Valerie Barlow
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| Coronation Street character | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Valerie Barlow | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Anne Reid | |||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1961-1971 | |||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 7 August 1961 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 27 January 1971 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Book appearances | Coronation Street: The Complete Saga | |||||||||||||||||||
| Profile | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | November 26, 1942 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 10 January 1971 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Hairdresser | |||||||||||||||||||
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Valerie Barlow (née Tatlock) was a fictional character on the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Valerie was played by actress Anne Reid. The character was featured in the programme from 1961 until she was killed off in 1971.
Valerie, a successful hairdresser, came into the picture in 1961 and caught the eye of Ken Barlow, a student at the nearby academy.But she left in October 1961 but returned in June 1962 She was not very attracted to him until his mother, Ida Barlow, was killed after being struck by a bus while returning home from work. Val, as she liked to be called, helped him deal with his mother's passing and soon they were dating. In 1962 Ken proposed to Valerie and she at first thought he was just looking for a mother figure. He assured her that was not the case, and she accepted.
On 4 August 1962, Ken and Valerie were married in Weatherfield. Ken had to sell his motorcycle to pay for their honeymoon in London. When they returned, the Barlows moved into No. 9 Coronation Street. Val turned the front room into a beauty parlor and started a successful business. In 1964, Valerie had a brief affair with Dave Robbins, one of Ken's teaching friends. She planned to leave Ken, but Ken came after her and Dave was not enough in love to fight for her. Val was heartbroken and begged Ken to take her back. He did and soon life went back to normal.
In July 1964, Valerie learned she was going to have a baby. At first Ken was upset, but Elsie Tanner and Emily Nugent changed his mind. She soon learned she was carrying twins and the Barlows closed the beauty shop and remodelled it into a nursery.
Val went into labour on 15 April 1965 and Len Fairclough drove her to the hospital in his van. Val gave birth to twins, Peter and Susan Ida Barlow.
In 1966, Ken had an affair with a reporter, Jackie Marsh. Val found out but kept it a secret for two years, until 1968, when she used it to blackmail Ken into renting them one of the new flats built opposite the street. She threatened to leave him, but Ken gave in and they moved into No. 14.
Shortly after they moved in an escaped convict, Frank Riley, broke in and held Valerie at gunpoint. He demanded money and sex and threatened to kill the twins if she didn't comply. Val tried to resist, but he grabbed her and started to rape her; however, the police broke in just in time. Riley was arrested and sent back to prison.
Val was shaken up and Ken was no support. No one believed her when she said Riley did not rape her. This nearly broke up Ken and Val, but they made up.
Valerie's biggest storyline in the show came in early 1971, Ken was offered a teaching job in Jamaica. He accepted, and he and Val prepared to move. On January 27, 1971, the residents of Coronation Street decided to throw them a leaving party in the Rovers Return Inn. While Ken waited with the crowd for her, Val tried to fix the plug to her hairdryer by tightening it with a screwdriver. Knowing it was still shoddy, she attempted to use it anyway. Val plugged it in and was given a severe electric shock which killed her instantly. As she fell to the floor, she knocked a portable heater into a packing crate and started a blaze and the maisonette was burned down.
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