When Elsie Tanner caused a crowd surge in the middle of South Shields

Pat Phoenix, who played the character of Elsie Tanner in Coronation Street, was a huge star in 1964.

Elsie was a fans favourite

The Stockport-born actress, 40 at the time, was almost as well known as a movie icon or sports superstar.

As the feisty Elsie, she appeared in the long-running soap from its launch in 1960 to 1973, then again from 1976 to 1984.

Even though she was not far off 40 when she first appeared in the show, Phoenix quickly gained a reputation as one of Britain’s top sex symbols.

She was the Tops at opening a clothing store

She was in Shields to officially open the new Tops clothing store.

The opening of Tops was big news. It was the first clothing supermarket in South Shields and operated a help-yourself service.

The store was a subsidiary of Leeds-based firm PS and J Ellis.

Thousands thronged Russell Street and King Street, and police had to hold back the crowd as it surged forward when Miss Phoenix arrived.

After she had cut a red tape stretched across the doorway, a bouquet was presented by 10-year-old Susan Peel, daughter of the store manager.

Also in the news that year

To give you more of a reminder of that year, the ABC in South Shields was showing a film called Night Must Fall. It starred Albert Finney and Susan Hampshire.

The grisly tale was all about a man who commits an axe murder and then disposes of his female victim's body as well as the axe in a lake.

If it was your sort of movie, you could see it each day at 1.50pm, 5.20pm and 8.55pm.

Let us know if you saw the film, or maybe you were busy welcoming a Corrie star.

Tell us if you were there on the day the crowds welcomed Elsie to town.

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