Top 60 Corrie Characters - No. 10

10. Betty Williams (known as Turpin) 1969-2011 (117 votes)

Scraping into the top ten is matronly Rovers barmaid Betty Turpin. Betty holds two records: the longest serving soap barmaid (43 years) and the oldest soap barmaid (92 years old). For over forty years, she was a fixture behind the bar like the beer pumps. Not one to suffer fools like her female counterparts, Betty was married twice. First husband Cyril Turpin was a bobby and Betty suffered a breakdown when he died of a heart attack in 1974. The same year she was discovered as the mother of ‘nephew’ Gordon Clegg who’d been adopted by her sister Maggie. It would be 21 years before Betty, now 75, would walk down the aisle again. Second hubby Billy Williams was an old flame from the war and they reunited on the 50th anniversary of VE Day in 1995 and married that year. He died in 1997 of the same fate as Cyril. Betty is known for her famous dish – the Lancashire hotpot. It has been under scrutiny for many years including Alec Gilroy and Vernon Tomlin but Betty has undermined them. No-nonsense Betty was a favourite among the punters and was a shoulder to cry on to many and a maternal figure to fellow barmaids Bet Lynch and Raquel Wolstenhulme. Betty and Bet were best friends for many years and worked alongside each other for 25 years and although they often clashed, Betty respected her boss of 14 years – the formidable Mrs Walker! Although she dedicated her life to the Rovers, she was sacked and also walked out many times, be it under Annie Walker, Alec Gilroy, The Duckworths or Steve McDonald. Although she only made sporadic appearances in her later years, her recent passing has left a huge gap behind the bar and on the cobbles.  

Should our Betty be at 10? Should she be higher? Do you miss her? Leave a comment!

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