Senora Robinson

Señora Robinson was the Conversational Spanish tutor at a Weatherfield Comprehensive nightschool class in 1991. A Spaniard herself, Señora Robinson expected her students to speak the language at all times within the classroom, telling them to go to Room 12 if they wanted to speak English.

In September of that year, Audrey Roberts and Alma Sedgewick signed up to the class for a bit of fun. Arriving for their first lesson, the ladies were surprised to see Señora Robinson as they'd been told that Señor Perez, a man, was teaching the class. Robinson added to the confusion by explaining to them in Spanish that Perez had gone home to Spain, making no concession for the beginners. Only after repeating herself several times and being met with blank stares did the exasperated woman tell the ladies to sit down in their language. Once they'd taken their seats, Robinson checked their names against the register and issued them a stern reminder to speak only in Spanish in future.

Audrey dropped out of the class after the first lesson, labelling Señora Robinson a sarky cow, but Alma stuck with it and on the lesson on the 9th she understood enough Spanish to have a strained conversation with the tutor. After the class, she told Ken Barlow that Robinson had only said one word of English all evening - her name.