@MeBenHalpin Now when you have "hard men" on the show they are so boring and cold. Len was so complex. The only one in recent years I would say can almost compare was Charlie Stubbs.
@CarlD2 Can see bit of Charlie Stubbs in Len, both builders, liked drink and were womanisers, but Charlie was more of bully and coward who preyed on vulnerable women like Shelley, where's Len would always stand his corner against anyone or anything, like here even though he did come out worse.
@CarlD2 Len did have heart and knew where to draw the line, unlike Charlie boy. Think he was desperatly lost without Rita here and from watching lot of repeats on Plus, even though noticed at times he did take her for granted, think he did love her deeply and she kept him on the straight and narrow, where as before when he was living with Ray and Jerry, it was like proper bachelor pad, they were quite trio.
@MeBenHalpin I think Len was so afraid of being seen as vulnerable.
One of my favorite Len scenes was after Jerry's funeral, when he went into the Rovers and was having a hard time keeping himself going. Betty just told him it gets better. He finished his drink and left.
Corrie used to be so understated...now they have nonsense like people falling into graves and so on.
@CarlD2 That's true cos although he always came across as hard and tough, at times his vulnerable side did kick in like when Rita left him here briefly and Jerry's sudden passing, i actually have that funeral episode from 1975 and it was rather touching but also comforting what Betty said, also the actor playing Jerry tragically died in real life i remember reading in book.
@MeBenHalpin Yes, he died in real life. He was one of my favorite characters. The soaps don't know how to create characters like this now - everything has to be OTT.
@CarlD2 I just love this era and wish i could have grown up in it, cos this was way before i was born and i have to agree The Street of today comes know where near in terms of great characters and quality writing and acting, i hardly watch it to be honest as its all bit too far fetched at times.
@Banner1979 Surprised to see Len on the recieving end, as he used to dish out most of the violence, though he was probably way out of his depth with this big man like you say.
@MeBenHalpin The guy he was arguing with is played by Kenneth Watson who would go on to have a regular role in Scottish soap Take The High Road which funnily enough began in 1980, the year of this clip. Well, at least it showed Len's only human. ;)
@Banner1979 Oh right so not bad for days work for Kenneth Watson being in Take The High Road and also get cameo role in Corrie, yeah it does show that Len was only human, one thing i liked is he would always have go though and to hell with the consequences.
@MeBenHalpin Yep, I agree. Sam Brady was a Teletext critic whose reviews I used to read almost every day in the late 1990s. I could tell he was a big Coronation Street fan (I think he was from Wigan). He once criticized an episode in '99 when Martin went for Les in the Rovers, saying he just tugged him instead of smacking him straight away. Sam then said that if it was Len Fairclough, he would have really smashed up Les in front of everyone, to hell with what they thought about it.
@Banner1979 Was he really teletext critic, i could imagine him criticising an episode like that of 99, though it more my sort of era, i have to say this was much more golden era of Corrie with characters like Len and probably would have nailed Les in split second and to hell with the consequences.
@MeBenHalpin Yep, Corrie was more of a classic kind of show in the '70s and '80s with terrific characters, more of an old school feel and better writing. He was indeed and every day, he'd do a review of the previous night's television. He singled out one Corrie episode for special praise, the one where Deirdre was released from jail, Judy Mallet found out she was expecting and when Zoe's baby died while she was out. He said it was classic Corrie.He didnt like theGreg/Sally siege episode.
@Banner1979 I agree the golden era of The Street was defintly the 70's/80's and sometimes wish could lived in that period, sometimes think i was born 20 years too late Lol. I would say that Free Deirdre deserved special praise for the way it gripped nation and the strong campaign that followed and the Greg Kelly/Sally saga was rather conclusion for those involved.
@MeBenHalpin I was only a baby when that era of Corrie happened, but I do remember watching it throughout the '80s and early '90s with my mum and sister. Even my brother watched it sometimes when there was a big storyline like the 1986 Rovers fire and when Alan Bradley stalked Rita. That Free Deirdre story was very well written and had helped Corrie get one over EastEnders at that time and EastEnders did its own similar story regarding Matthew and Steve.That Greg/Sally story was gripping.
@Banner1979 Only being born in the 80's i missed lot of that great decade apart from maybe the end of it like 89, when i was 5, but everything i've learnt or seen is from watching repeats on Plus or dvd. Free Deirdre was massive at the time, as don't really recall Eastenders having big gripping storyline at the time, that would pull in more viewing figures than The Street, do you?.
