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Jennifer Swann was a young woman who visited Maggie Clegg to tell her she was engaged to marry her son Gordon in 1971. Maggie was surprised to receive a call from Jennifer saying she was on her way up from London as she'd never met her and didn't know what she looked like, leading Irma Barlow to joke that she might wear a red fuzzy wig, have green fingernails and be wanted for gun running.

Jennifer turned out to be a polite and well-spoken blonde who was born in Cumberland before running off to London. She shared a flat with two other women in Earls Court and worked as a secretary at one of the partners of Gordon's accountancy firm. She was clearly pleased with the direction her life had taken and was dismissive about the "terrible" life Maggie led, commenting that she and her friends wanted more out of life than she had.

Her arrival also brought out the nasty side of Lucille Hewitt, Gordon's former fiancée. Lucille was annoyed when Jennifer barely acknowledged her despite Gordon mentioning his history with Lucille to Jennifer, causing Lucille to brand her a swanky bitch. When Ray Langton saw Jennifer in the Rovers, he recognised her as Jenny Swann from his childhood in Burnley. She'd lived on Back Hardcastle Street and moved away from area when she was sixteen when her dad got promoted to mill manager. He re-introduced himself to her and her face made it quite clear that she was anything but pleased to meet someone from her working class past. Through Alf Roberts, Maggie was told by Ray that Jennifer was a gold digger who used people to advance herself in life.

Jennifer upset Maggie telling her that she and Gordon would rarely be making the trip back up north although she was always welcome to come and see them. She compounded the wound by making it clear that Les Clegg would not be invited to the wedding. After she had gone back south, Maggie planned to tell Gordon what she'd heard but changed her mind as she feared she'd lose him for good and that she considered that in a way Jennifer's drive and ambition might be good for him.

Gordon and Jennifer eventually called off the engagement.

List of appearances[]

1971[]

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