We professionals notice

It's striking how writers of continuous drama programming disregard the confines of physical setting and go their merry way, presumably thinking, 'Joe Public never clocks a darn thing'. Well let me tell you, Mr Writer, Joe Public may vote for the wrong people continually in reality tv shows, and sign ludicrous petitions on the No. 10 website, but they notice an over-crowded house when they see one!

The houses on the old side of Coronation Street generally have 2 upstairs bedrooms. There is no scope for a third as none of them have that back wing over the kitchen that many terraces have. All the kitchens are little single-story extensions. It's a wonder they manage to accommodate an upstairs bathroom, but I believe this to be next to the back bedroom, which must be considerably smaller thant the front one as a result.

The only extension bedroom-wise was in the baldwin's old place, where Curly created a room in the loft for his telescope (there have also been discussions of Les doing the same for Chesney, but whether that came to anything I can't remember).

Obviously, downstairs front rooms are being used in some cases. I am confident that Blanche lives in the front room at the Barlows and Sean lives in the front room at Eileen's and I think Tyrone might still use the front room boudoir that Jack and Vera made for him and Maria years ago.

But even taking this into account, the houses are appearing to accommodate far more people than they could possibly hold without the residents of coronation street bunking in together like it was the war or something!

Violet upon her split with Jamie Baldwin moved back in with Eileen Grimshaw, where she lived when she was involved with her son Jason. (a strange decision regardless of its over-crowding consequences). Now one assumes that Eileen, being a woman of a certain age and head of the family would occupy the larger room across the front of the upstairs. Jason her son would occupy the room he once shared with older brother Todd. When Todd's gay friend Sean Tully moved in, I believe he occupied the front room. Now, given that Jason is now heavily involved with his brother's ex-girlfriend, one assumes that Violet is no longer in the room she occupied in her last spell in the house. Moreover, I doubt that Eileen's maternal feelings to Violet extend to inviting her to share her bedroom and doubt that Sean would wish to compromise his albeit laughably minimal sex-life by having his best friend sharing a bedroom.

So where does Violet sleep? In the living room? I see no evidence of a sofa-bed as per Ian Beale's one bed flat days in Eastenders. If one begins to consider how the Barlows accommodated Peter and Adam as well as Blanche, Ken, Deirdre, Tracy and Amy now Tracy's house is a murder scene, then the mind just begins to boggle.

Coronation Street obviously lies on a rift in the space time continuum. (Don't even get me started on the fact that the interior of the Rovers' kitchen is in the middle of Rosamund Street when placed in relation to the exterior!)