Vera Duckworth

Veronica "Vera" Duckworth (née Burton), played by Elizabeth Dawn, is a popular fictional character on the soap opera Coronation Street.

Contents 1 Information 2 Death 3 Family 4 Friends 5 Lives With 6 References

[edit] Information

Vera Duckworth entered the series in 1974, as one of the workers in Mike Baldwin's factory, and became a particular friend of Ivy Tilsley. She moved into the 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. A while ago, 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. Jack & Vera celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary with a Party at the Rover's in August 2007.

[edit] 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 funeral would be held on the 18th January 2008, and advance publicity photographs were published. ^[3]

[edit] Family

• Mother: Amy Burton (deceased)
• Husband: Jack Duckworth
• Son: Terry Duckworth
• Grandsons: Paul Clayton, Thomas Duckworth, Benjamin Armstrong

[edit] Friends

• Tyrone Dobbs
• Molly Compton
• Roy Cropper
• Hayley Cropper
• Blanche Hunt
• Rita Sullivan
• Ken Barlow
• Emily Bishop
• Betty Williams

[edit] Lives With

• Jack Duckworth
• Paul Clayton
• Tyrone Dobbs
• Molly Compton

[edit] References

Preceded by Bet Gilroy

Landlady of The Rovers Return Inn 1995 - 1998

Succeeded by Natalie Barnes

v • d • e Coronation Street
Current characters	Ken Barlow | Emily Bishop | Rita Sullivan | Betty Williams | Deirdre Barlow | Gail Platt | Blanche Hunt | Vera Duckworth | Audrey Roberts | Jack Duckworth | Kevin Webster | Bill Webster | Sally Webster | Jim McDonald | Liz Tomlin | Steve McDonald | Rosie Webster | David Platt | Norris Cole | Sophie Webster | Roy Cropper | Ashley Peacock | Janice Battersby | Leanne Battersby | Tyrone Dobbs | Dev Alahan | Eileen Grimshaw | Maria Sutherland | Kirk Sutherland | Jason Grimshaw | Paul Clayton | Fiz Brown | Claire Peacock | Sean Tully | Chesney Battersby-Brown | Amy Barlow | Jamie Baldwin | Kelly Crabtree | Violet Wilson | Lloyd Mullaney | Molly Compton | Vernon Tomlin | Becky Granger | Michelle Connor | Ryan Connor | Liam Connor | Carla Connor | Lauren Wilson Recurring and minor characters
Media	VHS and DVD releases
Related topics	Storylines | Weatherfield | Rovers Return Inn | Sets | Timeline | Humour

v • d • e The Duckworth family in Coronation Street
Jack Duckworth | Terry Duckworth | Paul Clayton Spouses: Vera Duckworth