1978 saw several characters making their debuts on the British Soap Opera ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Origi ...

'', including Ed Jackson, Ida Clough and Brian Tilsley, among others.

Ed Jackson

Thomas Edward "Ed" Jackson was one of two robbers who staged a robbery on Mike Baldwin's ( Johnny Briggs) factory. Ed (known then as "Tommo") and his friend Dave followed Mike, and his wages clerk

Ernest Bishop ''Coronation Street'' is a British soap opera first broadcast on 9 December 1960. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in 1967, by order of first appearance. Steve Tanner Stephen Edward "Steve" Tanner, played by Paul Maxwe ...

(

Stephen Hancock Philip Stephen Hancock (24 November 1925 – 1 November 2015) was a British television and stage actor, musical director and pianist. He was born in Bishop Auckland, County Durham and attended the Chorister School, Durham and the Darlingt ...

) to the bank and then to the factory. They began to menace Ernest out of the wages he had been preparing. Mike began to wonder what was taking so long and opened the door, knocking Ed, causing him to shoot Ernest, who later died in hospital. Ed returned in 2005. He befriended

Emily Bishop Emily Bishop (also Nugent and Swain; originally credited as Miss Nugent) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Eileen Derbyshire, the character is the longest-standing female character in ...

(

Eileen Derbyshire Eileen Derbyshire, MBE (born 6 October 1931) is an English retired actress, best known for her role as Emily Bishop in the long-running ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. She played the character for 55 years from January 1961 to January 2 ...

) at church and began dating

Eileen Grimshaw Eileen Grimshaw (also Phelan) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Sue Cleaver, the character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 3 May 2000. Her storylines have often i ...

(

Sue Cleaver Susan Owen ( Cleaver; born 2 September 1963) is an English actress. She is best known for portraying the role of Eileen Grimshaw on the ITV soap opera, ''Coronation Street'', which she has played since 2000. Early and personal life Cleaver was ...

). Ed divulged to Emily his prison background and subsequently revealed that he was responsible for the death of Emily's husband, Ernest. Emily expressed her disgust at this revelation and

born again Christian Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sepa ...

Ed dramatically contemplated

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

, but Emily forgave him when he asked her for forgiveness. She gave him Ernest's old camera, and made him promise to send her Christmas cards, with a photograph of himself every year to show her he was alive and well. With that Ed left

Weatherfield Weatherfield is a fictional town based on Salford, Greater Manchester, which has been the setting for the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' since its inception in 1960. Much of Weatherfield has been seen by viewers throughout the y ...

Ida Clough

Ida Clough (also Bulmer) was played by

Helene Palmer Helene Palmer (5 March 1928 – 5 January 2011) was an English actress best known for her portrayal of Ida Clough, a factory machinist in the long-running soap opera, '' Coronation Street''. She appeared in the show on/off between 1978 and 199 ...

. Ida first appeared in 1978 she was a machinist at ''Baldwin's Casuals'' and was always militant and behind anyone who wanted to strike. Over the years she worked alongside

Ivy Tilsley Ivy Joan Tilsley (originally credited as Ivy Tyldesley, also Nelson and later Brennan) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Played by Lynne Perrie, Ivy first appeared on-screen on 14 June 1971, initially o ...

(

Lynne Perrie Lynne Perrie (born Jean Dudley; 7 April 1931 – 24 March 2006) was an English actress, singer and television personality, best known as Mrs Casper in Ken Loach's 1969 film '' Kes'', Mrs Petty in the television series '' Queenie's Castle'', and ...

Vera Duckworth Vera Duckworth (also Burton) is a Character (arts), fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', portrayed by Liz Dawn. Vera is known for her long-standing marriage ...

(

Liz Dawn Sylvia Ann Ibbetson (''née'' Butterfield; 8 November 1939 – 25 September 2017), known professionally as Elizabeth Dawn or Liz Dawn, was an English actress, best known for her role as Vera Duckworth in the long-running British soap opera ''C ...

Elsie Tanner Elsie Gregory (also Grimshaw, Howard and Tanner) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Pat Phoenix from the series' inception in 1960 to 1973, and again from 1976 until 1984. Elsie Tanner was ...

(

Pat Phoenix Patricia Phoenix Booth (born Patricia Frederica Manfield; 26 November 1923 – 17 September 1986) was an English actress who became one of the first sex symbols of British television through her role as Elsie Tanner, an original cast member ...

