Corrie originals - Doreen Keogh as Concepta Riley/Hewitt/Regan

First appeared: 23rd December 1960

Last appeared: 31st December 1975

Doreen Keogh played the role of original Rovers barmaid Concepta Riley/Hewitt/Regan between 1960 and 1964 and made guest appearances in 1967, 1972 and 1975.

Born in Dublin circa 1926, Keogh was trained at the Abbey Theatre School in Dublin before moving to London. She secured roles in repertory theatre and made her TV debut in Lady Precious Stream in 1950. For the remainder of the 1950s, she concentrated on her theatre career and didn’t return to TV screens until an appearance in Emergency Ward Ten in 1960. That year, she was cast in the role of 34 year old Rovers barmaid Concepta Riley in new drama serial Coronation Street. During her time on the cobbles, Concepta’s storylines included marrying Harry Hewitt in 1961; giving birth to son Christopher the following year; having a fraught relationship with stepdaughter Lucille; marriage problems with Harry; and Christopher being kidnapped by an unstable Joan Akers in 1962.

Although she was the first Rovers barmaid, she only stayed in the post until she married Harry and became a housewife and mother. In 1964, in a bid to revamp the show by getting rid of deadwood characters, new young producer Tim Aspinall axed the whole Hewitt family. Lucille was salvaged as ITV bosses felt a street without children was unreal. Harry, Concepta and Christopher were written out in August 1964 when they all moved to Ireland where Harry took over the garage of Concepta’s father. Upon her departure from Coronation Street, Keogh had a one-off appearance in new Midlands soap Crossroads.

While Harry visited Lucille in 1965, it wasn’t until 1967 that Concepta visited for the wedding of Steve and Elsie Tanner. Upon their visit, Harry was crushed to death under a van, leaving Concepta a widow. She left again for Ireland. Keogh returned to the role in 1972 when Concepta announced to Annie Walker and Lucille that she was getting married to Sean Regan who also came to introduce himself. Upon his visit, Sean made a pass at Bet Lynch. Bet didn’t tell Concepta who married Sean that year. Concepta visited the street for the final time in 1975 and admitted to Annie that she was aware that Sean slept around but still loved him. Overall, Keogh appeared in 321 episodes in total.

Since her departure from Coronation Street, Keogh has secured many acting roles over the years including in Z Cars (1974), Minder (1984) and Play for Today (1974-1984). In 1989, she was cast in the role of Mary O’Hanlon in new Irish soap opera Fair City, a role she would play until 1995. In 1998, she appeared in two episodes of hit Irish sitcom Father Ted. She also starred in Irish drama series Ballykissangel as Imelda Egan between 1997 and 1999. Additionally she’s had roles in comedy The Royle Family (1998-2006), comedy-drama Cold Feet (1998-2003), hospital drama Holby City (2004) and made her latest TV appearance in drama Cutting It (2005). She appeared in Irish film How About You in 2007. Keogh as appeared as herself in various Coronation Street linked programmes like Classic Coronation Street (1991), Life after the Street (2001) and Coronation Street Secrets (2003). 

Research from Wikipedia, Corrie Net, IMDB and Corriepedia.

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Corrie at 55: The Originals

The 21 originals

There were twenty-one original characters in Coronation Street in 1960. These being Florrie Lindley, Harry Hewitt, Minnie Caldwell, Martha Longhurst, Ena Sharples, Linda Cheveski, Ida Barlow, Christine Hardman, Albert Tatlock, Concepta Riley, Jack Walker, Leonard Swindley, Dennis Tanner, Lucille Hewitt, Esther Hayes, Frank Barlow, Elsie Tanner, Ken Barlow, David Barlow, Annie Walker and Ivan Cheveski.

Ken Barlow is the only character to remain since its inception. Of those originals actors still alive there is Anne Cunningham (Linda Cheveski), Doreen Keogh (Concepta Riley), Philip Lowrie (Dennis Tanner), William Roache (Ken Barlow) and Alan Rothwell (David Barlow). Out of these, only Rothwell’s character has been killed off in the show.

The first original character to leave was David Barlow in 1961 although he would return before his final appearance in 1968. The first original character to die was Ida Barlow in 1961 when Noel Dyson, who played, decided to leave. Six originals were axed between 1964 and 1965. The first member of the cast to die was Arthur Leslie, who played Jack Walker, in 1970. The latest original character to leave was Dennis Tanner in 2014. The latest original member of the cast to die was Daphne Oxenford, who died in 2012, 40 years after her last appearance as Esther Hayes.

The longest running originals: Ken, Albert, Annie, Elsie, Ena and Minnie

You can read a detailed account of every original cast member from this list:

Anne Cunningham (Linda Cheveski)

Alan Rothwell (David Barlow)

Philip Lowrie (Dennis Tanner)

William Roache (Ken Barlow)

Ernst Walder (Ivan Cheveski)

Doreen Keogh (Concepta Riley/Hewitt/Regan)

Daphne Oxenford (Esther Hayes)

Jennifer Moss (Lucille Hewitt)

Ivan Beavis (Harry Hewitt)

Noel Dyson (Ida Barlow)

Doris Speed (Annie Walker)

Betty Alberge (Florrie Lindley)

Lynne Carol (Martha Longhurst)

Margot Bryant (Minnie Caldwell)

Pat Phoenix (Elsie Tanner/Howard/Tanner)

Christine Hargreaves (Christine Hardman/Appleby)

Jack Howarth (Albert Tatlock)

Violet Carson (Ena Sharples)

Arthur Lowe (Leonard Swindley)

Frank Pemberton (Frank Barlow)

Arthur Leslie (Jack Walker)

Deirdre: A Life on Coronation Street - official ITV tribute to a soap icon. Available here.

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Dennis Tanner to leave Coronation Street next year

Actor Philip Lowrie was apparently taken by surprise by a Grinch-like pre-Christmas message that his character, Dennis Tanner, will be written off the show next year.

According to the Mirror, written by journalist and ex-Corrie actor Nigel Pivaro,  it will be in conjunction with a big storyline for him and Rita - but he won't be killed off.

That ubiquitous "Soap Insider" tells the Mirror: "He thinks the writers didn’t think his ­character was viable any more".

That makes some sense since the character is hardly used and it seems like they couldn't figure out what to do with him once they married him to Rita. I will miss him a lot as Philip Lowrie just shines off the screen whenever he's in a scene, small or large. I hope they have a chance to change their minds.

It's such a shame to have one of the original cast members gone, especially if they don't wait to see if William Roache will be back or not. There would then be nobody left from the original cast. Eileen Derbyshire is the next longest serving actor. She has been playing her character, Emily Nugent since episode 11 in early 1961.

