Vera Duckworth
| Vera Duckworth | |||||||||||
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| Coronation Street character | |||||||||||
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| Portrayed by | Liz Dawn | ||||||||||
| Duration | 1972-2008 | ||||||||||
| First appearance | 19 August 1974- (September 1972 - Guest) | ||||||||||
| Last appearance | 18 January 2008 | ||||||||||
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Veronica "Vera" Duckworth (née Burton), played by Elizabeth Dawn, is a popular fictional character on the soap opera Coronation Street.
Information
Vera first appeared in 1974, working in the Mark Brittan mailorder warehouse on Coronation Street., and became a particular friend of Ivy Tilsley. She moved into No.9 Coronation Street in 1983, much to the dismay of her new neighbours. She is married to Jack Duckworth, but they argue frequently although she still makes an effort with Jack, often using the comically spoken phrase "Don't you love me anymore, Jack?". Despite their problems, Jack and Vera still care about each other. Together, they form a very popular comedy couple who have been voted the most amusing soap characters.
The Duckworth marriage was always rocky due to their wayward son, Terry, and extra-marital flings. Jack once had an affair with Street man-eater Bet Lynch, and went on a dating programme in which he donned a wig, fake name and French accent. Vera, who also took part in the dating scheme, was shocked to see Jack's video. She pretended to meet him in The Rovers Return pub, wearing a ginger wig, and then she turned around and shocked Jack.
Vera also had her fair share of lovers: she was tempted by a former romance in 1991 in Blackpool, but stayed with her husband. In 2000, when she believed she was about to die in an operation, she confessed that to Jack that Terry wasn't his real son, but the product of a fling early in their marriage.
Another thing that rocked Vera's world was when, during their trip to the United States, Jack confessed to having lied at their wedding (by making a smudge on his year of birth to make it look like another number), and said he was two years older than he really was just to impress a young Vera. Since they were not legally married, they tied the knot in the famous Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas.
The Duckworths have three grandchildren: Paul (by Andrea Clayton), Thomas (by Lisa Horton), and Benjamin (by Tricia Armstrong), but they don't see any of them any longer due to Terry's reluctance to be a father. Paul was conceived in the mid-1980s, but the teenage Andrea Clayton fled with her family to escape Terry. In the early-1990s, Terry made his girlfriend, Lisa Horton, pregnant. He was imprisoned but vowed to marry her, and the pair were delighted when Terry was allowed out of prison (albeit handcuffed) for one day only for his wedding. They duly married and the groom tried to make a run for it from the police, and he revealed that he only married a heartbroken Lisa to try to escape. She gave birth to Thomas and set up home with Des Barnes, but was tragically run over and killed. Jack and Vera took the little boy in, but while they loved having their grandson around they found it very difficult to make ends meet, as Vera had quit her job to care for Thomas full-time. Regardless of this, she looked forward to the approaching Christmas, as Terry was due to be released from prison and she hopes they would then be a proper family. However it wasn't to be, as upon leaving prison Terry took Thomas to the Lisa's parents in Blackpool and then returned without him, having agreed to give him to the Hortons in exchange for £2,000 a year. Vera could only sit by and watch as Terry lied that he had done it for Jack and Vera's sake, causing Jack to punch and disown his son. Despite pleading with Terry and Lisa's father to return him, the two refused. Terry quickly left the street and Vera was left completely devastated. Finally, a one-night stand with barmaid Tricia Armstrong resulted in baby Benjamin, but Terry didn't want to know, and she left with a new lover. The Duckworths have tried several times to win Thomas from the Hortons, but to no avail.
In 1993, at Vera's mother Amy Burton's funeral, a man named Joss Shackelton approached Vera and told her that he was the father she had never known. He also stunned her when he let her in on the family secret — his father was the illegitimate grandson of King Edward VII, thus Vera believes herself to be a second cousin once removed of HM Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom! Joss lived with the Duckworths for a while before moving into his old flat, where he later died of a heart attack.
Jack and Vera have calmed down over the years, and taken in the likes of Tyrone Dobbs as a surrogate son for wayward Terry, who was often in prison or some sort of trouble. They are very well-known as a down-to-earth northern couple and comic double act. Jack adored keeping pigeons, but Vera could not stand them. In 2005, Jack agreed to sell his dead body for a certain sum of cash to an artist who enjoys painting stuffed humans, so he could buy Vera a Christmas present. When Vera discovered this, she argued with the woman, who then turned up, inspired by Vera!They agreed to both pose for the artist, but on condition that they would be buried as normal.
