Walk the famous cobbled street!!! (Granada Studios (Manchester))

Member Name: gailsmith

Product:	Granada Studios (Manchester)
Date:	14/10/00 (3935 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great day out

Disadvantages: didn't get to meet any stars

Yes, you really can walk down that famous street!!!
We visited coronation street a few years ago whilst on our way home from a holiday in Blackpool, We decided go home via Manchester.
It really is very interesting, having watched the show for years it's great to see everything in real life.
It's a lot smaller then I imagined, the houses have got nothing inside except building materials,and they are only decorated just inside the front door, the stairs only go half way up, so when you see the kids getting sent upstairs they wait at the top until the next scene then come down again!!! as there is nowhere for them to go!!!
It was great seeing the corner shop and the hair salon, you can actually look through the windows, it really is very small inside,the outside of the Rovers Return is all they use in the show, all inside scenes are set in another Rovers Return elsewhere on the set which you can actually go into and have a drink.
The inside scenes such as the cafe and inside houses are filmed in the studio which you get a guided tour around, I took a photo of my son sitting on Sally Websters sofa!!
You are allowed to take photo's of whatever you like, but if you want to take a certain picture with your family or friends it can be a bit awkward as there are so many people about all trying to do the same, all getting in the way!!!
Walking down the street was really interesting as it isn't a real street and there's nothing at the end, so when you see cars going up and down they get just around the corner and stop!!! as there is nowhere for them to go.
You can walk round the back of the houses where the back yards are, this is what you actually see on T.V.
In the Rovers Return backyard you've got loads of beer barrels, where in Sally's garden there is a kids slide. In Jack and Vera's there was Jacks pigeon pen.
The telephone box outside the salon really works, we went in there and phoned home, knowing
no-one would be in, so when we got home we were going to do a 1471 and get the phone number,then try ringing it and see if anyone famous answered, the trouble was someone else tried phoning after and all we got was their phone number!!!Never mind it was worth a try!!!
When you go in you get a ticket to say the time of the guided tour this was about a 3 hour wait!!! so be prepared,
It's worth going early so you've got all day there.
There is so much to see, apart from Coronation street there are other sets to see as well, such as Baker street, if anyone remembers that, it was set in Sherlock Holmes times, a really dark and gloomy street, very interesting to see.
Who remembers land of the giants or the borrowers?
We visited a set used to make these sort of programmes, there was these giant pieces of furniture such as tables chairs and piano, they really do use giant furniture and not trick photography!!!
Then there was the Downing street set, apparently if Downing street features in a programme they cannot use the real street so one has been set up in the studios exactly the same, there was even a policeman standing outside, when we were there he grabbed my son and I got a brilliant picture.
Out of all the people there he had to get picked, well he does look a bit of a villain!!!(sorry nicky, don't really mean it!)
This is a great day out, although we didn't get to meet anyone famous from the street, it was still worth visiting.
The prices are a bit steep though, Although it was a few years ago it still cost about £17 per adult and £12 per child under 12. although they do a family ticket for £42 this includes 2 adults and 2 children which is quite good value.

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