Vanda (1968 character)

Vanda was one of the hippies who squatted at 11 Coronation Street in January 1968.

Vanda was part of Robert Croft's hippy commune, along with Monica Sutton, Roy and Keith. They invaded No.11 on New Year's Eve 1967 after leaving their encampment in a house on Union Street. Elsie Tanner had just emigrated to the USA with her husband Steve so Dennis Tanner was living there by himself.

Once Dennis worked out that the hippies meant to stay for a while, he agreed to let them doss as long as they were well behaved. Like his fellow flower children, Vanda was extremely placid, spending most of her time thinking, staring into space and stitching. Upon entering the house, Vanda immediately draped herself in Dennis's dirty bedspread to get some kip. She was the quietest of the group and ate the most, commandeering the biscuits on several occasions.

The hippies were thrown out of No.11 when Annie Walker warned Dennis's landlord Alfred Wormold about the "vagrants" being harboured within his property. Annie was reeling from a terrifying experience where she braved No.11 to fetch back Lucille Hewitt, who had joined the hippies, and witnessed their group chanting and burning incense; Annie thought they were invoking the Devil. Alfred inspected the house for himself and found the hippies all sleeping during the day, having spent the whole night listening to music. When Wormold ordered the hippies out and Dennis with them, they left to continue their vagabond lifestyle elsewhere.

1968

 * Mon 1st Jan
 * Wed 3rd Jan
 * Mon 8th Jan
 * Wed 10th Jan