[Scarlett.]

Coronation Street character Gary Windass is set to serve in Afghanistan as a bomb disposal expert.

Windass, played by Mikey North, went AWOL earlier this year after meeting a soldier who was injured at war, but will overcome his fears by disarming improvised explosive devices.

The new storyline comes after show bosses decided to move away from typical domestic dramas, according to the News of the World.

A source said: "We will not be holding back on the realities of our men and women going to war. We'll be showing how it really is, warts and all."

Writers at the ITV1 soap are said to have consulted the Ministry of Defence regarding the storyline, which will be shown on-screen in October.

Digital Spy


"Bosses decided to move away from typical domestic dramas"

Not really, this sounds like a very honest and true storyline

[Smithy]

I think the typical domestic thing is implying things like affairs

But it'll be interesting to see how this storyline plays out seeing as we won't actually be seeing that much of it, if you get what I mean :P

[Scarlett.]

Aye, this is better than affairs, its not often characters become soldiers, I'm guessing most developments will be seen through Anna and Eddie, it'd be pretty cool if they did so abroad filming for it (Africa could be used as it has been for Iraq war dramas)

[Shasown]

Originally Posted by Chewy

Coronation Street character Gary Windass is set to serve in Afghanistan as a bomb disposal expert.

Windass, played by Mikey North, went AWOL earlier this year after meeting a soldier who was injured at war, but will overcome his fears by disarming improvised explosive devices.

The new storyline comes after show bosses decided to move away from typical domestic dramas, according to the News of the World.

A source said: "We will not be holding back on the realities of our men and women going to war. We'll be showing how it really is, warts and all."

Writers at the ITV1 soap are said to have consulted the Ministry of Defence regarding the storyline, which will be shown on-screen in October.

Digital Spy


"Bosses decided to move away from typical domestic dramas"

Not really, this sounds like a very honest and true storyline

Yeah a really accurate storyline, you take a kid off the streets and a few months later he is a fully qualified bomb disposal expert.

[Scarlett.]

He has been training for well over a year, but that is basically what the army does

[Scarlett.]

I just spotted this quote in the NOTW article

In one scene, dad Eddie sees some paintbrushes in Gary's bag and makes a joke about painting the enemy.

Gary then reveals their true purpose: "They're for brushing the sand off the landmines."

[Shasown]

Originally Posted by Chewy

He has been training for well over a year, but that is basically what the army does

Rubbish

This is from the British Army website:

Initial trainingEvery RLC soldier is first and foremost a fighting soldier. Your military career will start at ATR (Army Training Regiment) Pirbright, Surrey. During your 14-week basic training course you will learn military skills such as foot drill, how to handle and fire a weapon, how to live and work in the open, and how to tackle an assault course, as well as developing your stamina and fitness. You will be stretched further than you thought possible, and toughen up both physically and mentally.

After completing your basic military training you will attend a one-week induction course at the Royal Logistic Corps Depot at the Princess Royal Barracks near Camberley, Surrey. Here you will learn something about your Corps and its history. Further training. Your trade training will take 25 weeks and will provide you with the foundation of knowledge required for your future career as an Ammunition Technician.

You will be involved in classroom work and practical sessions, either in the laboratory or outside on the explosives demolition ground, where you will soon be handling explosives and gaining first-hand knowledge of what it means to be an Ammunition Technician. On completion of this foundation course, you will then learn about British ammunition and how it works, how to inspect, repair, store and dispose of it safely. Between two and three years after qualifying as a Class 2 Technician, you will return to the Army School of Ammunition to complete your Class 1 upgrading course. This will increase the depth of your knowledge and introduce you to guided weapons, conventional munitions disposal and the wider aspects of explosive ordnance disposal

http://www.armyjobs.mod.uk/jobs/page...F359&category=

14 weeks Basic Training takes a civvi and turns him/her into a member of the Army. Then he goes for trade training, as EOD(Explosive Ordnance Disposal - Bomb Disposal) is part of the RE - Royal Engineers - 24 weeks

So thats 40 weeks to get to Ammunition Technician grade 2, not including the time he spent AWOL.


Then he has 2-3 years service as an AT2 to gain experience before being upgraded to AT1


Once he has qualified as an Ammunition Technician 1 he would then go to a unit where he could then volunteer for training for an EOD team


The time frame for an Ammunition Technician to complete all necessary courses prior to finally be placed on an EOD team is around 36 months thats after all his basic training (38 weeks).

