August 1902 - July 1919
James Corbishley
July 1919 - October 1937
George Diggins
October 1937 - June 1970
John Walker
July 1970 - May 1984
Anne Walker
May 1984 - December 1984
William Walker
January 1985 - May 1987
Elizabeth Theresa
Lynch
May 1987 - September 1992
Alexander Gilroy
September 1992 - October 1995
Elizabeth Theresa
Gilroy
October 1995 - December 1998
Veronica Duckworth
December 1998 - January 2001
Natalie Felicity
Barnes
January 2001 - January 2002
Douglas William
Ferguson
January 2002 - May 2002
Evelyn Margaret
Elliott
May 2002 -
Frederick Handel
Elliott
August 1902 - July 1919
Jim & Nellie Corbishley
Salford grocer Jim became
the first landlord of the Rovers Return, retiring from the grocery
trade and selling his shop for £40 to finance the deal.
In 1919 Jim and his wife Nellie retired to run a boarding house
in Little Hayfield.
July 1919 - October 1937
George & Mary Diggins
George Diggins was a retired
police sergeant who took over the Rovers in July 1919. They moved
away to Southport in 1937.
October
1937 - June 1970
Jack &
Annie Walker
The Walkers had no experience
of the pub trade before the Rovers as newly-weds in 1937, and
merely saw it as a stepping stone to greater things - Annie always
aspired to a country pub in Cheshire. Diligent and popular with
all the locals, they ensured the Rovers became a friendly and
popular local, and ended up serving behind the bar for 33 years
- the longest-ever serving Rovers publicans.
Annie
Walker
July 1970 - May 1984
After the sudden death
of her husband Annie bravely soldiered on alone, though by the
mid-1970s it was clear she needed help and a full-time live-in
potman was employed in the shape of Fred Gee. By 1984, Annie found
that things were just too much for her and in February 1984 she
retired to her daughter Joan's in Derby. She wanted the pub to
stay in the family and persuaded her son Billy to oversee the
Rovers, and in May 1984 he took over the tenancy.
Billy
Walker
May 1984 - December 1984
Billy had various businesses
in Jersey and unlike his parents, his heart was never in the Rovers.
He left a string of creditors behind him, and after being caught
by the police holding a late night drinking session he was repremanded
by the brewery. Billy had had enough, sold the tenancy of the
Rovers back to Newton & Ridley, and beat a rapid retreat to
Jersey to start afresh in a new hotel venture.
January 1985
- September 1987
Bet Lynch
Following Billy's hasty departure
Newton & Ridley quickly appointed a manager for the Rovers,
and the locals persuaded barmaid Bet Lynch to apply. To her suprise
she was appointed. Bet relished her rise in social status and
her first permanent home. In March 1987, partly based on poor
performances, the brewery decided to sell its tenancies, and Bet
had to raise £15,000 quickly to ensure she kept her home.
After the bank refused a loan, in desperation she turned to Alec
Gilroy who loaned her the money. However, profits were no better,
and fearing the humiliation of loosing the pub, in the June, Bet
disappeared. To protect his investment, Alec approached the brewery
and they allowed him to manage the pub and take over the licence.
Alec eventually found Bet two months later in a café in
Torremolinos. Alec unexpectedly proposed to Bet to persuade her
back, and in September 1987 they were married.
September
1987 - September 1992
Alec &
Bet Gilroy
As a wedding present, Alec
gave Bet the Rovers tenancy back. The Gilroys amrriage was one
of convenience and they always had a stormy relationship. Things
came to a head in Septemeber 1992 when Alec was offered a job
as Entertainments Manager with Sunliners Cruises in Southampton.
He couldn't refuse - but Bet couldn't leave the Rovers which had
become her home, and the couple split up.
September
1992 - October 1995
Bet Gilroy
Bet stayed on, and her name went
back up over the entrance, managing the pub until she was hit
by a bombshell in October 1995. Newton & Ridley was selling
six of its pubs - including the Rovers Return. There was no way
she was able to raise the £68,000 asking price - not even
when the brewery offered her a £2,000 reduction. She turned
to her old friend, newsagent Rita Sullivan for help, but realising
Bet was obviously not a skilled businesswoman she declined. She
was devasted at loosing her home and disappeared, never to have
been heard from since.
