giving it a fresh look more than 20 years after the refurbishment that followed the fire of 1986. It received new wallpaper, re-upholstered seating, new flooring, and new light fittings. A smoking shelter

8216-418: The stairs blocked by flames that leapt up at her from the hallway. She released a blood-curdling scream and ran back into the bedroom, fearing for her life, and collapsed unconscious, overcome from the smoke, before she could reach the window. Julie Goodyear later revealed that her nightdress, supposedly fire-proofed, had, in fact, caught fire during filming of the scene, and she was in genuine danger. She said in

8320-517: The stairs collapsed, trapping them. Luckily Paul Kershaw ( Tony Hirst ) managed to get to them and got Stella out while his friend and fellow firefighter Toni Griffiths ( Tara Moran ) got Karl out before the roof collapsed on top of her and killed her. Shortly afterwards the fire brigade arrived, put out the fire and were able to get Sunita out. The fire caused significant damage and caused financial problems for Stella meaning that she could not afford to hire Owen Armstrong ( Ian Puleston-Davies ) to do

8424-626: The surprise of Ted, who had no romantic interest in Martha. Martha went to London expecting a proposal from Ted, but none came and instead she spent her time sightseeing on her own. Back in Weatherfield, a humiliated Martha hid away from her friends, although Frank Barlow (Frank Pemberton) spotted her going into her house and told everyone that she was back. Ena and Minnie confronted her and she sheepishly admitted that Ted had shown no affection for her whatsoever. Martha had enjoyed London itself and

8528-410: The table that's it, and you can make it funny without meaning to, just by being ordinary.'" About the popularity of Martha in particular, Carol once told Weekend : "There are an awful lot of Marthas in the world. Some viewers used to tell me to mind my own business but most people could see that Martha was really a pathetic old dear." By the 1960s, Martha had retired and was drawing her pension. Money

8632-478: The term "bar" applied to the publican's office where one was built, but beer would be tapped directly from a cask or barrel on a table, or kept in a separate taproom and brought out in jugs. When purpose built Victorian pubs were built after the Beerhouse Act 1830 , the main room was the public room with a large serving bar copied from the gin houses, the idea being to serve the maximum number of people in

8736-518: The threat, and encourage the consumption of a more wholesome beverage, by introducing the Beerhouse Act of 1830. The Act introduced a new lower, and largely deregulated, tier of premises called "the beerhouse". Under the act any householder, upon payment of two guineas (roughly equal in value to £237 today), was permitted to brew and sell beer or cider in their own home. Beerhouses were not allowed to open on Sundays, or sell spirits and fortified wines; any beerhouse discovered to be breaking these rules

8840-489: The three bars were knocked into one large room. The living quarters downstairs bear no resemblance to the exterior set of the pub. In reality, the living room (the "backroom") would be in the middle of the street at the side of the pub, outside the medical centre. Since 2008, viewers have seen scenes in a kitchen/dining room in the upstairs of the pub (for use by the licensee/residents), although no other characters had ever used or referred to this room previously. A mock-up of

8944-613: The wallpaper used after the 1986 fire, which hung in The Rovers for 22 years. The change of décor in February 2008 was a storyline in the show, in which Liz McDonald 's ( Beverley Callard ) husband Vernon Tomlin ( Ian Reddington ) hired friends to redecorate. The new look of The Rovers in October 2008 was not explained in the story. A few weeks later, Emily Bishop ( Eileen Derbyshire ) commented to Jed Stone ( Kenneth Cope ) that

9048-461: The week (that continues 61 years on). However, competition came from the BBC (there were only two channels in those days, BBC Television and ITV – BBC 2 was to follow later that year). The BBC placed their most popular comedy series Steptoe and Son opposite the programme. In the pre-video recorder days, viewers were forced to choose what to watch, and, as a consequence, Coronation Street began to lose

9152-478: The window, the Fire Brigade arrived to take over. The fire was quickly extinguished, but the Rovers was completely destroyed, and the cause was quickly identified as an electrical fault after an examination of the ruined fuse box. Breaking with convention, the episode ended not with Bet fighting for her life, which would have been the usual soap opera cliché, but the pub itself, which Newton and Ridley thought

9256-582: The word "inn" lives on in hotel brand names like Holiday Inn , and in some state laws that refer to lodging operators as innkeepers. The Inns of Court and Inns of Chancery in London started as ordinary inns where barristers met to do business, but became institutions of the legal profession in England and Wales . Pubs as we know them today first appeared in the 19th century. Before this time alehouses were largely indistinguishable from private houses and

9360-483: The worst decisions in Coronation Street history. Kershaw: "No doubt Tim Aspinall felt that by such action he would bring the programme a great deal of publicity and in this he certainly succeeded. However I do feel - and this is only a personal opinion - that he broke the rule of conservation. By killing an established character he doubtlessly gave us a few episodes of high drama and created a talking-point in

9464-494: Was also intense competition for customers. Gin houses and palaces became increasingly popular, while the Beerhouse Act of 1830 caused a proliferation of beerhouses. By the mid-19th century, pubs were widely purpose-built, and could incorporate architectural features that distinguished them from private houses to make them stand out from the competition. Many existing public houses were also redeveloped at this time, borrowing features from other building types and gradually developing