AT's and ATO's dont just deal with IED's they are also responsible for storing and disposal of all sorts of munitions.


He could go out on a search team, but then again all they do is search and clear, if they find anything they mark the area then move back and the EOD operatives go in and dispose of it. So the paintbrushes while used for moving dirt and stuff wouldnt have been issued to him. Unless of course the Army wanted him to paint something, they do a lot of that in the Army, painting things, (if it moves salute it, if it dont move paint it).

[Scarlett.]

Well it has only been said that he will be a bomb disposal expert in the paper and they like to dramatize things, anywho, it's a soap, and having to wait that long for the storyline to unfold would be boring

Plus they've talked to the MoD, they want to put this storyline out as its current, and the best way to do is through a developed character like Gary Windass

[Scarlett.]

It's going to be really interesting to see how this story develops

[Shasown]

Originally Posted by Chewy

It's going to be really interesting to see how this story develops

Indeed I wonder if Mikey North will agree to have a limb amputated to be really authentic.

[Scarlett.]

Fair enough in your earlier post you actually pointed out that Corrie have skipped out a few years, but that post is just plain stupid

[Visage]

Originally Posted by Chewy

It's going to be really interesting to see how this story develops

Yes, I'm really looking forward to this story.

[Scarlett.]

Anna and Eddie are the most under-used characters on the street, and both Steve Huison and Debbie Rush are great actors, so I'm sure they will do this plot justice

[Shasown]

Originally Posted by Chewy

Fair enough in your earlier post you actually pointed out that Corrie have skipped out a few years, but that post is just plain stupid

Why is it? He gets sent to Afghanistan, Anna and Eddie go through emotional turmoil while waiting for him to return home safe. He comes back after 6 months with PTSD, he throws a few wobblies wrecks the house or throws a few punches in the Rovers, a few episodes later he is cured. Because life is really like that isnt it?

Incidentally, to be an AT2 you actually need qualifications, to progress any further in that career field you need to be a bit switched on. If you sent an untrained inexperienced numpty to start disposing of IED's its only a question of time before something goes wrong. Losing a limb would be the character being let off fairly easily.

The MOD would agree to the unrealistic storyline because it will probably cause an increase in people enquiring about a career in the Army resulting in them having more potential recruits to select from.

[Scarlett.]

Originally Posted by Shasown

Why is it? He gets sent to Afghanistan, Anna and Eddie go through emotional turmoil while waiting for him to return home safe. He comes back after 6 months with PTSD, he throws a few wobblies wrecks the house or throws a few punches in the Rovers, a few episodes later he is cured. Because life is really like that isnt it?

Incidentally, to be an AT2 you actually need qualifications, to progress any further in that career field you need to be a bit switched on. If you sent an untrained inexperienced numpty to start disposing of IED's its only a question of time before something goes wrong. Losing a limb would be the character being let off fairly easily.

The MOD would agree to the unrealistic storyline because it will probably cause an increase in people enquiring about a career in the Army resulting in them having more potential recruits to select from.

I didn't know you could see into the future

[Scarlett.]

Also, stop bringing this "Serious Debates" type **** in, there's a reason I don't go to that part of the forum (because people in that section like to be condecending bastards, you obviously know more on the subject, but no need to act like such a twat about it)

Corrie is a soap, and soaps are sometimes a little unrealistic, and Corrie isn't one of them soaps where people just "get over it"

[Shasown]

Originally Posted by Chewy

Also, stop bringing this "Serious Debates" type **** in, there's a reason I don't go to that part of the forum (because people in that section like to be condecending bastards, you obviously know more on the subject, but no need to act like such a twat about it)

Corrie is a soap, and soaps are sometimes a little unrealistic, and Corrie isn't one of them soaps where people just "get over it"

Who ******ing died and left you in charge of this part of the forum?

When you become on admin on here, then you can tell me what to do. Until then could I suggest you self moderate your tone, before a moderator does.

You need to accept all parts of the forum are open for all members to post in. People will post what they want to so long as it is not offensive to others, there shouldnt really be a problem now should there?

There really was no need for you to be offensive to me was there?

[Scarlett.]

Actually,
Sorry, I have acted a little twatish myself in this thread, you're right, I'm sorry (I'm being serious here btw )

[Princess]

Closed,request from OP.