Coronation Street fans have been fondly remembering the time of Weatherfield's most-loved couples' tenure behind the Rovers Return bar. The beloved boozer has seen many names above the doors over the past six decades, with iconic landlady Annie Walker regarded by many fans as the best of them all, and hotpot queen Bet Lynch beloved as the brewery’s first single boss and first ever female manager of the Rovers.
Jack and Vera Duckworth: First Owners of the Rovers Return
Located at the corner of Coronation Street and Rosamund Street, the famous pub first opened in 1902 as part of a chain of Weatherfield pubs owned by brewery Newton & Ridley. However, the brewery sold the Rovers in 1995, making it a free house. For the first time, the pub became owned by those who ran it, and Jack and Vera Duckworth became the first couple to actually own the freehold of the pub, 35 years after Corrie's first episode aired in December 1960.
Vera, played by Liz Dawn, was first seen on screen in 1974, and Jack, portrayed by Bill Tarmey, arrived five years later. They moved into No 9 Coronation Street in September 1983. The couple, who often rowed about Jack’s eye for other women, his betting, and his pigeons, went on to become one of the cobbles' best-loved partnerships, even though they once separated for seven months when Vera went to live with a carpet fitter in a flat over a chip shop. The affair ended after four months, and she then dated a series of men, including Rover's cellarman Fred Gee. But the couple got back together before Vera later died in 2008 from heart failure, while Jack passed away in 2010.
Fond Memories and Fan Reactions
While their loss is still felt by those who loved the bickering Weatherfield couple, fans have been remembering their time at the helm of the Rovers. They got their chance to run the pub when Jack came into a large inheritance following the death of his brother and his wife in a car accident. As Jack had a criminal record, Vera was made the licensee and revelled in her newfound status as landlady of the community pub. But, alas, their happiness was short-lived; in 1997 they discovered they owed a huge sum in taxes and were forced to take on Alec Gilroy as a business partner. This led to Natalie Barnes taking over in 1998, evicting the Duckworths.
This week, a Reddit user asked: "What did you think of the Duckworths' tenure as owners of the Rovers?" and the post was quickly flooded with comments. Global-Ant said: "Jack and Vera are couple goals. They may bicker and get on each other's nerves but they always loved each other deep down no matter what. Always made laugh when bickering." Garf1969 commented: "Old school. Both are missed." EuphoricDatabase961 wrote: "Amazing couple!" Of their Rovers stint, theliftedlora shared: "Not that great, great couple but not Rovers material which is why they were kicked out of there after a few years." ItalianChef22 noted: "An iconic couple who were fundamentally unsuited to running the Rovers. Their tenure as owners only worked when Alec Gilroy was brought back into the fold, and that just showed that Alec should have been running things himself."