@MeBenHalpin Nope, it just focused on Grant and Tiff, Phil and Kathy splitting up and some other everyday goings on. I think this is when Corrie began to get really ahead of EastEnders and there were other gripping stories to come such as the Whately saga, Jim having his accident, Zoe going off the rails and Samantha turning into a witch. It really had improved by then. It's good to see clips on yt available from the Plus repeats.
@Banner1979 Nothing gripping in Enders at that time then, used to love Corrie towards the late 90's when there were like 4 episodes week, with the Sunday night episode kicking around 96/97 was it?. The Whateley saga was creepy, Jim's accident recall with Steve looking in horror after realising what he had done from the top of the scaffolding, Zoe being Zoe prized bitch and Samantha behind that pretty face and smile laid very wicked young woman.
@MeBenHalpin You're right, she was a very evil woman behind that friendly smile and really had it in for Des and Natalie. Thank goodness Alec sacked her when he did. Steve said he pushed Jim but the way I saw it, he only let go of him and then Jim being drunk lost his balance and fell down with Steve looking in horror. I think Gary Mallett was doing some work for him at that time and was nearby but he didn't see anything. The Sunday episode began in 1996butonly12mil tuned in.
@Banner1979 She seemed to have chip on her shoulder towards the end and thank goodness Alec acted wisley and dismissed her so she couldn't spread anymore poison. Weren't they arguing about Fiona or something and it all got little out of hand, with Jim having been on the old source?. Was 1996 then and only 12 million at first, i used to love watching Sunday night episodes and usually on the Monday group of us would discuss it at school.
@MeBenHalpin It wasn't exactly over Fiona but Jim came to tell him that he'd got a job somewhere else and he wanted to rub it in. Then Steve made an insulting comment and goaded Jim to hit him like he hit Liz and then Jim lunged at him only for Steve to grab him and let him go, making him fall off. I remember Jim being unconscious for a few weeks and Steve being given the option to switch off his life support, but of course in the end, he woke up. That's good that you'd talk about it.
@Banner1979 Was it not, cos thought Steve found out about him sleeping with Fiona and there was real tension between father and son around this period, but its so long ago now, some things sort of erase from your mind.
@MeBenHalpin I think it was in autumn 1997 when Steve found out about Jim sleeping with Fiona and so there was bad blood between them from then on. In April 1998, Jim was going through a bad patch, I think he was depressed then someone gave him a job so he got drunk and started rubbing it in with Steve which led to the fight that got Jim paralysed. Yeah, such a long time ago wasn't it? Time sure does fly like an eagle lol. Liz and Jim got back together after his accident.
@Banner1979 Oh right so the accident was fair bit after the truth coming out about Jim and Fiona?, cos know Steve and Jim were on very bad terms for while, especially knowing how Steve felt about her. It does seem like such long time ago, i was just at secondary school in that period and just scary to think where 13-14 years have gone. Glad Jim had Liz to turn to after the accident too.
@Thebryan6145 Its Coronation Street the 80's boxset collection with like 10 discs with 8 classic episodes from each year, paid £100 for them about 5 years ago and telling you mate is was money well spent.
Good scene.
sirtinycreep 3 weeks ago
No one accuses me of being old bill you fucking nonce
christschinwon 6 months ago
I`ll be he would have got a bigger kicking if those young girls dad from the pool he was noncing around in got hold of him eh kids?
darrowby1972 6 months ago
@carlD2 Charlie helped Roy when he was being bullied and saved Sunita from a burning building, so he wasn't plain nasty he did have a caring side.
The guy who played Len was a pedophile in real life dirty git!
HeyReleaseMe 9 months ago
Poor Len. He was a brilliant character.
CarlD2 11 months ago
@CarlD2 Yep he was one of the best, pity they don't make more modern day characters like him, but then again this was classic era of The Street.
MeBenHalpin 11 months ago
@MeBenHalpin Now when you have "hard men" on the show they are so boring and cold. Len was so complex. The only one in recent years I would say can almost compare was Charlie Stubbs.
CarlD2 11 months ago
@CarlD2 Can see bit of Charlie Stubbs in Len, both builders, liked drink and were womanisers, but Charlie was more of bully and coward who preyed on vulnerable women like Shelley, where's Len would always stand his corner against anyone or anything, like here even though he did come out worse.