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Missed any articles on the Corrie originals?

If you've missed any of the recent posts I've written on the original cast of Coronation Street, you can find them here.

I've really enjoyed researching about the 21 original members of cast and I hope you enjoyed reading them. As I didn't include the 20 guest actors that appeared in the original episodes, here's a list of who made an appearance:

Pamela Barnett (Child)
Anthony Booth (Malcolm Wilkinson)
Elisabeth Butler (Child)
Sam Clarkson (Child)
Bill Croasdale (Policeman)
Penelope Davis (Policewoman)
Maudie Edwards (Elsie Lappin)
Joan Heath (May Hardman)
Ruth Holden (Vera Lomax)
Louise Jervis (Night Nurse)
Doreen Jones (Child)
Anthony Lees (Child)
Cyril Luckham (Dr. Tinsley)
Ray Mort (Ron Bailey)
Joy Nicholson (Child)
Lyn Paul (Child)
Patricia Shakesby (Susan Cunningham)
Christine Shaw (Day Nurse)
Jennifer Smet (Child)
Howard Sutcliffe (Child)


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Corrie originals - Anne Cunningham as Linda Cheveski

This is the last in the series of posts about the original cast of Coronation Street. I do hope you've enjoyed them.

First appearance: 9th December 1960

Last appearance: 20th June 1984

Anne Cunningham played the role of Elsie Tanner’s daughter Linda Cheveski between 1960 and 1961 and made guest appearances in 1962, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1984.

Born in Leeds, Yorkshire in 1937, Cunningham immigrated with her parents to South Africa at a young age. She returned to the UK in 1953 where she trained to be a nurse before enrolling at The Bristol Old Vic where she managed to play roles in Shakespearean plays. In 1960, she was cast in the role of 20 year old Linda Cheveski in new drama serial Coronation Street and debuted in the first episode. Linda had married Pole Ivan Cheveski in 1958 and their marriage was tempestuous. They nearly separated in 1960 but when Linda announced she was pregnant they reconciled and son Paul was born in 1961. After living on the street for a few months, the Cheveskis left for Canada in December 1961. They returned for Christmas 1962 where Linda confided in mum Elsie she wasn’t happy in Canada but returned to Montreal anyway. She also suspected that her mother was having an affair with Len Fairclough. The Cheveskis visited again in 1966 when Ivan and Linda faced another marriage crisis but when Paul fell into the canal they once again reconciled and moved to Birmingham. They visited again in 1967 for Elsie’s wedding to Steve Tanner and over Christmas that year and Linda attended brother Dennis’ wedding to Jenny Sutton in 1968.

Cunningham reprised the role of Linda 16 years later when she was brought back to deal with the sale of Elsie’s house after she moved to Portugal. During her stint, Linda was said to be divorcing Ivan and she fell for builder Bill Webster, who was renovating the house and later bought the house even though she was desperate to stay put. Bill was unaware of Linda’s feelings towards him. During her last stint on the show, Cunningham felt the programme had changed and the rapport between the cast had vanished and that is why her stay was brief. The producers had hoped she would become a permanent character in a bid to continue the Tanner dynasty, as they did with the reintroduction of Billy Walker to continue the Walker dynasty at the Rovers but Ken Farrington, who played Billy, also left at the end of 1984. Cunningham reprised her role as Linda in Corrie spin off video The Life and Loves of Elsie Tanner in 1987, a tribute to Pat Phoenix who’d died in 1986. In the video, Linda, with Emily Bishop and Mike Baldwin, reminisced about Elsie’s life. It was referred to that Elsie had passed away but in 2011 it was revealed by Elsie’s son Dennis that she had died in 2004 so the video is not canon. Overall, Cunningham appeared in 106 episodes.

When not playing Linda, Cunningham has had roles in Z Cars (1962-1963), World of his Own (1964-1965), Play of the Week (1963-1965), The Avengers (1966), Dixon of Dock Green (1975), Are You Being Served? (1976), Crown Court (1975-1976), The Rise and Fall of Reginald Perrin (1976), The Nineteenth Hole (1989), The Cazalets (2001) and Henry the Otter (2007). She appeared as herself in Corrie documentary 50 Years, 50 Moments in 2010 to note the soap’s golden anniversary.

In 1965 she married Darrol Blake, who would become a Corrie director and they had twins. She lives in London and ran an antiques shop with former on-screen hubby Ernst Walder. 

Have you ever seen or met Anne Cunningham? Do you know any trivia about her?

Research from Corriepedia, IMDB and Corrie Net.

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Corrie originals - Alan Rothwell as David Barlow

First appearance: 9th December 1960

Last appearance: 10th April 1968

Alan Rothwell played the role of Ken Barlow’s younger brother David between 1960 and 1961 and from 1963 to 1968.

Born in Oldham, Lancashire in 1937, Rothwell made his acting debut in The Claverdon Road Job in 1957. Three years later, he was cast in the role of 18 year old David Barlow in new drama serial Coronation Street and made his debut in the first episode. Although an apprentice engineer, David sought a career in football and was a successful player for Weatherfield County and even left the street in 1961 to play for a London team. During his hiatus from the show, Alan Rothwell had roles in Top Secret (1961-1962) and Z Cars (1963).

He made a permanent return in 1964 where he was paired off with new girl Irma Ogden. His football career ended the following spring when he tore a ligament and he announced his retirement. David and Irma had a quiet wedding but the residents joined in the reception. That year the Barlows bought the Corner Shop from Lionel Petty and made them at the heart of the street. In 1967, Irma became pregnant but suffered a miscarriage and that Christmas, to heal the pain, the Barlows fostered Jill Morris for a few days. David was the hero of the hour in 1967 when a train crashed into the street and he saved Ena Sharples from the wreckage. By 1968, David had grown tired of shop life and wished to return to the football field – after all he was still 26. He was offered a place in an Australian team and the Barlows sold the shop to Les and Maggie Clegg and immigrated to Australia where their son Darren was born that year. The reason for their departure was that both Rothwell and Sandra Gough, who played Irma, wished to seek other acting projects. Over the years, Rothwell had appeared in 253 episodes. 

While Irma visited the street in 1969, David didn’t accompany her. In 1970, Sandra Gough wished to return to Coronation Street and when Rothwell was approached to reprise his role as David, he rejected, stating that he was too busy within the theatre. With Irma becoming a regular character, the producers decided the best thing to do was kill David off. He died in a car crash in Australia as well as their son Darren. Rothwell was saddened with the decision to kill off David as he thought that when the time came, he could return to the show. While David’s memory was kept by Irma until her departure in 1971, the character has been largely forgotten by the show and is never mentioned by his brother Ken.

