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Reg: ‘I don’t need alcohol. Looking at you, Maureen, is intoxicating enough – the heady, heady wine of beauty’
Vera: ‘Come here give us a kiss’
By Alison James
Jack: ‘Gerroff, will yer!’
n addition to the gritty, witty scripts, Coronation Street has a history of creating first-class characters. These folk fascinated as singletons but matched up with a significant Street other, something magical happened – a kind of sublime soap synergy. We saw our own marriages and partnerships reflected in Stan and Hilda’s day-today ding-dongs, Reg and Maureen’s giddy courtship, and Jack and Vera’s sometimes ranting – but ultimately loving – vocal spats. In recent years, it seems like many Corrie couples are barely together five minutes before infidelity, betrayal and/or disaster drive them apart. However with new producer Kate Oates at the helm, the hope is we’ll see more of these longerlasting couplings. In the meantime, let’s take a ‘memory lane’ trip down our favourite Street...
I Corrie couples
We’ve loved and lost As Valentine’s Day approaches we pay tribute to some of the Street’s most iconic couples and hope we may soon see their like again YOURS
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‘The trouble with you Stan is you’re too damn suppository’
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Hilda and Stan Hilda and Stan Ogden were Corrie’s underdog couple – but we loved them all the more for that. She was a gossip-loving, overall-wearing char, famous for the flying ducks and ‘murial’ on her back room wall, who was forever singing in a highpitched squeak and rarely took her curlers out. He was a ‘lazy lummox’ who preferred betting to working and was forever trying to get to the Rovers for a crafty pint. Stan may have driven Hilda up the wall but she was bereft when he passed away in 1984. Who can forget her tears when she unpacked her recently deceased husband’s hospital bag and found his glasses?
❙ tv chat ❙ Alf and Audrey Audrey and ‘my Alfeh’ are proof that opposites really do attract. Flighty, flirty Audrey Potter couldn’t have been more different to staid, sensible grocer Alf, yet they were very content. They had their tough times – mostly during Alf’s tenure as Mayor of Weatherfield. Alf wasn’t happy when Audrey insisted on using the Mayoral limousine for shopping trips and flirted with the chauffeur into the bargain. But Audrey stayed with Alf even when he sacked her as Mayoress and appointed Betty Turpin in her place!
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Audrey: ‘He gets very absorbed in his food does Alf, not to say covered in it’
Reg and Maureen Roy: ‘Archaeology may be an intense pleasure on many levels, Hayley, but it doesn’t compare with the thrust of the dinnertime rush’
Hayley and Roy
Vera and Jack The Duckies would be spitting insults at each other one minute, coming over all frisky the next – although in later years, it would be Vera making the amorous advances while ‘our Jack’ tried to escape her clutches. If marital slanging matches were an Olympic sport, this pair would have won gold. But the love was always there and they were together for over 50 years, until Vera’s death in 2008. As heartbroken Jack said at her funeral, “There hasn’t been two lives... just the one that we’ve shared – and that’s the best kind of life you can have.”
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While we like Roy’s present lady friend Cathy, his late wife Hayley is a hard act to follow. It’s thanks to Hayley that we really got to know Roy, rather than regarding him as a clothbag-toting oddball. He came out of his solitary shell when he met and fell in love with transsexual Hayley. Their relationship and subsequent marriage survived bigotry, bullying and persecution from their nastier neighbours. We fell in love with this couple and wept buckets when Hayley passed away in early 2014.
Rita and Len
❤❤ Ken and Deirdre
PICS: REX SHUTTERSTOCK
One of the Street’s classic comedy couplings, eccentric, pompous and vain Better Buys’ manager Reg Holdsworth met up with first love Maureen again when she started working on the tills. Ditzy Maureen was bowled over by Reg’s peculiar brand of wooing, including a memorable interlude on a punctured waterbed. The two married but it didn’t last long; Maud Grimes, Maureen’s battle-axe of a mother, was determined to split them up.
