Simone Reddington

Earlier this month I booked tickets for the Coronation Street tour for a Mother’s Day present for my mum, and booked an overnight stay for us both in the Salford area of Manchester, where the classic ITV soap is filmed.

We wanted to make the most of our trip so we set off early from Durham train station and our train arrived into Manchester Piccadilly just after lunchtime. It was a gloriously sunny day and it felt so good to be in the bustle of a city centre on a Bank holiday weekend when most people are off work and in a happy, feel-good mood. We stopped for a quick drink before finding our tram to Salford. The tram service was very efficient and we were at our hotel within less than quarter of an hour. Our room was cheap and cheerful (which is exactly what you want for a city break) and we quickly unpacked our case there before heading out to explore the area. I have never been to Salford before so I didn’t know what to expect. It’s actually a smaller city located in Greater Manchester and is home to Media City UK, a development complex which has become one of biggest cultural hubs in the county over the last ten years and is now home to the UK’s most famous TV studios. As well as the Coronation Street, Media City is also used by the BBC to film Match of the Day, BBC Breakfast and their children’s TV programmes. I used to watch CBBC religiously as a child so it was amazing to see the iconic Blue Peter garden in real life.

First we visited The Lowry, an art gallery and theatre named after one of Salford’s most famous honorary sons, artist L.S Lowry who painted sea and urban landscapes in the early twentieth century . The gallery’s main exhibition is dedicated to his work, which is widely celebrated for capturing the essence of urban working-class settings. I particularly liked his painting of two men fighting in a street and the neighbours crowding around to watch. Very apt for it’s location next to the Coronation Street studios!

Outside the gallery, there was a gorgeous market with local businesses selling their products. I bought myself some lovely funky earrings and got some treats to take home for my dog. We then went for a fancy cocktail at the Alchemist. I have always wanted to try one of their potion themed cocktails, and I finally had the chance to sip one while overlooking the stunning Salford Quays.

We then walked around Media City, while we looked for somewhere to eat. We found that there wasn’t much to do in Salford on a night, as it was very small. We eventually went for a meal at Cafe Rouge, where I enjoyed a divine veggie tagine dish. We then headed back to the hotel for an early night before doing our Coronation Street tour the next day.

After grabbing breakfast at the hotel in the morning, we then headed over to the Coronation Street tour. The tour took around 90 minutes and it was absolutely brilliant. I grew up watching Corrie and it was surreal to walk along the same cobbles that the cast and crew film the iconic scenes on. Our tour guide was fantastic; she was so friendly and very informative as she shared the behind-the-scenes secrets of Britain’s favourite soap and how much hard work is put into creating the details that make Weatherfield seem so real on our TV screens. There were plenty of opportunities to take photos on the set and my mum and I got plenty of brilliant pictures in front of the Rovers Return, Roy’s Rolls cafe etc. Even if Coronation Street isn’t your thing, I would still recommend it as a fun day out and it was so interesting to learn about how a television programme is filmed.

After the tour, we went for one last drink in Media City at the stunning Botanist bar before collecting our case from the hotel and catching our tram back to Piccadilly, where we caught our train home. We both had a fabulous weekend and now, when we watch Corrie on an evening, we say to each other: “Eee, we’ve been there!