Rothwell has managed to have various acting rolls over the years and the role of David has never affected him. He appeared in Play for Today (1970-1973) and in 1985 he re-entered the soap world when he was cast as drug addict Nicholas Black in Liverpool based soap Brookside but the character was killed off in 1986. He’s had various roles in Heartbeat (1994-1995), Emmerdale (1997-1998), Wilmot (1999-2000), Dead Man Weds (2005), Doctors (2004-2010) and Casualty (1998-2011). He was also a presenter on children programmes Picture Box between 1969 and 1990 and Hickory House between 1973 and 1978. He appeared as himself in Coronation Street based documentary The Corrie Years in 2011. 

He’s been married twice: to Marjorie Ward and Maureen Haydon. He has a child with Haydon. 

Have you ever seen or met Alan Rothwell? Have you any pieces of trivia about him?

Research from Wikipedia, Corriepedia and IMDB.

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Corrie originals - Philip Lowrie as Dennis Tanner

First appeared: 9th December 1960

Last appeared: 30th July 2014

Philip Lowrie has played the role of rogue Dennis Tanner between 1960 and 1968 and between 2011 and 2014.

Born in Ashton-under-Lyne in Lancashire in 1936, Lowrie was trained in RADA where he trained for three years alongside Christine Hargreaves (Christine Appleby). In 1959, he made his acting debut in film Sapphire.

The following year he was cast as 18 year old bad boy Dennis Tanner in new drama serial Coronation Street and debuted in the first episode. He’d originally auditioned for the role of Ken Barlow but he was instead cast as Dennis in favour of Ken Farrington, who’d go on to play Billy Walker. The errand son of femme fatale Elsie, Dennis’ first storyline was trying to rebuild his life after spending time in Borstal. He managed to do so by entering the entertainment world by becoming an agent for various acts. Gradually, Dennis became a comedy character. During his first stint on the show, Dennis’ storylines included moving to London; having various liaisons; and having various jobs – ranging from a hairdresser to a shop assistant. By 1968, Lowrie had grown tired of the role as he felt the character wasn’t going anywhere. Dennis’ exit storyline involved him marrying Jenny Sutton and moving to Bristol. When Pat Phoenix, who played his mum Elsie, heard that Lowrie had resigned she vowed never to speak to him again and only did so when they were in character. In 1971, Lowrie told magazine TV Times that he wished producers had killed Dennis off so that it would be impossible for him to return. The last we heard about Dennis was in 1973 when Elsie was told he was jailed for conning pensioners.

Having left Dennis behind, Lowrie secured roles in various TV shows like Kate (1970-1972), War and Peace (1972-1973), The Liver Birds (1978), Victoria Wood (1989), Casualty (1989-2010) and Doctors (2005). He was also a voice-over on Channel 4's quiz show Fifteen to One, alternating with Laura Calland and Sarah Wynter. In 2011, Lowrie reprised his role as Dennis in Corrie, 43 years after his last appearance. This made him the actor who had had the longest break between appearances in any programme in the world, beating the 42 year gap that Kenneth Cope had when he reprised his role in Corrie in 2008, having made his last appearance back in 1966. When it was announced he was returning, many questioned the motives. Few characters remembered him and any links he had were severed – mum Elsie had left the street back in 1984. He was re-introduced as a homeless person, having lost his fortunes. He reunited with old flame Rita Sullivan and moved in with her. The ghost of Elsie was finally put to rest when Dennis told Rita that his mum had died in a car crash in Portugal in 2004. The motives for his return gradually became clear as a romance blossomed between him and Rita. But his jumpy behaviour caused concern for his friends and it was revealed that he had jilted a woman called Norma Fountain. Norma met up with Dennis and he apologised and over time he grew closer to Rita and in 2012 they married. Lowrie has now appeared in over 500 episodes. He admitted recently that Barbara Knox (Rita Tanner) had asked for Dennis to return as he’d had a rendezvous with Rita back in 1964 and wanted to revisit the history between them. After 18 months Dennis and Rita's marriage soured and Dennis eventually left Rita for Gloria Price before returning with his tail between his legs begging forgiveness. Rita was on the verge of taking him back when she caught him nicking from the Kabin till. Dennis later left the street. Overall, he has appeared in 672 episodes.

I have no information on Lowrie’s private life. I don’t know if anyone can enlighten me.

Have you ever seen or met Philip Lowrie? Do you have any pieces of trivia about him?

Research from Wikipedia, Corriepedia, Corrie Net and IMDB.

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Corrie originals - William Roache MBE as Ken Barlow

First appeared: 9th December 1960

William Roache has played the role of Coronation Street stalwart Ken Barlow since 1960.

Born in Ilkeston in Derbyshire in 1932, Roache was educated in Rydal School in Colwyn Bay, North Wales. He then joined the army for five years before embarking on an acting career. He made his TV debut in Behind the Mask in 1958 before performing in repertory theatre for two years. In December 1960, his life changed forever when he was cast in the role of 21 year old student Ken Barlow in new drama serial Coronation Street.

For over 50 years, Ken has been a mainstay on the cobbles. While characters come and go, Ken and his quiff have been a constant presence and he’s gone from being a rebellious student to the street’s elder statesman. He’s had four wives (Valerie Tatlock, Janet Reid, Deirdre Langton and Deirdre Rachid), four children (Lawrence, Peter, Susan and Daniel) and a colossal 22 girlfriends! Debuting in the first episode, he’s lived on the street all his life and has held numerous jobs over the years, ranging from a teacher to a newspaper editor and columnist to a supermarket trolley pusher! He’s desired to leave the street on many occasions but his entanglements with women and life in general have let him down. He’s proved much grief and tribulations over the years. He lost his mother, brother, nephew, first wife, father and second wife in the space of 16 years. Plus daughter Susan died in a car crash in 2001 aged 36. In recent years he’s managed to rebuild his relationship with son Peter. When Valerie died in 1971, Ken sent twins Peter and Susan up to Scotland where they were brought up by their maternal grandparents. Deep down, Peter has never forgiven Ken for what he did and always reminds him of what he did.