MeBenHalpin 11 months ago
@MeBenHalpin Charlie seemed like a sociopath, whereas Len did have a heart.
I don't think he was ever quite the same without the friendships with Jerry and Ray. I loved the three of them together.
CarlD2 11 months ago
@CarlD2 Len did have heart and knew where to draw the line, unlike Charlie boy. Think he was desperatly lost without Rita here and from watching lot of repeats on Plus, even though noticed at times he did take her for granted, think he did love her deeply and she kept him on the straight and narrow, where as before when he was living with Ray and Jerry, it was like proper bachelor pad, they were quite trio.
MeBenHalpin 11 months ago
@MeBenHalpin I think Len was so afraid of being seen as vulnerable.
One of my favorite Len scenes was after Jerry's funeral, when he went into the Rovers and was having a hard time keeping himself going. Betty just told him it gets better. He finished his drink and left.
Corrie used to be so understated...now they have nonsense like people falling into graves and so on.
CarlD2 11 months ago
@CarlD2 That's true cos although he always came across as hard and tough, at times his vulnerable side did kick in like when Rita left him here briefly and Jerry's sudden passing, i actually have that funeral episode from 1975 and it was rather touching but also comforting what Betty said, also the actor playing Jerry tragically died in real life i remember reading in book.
MeBenHalpin 11 months ago
@MeBenHalpin Yes, he died in real life. He was one of my favorite characters. The soaps don't know how to create characters like this now - everything has to be OTT.
CarlD2 11 months ago
@CarlD2 I just love this era and wish i could have grown up in it, cos this was way before i was born and i have to agree The Street of today comes know where near in terms of great characters and quality writing and acting, i hardly watch it to be honest as its all bit too far fetched at times.
MeBenHalpin 11 months ago
Oh dear. Poor Len didn't stand a chance against that big man.
Banner1979 11 months ago
@Banner1979 Surprised to see Len on the recieving end, as he used to dish out most of the violence, though he was probably way out of his depth with this big man like you say.
MeBenHalpin 11 months ago
@MeBenHalpin The guy he was arguing with is played by Kenneth Watson who would go on to have a regular role in Scottish soap Take The High Road which funnily enough began in 1980, the year of this clip. Well, at least it showed Len's only human. ;)
Banner1979 11 months ago
@Banner1979 Oh right so not bad for days work for Kenneth Watson being in Take The High Road and also get cameo role in Corrie, yeah it does show that Len was only human, one thing i liked is he would always have go though and to hell with the consequences.
MeBenHalpin 11 months ago
@MeBenHalpin Yep, I agree. Sam Brady was a Teletext critic whose reviews I used to read almost every day in the late 1990s. I could tell he was a big Coronation Street fan (I think he was from Wigan). He once criticized an episode in '99 when Martin went for Les in the Rovers, saying he just tugged him instead of smacking him straight away. Sam then said that if it was Len Fairclough, he would have really smashed up Les in front of everyone, to hell with what they thought about it.
Banner1979 11 months ago
@Banner1979 Was he really teletext critic, i could imagine him criticising an episode like that of 99, though it more my sort of era, i have to say this was much more golden era of Corrie with characters like Len and probably would have nailed Les in split second and to hell with the consequences.
MeBenHalpin 11 months ago
@MeBenHalpin Yep, Corrie was more of a classic kind of show in the '70s and '80s with terrific characters, more of an old school feel and better writing. He was indeed and every day, he'd do a review of the previous night's television. He singled out one Corrie episode for special praise, the one where Deirdre was released from jail, Judy Mallet found out she was expecting and when Zoe's baby died while she was out. He said it was classic Corrie.He didnt like theGreg/Sally siege episode.
Banner1979 11 months ago
@Banner1979 I agree the golden era of The Street was defintly the 70's/80's and sometimes wish could lived in that period, sometimes think i was born 20 years too late Lol. I would say that Free Deirdre deserved special praise for the way it gripped nation and the strong campaign that followed and the Greg Kelly/Sally saga was rather conclusion for those involved.
MeBenHalpin 11 months ago
@MeBenHalpin I was only a baby when that era of Corrie happened, but I do remember watching it throughout the '80s and early '90s with my mum and sister. Even my brother watched it sometimes when there was a big storyline like the 1986 Rovers fire and when Alan Bradley stalked Rita. That Free Deirdre story was very well written and had helped Corrie get one over EastEnders at that time and EastEnders did its own similar story regarding Matthew and Steve.That Greg/Sally story was gripping.
