Ida Barlow was a character in Coronation Street from Episode 1 (9 Dec 1960) to Ep 77 - 6 Sep 1961. She was the wife of Frank Barlow and mother of Ken Barlow and David Barlow. Ida was the first original character to depart the show and was played by actress Noel Dyson.
Biography[]
Backstory[]
Ida Leathers was born on the 16th December 1916, to George Leathers and Nancy Leathers. George was killed in action in 1916 when Nancy was pregnant with her 3rd child. Ida met postman Frank Barlow and they married on the 1st May 1938. In October 1939, Ida gave birth to her first son Ken Barlow. In 1942, Ida and Frank had another son David Barlow.
1960-1961[]
Ida Barlow was 44 in December 1960. She welcomed her son Ken's girlfriend Susan Cunningham into their house when she visited. Ken and Susan split in January 1961.
Ida never knew that sometime during August 1961, she became a grandmother after Susan Cunningham gave birth to a baby boy Lawrence Cunningham who was Ken's son.
On the 11th September 1961, Ida was run over and killed by a bus. She was just 44 years old. Ida did not return home from going to meet Beattie, and Frank and Ken got worried. The description of Ida they gave matched the description of the woman who had just been killed by a bus. Alf Roberts and the policeman had to break the news to Ken and Frank in The Rovers.
Legacy[]
Frank and Ken grieved for Ida. Ken later got on the wrong side of his neighbours in February 1962 when he wrote a scathing article slamming his working class roots. Jack Walker said how Frank had been in "trouble with his son since his missus copped it".
When Ken contemplated suicide in 1990, he looked at old photos of his family, with Ida being among them.
Background information[]
- Ida is the first regular character from the original cast to get killed off. She is also the shortest running original character, having only appeared in the series for nine months.
- In 1961, Noel Dyson quit the show as originally the show was scheduled for just a 13 episode run, but proved so popular that it was continued, so Noel quit due to not wanting to commit to the show long term, and Ida was killed off offscreen when she was run over by a bus.
- Noel Dyson went on to have a successful career post-Coronation Street, and was involved working on stage. She also continued to guest appear in television shows, especially the Coronation Street spin-off Turn out the Lights in 1967 (which was a sequel to another Corrie spin-off Pardon the Expression). Dyson also provided a photograph of herself as a child for the 1992 book Weatherfield Life which provided backstory on Weatherfield and its characters before Coronation Street's beginning in 1960.
Appendices[]
List of addresses[]
| Address | Duration |
|---|---|
| 3 Coronation Street | 30th April 1938 to 11th September 1961 |
Employment history[]
| Role | Institution | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaner | Imperial Hotel | 1960 to September 1961 |
Memorable info[]
Appearances: 9 December 1960–6 September 1961
Born: 16th December 1916
Died: 11th September 1961 (Aged 44)
Full Name: Ida Barlow (Nee Leathers)
Parents: George Leathers and Nancy Leathers
Siblings: Ethel Leathers, Vera Leathers
Spouses: Frank Barlow (1937-1961)
Children: Ken Barlow (1939), David Barlow (1942)
Grandchildren: Lawrence Cunningham, Peter Barlow, Susan Barlow, Darren Barlow, Daniel Osbourne
Adoptive Grandchildren: Tracy Barlow