For over 20 years, he enjoyed a rivalry with Cockney tycoon Mike Baldwin. They originally clashed over principles – Barlow being a socialist while Baldwin was a capitalist. But what embittered their rivalry was Ken’s wife Deirdre. Mike had an affair with her in 1982/3 and when Ken found out they had a memorable showdown on the doorstep of No. 1. The feud escalated when Mike married Ken’s daughter Susan in 1986 but Ken rightly predicted that the marriage wouldn’t last. In 1992, Ken and Mike battled again for the affections of two ladies: Alma Sedgewick and Maggie Redman. Mike eventually married Alma while Ken’s relationship with Maggie fizzled out. After Susan’s death in 2001, Mike and Ken locked horns again for the custody of 13 year old Adam, Susan’s son with Mike which Mike won. Although their relationship thawed as they grew older, they often exchanged insults. Ironically, Mike died of a heart attack in Ken’s arms in 2006 after suffering from Alzheimer’s.

While Ken has always been dubbed boring by the press (a subject that caused Roache himself to take tabloid newspaper The Sun to court in 1990s), Ken has often shared comic scenes with Albert Tatlock, Blanche Hunt and Roy Cropper over the years.

When Jack Howarth (Albert Tatlock) died in March 1984, Roache was left as the sole original character still in Coronation Street, albeit Anne Cunningham (Linda Cheveski) made guest appearances in May and June that year. For 27 years, he was the only original member of cast still in the programme until Philip Lowrie (Dennis Tanner) returned to the show in 2011, having not appeared since 1968. Since 2014, Roache is once again the sole remaining original character. Roache has won much recognition for playing Ken for over 50 years and acknowledges that he loves playing him. He admits though that he thought of quitting in the early 1980s which sparked the Ken/Deirdre/Mike love triangle story in a bid to keep Ken in the programme. Ken had also been saved in 1964 when producer Tim Aspinall wanted to write him and wife Valerie out but both stayed put. Over the years, Roache has become an ambassador for Corrie and due to his long association with the programme is the only one that can recall every stage in the show’s development over the years. In September 2010, he became the world’s longest continuous actor in a drama serial, surpassing US soap As the World Turns veteran Don Hastings (Bob Hughes) who had been in that soap since October 1960. Roache, now 83, is showing no signs of retirement, and has clocked over 4000 episodes over 55 years.

Roache has been married twice. He married Anna Cropper in 1961 and they divorced in 1974. In 1978, he married second wife Sara Mottram and they were married until her death in 2009. He has four children: Linus (b. 1964), Vanya (b. 1967), Verity (b. 1981) and James (b. 1986). He lost daughter Edwina in 1984 from pneumonia when she was only two. Anna, Sara, Linus and James have appeared on Corrie in various roles between 1962 and 2011.  In 2001, Roache was awarded an MBE for his services to acting.

Have you ever seen or met William Roache? Have you any pieces of trivia about him?

Research from Wikipedia, Corriepedia, IMDB and Corrie Net.

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Corrie originals - Ernst Walder as Ivan Cheveski

First appeared: 14th December 1960

Last appeared: 27th December 1967

Ernst Walder played the role of Linda Cheveski’s Polish husband Ivan between 1960 and 1961 and made guest appearances in 1962, 1963, 1966 and 1967.

Born in Salzburg in 1927, Walder moved to the UK in 1952, working as a domestic servant. In his spare time, he attended drama school and in 1958 he made his TV debut in The Safecracker, playing a Nazi officer. In 1960, he was cast as 24 year old Ivan Cheveski in new drama serial Coronation Street, the husband of Linda and son-in-law of the street siren Elsie Tanner and debuted in the second episode. As he wasn’t a permanent character, Ivan lacked storylines and his only plotlines were moving into No. 9 and the birth of son Paul in 1961, the first Corrie baby. Ivan wasn’t a regular character due to his job in Warrington and then the Cheveskis immigrated to Canada. Ivan and Linda made flying visits to Weatherfield during the 1960s, spending Christmas in 1962 and 1966. By 1966, the Cheveskis had a marriage crisis due to Linda’s affair with a Canadian and they did spend some time apart before toddler Paul falling into the canal and being saved by bookie Dave Smith reunited them. The Cheveskis later settled down in Birmingham where Ivan had been offered a job. They attended Elsie’s wedding to Steve Tanner in 1967 and visited over Christmas that year. Although Linda briefly returned to the street in 1968 and 1984, Ivan didn’t appear in the show again. Apparently, they had separated and were in the process of a divorce. In 50 Years of Coronation Street: The (Very) Unofficial Story by Sean Egan that was published in 2010, Walder claims that he wasn’t even asked to reprise his role of Ivan. Overall, Walder appeared in 76 episodes.

Although Walder succeeded in gaining other roles, they were only supporting ones. He had roles in Redcap (1965-1966), Crown Court (1974) and The Fourth Arm (1983). His last TV appearance was 22 years ago in Night of the Fox.

Little is known about Walder’s current whereabouts and his personal life. Do you have any information?

Have you seen or met Ernst Walder? Have you any trivia about him?

Research from Corrie Net, IMDB, Corriepedia and 50 Years of Coronation Street: The (Very) Unofficial Story by Sean Egan.

Read about all of the Coronation Street original cast.

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Corrie originals - Daphne Oxenford as Esther Hayes

First appeared: 14th December 1960

Last appeared: 5th April 1972

Daphne Oxenford played the role of spinster Esther Hayes between 1960 and 1961 and made guest appearances in 1962, 1963, 1971 and 1972.

Born in Barnet in London in 1919, Oxenford was trained in the Embassy Theatre in London. She made her TV debut in 1949 in Family Affairs, the first TV serial ever. The following year she began her 21 year association with the BBC’s Listen with Mother. In 1960, she was cast in the role of 36 year old stay-at-home Esther Hayes in new drama serial Coronation Street. Debuting in the second episode, Esther became a mother figure to many of the street’s young people including Christine Hardman, Ken Barlow and Lucille Hewitt. As she was an irregular character, she lacked any storylines. The only proper storyline she had was when her ex-con brother Tom turned up on her doorstep. Although she obliged to take him in, she quickly saw he hadn’t changed his ways and he quickly left the area. Esther later moved from the street to another area in Weatherfield in 1962 before moving to Glasgow in 1963. She would return to the street for special occasions like Ken Barlow and Valerie Tatlock’s wedding in 1962, Valerie’s funeral in 1971 and Ernest Bishop and Emily Nugent’s wedding in 1972. She made her final appearance at the Bishops’ wedding reception. Overall, she appeared in a total of 66 episodes.  

