Glad Tidings Mission Hall The Glad Tidings Mission Hall was a religious building in Victoria Street , Weatherfield . The sixth Mission Hall in Weatherfield to be built by the Mission committee , Glad Tidings was used as a place of worship by local Nonconformists , its Sunday services conducted by a visiting preacher . Glad Tidings was constructed in 1902 , the same year the houses in Coronation Street were built . Though the chapel ' s main entrance was in Victoria Street , the hall and vestry extended to Coronation Street , and the vestry , a small flat home to the Mission caretaker , had its own side entrance and address of 16 Coronation Street . From 1937 to 1968 , when the Mission was demolished due to dwindling congregations , Ena Sharples held the unpaid position of Mission caretaker . The Hall itself had one floor and was largely wooden , except for a brick front porch . The Hall had a stage but the location of the Mission meant the room didn ' t get much natural light - the viaduct adjacent to the building blocked the sun through the two stained glass windows . History . In the early part of the 20th century , Glad Tidings was an integral part of the lives of the residents of surroundings Streets . The turn of the century was a time of rapid industrial growth and as streets like Coronation Street were built , missions were set up in areas with large communities . On Coronation Street , the Mission stood beside Hardcastle ' s Mill , and it was seen as the moral duty of the missionaries to convert the heathens of the factory , as well as the Street residents and punters at the Rovers Return Inn . It first opened in 24th December 1902 , serviced by lay preacher Cedric Thwaite and caretaker Gladys Arkwright . For many years , the Mission was a mainstay of the Street , although as time went on fewer residents attended the Sunday services . By 1960 , the Mission committee was reacting to dwindling congregations by closing several of their Mission Halls , including the Bold Street Mission , which merged with Glad Tidings in 1965 , giving Glad Tidings a stay of execution . During the 1960s , Glad Tidings was often used by the community for meetings and clubs . Despite being the chairman of the Mission committee and then - preacher at Glad Tidings , Leonard Swindley supported the move , and organised several gatherings including the Over 60 ' s Club , with a trip to Blackpool for the club members later that year . In 1962 , the residents formed the Mission Hall Players and put on a production of " Lady Lawson Loses " , a play produced by Swindley and performeed on Christmas Day . As the decade progressed , the Mission was used more and more for functions including children ' s parties , a fashion show , a fancy dress party , a playgroup , and more productions . The final straw for disapproving caretaker Ena Sharples came in 1966 when a community centre opened in the Mission , run by social worker Ruth Winter . Ena resigned from her position as caretaker , returning only when the centre had vacated the Mission . In 1964 , Stuart Hodges took over the supervisor ' s role , but he was soon replaced by a returning Swindley . Emily Nugent and Ronald Nesbitt also briefly held the position . The Mission was finally closed in 1968 when the Council bought the land and the building with a compulsory purchase order . The Council , seeking to redevelop the area , demolished both the Mission and the factory and constructed a block of Maisonettes in their place . The vestry . The two - roomed flat nicknamed " the vestry " was home to the Mission caretaker , Glad Tidings ' s only full - time resident . The job of the caretaker was to look after the building . In exchange for their services , the caretaker was given accommodation , free coal and wasn ' t asked to pay rent . Five people held the position from 1902 to 1968 : Gladys Arkwright , Ena Sharples , Emily Nugent , Albert Tatlock and Jed Stone . Gladys Arkwright was the Mission ' s first caretaker . A widow , Gladys was devoutly religious , and was known to deliver sermons in the Street so that she could be heard by those who did not attend the Sunday services . She died in 1937 when Billy Chad pushed her aside while she lectured him about God , and Gladys cracked her head on the cobbles . Ena Sharples , who had just become a widow herself , took over the position and moved into the vestry with her daughter Vera . As well as caretaker , Ena was the Mission ' s harmonium player . Ena remained in the vestry until 1968 . Although she looked upon the Mission as her own private domain , opposing any attempt by outsiders to use the building , Ena was unhappy with such modest living conditions and frequently complained to Leonard Swindley . Ena was a regular drinker at the Rovers , much to Swindley ' s disapproval . In 1960 , Ena broke down when Swindley called at the snug in the Rovers while charity - collecting and caught her drinking there . While Ena recovered in hospital , Martha Longhurst helped out at the Mission unofficially . Ena thought Martha was after her job and made an effort to get back home as quickly as possible . Albert , Jed and Emily all held the position briefly , during a time when Ena walked out of the Mission to defy Swindley or when Swindley sacked her , only to reinstate her when either no one else would take the position or when her replacement found the job unbearable . In 1963 , Ena came back from a wedding to find the vestry had been vandalised . It had been wrecked by Michael Butterworth , who had stolen builder Len Fairclough ' s key , causing Len to lose a building contract . Ena was greatly concerned with the increasing use of the building for functions , and made no secret of her opinions . During an out - of - control dance held in the hall in 1966 , thugs threatened Ena and Lucille Hewitt in the vestry , but were soon sent packing by community centre organiser Ruth Winter . Ena was forced out of the Mission in 1968 when it was bought by the Council . Legacy . In December 1966 , Ena ' s daughter Vera Lomax came to stay with her . Ena discovered that Vera had a brain tumour and was dying , but couldn ' t bring herself to tell her and felt helpless as she watched her daughter ' s life ebb away . Vera died in the vestry the following January . In 2004 , newsagent Norris Cole became convinced that The Kabin - built in the same spot once held by the Mission vestry - was haunted by Vera ' s ghost . Norris , Rita Sullivan , Blanche Hunt and Betty Williams held a séance in the stockroom but the ' ghost ' later turned out to be dampness .