October
1995 - June 1997
Vera &
Jack Duckworth
There was now a race to purchase
the Rovers between the McDonalds and the Duckworths, but with
the sale of No9 assured the Duckworths became the first owners
of the Rovers Return in its new life as a Free House. As Jack
had been found guilty of drunk-driving, Vera applied for and was
granted the licence. After some chaotic scenes on the first days,
they got their house in order, but they had no retail or business
experience, and by June 1997 they found themselves in trouble,
receiving a bill for £17,650 unpaid VAT. Again, the owners
of the Rovers turned to Rita Sullivan for help after the bank
refused a loan, but Rita again declined, and eventually it was
former Rovers licencee Alec Gilroy who stepped into the breech,
finally agreeing to buy 50% of the business for £25,000,
although Vera wasn't party to the deal until it had been signed.
June
1997 - December 1998
Vera &
Jack Duckworth
and Alec Gilroy
Predictably there was trouble
between the new business partners, especially between Jack and
his one-time boss Alec. By September 1988, things had become intolerable
for Alec and he asked to dissolve the partnership. Canny Alec
knew full well the Duckworths couldn't afford to buy him out,
and so reluctantly they accepted his offer of £30,000 for
their portion of the partnership. Alec allowed them to carry on
living in the Rovers and still work behind the bar, but he quickly
ensured they knew who was boss, and looked for a way to evict
them. However, Alec had become disillusioned with life in Weatherfield,
and after a huge row with his best friend and recent fiancee Rita
Sullivan, he decided it was time to move on and joined his granddaughter
Vicky McDonald running a wine bar in Brighton.
December
1998 - December 2000
Natalie Barnes
The sale of the Rovers was hastily
arranged with the recently widowed Natalie Barnes over the Christmas
holidays, and just before New Year anothr Rovers barmaid became
landlady of the Rovers. Natalie quickly made her mark on the Rovers,
evicting the Duckworths and giving the living quarters a well-needed
redecoration. After some 'negotiation', the Duckworths were retained
as Rovers staff - Jack as cellerman and Vera as cleaner !
December
2000 - March 2001
Mike Baldwin,
Fred Elliott &
Duggie Ferguson
Natalie Barnes arrived at the
Rovers in haste, and left in the same fashion. Finding herself
pregnant and unknowingly abandoned by Vinnie Sorrell, Natalie
decided to move from Weatherfield - and as quickly as possible.
Following advice from a consultant she decided to sell out to
the Boozy Newt chain of pubs. The Street had just fought to defend
the cobbles, and outraged at this latest threat to their heritage,
locals Mike Baldwin, Fred Elliott & Duggie Ferguson stepped
in and bought the Rovers for £75,000.
March
2001 - December 2001
Duggie Ferguson
Rapidly tiring of having to run
the Rovers single-handedly, Duggie, the only one of the three
partners with any pub experience (he was brought up in a pub),
decided enough was enough and looked to sell his share of the
Rovers. Fearing that pub property prices were dropping, the other
two partners also decided to sell, and Duggie set up a deal with
Hamilton Griffiths Holdings. They cut their losses and sold for
£18,000 each (apparently loosing £2,000 each on the
deal...). It was only then that Duggie revealed he was the main
investor in Hamilton Griffiths, and he was now sole owner of the
Rovers. He moved in the same month.
December
2001 - May 2002
Eve Elliott
In December 2001 the Weatherfield
Rugby League Club social club came up for sale and Duggie saw
a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To raise the cash he decided
to auction the Rovers - attracting intense interest and rivalry
from barmaids Geena Gregory and Shelley Unwin and their boyfriends.
The rivalry continued through the bidding, only to be topped by
a casual late bid of £76,000 from Fred Elliott as the Elliott's
had decided to move and it was"what Eve wanted". Eve
took over for New Year's Eve and the next week the Elliotts moved
in and Eve became licencee - though through a mix-up betty Williams'
name went up briefly over the door! Duggie was gazumped for the
Rugby Club at the last minute by fellow ex-professional Marty
Flynn. Eve's licence came through in early January and husband
Fred secretly arranged for her name to be written over the Rovers
- and by some mistake Betty Williams got her name over the door
instead, albeit for only a few hours.
May
2002 - Oct. 2006
Fred Elliott
When Eve's 'former' husband Ray
Sykes appeared surreptitiously (with news of their daughter Linda)
Fred noticed Eve's strange behavior and suspected she was having
an affair. He challenged Ray, who told him about Linda, but also
admitted they have never divorced. Eve blustered her way through
and tried to evict Fred from the Rovers - reasoning that Fred
had given the Rovers to her and it was her name over the door.
Fred was prepared to admit defeat until Mike Baldwin took legal
advice and pointed out that she wasn't Eve Elliott, but still
SYKES and consequently all the paperwork was invalid. Eve left
with nothing and Fred took over as Landlord, getting a temporary
licence within a couple of days and his name over the door early
next month.