While she continued her role as the voice of Mother on Listen with Mother until 1971, Oxenford had roles in other TV programmes like City of ’68 (1967-1968), Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em (1973), The Dick Emery Show (1973), Crown Court (1973), Play for Today (1971-1975), Man About the House (1973-1976), To the Manor Born (1979-1981), Juliet Bravo (1983-1985), Fresh Fields (1984-1986), The Wind in the Willows (1984-1988), The Bill (1993) and Casualty (1988-1996). She continued to have roles in her 80s, starring as the Queen Mother in Prince William (2002), The Royal (2004) and Midsomer Murders (2004-2008). Her last role was as a dying Agatha Christie in Doctor Who in 2008, but her scene was cut out from the broadcast episode. She was also the longest serving actor-reader on What the Papers Say, clocking 36 years between 1956 and 1992.

She resided in Denville Hall (a retirement home for professional actors) in Northwood in Middlesex until her death in 2012 aged 93. She was married to David Marshall from 1951 until his death in 2003 and they had two children. It is unlikely that her death will be addressed on the show.

Have you ever seen or met Daphne Oxenford? Do you have any pieces of trivia about her?

Research from Wikipedia, Corriepedia, Corrie Net and IMDB.

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Corrie Originals - Jennifer Moss as Lucille Hewitt

First appeared: 21st December 1960

Last appeared: 1st July 1974

Jennifer Moss played the role of Lucille Hewitt between 1960 and 1974, a role that saw her blossom from a child to a young woman.

Born in Wigan in Lancashire in 1945, Moss achieved early fame as a child actor. In 1957, she appeared on the BBC’s Children’s Hour alongside Corrie creator Tony Warren. She made appearances in various productions and made her TV debut in 1960 on the BBC Sunday Night Play. The same year she was cast in the role of 11 year old Lucille Hewitt in new drama serial Coronation Street. Moss had to play a character that was four years her junior and this ultimately plagued her lifestyle throughout the 1960s. In 1963, an 18 year old Jennifer Moss was scrutinised by the press for partying – Lucille was only 15 so they thought Moss was underage. Debuting in the fourth episode, Lucille’s storylines included being put in an orphanage; adjusting to dad Harry’s marriage to Concepta and their son Christopher; being taken in by the Walkers when her dad and Concepta left for Ireland; developing a crush on Ray Langton; becoming briefly engaged to Alistair Bradshaw in 1966; losing her father when he was crushed by a van; joining a hippie commune; becoming engaged to Gordon Clegg but he jilted her; being taken on in various jobs; and embarked on a relationship with a married man. During a break from the show in 1963, Moss embarked on a brief singing career.

By the late 1960s and early 1970s, Moss had become an alcoholic and made unruly behaviour on set. This led producer Susi Hush to sack Moss from the role and Lucille was said to have visited her stepmother Concepta in Ireland and never returned. Overall, she appeared in a total of 756 episodes. Fame and fortune had ruined Moss’ life and also her father Reg’s death deeply affected her. She successfully battled alcoholism after her dismissal and became sober in 1978. She failed to secure an acting role until 1989 when she starred in Bread’s Christmas special episode. Eight years later she appeared in Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, starring alongside Patricia Routledge. She made her final TV appearance in Life after the Street in 2001, a programme looking on former Corrie actors’ lives after their departure from the serial. She died five years later in Dunfermline, Scotland aged 61. She had struggled to move on after her father’s death and made a pilgrimage to India in 2006 where she finally came to terms with her loss.

She was married five times: to Peter Hampson, Adrian Glick, John Neill, Paul Howard and Stephen Ramsden. She had three children: Naomi Ruth (with Hampson), Sarah (with Glick), Marcus (with Glick, d. 1975 aged 3 weeks). But with Moss’ alcoholism, the children suffered and were taken into care many times. Both daughters managed to rebuild their relationships with their mother in the coming years. Moss spent the rest of her days stamp collecting. Although Moss died, Lucille’s fate hasn’t been addressed in Coronation Street. I’d like to think she still resides in Ireland, looking after Concepta with half-brother Christopher. Or maybe she’s married an Irishman?

Did you ever see or meet Jennifer Moss? Do you have any pieces of trivia about her?

Research from Wikipedia, Corriepedia, Corrie Net and IMDB.

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Corrie Originals - Ivan Beavis as Harry Hewitt

First appeared: 14th December 1960

Last appeared: 6th September 1967

Ivan Beavis played the role of bus driver Harry Hewitt between 1960 and 1964 and then in guest appearances in 1965 and 1967.

Born in Liverpool in 1926, Beavis joined the Fleet Air Army when he was a teenager before becoming an audit clerk, an accountant and company secretary. He later joined amateur dramatics before making his TV debut as 35 year old Harry Hewitt in new drama serial Coronation Street in 1960.

Debuting in the second episode, Harry was a regular character for nearly four years. His storylines included rebuilding his relationship with daughter Lucille; courting and marrying Irish barmaid Concepta Riley in 1961; fathering son Christopher; Christopher kidnapped by an unstable Joan Akers; and storylines involving his job in the bus depot. In 1964, new producer Tim Aspinall decided to get rid of some deadwood from the show and Harry, Concepta and Lucille were on the list. Lucille was salvaged as ITV bosses believed that a street without children would be unreal. Harry, Concepta and Christopher moved to Ireland while Lucille stayed put on the cobbles, taken in by Jack and Annie Walker at the Rovers. Harry visited Lucille in 1965 and appeared in two episodes.

Harry Hewitt became a burden for Beavis. He suffered from being typecast and in 1967 asked Coronation Street to kill off the character. And that they did. While visiting Weatherfield for Elsie Tanner’s wedding to Steve that year, Harry was crushed to death when the jack under his van slipped. Overall, Beavis appeared in 311 episodes. He could finally put Harry to rest. Despite killing off Harry, Beavis failed to secure big acting roles. He had roles in Dixon of Dock Green (1971), Public Eye (1971-1973), The Liver Birds (1971-1974), Crown Court (1974), Bless this House (1972-1974), The Sweeney (1975), Z Cars (1967-1978), Juliet Bravo (1982), All Creatures Great and Small (1988) and Casualty (1990). He made his final TV appearances in police drama The Bill in different roles in 1990 and 1991. He appeared as himself on Happy Birthday Coronation Street! in 1990, a programme celebrating the show's pearl anniversary.

Beavis married Kathleen Atkins in 1956 but they later separated. They had two children called Hilary and Michael. Bevis died in Northampton in the East Midlands on Christmas Eve 1997 aged 71.

Did you ever see or meet Ivan Beavis? Do you have any pieces of trivia about him?

Research from Corriepedia, Corrie Net and IMDB.

