IT ALL ENDED BRADLEY
There were gripping plotlines aplenty in Weatherfield in the 1980s. Things viewers thought were safe, like a loving boyfriend and the familiar local pub, took a dangerous twist. Here are two of the best storylines that had us on the edge of our seats…
TRAM-ATIC Alan is hit on tracks
Legendary soap villain Alan Bradley got his comeuppance in spectacular fashion when he was run over by a tram in Blackpool. In Corrie’s most watched episode to date in 1989, Bradley was grappling with his ex Rita Fairclough when he was mowed down.
The psychopath, played by Mark Eden, had moved on to the Street in 1986 to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Jenny.
He enlisted the help of her foster mother Rita to gain her trust and the two became an item.
Early on in the relationship Rita (Barbara Knox) became worried about how aggressive her beau could be and told him she wanted to take things slowly. He began seeing Rovers’ barmaid Gloria Todd in retaliation, until the two women got together and demanded he make a choice.
Bradley and Rita reconciled and for the next few years he lived with her and Jenny at No.7.
Money was often the source of the couple’s woes, with the wannabe businessman bitter at earning less than Rita. Tired of playing second fiddle to his other half he even stole the deeds to the house and mortgaged it to start his own business.
In yet another act of betrayal Bradley, who set up a security firm, made a move on his receptionist Dawn Prescott. When she rebuffed him he tried to rape her but she managed to flee.
Confronted by a horrified Rita, who had also found out about the mortgage fraud, the heartless villain flew into a rage and began to beat and suffocate her with a pillow before Jenny and Martin Platt came to her rescue.
Bradley went on the run but the police caught up with him and he spent six months in prison on remand. But he later walked free and continued his torment of Rita once more.
The crook secured a job at the construction site opposite Weatherfield’s newsagent to stalk and intimidate her and he even managed to turn her own daughter against her.
Then, when Rita disappeared suddenly one day, Bradley was instantly placed under suspicion.
Desperate to keep his job and clear his name, he followed her to Blackpool after finding out where she was.
A scuffle in the street ensued and Bradley tried to pull Rita into his car. She managed to get away and he chased after her without noticing the tram that was heading towards him.
A mighty 26.93 million tuned in for Bradley’s demise.
Jokers erected a plaque by the railings where he took his last breath, which still attracts fans today.
Gathered around the piano for a singsong in 1986, regulars at the Rovers Return were unruffled when the lights went out.
Landlady Bet Lynch sent Jack Duckworth down to change the fuse but the hapless cellarman replaced it with one that was far too strong.
The next morning Bet woke up to the smell of smoke. Flames were tearing through the pub, trapping her upstairs.
Kevin Webster, who was returning from a gig in Sheffield with his girlfriend Sally, spotted the fire and became the hero of the hour. The mechanic climbed a ladder to pluck Bet to safety and she lived to pull another pint.
With the pub destroyed, Newton and Ridley, Weatherfield’s brewery, considered closing it for good but instead decided to give it a makeover.
Actress Julie Goodyear revealed that Bet’s nightdress, which was meant to be fireproof, had caught light while filming the scene.
“The scream at the top of the stairs was for real,” she said. “I was terrified.”