Weatherfield
Weatherfield is a fictional town based on Salford, Greater Manchester, which has been the setting for the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street since its inception in 1960. Much of Weatherfield has been seen by viewers throughout the years, though the primary focus from the viewer's perspective is the eponymous Coronation Street, a cobbled street where many of the programme's characters live. The soap opera is often shot on location around Salford and the neighbouring large city of Manchester, as its filming studios, the Granada Studios complex on Quay Street in Manchester city centre and its replacement set MediaCityUK in Salford Quays, only house the outdoor sets of Coronation Street and its immediate surrounding streets.
As part of the 2010 Children in Need charity appeal, Weatherfield became twinned with Walford in a special programme uniting the two soaps, Coronation Street and EastEnders, called East Street.
Education
Bessie Street Primary School
Formerly "Bessie Street Mixed Infants" and "Bessie Street Juniors", "Bessie Street Primary School" is the main institution for primary education in Weatherfield.Headteachers:
- Wilfred Perkins
- Mrs Nandhra
- Miss Muirhouse
- Brian Packham
- Mrs Glover
- Melinda Calvert
Some characters have also worked there, notably Ken who took his first teaching job at Bessie Street in 1961, the year after the series began. He worked there intermittently until 1974. Esther Hayes, who lived at No. 5 Coronation Street until 1962, also worked as a teacher at the school. The role of lollipop man at Bessie Street has been held by Albert, Percy Sugden, Jack Duckworth and most recently Dennis and Malcolm Lagg. The headteacher was Brian Packham, but he has been replaced. Melinda Calvert is currently the headteacher of Bessie Street.
Peter Barlow goes to see his son, Simon, perform in the nativity play in December 2008; however, he is refused entry for being drunk. He fights his way through and ruins the play. In 2013, Kylie Platt arrives drunk at her son Max's nativity play and the Platt family is removed immediately when Kylie tries to drag Max off the stage. In June 2014, Kylie and her husband, David, are called in as Max has been disruptive during lessons. This later leads to him being diagnosed with ADHD.
Coronation Street residents currently attending the school are Jack Webster, Ruby Dobbs, Jake Windass, Lily Platt, and Joseph Brown.
Weatherfield High School
Headteachers:- Sue Jeffers
- Mrs Paton
- Miss Johnson
- Mrs Crawshaw
Lucille Hewitt is the first character to sit her O-level examinations at the newly formed Weatherfield Comprehensive in 1965 after the amalgamation of the Weatherfield School for Girls and the Weatherfield Boys' School.
The school rarely features until Ken Barlow returns to teaching in 1991, taking a post in the English department. By this time, a teenage Tracy Barlow is a pupil at the school, along with Steve and Andy McDonald. Nick Tilsley attends from 1992 to 1997. Derek Wilton works as a caretaker at the school for a short time in the early 1990s. The school is referred to as 'Weatherfield Comp' in many scripts but since 2004, the school has been known as 'Weatherfield High'.
Other former pupils include Jenny Bradley , Toyah Battersby , Sarah-Louise Platt , Candice Stowe, Todd Grimshaw and Aiden Critchley who attended around the same time. Since the year 2000, pupils to have attended the school include Rosie Webster, David Platt, Amber Kalirai and Craig Harris. In 2004, Violet Wilson is identified as a former pupil of Ken Barlow and sometimes still refers to him as "sir". Sophie Webster, Chesney Brown, Sian Powers, Ryan Connor and Ben Richardson all leave the school after taking their exams in Year 11. Recent graduates of the school include Craig Tinker, Bethany Platt, Faye Windass and Simon Barlow.
The characters in Coronation Street currently attending the school now are Amy Barlow, Max Turner and Summer Spellman.
Scenes at Weatherfield High School are filmed on location at Oasis Academy MediaCityUK in Salford.