Rita Littlewood was on her uppers Were it not when she met builder, Len Fairclough for Deirdre’s and he bought her the Kabin shop to sudden death run. It wasn’t an easy relationship; last year (due to the Len was reluctant to commit, passing of actress although they did finally marry. Anne Kirkbride), the Their marriage had many ups and Barlows would still be downs and Rita was devastated together. They survived when he died in an accident in multiple infidelities, 1983, but then she learned he had divorce, Deirdre’s pottery and stuffed marrow, been cheating on her. Ken’s kimono and intellectual pretensions – and mother-in-law Blanche’s hilarious comment, “Good looks are a curse, you and Ken should count yourselves lucky.” YOURS
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Style
✢ Burgundy cardigan, £16, 8-22, Bhs; floral top, £24, 8-20, Next; jeans, £15, 8-22, Bhs; shoes, £25, 3-8, Tu at Sainsbury’s
PHOTOGRAPHY RUTH JENKINSON; STYLIST JO WINCH; HAIR AND MAKE-UP SARAH JANE GREEN
notes
✢ Dress, £18, 8-20, George at Asda; tights, £4, xs-xl, Tesco; black heels, £35, 3-8, Marks & Spencer; bag, £27.99, Bon Prix
✢ Smock-style top, £16, 8-18, and dark denim jeans, £14, 8-18, both Tu at Sainsbury’s; flat shoes, £25, 3-8, Next
Look good without breaking the bank with these stylish and great-value fashion finds By Fashion Editor, Michelle Nightingale 38
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Budget
STYLE GUIDE
SAVVY SHOPPING TIPS Save on knitwear Lots of high-street shops have lovely knitwear at reasonable prices. We love the colourful Supersoft range from Bhs – prices for a longsleeve knit start at just £12! Supermarket style Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco all have brilliant ranges that feature flattering clothing at value-for-money prices. Great for stocking up on basics, too. Budget accessories Affordable jewellery and bags are easy to find. Don’t be put off by shops that are aimed at younger audiences – often they’ll have some great pieces you’ll love. ✢ Bracelet, £4.99
✛ Tan bag, £15.99, both New Look
✢ Red jumper, £20, xs-xl, Bonmarché; patterned trousers, £18, 8-18, Tu at Sainsbury’s; shoes, £22, 3-8, Next; necklace, £12, M&Co
Fancy footwear We love Next for the wide selection of flat ballet-style pumps, or try Bhs for kitten and mid-heel height shoes at fantastic prices.
✢ Jacket, £20, 8-20, George at Asda; white blouse, £17.50, 10-32, Lorraine Kelly for JD Williams; black skirt, £16, 10-24, Bonmarché; black heels, £25, 3-8, Bhs; bag, £20, Peacocks
✢ We can’t guarantee availability of items during sale time
t style buys ✢ NEXT ISSUE Fabulous new season must haves – don’t miss them!
YOURS
STOCKISTS: Bhs 0344 411 6000 www.bhs.co.uk; Bon Prix 0333 200 6014 www.bonprix.co.uk; Bonmarché 0330 026 2728 www.bonmarche.co.uk; George at Asda 0800 952 0101 www. asda.com/George; JD Williams 0871 231 2000 www.jdwilliams. co.uk; M&Co 0800 031 7200 www.mandco.com; Marks & Spencer 0333 014 8000 www. marksandspencer.com; Next 0333 777 8000 www.next.co.uk; Peacocks 0292 027 0222 www. peacocks.co.uk; Tesco 0800 323 4050 www.clothingattesco.com; Tu at Sainsbury’s 0800 636 262 www.sainsburys.co.uk Details correct at time of going to press EVERY FORTNIGHT
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HEALTH &
vitality Meet our experts Jamie Oliver, superchef and healthy eating pioneer, has contributed to The Book of You, a collection of healthboosting microactions (Penguin, £8.99) Jamie Sawyer is one of the UK’s leading strength and conditioning coaches and a personal trainer www.jamiesawyer.co.uk
30 minutes Take a walk That’s all you need to do each day to reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer and dementia. Try walking home from the shops instead of taking the bus – even if you have some shopping. As long as you can manage it comfortably, carrying laundry detergent or big cartons of milk will mean you get a bit of strength training as well as a cardio workout.
Small
change
HUGE difference! Simple tweaks to your daily lifestyle could transform your wellbeing By Charlotte Haigh MacNeil hen you want to feel healthier and happier, it’s tempting to plan a big overhaul of your wellbeing. But that’s not always a good idea. Goals such as aiming to cut out sugar entirely or go to the gym every day can be unrealistic – and when you inevitably slip up, it could knock your confidence and make it harder for you to make any healthy changes at all. Instead, take small, simple steps to form positive new habits. These are easier to stick to and make a real difference – and you can always do something, whether you have a few seconds or 10 minutes.
