Rosemary Fraser was the wife of Laurie, a London-based show business entrepreneur in partnership with Lenny Phillips. Laurie spent several months up north in Weatherfield where he and Lenny had interests in the form of a theatrical agency who employed Dennis Tanner. His mother, Elsie, had taken an instant attraction to Laurie and the two began an affair, with Elsie not having a clue that he was a married man.
The realisation came on the opening night of the Viaduct Sporting Club in April 1964. A nightclub with a casino room, Laurie asked Elsie to work for him as a croupier and she readily took up the offer, proving to be in her element as the chips crossed the table and the smartly dressed punters placed their bets. Even among the evening dresses worn by the women, the beautifully coiffured Rosemary made an instant impression in her jewels and fur stole when she entered. Elsie was taken back as she blithely pulled out a wad of notes and asked a hostess for £10 worth of chips so that she could take part in the game. The money was easily lost, and the street residents at the table were shocked that the lady seemed unfazed when she had racked up another £5 with nothing to show for it. After losing her last chip, she told Elsie that she would get some more cash from her husband, and made straight for Laurie, shattering Elsie’s hitherto pleasant evening into pieces.
The next day Elsie returned to the club before opening to hand in her notice to Laurie. She found only Rosemary present who expressed disappointment that the club was losing such a good employee but easily guessed that she was the latest in a long line of women that her husband had been seeing. Elsie hid her surprise that Rosemary seemed so unconcerned, even when she explained that Laurie always returned to her in the end and accused Elsie of being no angel herself. Refusing to take part in the games that Rosemary played, Elsie admitted that her own past wasn't a clean sheet, but the life that Rosemary had chosen for herself wasn't for her.
Hard-headed and with a good brain for business, Rosemary’s main concern was the impact any possible failure of the club on their lifestyle would have and she told Laurie that they were in trouble if Elsie resigned, and if the close-knit community rallied round her afterwards. She ordered her husband to visit Elsie and talk her out of her resignation. Laurie wasn’t eager but Rosemary’s point was well-made that evening when Elsie failed to come in and the punters in the casino room became restive. A reluctant Rosemary herself took over the table but upon the condition that Laurie visited Elsie and sort out matters with her. A cowardly Laurie sent his manager Gus Lowman in his place but had to go to No.11 himself when Elsie slammed the door in Gus’s face. Laurie’s attempt to talk to her was even worse as a furious row broke out in front of all the gleefully watching neighbours.
The following day, the Frazers left the area to return to London, leaving Gus to run the club from then onwards. Rosemary’s passing advice to him was to be selective in replacing Elsie and she tartly admitted to him that she was taking her husband back home where she could keep an eye on him, as “birds not kept in cages had a habit of flying away”.
List of appearances[]
1964