9568-402: Was built, reflecting the recent introduction of a national ban on smoking in enclosed public places, which is accessed by a new door in the main pub area. Since that makeover in February 2008, the wallpaper was changed again in October 2008, making its on-screen debut on 17 October 2008. The producers were dissatisfied with the choice of wallpaper in February 2008. The new wallpaper is similar to

9672-443: Was closed down and the owner heavily fined. Within eight years 46,000 new beerhouses opened and, because operating costs were so low, huge profits were often made. The combination of increasing competition and high profits eventually led to what has been described as a golden age of pub building when many landlords extended or redeveloped their properties, adopting many features modern pubs still have. Authorities attempted to check

9776-404: Was found not to be under the timber but had been snatched away moments before the pub was hit. The snatcher was a crazed young woman called Sally Norton (Yvonne Nicholson) who had become obsessed with Tracy. Mother and daughter were reunited later by the canal as Tracy was rushed into the arms of Deirdre. For Alf, the scars remained, and he underwent a personality change months after he returned from

9880-407: Was invented in the late 18th century by the locksmith and hydraulic engineer Joseph Bramah (1748–1814). Strictly the term refers to the pump itself, which is normally manually operated, though electrically powered and gas powered pumps are occasionally used. When manually powered, the term "handpump" is often used to refer to both the pump and the associated handle. In the 18th century, after

9984-405: Was named after an establishment run by a Mr. Ball that had a duck pond at the rear, where drinkers could, for a fee, go out and take a potshot at the ducks. More common, however, was a card room or a billiards room. The saloon was a room where, for an admission fee or a higher price of drinks, singing, dancing, drama, or comedy was performed and drinks would be served at the table. From this came

10088-502: Was not until the early 19th century that pubs, as they are today, first began to appear. The model also became popular in countries and regions of British influence, where pubs are often still considered to be an important aspect of their culture . In many places, especially in villages, pubs are the focal point of local communities. In his 17th-century diary, Samuel Pepys described the pub as "the heart of England". Pubs have been established in other countries in modern times. Although

10192-402: Was not worth saving and initially intended to demolish. Once the Rovers was renovated and refurbished, however, Bet pinned an electrician's number up on the board telling Jack to call upon the services of a professional, as they had the Rovers back and she intended on keeping it. In 2005, Ray Langton ( Neville Buswell ) returned to Coronation Street, where he died of stomach cancer . His death

10296-453: Was pleased to be able to put some money away. In the summer of 1963, Martha saw a doctor and was put on pills which she took three times a day - a fact she kept private even from her family and friends. With health issues and money stashed away, Martha was of a mind to break from her mundane routine. The catalyst was the return of Ted Ashley ( Jerold Wells ), a former classmate at Bessie Street who had long since emigrated to Australia and made

10400-465: Was the first character to have an on-screen burial. The graveside scenes were shot on location at Manchester General Cemetery in Harphurey on Tuesday 12 May. The episode featuring Martha's death was shown with silent end credits played over a shot of Martha's glasses, passport and sherry glass on the snug table she was sitting at when she died. Carol played Martha one further time; her voice was heard in

10504-453: Was the second death in the history of Coronation Street to take place inside The Rovers. In February 2008, barmaid Violet Wilson ( Jenny Platt ) gave birth in the pub to Dylan who was fathered by gay barman Sean Tully ( Antony Cotton ). Landlady Liz McDonald ( Beverley Callard ), Eileen Grimshaw ( Sue Cleaver ) and Vernon Tomlin ( Ian Reddington ) were present at the birth. Sean's boyfriend, Marcus Dent ( Charlie Condou ), delivered

10608-697: Was tight, but she made it last without having to work to supplement it. In December, when Ena Sharples ( Violet Carson ) collapsed due to stress and had a spell in hospital, Leonard Swindley ( Arthur Lowe ) asked Martha to temporarily take over Ena's caretaker duties at the Glad Tidings Mission Hall. Martha accepted but only lasted a few days as Ena's suspicious nature led her to walk out of hospital and return to her vestry, senile decay or not. Dismissing Martha from her post, Ena caught her friend using her feather duster and accused her of rooting through her things. Martha protested her innocence, and

10712-430: Was to see Annie Walker ( Doris Speed ) with regards to a knitting pattern. Knowing Annie's strict rules concerning children on licensed premises, Tracy was left outside in her pushchair. No more than two minutes had passed as Deirdre and Annie spoke in the back room. Suddenly, their conversation was halted by the screeching of brakes followed by a terrible crash, which shook the pub. Annie froze but Deirdre rushed through

10816-454: Was where the working class were expected to congregate and drink. It had unfurnished floorboards, sometimes covered with sawdust to absorb the spitting and spillages (known as "spit and sawdust"), bare bench seats and stools. Drinks were generally lower-quality beers and liquors. Public bars were seen as exclusive areas for only men; strictly enforced social etiquettes barred women from entering public bars (some pubs did not lift this rule until

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