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15 minutes Do a good deed It can slash stress, which may have a range of health benefits, including boosting your immunity and reducing your risk of heart disease, according to the experts. And it doesn’t need to take long – call a friend who’s going through a difficult time, drop some shopping in to your elderly neighbour or set up a direct debit to donate some cash to your favourite charity. 44
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30 minutes Get into the garden Gardening for half an hour boosts mood and reduces stress, according to Dutch researchers. Other studies have found getting green-fingered could help lower your risk of dementia – plus it counts towards your daily activity quota. For an extra health benefit, why not grow your own fruit and veg?
❙ feel good ❙ 1 minute Give your breakfast a nutrient boost “It’s a good opportunity to get some extra vitamins and minerals and just make your first meal of the day that bit healthier,” says Jamie Oliver. “Add fresh fruit to your porridge, swap butter for avocado on your toast or choose poached eggs over fried,” he suggests.
15 minutes Boil your dishcloth Research by European food safety body, Safefood, has found 27 per cent of kitchen dishcloths contain the E.coli bacteria, while 14 per cent are riddled with listeria, both of which can 2 minutes potentially cause serious food poisoning Try micro-mindfulness and affect your immunity. Slash your risk You’ve probably heard about how quickly by boiling cloths in water for 15 mindfulness, which means paying close minutes every two days. Notice a smell attention to the present moment, can help coming from your cloth? It’s definitely you manage stress. If you don’t have time time to replace it. to sit and meditate, choose a daily habit, such as brushing your hair, and use the time to focus on the moment – smells, 10 seconds tastes and sensations. It may sound strange if you’re not used to it but Sit down twice you should feel calmer and Yes, you read that right. more grounded. Next time you go to sit down, sit, then stand up, and then sit back down again. It gives your glutes – the large muscles in your thighs – a mini-workout, according to 2 minutes Jamie Sawyer.
1 minute Sniff lemon oil The scent can help promote calm and boost your mood, according to a study from Japan. Sprinkle a few drops into an aromatherapy diffuser, or put some on a tissue and sniff. We love Miaroma Lemon Pure Essential Oil, £5.99 from Holland & Barrett.
Work your pelvic floor Pelvic floor exercises help prevent and treat stress incontinence and vaginal prolapse – and can even improve your sex life. To do them, pull in your pelvic floor muscles (as though you’re stopping your urine flowing mid-stream) and hold for a count of three, then release for three seconds, before tensing them again. Start with 10 and work up to 20, repeating three times a day – you can do them on the bus or while you’re watching TV and nobody will know! YOURS
Turn the page for more healthy tweaks
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Good to KNOW... Meet our experts Danielle Clements, Senior Associate Solicitor at Gorvins Solicitors, www.gorvins.com Stephen Thompson, Charted Legal Executive in Civil and Property Litigation for Wake Smith Solicitors Ltd, www.wake-smith.com
hen we were younger it felt like our streets were welcoming communities, with everyone on first-name terms and willing to pop round for a natter. Nowadays many of us have lost that sense of community, or worse – we’re living next door to inconsiderate neighbours who make a lot of noise or leave their garden in a mess. If you’re suffering, you’re far from alone. A 2014 survey from Which? found that one in four of us had experienced nuisance neighbours in the past 12 months alone, ranging from noise issues to more serious problems such as drug use. It also found that more than half of those surveyed didn’t know what to do about the situation.
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1 Start with a chat “A good first move would always be to try to discuss the problem with your neighbour,” says Danielle Clements, Senior Associate Solicitor at Gorvins Solicitors. “I’d always recommend trying to have a face-toface chat in the first instance rather than writing a letter. It can be hard to read your tone in a letter and they might become defensive. It can sometimes be tricky to broach a problem in person, so you could take a friend along with you for moral support.”
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How to...
deal with Expert advice for a more peaceful life By Lizzy Dening
2 WRITE A LETTER “If a chat doesn’t work, proceed carefully,” says Stephen Thompson, Charted Legal Executive in Civil and Property Litigation for Wake Smith Solicitors Ltd. “Getting the courts involved should be a last resort because it can be expensive and stressful. A carefully-worded letter might be your next good option. Be polite and spell out that you don’t mean to cause any offence, and that you’re writing to try any issues, so they can to maintain a good speak to their tenants and relationship.” decide whether to let them continue the tenancy. You could also speak to the letting agents to contact the landlord on your behalf, 3 Make a note if you know which company the If the problem doesn’t improve, house is let through. it’s worth keeping a diary of any incidents. For example: ‘Tuesday, 5 Get some advice January 22, loud music was playing A good first port of call is the Citizens from 10pm-1am’. Include any contact Advice Bureau, which is a not-foryou make too – and keep copies of profit organisation and won’t charge any letters you send. Hopefully it you. Advice about neighbour disputes won’t come to this, but should you is always different because the need to go to court, a written record circumstances can vary so much. will provide vital evidence. Visit your local office or call 0344 411 1444. You may also find some 4 Approach the landlord useful information online at If your neighbours are renting their www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing property they should have signed under the ‘Problems where you live’ a tenancy agreement with their section. It may be worth contacting landlord, and that will include the fact your buildings and contents insurer that they are not to cause a nuisance. for legal advice, as they will have legal If you know the homeowner, it’s teams to help with certain disputes, definitely worth letting them know of depending on your policy.
