List of Coronation Street characters (1968)

Coronation Street characters
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964
1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974
1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984
1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010 2011

Contents


Maggie Cooke

Maggie Cooke
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by Irene Sutcliffe
Introduced by Michael Cox (1968)
Susi Hush (1974)
Duration 1968-75
First appearance 1 April 1968
Episode 761
Last appearance 13 January 1975
Episode 1459
Classification Former; regular
Profile
Date of birth 12 June 1924
Home Zaire
Occupation Shop owner (1968-1974)
Morphine worker (1974–)

Margaret "Maggie" Cooke (née Preston, previously Clegg) is played by Irene Sutcliffe. She ran the Corner Shop from 1968 to 1974. Maggie's storylines included her life with alcoholic husband Les Clegg, who she divorced in 1969, a son Gordon who wasn't really hers (he was her sister, Betty Turpin's love child) and a further marriage to reformed alcoholic, Ron Cooke on 10 July 1974. She emigrated to Zaire after the wedding but made a brief return to the street in December of the same year when Gordon found out that Betty was his mother. She rejoined her husband the following month and has not returned to the street since.

Les Clegg

Les Clegg
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by John Sharp
Introduced by Michael Cox
Duration 1968
First appearance 1 April 1968
Episode 761
Last appearance 12 June 1968
Episode 782
Classification Former; guest

Les Clegg is played by John Sharp. He and his wife Maggie bought the Corner Shop from David Barlow in 1968. Les was an alcoholic, and this leads to the breakup of their marriage; Maggie divorces Les in 1970.

Gordon Clegg

Gordon Clegg
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by Bill Kenwright (1968–1995)
Geoffrey Leesley (2002–2004)
Introduced by Michael Cox (1968)
Susi Hush (1974, 1975)
Bill Podmore (1976, 1981, 1982)
Mervyn Watson (1983)
Carolyn Reynolds (1993)
Sue Pritchard (1995)
Jane MacNaught (2002)
Kieran Roberts (2004)
Duration 1968-69, 1974–75, 1976, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1993, 1995, 2002, 2004
First appearance 15 April 1968
Episode 765
Last appearance 4 February 2004
Episode 5685
Classification Former; regular
Profile
Date of birth 20 May 1950
Home Wimbledon

Gordon Clegg (né Preston) is the son of Betty Williams. For most of Gordon's life he believed Betty's sister Maggie Cooke was his mother. It was revealed in 1974 that Gordon was in fact the product of a love affair between Betty and Ted Farrell, a married sailor and was subsequently raised by his aunt Maggie and her husband, Les. Betty and Gordon still frequently keep in touch and visit each other on occasion. Gordon last visited on Betty's 84th birthday in 2004, when he brought flowers for his mother. Betty visited Gordon for Christmas 2008.

Dickie Fleming

Dickie Fleming
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by Nigel Humphries
Introduced by Richard Doubleday
Duration 1968–70
First appearance 5 June 1968
Episode 780
Last appearance 6 May 1970
Episode 977
Classification Former; regular
Profile
Date of birth 17 July 1949

Dickie Fleming is played by Nigel Humphries. Eighteen year-old Dickie, and his fiancé Audrey Bright move into number three shortly before they wed in 1968. The following year, the Flemings took Ray Langton as a lodger and Dickie became jealous as Ray and Audrey flirted with one another. Audrey later fell for Ray and when Dickie confronted her, she admitted she no longer loved him. Rejected, Dickie informed Ray's fiancé Sandra Butler of what had been going on, before leaving Weatherfield for good.

Audrey Fleming

Audrey Fleming
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by Gillian McCann
Introduced by Richard Doubleday
Duration 1968–70
First appearance 5 June 1968
Episode 780
Last appearance 13 May 1970
Episode 979
Classification Former; regular
Profile
Date of birth 15 May 1951

Audrey Fleming (née Bright) is played by Gillian McCann. Shortly after arriving, 16 year-old Audrey married Dickie Fleming and they set up home at number three. In 1969, the Flemings took Ray Langton as lodger and Audrey enjoyed a flirtation with Ray, leading Dickie to become jealous and throw him out, before having a change of heart. Ray and Audrey became closer and he was about to make his move before a coach accident lost him to use of his legs.

Ray instead took a liking to new girl in the area Sandra Butler, who liked to care for him, and they became engaged. As Ray recovered, his and Audrey's attraction grew and Audrey fell in love with him. Eventually, Dickie confronted Audrey and she admitted she no longer loved him, she had fallen for Ray. Feeling rejected, Dickie took revenge in telling Sandra what had been going on before he left the area. Ray was committed to Sandra however, and after stringing her along and effectively ending her marriage, he let her down and Audrey fled Weatherfield.

Effie Spicer

Effie Spicer
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by Ann Dyson
Introduced by Richard Doubleday (1968)
John Finch (1968)
Duration 1968–69
First appearance 26 June 1968
Episode 786
Last appearance 26 March 1969
Episode 862
Classification Former; regular
Profile
Date of birth 1900

Effie Spicer is played by Ann Dyson. She moved into the new maisonettes that were built after the Glad Tidings Mission Hall was demolished in 1968. During her time on Coronation Street she clashed on many occasions with her neighbour Ena Sharples. Effie left the street in 1969.

Joe Donnelli

Joe Donnelli
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by Shane Rimmer
Duration 1967, 1968, 1970
First appearance 21 August 1967
Episode 697
Last appearance 21 December 1970
Episode 1036
Profile
Date of death 12 December 1970

Joe Donnelli, played by Shane Rimmer, is a former American GI. Joe is dealing with Gambling debts and blames Steve Tanner for it, and in his idea of revenge, he pushes Steve down a flight of stairs, killing him. For nearly two years Joe gets away with the murder when the chief suspect is Len Fairclough. On 12 December 1970, Joe returns to the Street and kidnaps Minnie Caldwell but his plan backfires when he is cornered by Irma Barlow, so he holds her hostage in the corner shop and confesses to murdering Steve. Irma manages to escape and Joe goes to No. 5 Coronation Street and holds Minnie and Bobby hostage. Later Stan Ogden takes Minnie's place, but Stan is unaware that Joe is armed with a gun and is forced to sing Christmas carols to Joe. When the police arrive and surround the house, Joe commits suicide by shooting himself after realising there is no escape.

Alice Pickens

Alice Pickens
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by Doris Hare
Introduced by John Finch (1968)
H.V. Kershaw (1969)
Duration 1968, 1969
First appearance 18 November 1968
Episode 825
Last appearance 1 September 1969
Episode 906
Classification Former; recurring

Alice Pickens is played by Doris Hare. She appears in the series between 1968 and 1969. She became engaged to Albert Tatlock but the marriage was called off.