July 2004

Nomination: Born Yesterday [20 January 1954. From The Less Deceived]

I am a member of the Larkin Society. I included ‘Born Yesterday’ in the episode of Coronation Street for 19th March 2004. It was the christening of Tracy Barlow’s baby, and ‘Born Yesterday’ is the reading. Unfortunately the obligatory soap fracas curtailed its beautiful ending, but I scripted it so we heard the lion’s share.

I was delighted to be able to plug my favourite Larkin poem – and it was perfectly suited to the storyline. If you missed the episode, there was an omnibus the following Sunday. You may of course prefer to stick pins in your eyes, but I’m proud to write for Corrie and honoured to honour Philip Larkin.

‘Born Yesterday’ has been my co-favourite (alongside ‘The Whitsun Weddings’) for many years. Congratulations on the web-site – it’s great. What would the great man have made of email and the internet, I wonder? Something ending in ‘b-m’…?

Carmel Morgan