) and

Shirley Armitage Shirley Armitage is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Played by Lisa Lewis, the character appeared for a period of six years between 1983 and 1989. Shirley became the programme's first regular black ...

(Lisa Lewis). In 1980, Ida went head to head with Ivy to become The union leader, but she lost out to Ivy. When Mike Baldwin ( Johnny Briggs) was charged with drink driving in 1988 it had been Ida who had reported him and Mike sacked her. Ida returned to the street for Ivy's funeral in 1995 and Mike agreed to take her back at the factory. This time she was working alongside

Janice Battersby Janice Battersby (also Lee) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Vicky Entwistle, the character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 6 January 1997. On 2 August 2010, i ...

(

Vicky Entwistle Victoria Entwistle (born 15 September 1968) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Janice Battersby in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Early life Entwistle grew up in Accrington; her father owned a newsagent ...

) and

Sally Webster Sally Metcalfe (also Seddon and Webster) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', portrayed by Sally Dynevor. The character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 27 January 1986, when Kev ...

( Sally Whittaker). In 1997, when the Duckworths decided to renew their wedding vows in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, Vera suggested they fly Ida out as a witness. Ida made her last appearance in ''Coronation Street'' in August 1998. Her final appearance saw her help her colleague, Hayley Patterson (

Julie Hesmondhalgh Julie Claire Hesmondhalgh (born 25 February 1970) is an English actress and narrator. She is known for her role as Hayley Cropper in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' between 1998 and 2014. For this role, she won Best Serial Drama Perfor ...

), who Mike had sacked for being a transsexual, get her job back by threatening to take Mike to an industrial tribunal. Ida's fate since then is unknown but at Vera's funeral in January 2008,

Rita Sullivan Rita Tanner (also Littlewood, Bates, Fairclough and Sullivan) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street''. Portrayed by veteran actress Barbara Knox, the character first appeared onscreen as "Rita Littlewood ...

(

Barbara Knox Barbara Knox, MBE (''née'' Brothwood, formerly Mullaney; born 30 September 1933) is an English actress, best known for her long-running portrayal of Rita Tanner in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. She first appeared as Rita Littlewoo ...

) spoke about Vera, Ivy and Ida in the past tense, implying that Ida had died prior to 2008.

Brian Tilsley

Brian John Tilsley was played by

Christopher Quinten Christopher Quinten (born Christopher Bell; 12 July 1957) is a British actor, best known for his role as Brian Tilsley on '' Coronation Street'', which he played from 1978 to 1989. Career Quinten started his career as a dancer in West End prod ...

. The son of

Bert Bert or BERT may refer to: Persons, characters, or animals known as Bert *Bert (name), commonly an abbreviated forename and sometimes a surname *Bert, a character in the poem "Bert the Wombat" by The Wiggles; from their 1992 album Here Comes a Son ...

(

Peter Dudley Peter Dudley (21 June 1935 – 20 October 1983) was an English character actor best known for his role as Bert Tilsley in the ITV television series ''Coronation Street''; a role he played continuously from 1979 until his death in 1 ...

) and

(

), he married Gail Potter (

Helen Worth Helen Worth (born Cathryn Helen Wigglesworth; 7 January 1951) is an English actress. She is best known for portraying the role of Gail Platt in the ITV soap opera, '' Coronation Street'', a role that she has played since 1974. In 2014, she r ...

) in 1979 and they had two children:

Nicky Nicky is a diminutive form of the name Nicholas, Nicola and Nicole, occasionally used as a given name in its own right. It can also be used as a diminutive of Dominic. It may refer to: People Sports * Nicky Adams (born 1986), English-born Welsh ...

(Warren Jackson), born in 1980, and Sarah-Louise (Lynsay King) in 1987. At the time Gail got pregnant with Sarah, she was having an affair with Brian's cousin, Ian Latimer (Michael Loney), and was unsure who Sarah's father was. A blood test later revealed that Brian was her father but Gail refused to tell Brian until her mother,

Audrey Roberts Audrey Roberts (also Potter) is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Sue Nicholls. Audrey made her first appearance on 16 April 1979 and appeared on a recurring basis for three years until April 1982. ...