nuisance neighbours LAND DISPUTES There are numerous problems which fall under this category – from boundary arguments, to plants or trees creeping over from their side of the fence – and you’re more likely to require legal help (if you can’t reach a compromise with your neighbour) than with noise issues. Each case is different, so it’s worth contacting the Citizens Advice Bureau in the first instance.
classified as harassment,” says Stephen, “for 7 And finally... example children playing, loud voices and slamming If nothing seems to be doors during the day. But if you’re disturbed by helping, and as a last loud music, parties and car alarms you can report resort, you can hire a it to your local council, who will have an outsolicitor to begin what’s of-hours team able to visit you. If music or a known as ‘injunctive barking dog is really loud and persistent, proceedings’ – approaching a 999 call to the police may even be a court to get an order or necessary under the grounds instruction for your neighbour, to of harassment.” force them to stop their bad behaviour.
| DID YOU KNOW? | If a fence has blown down or there’s a problem with a shared garden or passage, have a look at the property deeds to work out who’s responsible for repairs
“While the police and the courts can help, it won’t be a quick process,” says Danielle, “and it’s in everyone’s interests to resolve the matter amicably so you can carry on living peacefully in your home.” ✢ Find a solicitor who specialises in neighbour disputes by calling the Law Society 0207 320 5650 or visit solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/
IF YOU ARE RENTING “Your rights are no different if you are renting your property,” says Danielle, “but what you do depends on the problem. For noise issues, or anti-social behaviour, it’s still up to you to seek independent advice, whereas if it’s an issue about land or damage to the property, your landlord needs to be told and should address the issue.”
✢ NEXT ISSUE Ideas for making the most of the extra day at the end of February!
For solutions to common neighbourhood issues, visit www.yours.co.uk/neighbours
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PICS: ALAMY, GETTY IMAGES, SHUTTERSTOCK
A survey from Which? found that one-in -four of us had experienced 6 NO NOISE Loud neighbours can make life a nuisance neighbours, ranging from misery, especially if talking to them hasn’t achieved much. “Although annoying, some noise issues to more serious problems types of noisy behaviour are unlikely to be
Winter
❙ time for you ❙
veggie dishes
Get your five-a-day with these warming meat-free meals ROASTED AUBERGINE & BUTTERBEAN FILO PIE Filo pastry gives this dish a lovely, crunchy topping Serves: 4 Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour
• 2 large aubergines, cut into 2.5cm (1in) chunks • 1 large onion, chopped • A little oil • ½ tsp ground cinnamon • Pinch chilli flakes • 2 tsp dried oregano/ 2 tbsp fresh • 550g (1¼lb) of cherry tomatoes • 400g (14oz) can of butterbeans, drained • 250g (9oz) Greek yogurt • 1 medium egg, beaten • 1 pack ready-made filo pastry • 2 tsp of sesame seeds • tsbp of fresh oregano
1 Heat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7. Line a large baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Add the aubergine and onion and toss with oil. Roast for 25 mins. 2 Take the tray out of the oven and add the ground cinnamon, chilli flakes, oregano and cherry tomatoes to the tray and toss. Roast for a further 15 mins, then mix in the butterbeans. 3 Reduce the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. Spoon half the vegetables into a 1.5 litre (2½ pt) ovenproof dish. Beat together the Greek yogurt and egg and season well. Pour over the vegetables and spoon over the remaining vegetable mix.
4 Lay a sheet of filo on a work surface and lightly spray with oil, loosely lay over the vegetables, crunching to fit the dish, repeat with the remaining sheets of pastry. 5 Scatter with sesame seeds and bake for 15-20 mins, until crisp and golden. Scatter with a little fresh oregano and serve immediately. Per serving: 357 cals Fat 14.3g (sat fat 3.1g)
TR Y THIS Fage Total Greek yogurt is thick, creamy and high in protein, without containing any additives or preservatives. ✢ From Waitrose and Asda
£2.39 /500g
Recipe from Fage www.uk.fage.eu