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Corrie originals - Noel Dyson as Ida Barlow

First appeared: 9th December 1960

Last appeared: 6th September 1961

Noel Dyson played the role of saintly Ida Barlow between 1960 and 1961.

Born in Manchester in 1916, Dyson came from a wealthy family and after being educated in Sussex and Paris; she enrolled at London’s RADA and then performed in repertory companies across the country in places like Birmingham, Oxford and Windsor. After a hiatus during WWII, she returned to acting and made her TV debut in the BBC’s The Guinea Pig in 1948. During the 1950s she appeared in TV shows like Chance of a Lifetime (1950), The Vise (1957-1959) and Emergency Ward Ten (1959).

In 1960, she was cast in the role of 44 year old Ida Barlow in new serial Coronation Street. She was married to postman Frank and mother to sons Ken and David. A placid character, Ida was forced to play referee between Frank and Ken who often clashed over class and ideals. A homemaker, she also worked as a cleaner at the Imperial Hotel. Debuting in the first episode, she rarely went to the Rovers and was close friends with next-door neighbour Albert Tatlock. Her mother Nancy Leathers came to live with the Barlow family when she fell ill. But the success of Coronation Street proved to be a problem for Dyson as she didn’t see herself in the programme for the long haul. When her contract came up for renewal, she refused to sign. Feeling that re-casting the role would prove unpopular, producers decided to kill Ida off – her being the first regular character to be killed off. Her death occurred off-screen with her being hit by a bus on the way home from visiting Albert’s daughter Beattie Pearson in September 1961. Overall, she appeared in 41 episodes. Due to her short time on the programme, Ida’s death didn’t have a huge effect and she’s been rarely referred to over the years, not even by her son Ken.

Dyson managed to secure several roles after her departure, but only supporting ones in productions for the BBC Sunday Night Play (1962-1963), ITV Play for the Week (1959-1964) and Thursday Theatre (1964-1965). In 1968, she was cast in the role of Nanny in sitcom Father, Dear Father alongside Patrick Cargill. She would play the role for the whole seven series until 1973 and in its sequel Father, Dear Father in Australia in 1978. In 1979, she secured another long running role as Aileen Potter in sitcom Potter, starring alongside former Corrie co-star Arthur Lowe who played her on-screen husband Redvers Potter. But when Lowe died, he was replaced by Robin Bailey in the third series before the show was discontinued. Dyson later appeared in hospital drama Casualty in 1993. She passed away in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire in 1995 aged 78 after collapsing on stage. She made a posthumous appearance that year in Heartbeat, a drama series based in the 1960s.

  
She was married twice: to Kenneth Edwards and Harry Judge. Judge and Dyson were married until her death.

Did you ever see or meet Noel Dyson? Do you have any pieces of trivia about her?

Research from Wikipedia, Corriepedia, Corrie Net and IMDB.

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Corrie originals - Doris Speed MBE as Annie Walker

First appeared: 9th December 1960

Last appeared: 12th October 1983

Doris Speed played the role of snobbish Rovers landlady Annie Walker between 1960 and 1983.

Born in Manchester in 1899, she debuted on stage at the age of three. Both her parents were involved in the variety world which they also steeped Speed in. For most of her acting life she was involved in the theatre and even left the profession for a job as a clerk. She returned to acting late in life and made her TV debut in Armchair Theatre in 1957.

In 1960, she was given the role of 51 year old megalomaniac pub landlady Annie Walker in new drama serial Coronation Street – a role created specifically by Tony Warren with Speed in mind, remembering her days on the BBC’s Children’s Hour. Debuting in the very first episode, Annie Walker would remain a lynchpin on the cobbles for over twenty years, looking down her nose at her customers with her scathing remarks. Yet, she was a much loved and respected member of the community. And Doris Speed was also of a similar personality to Annie – cast members had respect for her and many of the younger cast were terrified of her and her stern looks. For nearly 23 years, Annie’s storylines included her marriage to Jack and his death in 1970; taking in Lucille Hewitt as a ward in 1964; running for council in 1965 but losing to Len Fairclough; becoming Alf Roberts’ mayoress in 1973; being confronted by burglars and the experience led to her falling down the stairs; an on-going rivalry with Nellie Harvey; celebrating 40 years behind the Rovers bar; being romanced by Gerald Price and Arthur Harvey; and storylines involving the Rovers and her staff Betty Turpin, Bet Lynch and Fred Gee.

By the early 1980s, Doris Speed was one of the few remaining members of the original cast still in the programme. In 1983, she was admitted to hospital and shortly afterwards it was revealed in the press that Speed was 15 years older than what she had always claimed – not 69 but 84. But I can honestly say that she looked smashing for an 84 year old. Soon after her house was burgled and the experience led her to have a nervous breakdown and she left the programme. But as Speed refused to return to film an exit storyline, Annie was written out as having decided to retire and stay with daughter Joan in Derby and passing on the license to son Billy who returned to the street and announced that his mother wouldn’t be returning. Annie’s presence continued in the Rovers with a photo of her on the mantelpiece, replacing that of Jack’s. Annie wasn’t officially killed off but since Speed’s death in 1994, every reference towards Annie has been worded as if she has died. For nearly 23 years, Doris Speed appeared in a total of 1737 episodes and during the 1960s was the member of cast who appeared most, and during the 1970s was second only to Len Fairclough with the most appearances. In 2012, she was ‘used’ in the exit storyline for Betty Williams (Betty Driver who played Betty had died) where it was revealed that she had given the Rovers to Betty in her will but Betty never accepted. This was an error as Annie never owned the Rovers but ran the tenancy.

Speed moved from her home to a nursing home in Bury near Manchester where she spent the rest of her days. She appeared on a tribute programme to co-star Margot Bryant (Minnie Caldwell) in 1988 and was a special guest on Happy Birthday Coronation Street! in 1990, which was a show celebrating Corrie’s pearl anniversary. Doris made her final TV appearance as a special guest on Classic Coronation Street in 1993, a show celebrating the best of Corrie. At 94, she was hard of hearing and was accompanied by Kenneth Farrington (who used to play her on-screen son Billy). She died the following year in Bury aged 95.

Doris was unmarried and lived with her mother Ada until the latter’s death in 1973, aged 97. Unlike the Tory Annie Walker, Doris was a staunch Labour supporter. She was awarded an MBE in 1977 for her role as Annie.

Did you ever see or meet Doris Speed? Do you have any pieces of trivia about her?

Research from Wikipedia, Corriepedia, Corrie Net, IMDB and "40 years of Coronation Street" by Daran Little.

