Christine Appleby (née Hardman) was a Coronation Street resident from 1939 to 1953, and then again from 1955 to 1963. A close friend of Ken Barlow and Elsie Tanner, Christine had a very unlucky time in the Street, with her mum May dying from a brain tumour in 1960, only five years after her dad George had died.
A resident of No.13, Christine often felt trapped in the Street and longed to escape. She contemplated suicide in 1962 but shortly afterwards met up with Colin Appleby, who she married, however he was killed in a car crash later that year. Unsure what she wanted from life, Christine was briefly engaged to an older man, Frank Barlow, but called it off when she realised she didn't love him. She left the area when she was transferred in her supervisor's job at Miami Modes in 1963.
Biography
1939-1960: Early life
Christine Hardman was born at 13 Coronation Street, Weatherfield on 19th April 1939 to parents George and May Hardman. Christine attended Bessie Street School, where she was close friends with Kenneth Barlow. Her dad George Hardman was a bank teller but by 1953 he had saved enough money to buy a grocery shop and a detached house in Oakhill. Christine was upset to be moving away from her friends, but although the family returned to live at No.13 in 1955, it was under unpleasant circumstances as her mum May had been forced to sell the house and shop to pay off creditors following George's sudden death as the result of a massive heart attack.
Christine confides in Esther her worries about the local gossip
Christine coped with the move better than May, who was too ashamed to face the neighbours. Christine spent the next few years looking after her mother, who constantly dwelled on the past and eventually suffered a breakdown and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Christine got a job as a machinist as Elliston's Raincoat Factory but by 1960 her mother's health weighed heavily on her mind as well as the gossip in the Street upon her release from the hospital. May died of a brain tumour at the end of the year.
1961-1963: Orphaned and widowed
May's death was a shock for Christine. As if having her mother die wasn't enough, she now had to manage the house and finances on her own. The neighbours - especially Esther Hayes - went out of their way to help her, but help also came from an unexpected source; plumber Joe Makinson did her plumbing for free and asked her out. Christine was worried that he was taking advantage, but agreed to date, and a relationship soon emerged that led to a proposal after only a short time. Christine dumped Joe as they weren't quite on the same level.
Later in 1961, Christine met Ken Barlow at the train station. He was intending to move to London to get away from the expectations of his family in the wake of Ida Barlow's death. Christine convinced him to stay.
Christine wonders whether to leave the factory roof the slow way or the fast way
Despite taking control of her life and coping well, Christine was very unhappy. The repetitive and dull work at Elliston's did her no favours, and in 1962 she started wondering how people could be happy with their lives living in Coronation Street. In June, she climbed up onto the roof of the factory, intending to jump off, but she was talked down by Ken, who reminded her how she had stopped him from making a big mistake. He had sometimes wanted better things from life as well, but told her she shouldn't give up.
After the rooftop incident, Christine quit the factory and tried to live life differently. An old flame of Christine's, Colin Appleby, read about Christine in the newspaper, and met up with her. Christine seized the opportunity and decided to move out of Weatherfield when the relationship got serious. The pair settled in Leeds and eloped only two weeks later, but Colin was killed in a car crash in October. Christine returned to Coronation Street and took a job at Miami Modes with Elsie Tanner and Dot Greenhalgh.
The residents were shocked when Christine went out with Ken Barlow's father Frank Barlow in 1963 - Frank being twice her age and Christine having previously been interested in Ken. Frank was enthusiastic about the relationship, and Christine went along with it, but she was still confused about what she wanted now that Colin was dead. Frank was always one step ahead, already thinking about marriage, which almost alienated him from Ken. The news sent neighbourhood gossip into overdrive, and Elsie enlisted the help of Ena Sharples to spread the news that Christine had another boyfriend so that both she and Frank would have some peace. Frank popped the question to Christine but she didn't answer him right away. Before she decided, Christine met up with Joe Makinson again and couldn't decide who to choose. She was going to reject Joe, but he dumped her first, leading her to accept Frank's proposal.
Christine explains to Frank that she doesn't love him
What mainly put Christine off was the gossip in the Street. It was so bad that Christine wrote a letter to the landlord of No.11, where she was living with Elsie Tanner, informing him that she was living there illegally, resulting in her having to move out. Christine soon realised that she didn't love Frank and only saw him as a possible means to get out of the Street for good. She decided to be honest with him and called off the engagement.
1963-1967: Leaving the Street and later years
Christine eventually got out of the Street when she was promoted at Miami Modes and butted heads with Elsie and Dot, who didn't like the way she used her newfound authority. After briefly sharing a flat with old friend Esther Hayes, Christine was transferred to another branch of Miami Modes and moved to Southampton, leaving Weatherfield for good. Following her final departure from the Street, she was rarely mentioned. Despite sending a telegram to congratulate Elsie and Steve Tanner on their wedding in 1967, her later life remains a mystery.
Background information
- Christine was one of the original characters of Coronation Street.
- As a result of the Equity actors' strike, actress Christine Hargreaves had to leave the programme when her contract expired in December 1961. She did not return until the strike was over, although the character was said to still be living in the street during the months she was off-screen.
Quotes
"Mrs Sharples, I want to have a word with you." (First line)
"I was born round 'ere, I live round 'ere, and I suppose I'll die round 'ere." (Christine struggles to see the positive side of life with little hope of a future outside of the Street - 1962)
"Girls like me are stupid. An' we don't ger anythin' - the only way we can get owt different is by gettin' married." (Christine explaining to Ken why she feels trapped and wants to jump off the rooftop - 1962)
See also
External links
| Original characters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ken Barlow | Frank Barlow | Ida Barlow | David Barlow | Jack Walker | Annie Walker | Elsie Tanner | Dennis Tanner | Linda Cheveski | Ivan Cheveski | Harry Hewitt | Lucille Hewitt | Concepta Riley | Ena Sharples | Minnie Caldwell | Martha Longhurst | Albert Tatlock | Christine Hardman | Florrie Lindley | Esther Hayes | Leonard Swindley |