Oct 2006
-
Steve McDonald
Fred made plans to sell up before his wedding to Bev Unwin,
planning to retire to the country. Steve first encouraged his mother, Liz to buy the pub
but realized she couldn't raise the cash. He had assets however and managed to
get a mortgage to buy the pub. Fred died on his wedding day but eventually Ashley sorted
out the estate and allowed the sale to go through. Steve moved into the pub
with Liz whose name is over the door because Steve has a criminal record and can't
be the licensee because of it. Liz has moved her fiance, the feckless Vernon, in
but whether he'll last remains to be seen.
Concepta Riley
(later Hewitt)
1959 - May 1962
Concepta was the first Rovers barmaid
we saw and pulled the first pint in December 1960. She stopped working in the
Rovers in October 1961 after she married Harry
Hewitt, though she later returned
part-time when the Hewitts found finances tight. She finally left the Rovers
when she was pregnant with her son Christopher.
Nona
Willis
September - October 1961
Londoner Nona upset the Sung regulars
on her first night, admitting she had been an exotic dancer. Ena Sharples didn't
approve and wouldn't rest until Nona was dismissed two weeks later.
Doreen Lostock
October 1961 - November 1961
Doreen was Concepta's replacement, who left Gamma Garments for an extra
£1 a week wages, but only lasted a month behind the bar.
Irma
Ogden
June - October 1964
Irma was romanced by the Walkers' son
Billy.
Lucille
Hewitt
1964 - 1974
Lucille moved into the Rovers in 1964
aged 15 as Annie's ward when her father and step-mother left to live in Ireland,
and she lived at the Rovers on and off until she moved to Ireland herself in
1974. When she was old enough, Lucille sometimes helped out behind the bar.
Hilda
Ogden
1967 JEAN ALEXANDER
Emily
Nugent
April 1968 - April 1970 EILEEN DERBYSHIRE
Betty
Turpin (later Williams)
June 1969 - present BETTY DRIVER
Bet
Lynch
May 1970 - January 1985 JULIE GOODYEAR
Blanche
Hunt
1974 MAGGIE JONES
Gail
Potter
November 1976 HELEN WORTH
Dawn
Perks
September 1977 JEANNETTE WILD
Arlene Jones 1980 GERALDINE MOFFATT
Diane Hawkins 1981 LOTTIE WARD
Carole Fairbanks 1981 GRETA SCHMIDT
Suzie
Birchall
February - March 1983 CHERYL MURRAY
Free Gee gives into Suzie's feminine charms and appoints Suzie as relief barmaid
whilst Bet works in the Corner Shop covering for an injured Alf Roberts. Suzie
spends most of her time flirting with both staff and customers - and causing
trouble.
Kathy
Goodwin
April 1984 LORI WELLS KEEFE
Gloria
Todd
January - February 1985 ; September 1985 - November 1988 SUE JENKINS
Noreen
Barnett
January 1985 MAUREEN MORRIS
Sally
Seddon
August - September 1986 SALLY WHITTAKER
Alison
Dougherty
August 1986 ELIZABETH RITSON
Margot
Richardson
July - August 1987 VICKY OGDEN
Vera
Duckworth
1988 ELIZABETH DAWN
Sandra Stubbs
1988 SALLY WATTS
Tina
Fowler
March 1989 - September 1990 MICHELLE HOLMES
Meagan Morgan 1990 SUE RODERICK
Liz
McDonald
December 1990 - Dec 1991; June 92 - May 1993; Dec 94 - Feb 95; 1996; March - Sept 2004 BEVERLEY
CALLARD
Angie
Freeman
1991 DEBORAH McANDREW
Raquel
Wolstenhulme (later Watts)
Janauary 1992 - June 1996 SARAH LANCASHIRE
Tanya
Pooley
June 1993 - September 1994 EVA POPE
Jenny
Bradley
September - October 1993 SALLY ANNE MATTHEWS
Vicky
Arden
1995 CHLOE NEWSOME
Tricia
Armstrong
1995; December 1996 - May 1997 TRACY BRABIN
Carol
Starkey
November 1995 KATHRYN APANOWITZ
Lorraine
Ramsden
December 1995 VICKI STEPHENS
Judy
Mallett
May 1996 - September 1997; March - September 1999 GAYNOR FAYE
Samantha
Failsworth
July 1996 - June 1998 TINA HOBLEY
Natalie
Horrocks
August - November 1997 DENISE WELCH
Lorraine
Brownlow
July 1998 - March 1999 HOLLY NEWMAN
Vicky
McDonald
1998 CHLOE NEWSOME just helped out when she was up from Brighton to see Alec
Spider
Nugent
1999
Martin
Platt
1999
Leanne
Tilsley (later Battersby)
1999 - August 2000
Leanne became a barmaid when, unknown
to landlady Natalie Barnes, she was still only 17. After breaking up with her
husband Nick Tilsley, Natalie offered her both a home and a job. The two became
firm friends, despite Leanne being forced by Jez Quigley to organise a raid
on the Rovers in the early hours of 2000. After Jez was found innocent of killing
Tony Horrocks, he persued Leanne, and fearing for her life she joined Mark Redman
to travel the world.