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Corrie originals - Betty Alberge as Florrie Lindley

First appeared: 9th December 1960

Last appeared: 2nd June 1965

Betty Alberge played the role of Corner shop proprietor Florrie Lindley between 1960 and 1965.

Born in Manchester in 1922, Alberge entered the acting world while in school, starring alongside her schoolmate Pat Phoenix (Elsie Tanner). She then trained at the Manchester Repertory School of Acting and began her professional career at the Colwyn Bay Repertory Company in North Wales. She worked in various TV programmes on both the BBC and ITV and made her TV debut in the ITV Play of the Week in 1958.

Two years later she joined the cast of new drama serial Coronation Street. She initially auditioned for the role of Ida Barlow but Corrie creator Tony Warren felt she was better suited to the role of a shopkeeper. Thus the character of 38 year old Florrie Lindley was created specifically for Betty. Betty appeared in the very first scene of Corrie alongside Maudie Edwards (Elsie Lappin) when Florrie Lindley became the new owner of the Corner Shop and was shown around the place by retiring owner Elsie. Her position as a new resident on the street provided the opportunity for Tony Warren to introduce characters and the street itself through Florrie’s eyes. During her time on the cobbles, Florrie’s storylines included dating Frank Barlow; being mugged; falling for Harry Hewitt; opening a sub post office in the shop; and suffering a nervous breakdown; and dating Tickler Murphy. In 1964, Alberge fell victim to new producer Tim Aspinall’s axe. Florrie was written out when her estranged husband Norman (Florrie had always claimed she was widowed) turned up and wanted to reconcile. While she considered his offer, Norman went on to have a fling with her best friend Elsie Tanner. But Florrie decided to reunite with Norman and they immigrated to Canada together and sold the shop to Lionel Petty. Florrie was the last character of Aspinall’s bloodbath to depart, leaving in June 1965. Overall, Betty Alberge appeared in 311 episodes between 1960 and 1965.

Alberge was fortunate to find other acting jobs for the next 21 years. She had roles in Nearest and Dearest (1969), ITV Playhouse (1969-1972), Crown Court (1973), Z Cars (1969-1976), London Belongs to Me (1977), Rentaghost (1976-1978), Play for Today (1975-1978), Angels (1981) and Juliet Bravo (1982). In 1983, she secured the role of pensioner Edna Cross in Liverpool based soap Brookside, eighteen years after her last soap appearance. She left Brookside in 1985 when Edna was killed off. She made her final TV appearance in then-new hospital drama Casualty in 1986. Alberge died five years later in Stoke on Trent aged 69. Florrie’s fate hasn’t been addressed in the show.

She was married to Rupert until her death. They had a daughter Christine.

Did you ever see or meet Betty Alberge? Do you have any pieces of trivia about her?

Research from IMDB and Corrie Net.

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Corrie Originals - Lynne Carol as Martha Longhurst

First appeared: 14th December 1960

Last appeared: 13th May 1964

Lynne Carol played the role of busybody cleaner Martha Longhurst between 1960 and 1964.

Born in Usk in Monmouthshire, South Wales in 1914, Carol was born into a theatrical family and debuted on stage at the age of three and for the next forty years her career was based in the provincial theatre.

In 1960 she was cast in the role of 61 year old nosy pensioner Martha Longhurst in new drama serial Coronation Street. Carol had to play a character who was 15 years her senior and did a convincing portrayal. Debuting in the second episode, Martha was part of the famous Rovers snug trio that consisted of her, Ena Sharples and Minnie Caldwell. Their friendship dated back to their teenage years and they grew closer as they all became widowed. Known for her beret, Martha was hired as a cleaner at the Rovers in 1963, a job that allowed her to hear the gossip first hand. During her tenure, Martha’s storylines included clashing with Ena on numerous occasions and rekindling with old flame Ted Ashley – she followed him to London thinking he’d propose, but she had mixed signals.

In 1964, Tim Aspinall (1935-2000) was appointed as the new producer of Coronation Street and proved controversial when he decided to axe five members of the original cast - Lynne Carol being one of them. Aspinall wanted to revamp the show and get rid of some deadwood. He felt that Carol would be able to find other acting roles. Carol received the news in the papers and was devastated and many of her co-stars, including Violet Carson (Ena Sharples), called for her reinstatement. But to no avail. Martha was killed off that year and died of a heart in the snug, unnoticed by everyone. When they recorded the death scene, Peter Adamson (Len Fairclough) paused for a while before announcing her death, hoping that the producers would change their mind but they didn’t. Viewers sent thousands of letters complaining about the decision to kill off Martha – the only character out of those axed to do so. Carol became bitter as she felt it was a mistake as her character was so popular and, with Violet Carson and Margot Bryant, provided the rich moments of the programme. After Martha’s death, writers acknowledged that maybe it would’ve been better to have her leave the street rather than killing her off. It has been said since then that killing Martha off has been the show’s biggest mistake. Martha’s spirit (pardon the pun) has lived on in the show. Betty Turpin thought she saw Martha’s ghost in the snug in 1975; and in 2011 Dennis Tanner joked that the mysterious voice Roy Cropper could hear was Martha’s ghost!

Between 1960 and 1964, Lynne Carol appeared in a total of 298 episodes of Coronation Street. For the rest of her career, she struggled to find work and suffered from being typecast. She secured a role in new BBC soap opera The Newcomers in 1965 but it wasn’t permanent. She had roles in other TV programmes like Albert! (1969-1972), Z Cars (1972-1973) and Crown Court (1975), but they weren’t top of the bill roles. Martha Longhurst’s shadow hung over her. Her last TV role was in BBC2 Playhouse in 1980 before retiring from acting. She made her last TV appearance in 1988 in a tribute programme to Margot Bryant where she spoke from her home in Blackpool. She died two years later aged 75.

Lynne married Bert Palmer (who also appeared in Corrie in 1965 as Mr Hartley; and in 1973 as Walter Biddulph, who sold his newsagents ‘Biddulphs’ to Len Fairclough who renamed it ‘The Kabin’) in 1934 and she was widowed in 1980. They had two children: a son and a daughter.

Did you ever see or meet Lynne Carol? Were you outraged when she was sacked? Do you have any trivia about her?

Research from Wikipedia, Corriepedia and IMDB.

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Corrie Originals - Margot Bryant as Minnie Caldwell

First appeared: 14th December 1960

Last appeared: 7th April 1976

YouTube of her last scene here

Margot Bryant played the role of timid pensioner Minnie Caldwell between 1960 and 1976.