Vera has been restricted for most of 2007 to her house due to an injury to her ankle and was cared by Molly Compton and Tyrone Dobbs d they bought her a baby monitor so Jack, Molly and Tyrone could talk to Vera while they were in the pub. And later Jack and Vera's grandson Paul Clayton arrived on the street but little did Vera know that Paul was scamming Jack and Vera out of money, stealing the money from Jack and blaming it on Tyrone. Vera was dissapointed in Tyrone but Molly was adamant that Tyrone hadn't stolen the money, Vera refused this of Molly and could never believe that her own flesh and blood could steal from her. Jack & Vera celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary with a Party at the Rover's in August 2007. Vera decided that she and Jack were to move to their dream place of Blackpool but Paul was forced to confess to Jack that he had stolen the money for the house, Jack was appauled but had to keep it secret from Vera as he didn't want to hurt her and destroy her dreams. Vera still desperately wants to move to Blackpool and is still planning to. Jack had to tell Vera that he spent a lot of the money they saved to help Paul buy his half of the restaurant, but added the exscuse that he spent it bfore he knew they were going to Blackpool, Jack knew that if he told Vera the truth she would be heart broken and she was still greatly upset and went to bed to get over the shock.
Blackpool
On the 7 January 2008, Vera wanted to further her plans to move to Blackpool so Tyrone went all the way to Blackpool to get her property brochures to help them decide which properties they could afford, Vera was overjoyed and grateful that she had more choice. On 11 January 2008, Vera picked a house in Blackpool that she wanted her and Jack to leave to, she and Jack put in an offer for the house for £10,000 less than the asking price, Vera picked up the phone and said that she felt like she was going to have one of her "premonitions." Vera's "premonitions" were right and the phone rang after Molly and Tyrone came back into the house and told Jack and Vera that they wantd to put in an offer for the house, Vera and Jack were elated as were Molly and Tyrone. On the 14 January 2008 Vera was making futher preparations for the move to Blackpool and even started packing, some objects brought back memories for her and she wanted Paul to stay on and live with Molly and Tyrone at no.9, Jack told her that they should leave them to sort out the living arangements, but Tyrone was later convinced by Molly to let Paul stay for the extra rent. On the 15 January 2008, Molly was deciding plans for the house for after Jack and Vera were leaving. Vera saw her plans to add wooden floorings but Vera cut in saying that the houses on the street were simple for "simple" working class people, Tyrone and Jack agreed with Vera as she reminised about serving meals and her time at N0.9, Vera became a bit reluctant and asked Jack if they were doing the right thing. Later Jack, Vera, Molly, Tyrone and Paul all gathered at the Rovers and toasted to their future as they were departing in 6 weeks time. Vera and Jack were adamant that they wanted to keep their departure under wraps as they didn't want a big fuss.
Death
On Saturday 21 July 2007, it was announced that Vera would be leaving the soap around December 2007, due to actor Liz Dawn's health.[1] It was revealed in October 2007 that the character of Vera would be killed off in the New Year 2008, as opposed to original plans that would see her coming back for guest appearances recurringly .[2] Three endings were apparently filmed by ITV, featuring suicide, murder and accidental electrocution from a massage chair. They were filmed in an effort to combat plot leakage to the media. The media reported just before Christmas 2007 that her death would be on the 18th January 2008, and advance publicity photographs of her funeral were published. [3]
Family
- Mother: Amy Burton (deceased)
- Husband: Jack Duckworth
- Son: Terry Duckworth
- Grandsons: Paul Clayton, Thomas Duckworth, Benjamin Armstrong
Friends
- Tyrone Dobbs
- Molly Compton
- Roy Cropper
- Hayley Cropper
- Blanche Hunt
- Rita Sullivan
- Ken Barlow
- Emily Bishop
- Betty Williams
- Maria Sutherland
Lives With
References
- ^ Corrie's Vera quits the Street DigitalSpy, 22 July 2007
- ^ Corrie's Vera to die in New Year storyline DigitalSpy, 29 October 2007
- ^ Tragedy in Coronation Street as Jack Duckworth bids his Vera a sad farewell The Daily Mail, 20 December 2007