Oakhill School
Weatherfield's only private school is in the Oakhill area of the town.The school first appears in the programme in 1993, when Mike Baldwin offers to pay for his estranged son Mark Redman to be educated there. In 2004, Oakhill reappears when Rosie Webster is accepted at the school, where she studies for her GCSEs. In 2020, Asha and Aadi Alahan transferred to Oakhill after Dev Alahan moved them from Weatherfield High, hoping it would solve the problem of Asha's explicit video going viral.
Scenes at Oakhill School are filmed on location at Cheadle Hulme School.
Weatherfield Polytechnic/University
briefly attends here, along with her friend and housemate Flick Khan. Jenny studies biology until she is expelled for neglecting her work. It is later attended by Andy McDonald, by which time it has been reclassified as a university under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. Andy is successful in his studies, graduating with a lower second class honours degree.Local press
Weatherfield has its own local newspaper, The Weatherfield Gazette. A free local newspaper existed in the programme until 1990, known as The Weatherfield Recorder. Weatherfield also has a tabloid newspaper called The Daily Pulse.Local shops and businesses
D&S Alahan's Corner Shop
D&S Alahan's Corner Shop is situated at 15 Coronation Street and is on the junction to Viaduct Street. It was owned by Dev Alahan and Sunita Alahan, until the death of Sunita in The Rovers Return fire in 2013; now it is solely owned by Dev. D&S Alahan's was hit by a tram in December 2010, while Sunita, Molly Dobbs and her baby Jack were inside. Jack and Sunita were subsequently saved but Molly died. The shop was closed for the beginning of 2011 but re-opened in late February. Until December 2010, the corner shop was the only business that had stood since the very first episode. Another notable storyline for D&S Alahan's involved Maya Sharma setting fire to the shop in 2004, leading to an explosion while Dev and Sunita were in the flat above.The Kabin
The Kabin is also at the junction of Coronation Street and Viaduct Street. The Kabin mainly sells newspapers, magazines, traditional sweets and seasonal goods. Originally opened by Rita Sullivan as the Korner Kabin on Rosamund Street, it moved to its current location in 1990. In late 2009, Rita sells The Kabin to employee Norris Cole so that she can go travelling. When she returns, she is re-employed by Norris. The Kabin, along with D&S Alahan's Corner Shop and The Joinery wine bar, is involved in the tram crash in December 2010. The tram rips through the shop and the flats above, with Rita inside the shop. After initially believing that Rita is out at a friend's, Norris and Emily Bishop raise the alarm and Rita is eventually rescued. In 2019, Norris announces to Rita that he is selling The Kabin and later sells it to Brian Packham and Cathy Matthews. Rita then finds out and tells Brian she is quitting as she does not want to work for them. Brian and Cathy apologise to Rita and offer her the job of manageress. Since 2022, the business is rarely seen on screen.Audrey's Salon
Audrey's Salon is a salon situated at the junction of Rosamund Street and Coronation Street. It was owned by Claudia Colby, Maria Connor and Rita Tanner. 2 Coronation Street had been a hairdresser's salon since 1991, shortly after it was built. It was originally a charity shop run by Emily Bishop in 1990. Previous salon owners include Denise Osbourne and Audrey Roberts. The salon was closed in 2020 after Ray Crosby bought the shop and upstairs flat while trying to redevelop the street, but it re-opened again in 2022, as a focus for Audrey who had recently tried to kill herself.Underworld
Underworld is the underwear factory situated on Coronation Street, which has employed many residents of Weatherfield. The company was founded by Mike Baldwin as Baldwins Casuals but was later owned by Carla Connor. After Mike died, his son's Danny Baldwin and Adam Barlow sell their shares to Paul and Liam Connor. After Paul's death, his wife, Carla, inherits his 60% share in the factory. Carla's new husband Tony Gordon purchases Liam's shares shortly before he dies but, after Tony is imprisoned for Liam's murder, Carla buys his shares. Nick Tilsley purchases them in early 2010, then sells his 40% share back to Carla when the pair do not get along. In 2011, Frank Foster buys Nick's former share from Carla.In early June 2010, Tony takes revenge on Carla and Roy Cropper by taking Carla and Roy's wife Hayley hostage, before setting the factory on fire with Carla inside. She manages to escape but Tony walks back into the blazing factory and dies. During the re-construction of the factory John Stape and Charlotte Hoyle hide the body of Colin Fishwick, who died inside No. 5 Coronation Street following an argument with the pair, under the floor of the factory. John had stolen Colin's identity to allow him to teach again. However, unbeknownst to John, Owen Armstrong Construction is about to cement over the hole and, before John could do anything, the floor is covered with Colin underneath. The body remains undetected until July 2011, when drain problems with the factory toilets lead to the floor being dug up. John, terrified that his secret is about to be uncovered, manages to get himself on the labour team and goes to the factory late one night to find Colin's body; John's wife Fiz Stape interrupts him and discovers the body. Eventually, the police find out about John's cover up and investigate, but John makes a get away, leaving Fiz facing the blame for his crimes.
