This week in Coronation Street history

Births, deaths and marriages for the week of 31 December to 6 January in Coronation Street history.

In all the new year kerfuffle of Sarah and Bethany leaving the Street, did any of the Platts pause to remember that it was brother Nick Tilsley's birthday? Born on 31 January 1980, according to Corrie.net, Gail's eldest was originally going to be called David Daniel Tilsley, till Gail realised his initials would be DDT! Obviously she still liked the name David, though.

A sad one, now. On 1 January 1992, Liz McDonald gave birth to a baby girl, Katie. The birth was premature, brought on by worrying about Steve, who was involved with a gang of criminals. Katie died the next day, and Liz was heartbroken.

Ken Barlow should be making a visit to Denise Osbourne's house today, because his son Daniel is thirteen years old. I'd forgotten till I looked at Corrie.net to check the dates that Denise had originally been expecting twins, but one baby died before birth.

To marriages now, and we're back to the McDonalds again. Liz married Jim for the first time on 5 January 1974. Since twins Andy and Steve were born in June of that year, it must have been a bit of a shotgun wedding!

For me, one of the saddest and most unforgettable Corrie deaths was that of Alf Roberts. In the middle of festive merriment and fun at a party to celebrate Nick Tilsley's 18th birthday, Alf quietly died. Corrie.net says it was a stroke, Daran Little says it was a heart attack, but either way, poor Audrey was grief-stricken at the loss of her "Alfeh."

It was Janice Battersby who was bereaved in 2002, when Dennis Stringer, for whom she'd left Les Battersby, died following a car crash. He'd been trying to get Les to hospital, after Les had tried to kill himself because of losing Janice. Charles Dale, who played him, is currently playing hypochondriac porter Big Mac in Casualty.

Dates from Corrie.net and The Coronation Street Story by Daran Little.