CORONATION Street's Derek Wilton is back from the dead - to star in Blackpool's summer season smash, Summer Holiday.

The soap's biggest moaner, killed off a year ago in the nation's favourite television soap, is alive and well and chasing a big red bus round Britain!

He is to share the Opera House stage with billtopper Darren Day and the cast of the popular musical set to start in July.

"People do think I'm dead," admitted the actor Peter Baldwin, who spoke to the Citizen this week on a whistle stop tour of the resort.

He spent a few hours with First Leisure bosses, taking in the Tower ballroom and the circus ring, where he turned down what could have been a lifechanging role - as a clown!

He laughed: "I was offered a role as a Cairoli brother many years ago, but I did have other aspirations at the time.

"Perhaps I might consider it if I was offered it now!"

Since he disappeared from TV screens across Britain, viewers think the versatile actor is dead - or at least retired.

Far from it - among other things he's been filming with Derek Jacobi in Budapest, playing a monk in a series due for screening later this year.

He did the Christmas pantomime in Nottingham which involved eight performances a week including two matinees, so that was quite hectic.

"But I'm looking forward to coming back and spending the summer in the north."

For many years, Peter stayed in Manchester midweek, commuting home to London at weekends after a busy week filming in The Street.

He was an occasional visitor to the seaside and performed here the last time some 12 years ago in the Alan Bleasdale play Having A Ball.

He said: "It was at the Grand Theatre and I played a vasectomy victim.

"I dare say my role in Summer Holiday will be a bit different!"

For those familiar with the musical, which is returning to the resort for its second summer run, Peter plays an agent manager who follows his American pop singer protegee who has joined Darren Day and his entourage aboard the famous double-decker red bus.

The mother's part is played by Hilary O'Neil, a friend of the actor in 'real life'.

Since his departure from Coronation Street, in which he was married to Mavis, actress Thelma Barlow, Peter met up with moaning Mavis as she was filming a new series written and produced by comedienne Victoria Wood.

He also spends a lot of his spare time with long-time friends and former Street co-stars Sue Nichols, who plays Audrey Roberts, and Mark Eden, who played the ill-fated Alan Bradley, who was knocked down and 'killed' by a Blackpool tram.

Since his own killing off, Peter has been kept busy on the stage - but admits he prefers to show off his acting talents in front of a camera lens.

He said: "I love doing television and I do miss the Street - but I am looking forward to getting to Blackpool, playing some tennis, seeing the town and entertaining huge audiences in Summer Holiday!"

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.