Elsie Tanner

 

 


Full name: Elsie Tanner (née Grimshaw, previously Tanner, formerly Howard )
Parents: Arthur & Alice Grimshaw
Born: 5 March 1923
Siblings: Fay
Married:

 

  1. Arnold Tanner 4 October 1939
  2. Steve Tanner 4 September 1967
  3. Alan Howard 22 July 1970, Weatherfield Register Office

Children:

  1. Linda (b: 10 January 1940; f: Arnold Tanner)
  2. Dennis (b: 1 April 1942; f: Arnold Tanner)


Played by: Patricia Phoenix
Appeared: 9 December 1960 - 4 January 1984

The Siren of the Street throughout the 1960s, Elsie had a passion for men and got hurt by all of them. Her many lovers included Len Fairclough, Norman Lindley, Dave Smith, Bill Gregory, Laurie Frazer, Jim Mount, Ron Mather and Dan Johnson.

Her relationship with Len lasted twenty years but, although he proposed twice, she knew she could never marry him as he was her best friend. She separated from husband Arnold after the war and struggled to bring up Dennis and Linda while entertaining her men friends.

In 1967 she married American Steve Tanner who had been her wartime sweetheart. Unfortunately she soon discovered he was a selfish drunk and they separated.

Three years later she married Alan Howard and he moved into her home, No11, where they lived for three years - the longest time she ever spent with one man. When the marriage went through a bad patch they went to live in his native Newcastle, and in 1976 she returned home to the street alone.

In later years, Elsie struggled to keep glamour in her life but she found herself with sleazy one-night stands and dead-end jobs. When we first met Elsie she was working at Miami Modes in the slightly Better Dress Department, a job she also worked as a croupier, a model, a florist, a receptionist, a salesperson and a supervisor in Mike Baldwin's Denim Factory.

During 1978, Elsie got confirmation of her divorce from Alan.  Even though she had expected it, it still reduced her to tears, she left the street. Two months later she was back and wanting a fresh start,  she told everyone that she wanted to be known, once again as 'Elsie Tanner'.

In August 1981 Elsie started working again at Baldwin's Casuals as a lowly machinst. In 1983, Bill Gregory re-entered her life (she had an affair with him in 1962).  After a lot of thought, he whisked her off to Portugal to help run his wine bar and gave her story the fairy-tale ending for which she had always longed.


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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