Coronation Street Wiki
Advertisement

Elizabeth "Betty" Williams (née Preston, previously Turpin) was the Rovers Return Inn's longest-serving barmaid.

Prior to her marriage to Cyril Turpin, Betty had an affair with soldier Ted Farrell which produced an illegitimate son. Letting Ted return to his wife believing that she'd had a miscarriage, Betty let her sister and brother-in-law Maggie and Les Clegg adopt the child, who was named Gordon, and raise him as their own. It wasn't until 1975 that Gordon learned the truth about his parentage, after which he embraced Betty as his mother.

Betty arrived in Coronation Street in 1969 to help Maggie run the Corner Shop, installing herself and her policeman husband Cyril in the shop flat. To stop her sister from taking over, Maggie found her a job as a barmaid at the Rovers - a position in which she'd remain for the next 43 years, not counting multiple sackings, walkouts and retirements.

In 1974, Cyril died from a heart attack and Maggie embarked on a new life in Zaire with her second husband Ron Cooke. As a policeman's widow, Betty was well-endowed, but held onto her Rovers job for the company. For most of her years there, she worked alongside Bet Lynch, who ascended to landlady in 1985 and became a close friend of Betty's. While landlords, staff, and patrons came and went, Betty was as much a constant as her famous hotpot.

In 1995, Betty rekindled her relationship with old flame Billy Williams. They had been married for two years when Billy passed away in 1997. Betty died peacefully in her sleep in 2012 aged 92.

Biography[]

1920-1969: Early life[]

Betty Preston was born at 6 Tile Street, Weatherfield on 4th February 1920. Betty started work in a mill after leaving Clackers Lane Elementary and Senior Schools. During the Second World War, she worked in a munitions factory, before spending some years working as a school meals assistant.

YoungBetty

Betty in her youth

In 1950, Betty fell pregnant after a year-long affair with soldier Ted Farrell. Betty had met Ted during the war and they'd written to each other regularly until he was taken prisoner. After the war, he'd returned to his native Portsmouth but taken a job in Manchester, upon which he and Betty started seeing each other. On learning she was pregnant, Betty told Ted but he then admitted he had a wife and child in Portsmouth. He offered to divorce his wife for Betty, but when he returned home to sort out his affairs, Betty knew she'd never see him again.

As she was unmarried, Betty decided to give the newborn son - whom she named Gordon - to her sister Maggie and her husband Les. The Cleggs raised Gordon, who never found out the truth about his parentage until 1975 when his birth certificate was discovered.

1969-1974: Moving into Coronation Street[]

Betty Arrival

Betty arrives in Coronation Street to help Maggie run the Corner Shop

Maggie and Les had bought the Corner Shop in 1968. Betty followed them in June 1969, offering to help Maggie run the shop. She moved into the shop flat with her husband Cyril. Maggie greatly resented her bossy older sister trying to run her life and she quickly took advantage of Annie's holiday in Majorca (as winner of the perfect Landlady competition) by persuading Jack Walker to give Betty a job at the Rovers. Upon Annie's return, there was friction between no-nonsense Betty and Annie with her airs-and-graces. By Christmas 1969, Betty ended up sacked. She immediately got a job at The Flying Horse, and only returned to the Rovers after wringing an apology out of Annie.

In May 1970, Cyril returned home to the flat to find Betty being terrorised by ex-convict Keith Lucas (Cyril was his arresting officer), and furious at this, attacked Lucas with an iron bar, narrowly avoiding killing him. Cyril was hauled before a disciplinary committee, and the next month he was retired from the force on a full pension. He and Betty moved into 37 Hillside Crescent.

1974-1977: Family trouble[]

Cyril-funeral

Maggie supports a heartbroken Betty at Cyril's funeral

1974 was a bad year for Betty. In February, Cyril died of a heart attack, leaving Betty devastated. In July, her sister Maggie married Ron Cooke and emigrated to Zaire.

Gordon came back from his accountancy job in London to look after the shop and stayed with Betty. However, Betty ordered him back to London after finding him with his trousers round his ankles with a local girl. The shop was rented out to the newly-arrived Hopkins family. In December, Megan Hopkins was moving some furniture in the flat when she came across Gordon's birth certificate. He was born "Gordon Preston", and his mother was "Elizabeth Preston", his father unknown. After probing Minnie Caldwell about former residents in the area, Megan found that Elizabeth Preston was now Betty Turpin. When Maggie and Betty found out, they decided to tell Gordon the dark secret. In February 1975, Megan Hopkins tried to blackmail Gordon with the information, in an attempt to buy the shop at a reduced price, but the attempt failed and the Hopkins fled the shop and Coronation Street in the dead of night. Things picked up for Betty in 1975: she won Newton & Ridley's 'Personality of the Pub' competition in March. Later in the year, a drunken Gordon revealed the secret about his parentage, embarrassing Betty. She was left unable to face the pub's regulars for some time.