Amy
Goskirke
January - February 2000
Geena
Gregory
February 2000 - October 2002
Toyah
Battersby
August 2000 - April 2001
Edna
Miller
May 2001
Morose Rovers cleaner Edna rose to the
challenge of staff shortages by offering her services behind the bar - after
all, she had worked behind the bar of the Turk's Head. A shocked Duggie reluctantly
agreed, and was gobsmacked when a vision clad in purple arrived through the
door. However, for Edna "to do chirpy" meant imbibing copious amounts
of alcohol, and by the end of her first evening she pleaded with Duggie to let
her go and return to being a harbinger of doom.
Shelley
Unwin
May 2001 -
Shelley came to the rescue when staff
was short behind the bar. She had worked behind the bar with Duggie when he
was playing for Weatherfield Rugby League Club - though it's unclear just how
close they got...
After a disasterous episode with manager Lillian
Spencer, Fred Elliott appointed Shelley Bar Manager in July 2002.
Evelyn
Sykes
August - December 2001
Eve lost her job as barmaid at the Turk's
Head some weeks before, and unable to get another job became depressed. Her
boyfriend Fred Elliott decided to give her back some self-respect by secretly
paying her wages at the Rovers. It didn't take landlord Duggie Ferguson long
to exploit the situation, giving her more shifts, especially at the expensive
times - weekends and Bank Holidays. It also didn't take long for Fred's secret
to get out, and Eve's daughter Linda Baldwin spilled the beans... However it
was a happy ending - a furious Eve agreed at marry Fred, and delighted at her
work, Duggie agreed to take her on as a fully-paid barmaid.
Tracy Barlow 2003 (KATE FORD)(1 or 2 days)
Maria Sutherland (SAMIA GHADIE) 2002 - 2003
Lillian Spencer (2002, Relief manager, see below)
Bev Unwin 2003 - 2004, 2005 - 2006
Ciaran McCarthy 2003 - 2004
Violet Wilson 2004 - 2008
Sean Tully 2006 -
Liz McDonald 2006 -
Michelle Connor 2006 -
Becky Granger 2008 -
Poppy 2008 -
Ivan Cheveski March - December 1961
Sam Leach August - September 1962
Jacko Ford July - August 1972
Terry Bradshaw January 1976
Fred Gee March 1976 - August 1984
Wilf Starkey February - August 1985
Frank Mills August 1985 - January 1986
Jack Duckworth September - November 1985
Jack Duckworth January 1986 - 1999
Charlie Bracewell 1989
Andy McDonald
Bill Webster
Vinny Sorrell 1999 - 2000
Peter Baldwin March 2001 - May 2001
Jack Duckworth November 2001 - July 2002
Timothy Spencer July 2002
Harry Flagg October 2002 - 2003
Ciaran McCarthy July 2003 - 2004
Sean Tully 2006 -
Vernon Tomlin 2007-2008
Vince Plummer August 1961
Brenda Riley March - April 1966
Billy Walker January 1972 - May 1973
Glyn Thomas June - July 1973
Gordon Lewis March 1981
Fred Gee February 1984
Frank Harvey April - May 1984
Frank Harvey January - February 1985
Gordon Lewis May 1984
Gordon Lewis December 1984 - January 1985
Frank Harvey January - February 1985
Liz McDonald April 1993
Rodney Bostock
Jim McDonald January 2000
Liz McDonald December 2000 - January 2001
Linda Baldwin January 2001
Lillian Spencer
July 2002
Martha Longhurst March 1963 - May 1964
Hilda Ogden 1964 - December 1987
Clara Midgeley March 1966
Amy Burton December 1987 - March 1988
Sandra Stubbs April - November 1988
Joyce Smedley March 1996 - February 1997
Tricia Armstrong
Vera Duckworth January 1999 - 2000
Edna Miller July 2000 - September 2001
Harry Flagg September
2002 -2004
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