Frank takes up a partnership with Carla, their relationship grows, and they become engaged. As the wedding plans progress Carla realises that she still has feelings for Peter, and she calls off the wedding. Frank rapes Carla at her flat, and she later reports this to the police. Frank is arrested but later released on bail on condition that he stay away from Carla and the business. Frank's mother steps into his shoes at the factory and interferes with Carla's life, making it harder for her to run the factory. Frank steals the clients from Underworld and sends in men to take his share of items and stock from the business to set up his new business elsewhere in the area. With no work for the staff, Carla makes the decision to lay off staff. First is by mutual agreement with Becky McDonald, who walks out as she was the last to be employed at the factory. She is followed by Eileen Grimshaw for the same reason. Carla also dismisses Sally Webster, who is upset that Carla has done so, as Sally has worked for the factory and been loyal to the business for many years. Frank approaches Sally and offers her a supervisor's job at his new factory which she accepts. Frank later returns to Underworld merging his business with Carla's, bringing his staff with him.
In April 2012, after Frank is found dead in the factory, his 40% share is to be purchased by Sally. After meeting with Frank's lawyers, Carla discovers that Frank has left his share of the factory to her, having forgotten to change his will after the rape, much to the happiness of her sister-in-law, Michelle Connor. In December 2013, Carla gives 50% of the business to her husband Peter Barlow after he loses the bookies but demands the shares back after uncovering his affair with Tina McIntyre. In January 2014, the factory loses one of its much-loved staff members, as Hayley passes away from pancreatic cancer.
In 2015, Carla has a breakdown, believing that she is responsible for the fire at Victoria Court. This causes her to lose focus at work, and she cancels meetings with clients and misses deadlines. She also starts gambling with the factory's money and drinking heavily. Concerned, Nick and Michelle call upon Aidan Connor to help out. Aidan agrees to invest £100,000 in the factory in exchange for a 40% share. However, Carla continues to gamble, irritating Aidan. It soon emerges that Aidan borrowed money from his father, Johnny Connor to buy the factory shares. Johnny insists that he now has a say in how the factory is run and settles with 22% of the shares; Aidan retained the remaining 18%. Carla later discovers that Tracy Barlow is to blame for the fire and begins to get her life back on track. After breaking up with her fiancé Nick, Carla decides to move away to Devon. She eventually sells her 60% share of the factory to Johnny along with her flat. Adam returns to the street in 2016 and forms a plan to reclaim his former share of the factory from the Connors. He enlists the help of Alya to gain access to the factory to find financial evidence to prove that he is one of the legal owners of Underworld. However, his plan falls through as Alya tips the Connors off and they threaten to report him to the police unless he drops the case against them. Adam agrees as he knows that being reported to the police could compromise his legal career. In September 2017, the factory loses all of its business and everything inside.
In March 2019, Gary Windass sabotages the already fragile factory roof to get more building work. However, this causes the roof to collapse and injure the machinists, including Sally, Kirk Sutherland, Sean Tully, Paul Foreman, Gemma Winter and Emma Brooker. Rana Habeeb is also trapped in the wreckage, and later dies from her injuries on the day she is supposed to be marrying her fiancée, Kate Connor.