1977-1984: Annie, Bet, Betty and Fred[]

Betty, Annie and Bet

Betty with Annie and Bet behind the bar of the Rovers Return

In August 1977, Betty stormed out of The Rovers when Annie accused her of stealing £45, and suggested she consult a psychiatrist about her 'problem'. Betty was on the verge of taking the case to court when she was finally persuaded to return to the pub.

Apart from being proposed to by newly recruited potman Fred Gee (whom she turned down immediately), Betty then had a quiet few years serving in the Rovers - and so began a period of Annie ruling supreme over the tight Rovers staff unit: Bet, Betty and Fred. Also in this period, Betty began producing the now-famous hotpot as part of the Rovers food menu, which became a hit with the regulars.

In July 1980 Betty took in neighboring children Wayne and Sharon Fletcher after Wayne had fell and hurt himself. Upon questioning them another day she learned they hadn't eaten all day and gave them money for Fish and Chips. Their mother's boyfriend Reg Sudworth warned her to mind her own business but after seeking advice from Ken Barlow she decided to report their mother to the N.S.P.C.C

Reg showed up at the Corner Shop and threatened Betty but Eddie Yeats and Mike Baldwin forced him to leave by threatening to call the police. After Mrs Fletcher angrily rebuked Betty for her actions she wondered if she'd done the right thing but was assured by Annie and Inspector Vaughn that she had.

In January 1982, Gordon returned to show his mother his fiancée Caroline Wilson, but upset his mother by marrying without inviting her to the wedding.

Betty-mugged

Ken visits Betty after she is mugged

In May 1982, Betty was mugged by Raymond Attwood from Ken Barlow's Community Centre Youth Club, and ended up in hospital with a broken arm. Ted Farrell, Betty's old wartime flame and Gordon's natural father, saw a newspaper article about the mugging and decided to pay her a visit. As far as Ted was concerned, they had been close, but when he moved down to Portsmouth and married a local girl that was the end of their friendship. Betty felt it better not to stir up the past upon Ted's visit, and they both parted with him thinking they were always "just sweethearts".

In May 1983, Betty acted as Bet's chaperone when they went out for a day with Fred Gee - and ended up paddling in the lake at Tatton Park as Fred's Rover 2000 (bought from Annie Walker) ended up in the lake. The Rovers staff finally arrived back late to find the pub in chaos, with Vera Duckworth helping out behind the bar.

1985-1995: Veteran barmaid[]

Betty Turpin1980s

Betty in the 1980s

1985 dawned with a new boss for Betty, Bet Lynch, following Annie's retirement the year before.

The following year Betty spent a few months in London with Gordon, Caroline and grandson Peter while The Rovers was being refurbished after a fire. In January 1989, Bet's husband Alec Gilroy employed retired ventriloquist Charlie Bracewell as barman. However, after he interfered with Betty, he was quickly palmed off onto Stella Rigby at the White Swan.

More heartache occurred for Betty in 1992 when the Rovers was forced to stop selling food: its kitchen didn't meet food and hygiene standards. Over the years, the pub had become famous for Betty's hotpot, and latterly Betty had worked more in the kitchen than behind the bar. She was effectively redundant, and left the Rovers in tears. However, the Gilroys reluctantly agreed to refurbish the kitchen, and Betty returned.

In 1993, she developed a good friendship with Maud Grimes; both ladies were of similar age and upbringing and regularly holidayed together. Betty was away visiting Gordon when Maud left the street.

In 1994, Alf Roberts again became mayor of Weatherfield and as his wife Audrey was reluctant to take part in civic duties, asked Betty to be his mayoress. Betty was flattered and agreed - following in the footsteps of Annie Walker, who was Alf's mayoress in 1973.

