The original ‘Queen of British Soap Opera’ Noele Gordon, star of Crossroads, and ITV’s longest-running serial Coronation Street are both to be invested in bricks and mortar.
For Corrie the 16, 500 sq ft Coronation Street Visitor Centre and Event Space is to open on the corner of the programme’s 7.7 acre production facility at MediaCity in Greater Manchester and will be open to the public from next month. It has been described as ITV’s first-ever purpose-built, public-facing building although not the first one planned and built – ATV Centre, in Birmingham, had an ‘exhibition centre’ within its studio space opened in 1969, but it was rarely used as it had originally been intended.
James Penfold, Controller Commercial, Global Entertainment, ITV Studios:
“The Coronation Street Tours began in 2018 and we now welcome up to 1200 visitors a day, seeing the building come to fruition is a great start to another bumper year. We can now bring guests to the home of their favourite show in style, alongside giving them the ability to see even more in the exhibition area, have a cup of tea and a light lunch and of course visit the gift shop to purchase some unique ITV merchandise”.
As well as being the new entrance to the Coronation Street Tours when they reopen in February, the building is home to a cafe, ITV shop, 64 seater cinema, Corrie exhibition floor and The Inkerman, Rosamund and Viaduct Suites – 3 x conference and event spaces holding from 20 to 150 people with additional outside space. All of which will be available to hire from April 2023. The building will have a formal opening this Spring after full completion of the exhibition space and the final fit-out of the event spaces.
Meanwhile, following the resurgence of interest in Crossroads favourite Noele Gordon thanks to the new ITVX drama Nolly, Newham Council have revealed that Noele Gordon House will be named in celebration of the performer who was born in East Ham in 1919. Noele became a pioneer across theatre and television from 1938 through to 1984, with West End and TV firsts ranging from being the first person transmitted to a colour TV set, ITV’s first female executive and the first woman to interview a prime minister. In these days where many women feel their rights are being eroded after decades of fighting for them, Noele was at the forefront of ‘girl power’ leading the way for women in TV. As Anne Dimond says “we owe a lot to her”.
Newham Council, impressed by the life story of Noele – nicknamed Nolly, have announced a building in East Ham will be named after the Lunchbox presenter.
Newham Council statement:
“We’ve named a block of new council homes being built in East Ham after her – part of our original programme to build 1,000 council homes. Our new programme is to deliver a further 1,500 homes.”
The block of 75 new Later Living council homes, currently being built on the former Hartley Centre on Barking Road, will be completed early next year. ‘We’re proud to be working with Hill Group UK and Mae Architects on such a special development.’ said Populoliving
The Nolly drama – now streaming on ITVX and the STV Player – stars Helena Bonham Carter as the flame-haired soap queen who lost her crown in 1981 when producer Jack Barton had the performer sacked from Crossroads after ‘one row too many’. Noele died in 1985, and while she has a loyal fanbase online, the star had pretty much all but faded from the spotlight. ITV last paid tribute to Noele in 2012 with a half-hour Unforgettable Noele Gordon documentary. There is also a new documentary about Noele’s life The Real Nolly, also available on ITVX/STV Player