(

Sue Nicholls Susan Frances Harmar Nicholls (born 23 November 1943) is an English actress, known for her roles on British television in ''Crossroads'' (1964–1968), ''The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin'' (1976–1979) and, ''Rentaghost'' (1981–1984), a ...

) let the truth slip during an argument with Brian's mother, Ivy. Brian adjusted to Gail's infidelity but did not reconcile with Gail for some time; he briefly absconded with Nick when a break-up looked likely. Ivy always believed that Ian was Sarah's father. Brian and Gail eventually divorced, but got back together for the sake of their children and married again in February 1988. The marriage did not last and on 15 February 1989, Brian was stabbed to death whilst protecting a woman from some youths outside a nightclub. After Brian's death, Ivy continues for his son Nicky to protect his memory. Eventually, this failed when

Martin Platt Martin Platt is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', portrayed by Sean Wilson. His major storylines were a relationship with Gail Tilsley (Helen Worth) following the death of her husband Brian (Christo ...

( Sean Wilson) adopted him and Sarah. Despite this, Ivy then wrote the cause of her will that Nicky could only gain her house and the entire estate on the condition of changing his name from Platt back to Tilsley. With no other choice, Gail told Martin to accept it knowing that Ivy blamed her for his death. Years later, Nick (now a teenager), was shocked by an accidental meeting with

Darren Whateley The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'' in 1989, by order of first appearance. Alison Oakley Alison Oakley, played by Helen Swift in 1989 and Shelley Willetts in 1998 is a woman ...

(

Ian Aspinall Ian Aspinall (born 1961) is a British actor. He played Mubbs Hussein in '' Holby City'' from 2001 to 2005, and has also appeared in '' City Central'', ''The Bill'', '' Silent Witness'', ''Peak Practice'', '' Waterloo Road'' and ''Casualty''. He al ...

), the man who had killed his father. In July 2016, Brian was mentioned by Gail after her daughter-in-law,

Kylie Platt Kylie Platt (also Turner) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'', played by Paula Lane. She was introduced as Becky McDonald's ( Katherine Kelly) half-sister, making her on-screen debut on 26 August 201 ...

(

Paula Lane Paula Lane (born 17 April 1986) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Kylie Platt in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' from 2010 to 2016. Early life Lane is originally from Hebden Bridge near Halifax. Lane attende ...

) was stabbed and died. When supporting her son

David Platt David Andrew Platt (born 10 June 1966) is an English former professional football coach and player, who played as a midfielder. Born in Chadderton, Lancashire, Platt began his career as an apprentice at Manchester United before moving to Crewe ...

( Jack P. Shepherd), she revealed how tough it was telling Nick about Brian's death and urged him to tell him and Kylie's two children, Max Turner (Harry McDermott) and

Lily Platt ''Coronation Street'' is a British soap opera first broadcast on Friday 9 December 1960. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in 2013, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by series producer, Phil Col ...

(Brooke Malonie), the truth about what happened and make sure they understand. In 2018, a lady called

Rosemary Piper '' Coronation Street'' is a British soap opera first broadcast on 9 December 1960. The following is a list of characters introduced in 2018, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by series producer Kate Oates or her successo ...

(

Sophie Thompson Sophie Thompson (born 20 January 1962) is a British actress who has worked in film, television and theatre. A six-time Olivier Award nominee, she won the 1999 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the London revival of ''Into the Woods' ...

) claims that she is getting messages for Gail from Brian, as well as Gail's other three deceased husbands, which she believes until

Roy Cropper Roy Cropper is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by David Neilson. He first appeared on-screen on 19 July 1995. Originally a secondary character, he was given a more prominent role in 1997, by t ...

(

David Neilson David Neilson (born 13 March 1949) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as cafe owner Roy Cropper in the long running ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', which he has played since 1995. Early life Neilson was born in Loughbor ...

) exposes Rosemary as a fraud who is working with con artist,

Lewis Archer Lewis Archer is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Nigel Havers. The character was created and introduced as a love interest for Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls). Executive producer Kim Crowther revea ...

(

Nigel Havers Nigel Allan Havers (born 6 November 1951) is an English actor. His film roles include Lord Andrew Lindsay in the 1981 British film ''Chariots of Fire'', which earned him a BAFTA nomination; as Dr. Rawlins in the 1987 Steven Spielberg war drama ...

References

{{Coronation Street characters, year, state=expanded

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

*, Coronation Street