1995-1997: Marriage to Billy[]

Betty-and-billy-marry

All smiles on Billy and Betty's wedding day

On 8th May 1995, 50 years to the day, two old soldiers returned to the pub they celebrated VE-Day in - the Rovers Return. Betty was surprised to see one of them was an old flame - Billy Williams. A few days later, Billy invited Betty to a tea dance and confessed that he had often thought about her over the years and that he had often written to her too. Betty told Billy that she too had written to him but neither of them received each other's letters. Billy also revealed that in one letter he had proposed marriage.

Betty turned down Billy's proposal, together with an offer to go on holiday together, but called on Billy when she was burgled in September 1995. Billy stayed the night, and arranged for a burglar alarm to be fitted, and then proposed marriage again, which Betty refused. However, next month she relented, and later in October they were married.

At the end of October, Jack and Vera Duckworth became the new owners of the Rovers, and when she returned from honeymoon, Betty was very surprised to find out who her new bosses were. It only took a few days for Betty to walk out of the Rovers yet again - this time because Vera asked her to become a cleaner as well as barmaid and cook the hotpots. Vera started her own hotpot, but soon had to turn to butcher Fred Elliott for supplies. Vera had to apologise before Betty considered returning to the Rovers.

In December, Alf and Audrey Roberts travelled down to Buckingham Palace for Alf's OBE. Audrey had a blazing row with taxi driver Don Brennan, resulting in Audrey being left at a motorway service station, and Alf travelling on alone. As he was being driven down The Mall, who should Alf see but Betty - who just happened to be down in London for the day, and so Alf was accompanied by his former mayoress when he received his OBE - much to Audrey's annoyance.

In 1997, Billy died, leaving Betty heartbroken.

1997-2012: Later years and death[]

Bettys-30th-anniversary

The Rovers celebrate 30 years for Betty

In 1999, Betty celebrated her 30th anniversary at the Rovers Return with a party, attended by all the regulars. Betty considered retirement in 2002, and decided to move to Wimbledon to be with Gordon and his wife Caroline. However, Betty spent most of the time left alone at home, and she felt resented by Caroline. This was exacerbated when Caroline gave Betty a brochure for an old people's home. Betty visited Weatherfield and discussed her fears with Blanche Hunt, who told her that she'd be better off looking after number one than pleasing others. Betty agreed, and the regulars welcomed her back to the Rovers. In 2009, while Rovers manageress Liz McDonald was in Spain, fellow barmaid Poppy Morales saw herself as being in charge. She disliked Betty working a certain amount of hours and for doing only what she felt like doing. Poppy attempted to fire Betty but was unsuccessful - owner Steve McDonald saw Betty's service as more invaluable, and Poppy was sacked instead.

Betty Portrait

Betty's portrait which is displayed inside the Rovers following her death in 2012

There was a double celebration for Betty in 2010 - her 90th birthday and being hailed by The Weatherfield Gazette as the oldest barmaid in the north west of England.

In 2012, Betty had fallen ill. When her son Gordon came up to visit her, Betty had passed away peacefully in her sleep. He later went to tell her friends at the Rovers about her passing. Her portrait was placed on the wall of the Rovers by landlady Stella Price, allowing the residents to reminisce and for her memory to remain a constant presence.

Personality[]

Duckworths 1983
"If you've owt to say, spit it out before it flamin' well chokes yer"
This article or section is unfinished.
Please edit this article to fill in the missing parts and remove this message when done.

Relationships[]

Duckworths 1983
"If you've owt to say, spit it out before it flamin' well chokes yer"
This article or section is unfinished.
Please edit this article to fill in the missing parts and remove this message when done.

Hobbies and interests[]

Duckworths 1983
"If you've owt to say, spit it out before it flamin' well chokes yer"
This article or section is unfinished.
Please edit this article to fill in the missing parts and remove this message when done.

Background information[]

Duckworths 1983
"If you've owt to say, spit it out before it flamin' well chokes yer"
This article or section is unfinished.
Please edit this article to fill in the missing parts and remove this message when done.
Betty turpin

1970s publicity shot of Betty Driver as Betty Turpin

Betty Driver originally auditioned for the role of Hilda Ogden in 1964, but lost out to Jean Alexander. The following year, Driver got a role in the Street spin-off series Pardon the Expression alongside Arthur Lowe, reprising his Street role as Leonard Swindley. In an attempted stunt, Driver injured her back and retired shortly afterwards, running a pub in Derbyshire with her sister Freda.

In 1969, Street producer Harry Kershaw offered Driver the role of Betty Turpin, the sister of already-established character Maggie Clegg. Driver accepted the role for what she thought would only be six episodes. She made her debut in Episode 881 on 2nd June 1969.