Banner1979 11 months ago
@Banner1979 Only being born in the 80's i missed lot of that great decade apart from maybe the end of it like 89, when i was 5, but everything i've learnt or seen is from watching repeats on Plus or dvd. Free Deirdre was massive at the time, as don't really recall Eastenders having big gripping storyline at the time, that would pull in more viewing figures than The Street, do you?.
MeBenHalpin 11 months ago
@MeBenHalpin Nope, it just focused on Grant and Tiff, Phil and Kathy splitting up and some other everyday goings on. I think this is when Corrie began to get really ahead of EastEnders and there were other gripping stories to come such as the Whately saga, Jim having his accident, Zoe going off the rails and Samantha turning into a witch. It really had improved by then. It's good to see clips on yt available from the Plus repeats.
Banner1979 11 months ago
@Banner1979 Nothing gripping in Enders at that time then, used to love Corrie towards the late 90's when there were like 4 episodes week, with the Sunday night episode kicking around 96/97 was it?. The Whateley saga was creepy, Jim's accident recall with Steve looking in horror after realising what he had done from the top of the scaffolding, Zoe being Zoe prized bitch and Samantha behind that pretty face and smile laid very wicked young woman.
MeBenHalpin 11 months ago
@MeBenHalpin You're right, she was a very evil woman behind that friendly smile and really had it in for Des and Natalie. Thank goodness Alec sacked her when he did. Steve said he pushed Jim but the way I saw it, he only let go of him and then Jim being drunk lost his balance and fell down with Steve looking in horror. I think Gary Mallett was doing some work for him at that time and was nearby but he didn't see anything. The Sunday episode began in 1996butonly12mil tuned in.
Banner1979 11 months ago
@Banner1979 She seemed to have chip on her shoulder towards the end and thank goodness Alec acted wisley and dismissed her so she couldn't spread anymore poison. Weren't they arguing about Fiona or something and it all got little out of hand, with Jim having been on the old source?. Was 1996 then and only 12 million at first, i used to love watching Sunday night episodes and usually on the Monday group of us would discuss it at school.
MeBenHalpin 11 months ago
@MeBenHalpin It wasn't exactly over Fiona but Jim came to tell him that he'd got a job somewhere else and he wanted to rub it in. Then Steve made an insulting comment and goaded Jim to hit him like he hit Liz and then Jim lunged at him only for Steve to grab him and let him go, making him fall off. I remember Jim being unconscious for a few weeks and Steve being given the option to switch off his life support, but of course in the end, he woke up. That's good that you'd talk about it.
Banner1979 11 months ago
@Banner1979 Was it not, cos thought Steve found out about him sleeping with Fiona and there was real tension between father and son around this period, but its so long ago now, some things sort of erase from your mind.
MeBenHalpin 11 months ago
@MeBenHalpin I think it was in autumn 1997 when Steve found out about Jim sleeping with Fiona and so there was bad blood between them from then on. In April 1998, Jim was going through a bad patch, I think he was depressed then someone gave him a job so he got drunk and started rubbing it in with Steve which led to the fight that got Jim paralysed. Yeah, such a long time ago wasn't it? Time sure does fly like an eagle lol. Liz and Jim got back together after his accident.
Banner1979 11 months ago
@Banner1979 Oh right so the accident was fair bit after the truth coming out about Jim and Fiona?, cos know Steve and Jim were on very bad terms for while, especially knowing how Steve felt about her. It does seem like such long time ago, i was just at secondary school in that period and just scary to think where 13-14 years have gone. Glad Jim had Liz to turn to after the accident too.
MeBenHalpin 11 months ago
Think i have this episode on dvd well from this storyline anyway, would this have been about 1980, when Rita left Len for brief period?.
MeBenHalpin 11 months ago
@MeBenHalpin Yeah thats right this is from 1980 when Rita left him then she came back later
Thebryan6145 11 months ago
@Thebryan6145 Alright cheers mate, i have the episode from 11/2/80 on dvd, do you know what date this would been.
MeBenHalpin 11 months ago
@MeBenHalpin Yeah i knew it was about february valentines day this episode. Is it the 50th box set with 12 discs you have of Coronation Street ?
Thebryan6145 11 months ago
@Thebryan6145 Its Coronation Street the 80's boxset collection with like 10 discs with 8 classic episodes from each year, paid £100 for them about 5 years ago and telling you mate is was money well spent.
MeBenHalpin 11 months ago