List of Coronation Street characters (1968)

Maggie Cooke

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, her adopted son Gordon (her sister Betty Turpin was his birth mother) 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.

In 2003, she was still living in Zaire. In 2012, when her sister Betty died, Maggie was not at the funeral or mentioned. A photograph of her was seen on the shelf in the background when Gordon, Emily, Rita and Stella went to Betty's house to sort through her belongings.

Les Clegg

Les Clegg is played by John Sharp. He and his wife Maggie buy 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 (also Preston), played by Bill Kenwright, made his first screen appearance on 15 April 1968. Kenwright played the role until 1995 and Geoffrey Leesley took over from 2002.^[1] On 31 January 2012, Sharon Marshall revealed Kenwright would reprise his role as Gordon for Betty Williams' funeral, which was held on 16 April.^[1]

In 1968, Les Clegg bought the Corner Shop and the Cleggs moved there, with Gordon living in the flat above the shop. Maggie wanted Gordon to focus on his studies and not work behind the counter so Maggie was dismayed when Gordon fell for young Lucille Hewitt. Lucille took some convincing to agree to go out with Gordon, as she thought he was too mothered by Maggie, but he impressed her when he fought for her attentions with Gary Strauss and Ray Langton. Gordon and Lucille faced Maggie's objections when Gordon decided to show Lucille that he was committed to her by suggesting that they elope to Gretna Green and return as husband and wife, even though it would mean missing his exams. He and Lucille went to the train station, without telling their families but when they missed their train, Lucille convinced him that they should return. Gordon passed his exams and began thinking about his career prospects. As Lucille pressed ahead with wedding preparations and set a date for Easter Saturday 1969, Gordon realised he could not marry her and cancelled the wedding. Ashamed of his actions, he took a job at the head office of an accountancy firm in London and upset Maggie by moving there permanently.

In 1971, Gordon became engaged to Jennifer Swann. She visited Weatherfield to meet Maggie but she and Gordon did not marry. Gordon returned to Weatherfield in 1974 for Maggie and Ron Cooke's wedding. Gordon gave Maggie away and saw her off as she moved to Zaire with Ron. Gordon agreed to handle the sale of the shop but arranged to rent it to Megan "Granny" Hopkins for £14 a week, with the money counting towards the eventual sale to the Hopkinses. Before returning to London, he infuriated Betty by having a one-night stand with Beverley Marshall. The Hopkinses were determined to get a good deal on the shop and they found Gordon's birth certificate behind a sideboard, revealing his true mother's name. Granny Hopkins was intending to blackmail Gordon but Maggie told him the truth before the Hopkinses could. Gordon was stunned by the news and reacted initially by warning the Hopkinses, who did a midnight flit, and going out to celebrate the fact that Les Clegg was not his father. After getting over the initial shock, he began treating Betty as his mother. In 1976, Gordon visited to arrange the sale of the shop to Renee Bradshaw.

In 1982, Gordon married Caroline Wilson and they had a son, Peter, in 1985. In 1995, Gordon gave Betty away when she married Billy Williams. As Billy was an old flame of Betty's, Gordon wondered if he could be his father but Betty said he was not. When Betty decided to retire in 2002, Gordon invited her to live with him and his family in Wimbledon, although Caroline was not keen on the idea. After some consideration, Betty decided to stay in Weatherfield as she enjoyed working too much. Gordon suggested it again the following year after Betty's house caught fire but she did not stay with them long. In 2004, Gordon visited Betty and brought her flowers for her 84th birthday.

Betty continued to visit Gordon for many more years, including Christmases. In 2012, he visited when she was ill but learnt that she had died. Devastated, Gordon went to the Rovers Return to tell her friends. He planned to have her buried in London, but seeing how loved Betty was, he decided to have her buried next to Cyril in Weatherfield. Gordon went through her things with Emily Bishop, Rita Sullivan and Stella Price. They found a letter written by Annie Walker which revealed that she wanted Betty to run the pub after she retired but Stella did not want Gordon to know until she saw a solicitor. On the day of the funeral, they told Gordon about the letter but he knew that his mother was happy working at the pub although she had turned down the offer. After the funeral in the Rovers Return, he read a letter from Betty, thanking all her friends for all the good years. Gordon handed barman Sean Tully another letter from Betty, containing her secret hotpot recipe. Gordon said goodbye before departing later in the evening.

Dickie Fleming

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 (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 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, 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 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.

References