Born in Hull in Yorkshire in 1897, Bryant later moved with her family to London and that’s where her interest in the theatre began. She made her break in The Cure for Love in 1949 where she starred alongside future Corrie co-star Jack Howarth (Albert Tatlock). She also starred in various films, acting alongside the likes of Fred Astaire and Oliver Reed. She also appeared in The Verdict is Yours in 1958.

At 63, she secured the role of 60 year old cat-loving Minnie Caldwell in new drama serial Coronation Street. Minnie’s life revolved her cats Bobby and later Sunny Jim and supping milk stout in the Rovers snug with pals Ena Sharples and Martha Longhurst and was often dominated and bullied by her fellow cronies. Debuting in the second episode, Minnie’s storylines over the years including money problems; a gambling addiction and when she fell into debt she disappeared; being injured in a coach crash; taking in lodgers Charlie Moffitt, Joe Donnelli (who took her hostage at gunpoint), Eddie Yeats and most famously Jed Stone who she saw as a son. Having lost hubby Armistead in 1935 and childless, Minnie dedicated her life to cats. Romance did enter her life though. She was smitten towards old flame Handel Gartside when he visited in 1970 after 30 years in Canada. And in 1973 Albert Tatlock proposed to her in a bid to ease their financial problems. But after three months of engagement, she grew tired of his habits like drinking tea from his saucer and called it off.

By the mid-1970s, Margot Bryant’s health deteriorated as she suffered from memory loss. She appeared regularly until the end of 1975 before making just three appearances in 1976. She recorded her final scenes with long-time colleague Violet Carson with her lines in front of her but hidden by her handbag. Her last scene was in The Kabin and she never appeared again. Over 15 years, she had appeared in 990 episodes in total. Six months after her final appearance in April 1976, Minnie was said to have decided to stay permanently with Handel Gartside in Whaley Bridge who she’d been visiting (this covered Bryant’s absence). Minnie’s house was sold (the last house to have an outside toilet and the only one not privately owned) and Handel Gartside came to collect her things and to tell her friends Ena and Albert she wasn’t returning and gave Minnie, although not memorable, a dignified exit.

Ultimately Margot Bryant was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and was admitted to a mental hospital in Cheadle by Stockport where she remained until her death on New Year’s Day 1988 aged 90. She remained unmarried and like her alter-ego was fond of cats. In Coronation Street, Minnie wasn’t officially killed off but in 2008 was said to have died prior to that year, probably around the time of Bryant’s death.

Did you ever see or meet Margot Bryant? Do you have any pieces of trivia about her?

Sources from IMDB, Corriepedia and Wikipedia.

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Corrie originals - Pat Phoenix as Elsie Tanner/Howard/Tanner

First appeared: 9th December 1960

 

Last appeared: 4th January 1984

Pat Phoenix played the role of street siren Elsie Tanner/Howard/Tanner between 1960 and 1973 and then from 1976 until 1984.

Born in Mancester in 1923, Pat would appear regularly on the BBC’s Children’s Hour in the 1930s. Phoenix initially worked at a gas department in Manchester and would attend amateur dramatics in her free time. She joined the Arts Theatre of Manchester and would star in repertory works. She made her break in 1948 in film Cup-Tie Honeymoon alongside Sandy Powell and future Corrie co-star Bernard Youens (Stan Ogden). For the remainder of the 1940s and 1950s she would only star in theatre works with the likes of Thora Hird and Harry Worth.

But in the late 1960 her fortunes changed as she was cast to play the role of 37 year old femme fatale divorcee Elsie Tanner in new drama serial Coronation Street. Debuting in the first episode, Elsie was indeed the star of the show for many years and, alongside the characters of Ena Sharples and Annie Walker, was the original soap strong woman. During her first stint on the cobbles (1960-1973), Elsie’s storylines included sparring with battleaxe Ena Sharples and busybody Hilda Ogden; divorcing first hubby Arnold; having twelve liaisons; rekindling with old flame Steve Tanner (he was given the same surname as Elsie due to her popularity) and marrying him in 1967 but the marriage ended in 1968 when Steve was murdered by Joe Donnelli – the marriage had already soured anyway; and marrying Alan Howard in 1970 but the marriage was tempestuous due to Alan’s money problems and alcoholism. Elsie became a popular character and made Phoenix a household name. A fiery redhead, she held various jobs in her first stint, working in clothes shops, a florist, a launderette, managing a hair salon and was a warehouse supervisor.

By 1973, Phoenix had become bored with the role and sought a return to the stage and left unannounced. But her role as Elsie proved a burden to her as she suffered from being typecast. Her only TV appearance was in Charles Dickens’ World of Christmas in 1974. Her sudden departure from Coronation Street provided a challenge to producers – this was evidence that no character could last forever. Add to this the long absence of Violet Carson over the same period and they faced a conundrum. The programme suffered with a dip in ratings as many saw Elsie’s departure as an end of an era.

But in 1976, with new producer Bill Podmore at the helm, Phoenix begged to return to the show. Over time the ratings rose and with Phoenix back and Violet Carson making more regular appearances it seemed that the serial was getting back on track. Thus began a so called golden age. During her second stint Elsie’s storylines included seven romances; taking in lodgers; and divorcing Alan. She found employment at Mike Baldwin’s new denim factory as a supervisor. She left the factory and worked at Jim’s Café before returning to the factory as a machinist. During her second stint, Phoenix often clashed with producers over the fact that Elsie’s men were in their 60s and that it gave her an ageing image. In 1983, Phoenix once again decided to depart the programme but gave enough notice so that Elsie could have a dignified exit. Elsie made her final appearance in January 1984, doing a midnight flit to Portugal with old flame Bill Gregory. It was revealed in 2011 that Elsie had died in a car accident in Portugal in 2004. Over the 20 years she was in Coronation Street, Phoenix appeared in 1631 episodes. During the 1960s, she was second only to Doris Speed (Annie Walker) as the one who made the most appearances. Following her departure she starred in Constant Hot Water (1986) and Unnatural Causes (1986). That year it was announced that she was diagnosed with lung cancer. A lifelong smoker, she quickly deteriorated and passed away aged 62 in Cheadle, Greater Manchester.

Pat was thrice married: to Peter Marsh (1953-1961), Alan Browning (1972-1979) and Tony Booth (1986). Browning played her on-screen hubby Alan Howard and they fell in love on set. She had had a fling with Booth in the 1950s and they rekindled their romance in 1980 and they married when Phoenix was on her deathbed.

Did you ever see or meet Pat Phoenix? Do you have any pieces of trivia about her?

Research from Corriepedia, Wikipedia, IMDB and 40 years of Coronation Street by Daran Little.

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