With all the shock and horrors this week that Annie Walker was only at #29 in the Top Corrie Characters poll, here's the lady herself's reaction to the news when told that Stan Ogden of all people got one more vote than her!
On another note, it was nice to have a mention of Mrs Walker in last night's episode and if you looked closely at the will you could see the names of Billy Walker, Concepta Regan and Lucille Hewitt as well. That's what makes Corrie the best - that rich history! Maybe it's me, but did you notice that Barbara Knox, Eileen Derbyshire and to some extent Bill Kenwright, were a bit awkward and uneasy with the fact that Michelle Collins was involved in the scenes at Betty's? It was like "What right have you got to go through her things when you didn't even know her!" It would've been better for Deirdre or Audrey to help them, but it was probably for storyline purposes that Stella was there. And when Gordon mentioned the pint glasses in Betty's garage, Emily was keen to defend Betty. It was as if Emily knew why she had them. I'll have to find out if there was an episode where Betty and Emily had a drinking session! But if you know, then do leave a comment!
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Considering St Ella never even met Betty it was farcial that Phil Collinson, her big pal, forced her into that scene. Where was Dennis, Ken, Audrey, or even Steve Macdonald who actually knew and worked with Betty. The sooner this dreadful producer goes the better and takes his toadie pets with him cant come soon enough for Frosty, including Kym Marsh and Nigel Havers.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Michelle Collins was only included because of the letter and will revelation. My other thought with what you mentioned about the signatures on the will? If the will was made in or about 1984, Concepta was long gone from the show and possibly even Lucille. I'd have to look it up to be sure.
ReplyDeleteConcepta was last seen in December 1975 and Lucille in July 1974.
ReplyDeleteTheir names was under what they were bequeathed to by Annie - her money and building society savings I think they inherited.
ReplyDeleteCall me wind because I am blown away by your post!
ReplyDeleteThat photo would also describe Mrs Walker's reaction to yesterday's goings on at the Rovers. Yet again, St Ella deserted the Rovers, so Sunita was overwhelmed behind the bar. However, Sunita still found time to behave like a lovesick teenager with Karl. Repulsive.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe the photo shows her reaction to the scenes at Betty’s house. Having a complete stranger rummaging through your relative’s home is every bereaved person’s dream. It’s even better when an important document is discovered and two of your dead mother’s closest friends agree to conceal it from you temporarily to allow said complete stranger a head start on challenging it. The emphatic way Barbara Knox said “just for one day” spoke volumes to me about feelings on the sofa.
Then there were the Newton and Ridley pint glasses. My most vivid memory of Betty was when Annie Walker accused her of stealing. Betty gave her a tongue lashing as only she could, resigned and stormed out of the Rovers. Apparently, we now know, to go home and pour a drink into her stolen glassware. As Rita said: Why? Why would she take pint glasses home with her on the bus?
No wonder Barbara Knox and Eileen Derbyshire looked uncomfortable. What should have been a moving scene was a farce. Both were probably wondering what “secrets” will be revealed about them. “Hey look”, says Bradley Pitprop, (a new character that Norris met in the café ten minutes ago and who volunteered to help clear out Emily’s house), “I found her secret stash of Sex Perverts Monthly”.
The whole episode/s was a disgrace to Betty's memory. SHAME on you Corrie.
ReplyDeleteThanks Llifon, for the clarification.
ReplyDeletePerhaps Betty had had a party and borrowed the glasses and not managed to get them back to the pub?
We can at least be thankful that it wasn't St. Ella that discovered the letter!
When would Betty have had a party? She lived quietly and rarely socialised. And wouldn't two boxes of pint glasses be missed?
ReplyDeleteIt would have been more credible if St Ella had discovered the letter, rether than Emily doing so and her and Rita agreeing to conceal it from Gordon.
party, or maybe it was for Cyril or Billy's "wake" back at the house after the funeral. Could be any number of reasons. It's highly unlikely she stole them.
ReplyDeleteAll funeral wakes take place in the Rovers as did the party to celerate Betty's 30 years there. Betty was honest and straightforward. She would never have stolen those glasses, nor "borrowed" them and not returned them. That's the point. It's shameful that the programme painted her as some kind of mad old kleptomaniac.
ReplyDeleteI really don't think this paints Betty as a mad old kleptomaniac. There could have been any number of reasons why she had the glasses. The letter from Annie Walker is a far greater point of contention, to me. We can agree to disagree.
ReplyDeleteJust good Bet Lynch didn't return, imagine her realizing that after spending ages groveling for money to buy the Rovers but ended up losing it, for Betty to have "owned" it all along. This is why it doesn't make sense, why would Betty just stand aside and let her friend Bet go through all that, and also fall out with Rita.
ReplyDeleteAlso Stella was added due to being the producer's mate, and has to (for some reason) be involved in almost all the storylines in the show.
This storyline is a shocking mess. Corrie isn't fantasy like Desperate Housewives or Doctor Who and so you do have to keep to the truth of the story.
ReplyDeleteStella didn't actually need to be in Betty's house to be told the contents of the letter; another five minutes of script and Gordon could have gone to the pub. But no, we have to have high drama while Rita and Emily are sworn to secrecy etc.
The whole thing about the glasses is entirely irrelevant. What was the point?
The Radio 4 soap The Archers apparently daren't step out of line. If they get something wrong, outraged letters are written by educated Radio 4 listeners. But it's ok to mess with Corrie because viewers are working-class, uneducated and have the attention span of a flea ... Please tell me where the official Corrie feed-back site is and I'll complain in my best proper English.
You are right that the HISTORY is part of what makes corrie special which is all the more reason why I am so cross with this story.
ReplyDeleteStella is like a child at school desperate for friends going on about how welcome Betty made her feel when they never even had so much as a scene together. Would have been far better for her to comment something about how she would have liked to have got the chance to know her better.
Annie Walker never owned the Rovers. Rita of all people knows this more than most seeing as the reason she and Bet fell out was because Bet couldnt afford to buy the ub when Newton & Ridley put it up for sale and she wouldnt lend Bet the money.
The powers that be seem to think viewers have memories of goldfish and would know better if they actually understood the love for the show that they are now in charge of. Now we are expected to believe that Stella would seriously be worried that she didnt own the pub, tosh. Oh and I for one am pleased that Dennis didnt join them in sharing memories as he too never actually met Betty seeing as he left the street in 1968 a whole year before Betty arrived. When he said 'If I know Betty,' the other day in the pub it made me think 'well actually mate unless she threw you a coin or two during your homeless days you infact knew Betty no better than Peggy bleedin Mitchell did.
Please start to credit us loyal viewers with some sense Phil before you end up alienating us all in a bid to 'entertain' us- Micky
Oh and it seems Betty secretly moved house at some point too as the house they were clearing yesterday was nothing like the house she had previously been seen living in. Perhaps she shares the same decorators as Audrey who has also morphed into a new house with no explanation in the years following Almas death - Micky
ReplyDelete