Throughout 2008 and January 2009, Betty made irregular appearances as Driver's sister Freda suffered from long term ill-health, until her death in December 2008.

Between February and August 2010 (with the exception of two episodes in May), Betty was absent from the show due to Driver's ill-health.

Driver was admitted to hospital in May 2011 suffering from pneumonia. She died on 15th October, with Betty's last episode (Episode 7610) broadcast on 27th May. The character's death was handled on 16th April 2012.

Rovers comings and goings[]

A list of occasions where Betty was sacked or resigned from the Rovers Return after she was initially hired on 4th July 1969.

Situation Reason Date Outcome
Sacked by Annie Walker Incompatibility 28th July 1969 Betty refused to accept her firing unless it came from Jack, the licensee
Sacked by Jack Walker Annie told him that either Betty left or she did 18th August 1969 Betty returned after Annie realised they needed a barmaid and apologised to her
Resigned Annie accused her of stealing Winifred Hepplewhite's necklace and refused to apologise in person after finding out that the necklace was never stolen 22nd December 1969 Returned when Annie apologised
Never officially left Given an indefinite leave of absence after Cyril's death, then went to work at the corner shop February 1974 Annie persuaded her to return to get her out from under Maggie Clegg's feet
Fired by Annie Walker Annie found out that Betty and Bet Lynch had applied for jobs at Baldwin's Casuals and took it as a resignation 3rd November 1976 Annie re-hired them when their replacement, Gail Potter, proved unsuitable
Resigned Annie accused her of having her hand in the till 27th July 1977 Bet persuaded her to return after seeing off her replacement, Dawn Perks
Resigned She and Bet walked out in solidarity with Fred Gee after he was sacked by relief manager Gordon Lewis 25th February 1981 They returned when Annie promised to let Betty run the Rovers during her future absences
Resigned She found out that Bet had discussed her private affairs with Fred 3rd January 1983 Annie persuaded her to return
Resigned Retired after the Rovers fire 4th August 1986 Bet coaxed her back part-time when the pub re-opened
Resigned She got sick of Alec Gilroy watching her like a hawk every time she went near the till 6th July 1987 Bet got her to fill in while Alec was sick, and she ended up staying on
Resigned Refused to work with Alec after he and Bet split up and he threw her out 29th May 1989 Returned when the Gilroys reconciled
Sacked by Alec Gilroy Alec decided to stop serving food rather than pay for a separate kitchen to comply with the new Food Safety Act, and told Betty she was surplus to requirements 20th March 1992 After looking at their profits from food, Alec decided to put in a new kitchen after all and begged Betty to return
Resigned Offended when Vera Duckworth asked her to clean the pub as well as cook 3rd November 1995 Agreed to return in exchange for total control over the food menu
Sacked by Alec Gilroy She didn't turn up for work 3rd November 1997 Vera unsacked her when it emerged that her absence was due to Billy Williams passing away
Resigned She didn't want to go on working at the Rovers after Natalie Barnes sold it to the Boozy Chain 10th December 2000 Mike Baldwin persuaded her to return after he bought the Rovers with Duggie Ferguson and Fred Elliott
Resigned She was being overworked by Eve Elliott 6th January 2002 Fred was able to coax her back
Resigned Decided to retire to Wimbledon 9th June 2002 Returned two months later to help out Shelley Unwin and ended up staying
Resigned Sick of Shelley and Bev Unwin squabbling behind the bar 5th April 2004 Returned once peace was restored
Sacked by Poppy Morales The new Rovers manager fired Betty for being too old 5th June 2009 Steve McDonald overruled Poppy and persuaded Betty to return

First and last lines[]

"So this is your famous Corner Shop." (First line, to sister Maggie)

---

"And where are you goin' an' all?" (Final line, to David and Kylie Platt)

Appendices[]

Duckworths 1983
"If you've owt to say, spit it out before it flamin' well chokes yer"
This article or section is unfinished.
Please edit this article to fill in the missing parts and remove this message when done.

List of addresses[]

Address Duration
6 Tile Street, Weatherfield 4th February 1920 to around 1945
Corner Shop bedsit June 1969 to July 1970
37 Hillside Crescent July 1970 to 10th June 2002
Wimbledon 10th June 2002 to 28th July 2002
37 Hillside Crescent 28th July 2002 to 16th April 2012

See also[]

Advertisement