Corrie A-Z: L is for Layabouts

(This post was originally posted by Llifon on the Coronation Street Blog in July 2013.)

Over the years, there have been many layabouts on the cobbles. I believe the original layabout was Stan Ogden. Henpecked husband of Hilda, Stan was often seen snoozing, doing the pools or supping in the Rovers and didn’t contribute much to the Ogdens’ income. Yes, he did have a window cleaning round, but he found excuses to finish by lunchtime, often complaining of a bad back! As well as being bone idle around the house, he reluctantly did anything in the community. Unless it was a drinking beer contest! Stan’s partner in crime was Eddie Yeats. Although he eventually found a job as a bin man in the 80s, during the 70s Eddie was the brain behind their various schemes. But it was after Hilda telling them to go out from under her feet that they did these schemes. And every chance they got, Eddie and Stan were often found supping in the Rovers until closing time, often putting Annie Walker’s nose out of joint!

In 1983, another layabout moved into the street in the form of John Harold Duckworth. Jack was very much a second-Stan as he was a lazy layabout and was also henpecked by wife Vera. Jack avoided doing a lot of work and was always seen feeding his pigeons, having a flutter on the gee-gees and drinking beer. He entered paradise when he was hired as Rovers potman in 1986 and remained in the job until 1999. He loved to go down to the cellar to read the paper and do his betting and helping himself to Alec Gilroy’s ale. In his retirement, he loved to go down to the Rovers or the betting shop to escape Vera’s wrath.

 

In 1997, ex-con Les Battersby and his family moved into No. 5. Opinionated and outspoken, Les epitomised the 1990s layabout, although he lacked the fondness viewers had for Stan, Eddie and Jack. He, like them, enjoyed supping in the Rovers and making bets and wife Janice was disgusted when he spent their electricity money and alcohol which led their power to be cut off. Janice eventually left him and he met and married Cilla Brown. Les worked as a cab driver but whenever chance he got, he snoozed in the cab office, to Eileen Grimshaw’s chagrin.

Eddie Windass moved into the street with partner Anna and son Gary in 2011 and already had an existing family feud with their next-door neighbours the Platts. Like Les, Eddie found a job at Streetcars and was also often seen lounging in the cab office. Unlike his layabout predecessors, Eddie was a dab hand at baking cakes!

The current holder of street layabout is Karl Munro. Like Jack, Les and Eddie, Karl also worked as a cabby before he was sacked by Lloyd Mullaney. Like Jack, he also works at the Rovers as a cellar-man with partner Stella as the landlady. While other layabouts loved a little flutter in the bookies, Karl has a gambling addiction and has lost thousands in the casino. He sponged off Stella and sponged off girlfriend Sunita Alahan but works now as a potman again.

Who’s your favourite layabout?  

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