List of Coronation Street characters (2009)
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street in 2009, by order of first appearance.
Martha Fraser
Martha Fraser is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. She is portrayed by Stephanie Beacham. Her first appearance was 26 January 2009. Beacham described her character as living a very solitary and lonely life. A set was built specially for Beacham's scenes, which meant, to her regret, she didn't get to appear in the Rovers.
Ken Barlow (William Roache) is walking his dog, Eccles, near the canal when the dog chases after some ducks and falls into the freezing water. As Ken tries to get Eccles out, Martha extends a fishing net from her boat and manages to save her. Martha offers Ken and Eccles a place to warm up, and Ken gratefully accepts.
Martha and Ken bond quickly over their shared love for literature. She tells him she has been living on a boat for seven years, ever since she split from her philandering husband. Ken confides in her about his troubled son, Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne). When Martha asks about Valerie Barlow (Anne Reid), Peter's mother, Ken tells her she is dead. Martha assumes that Ken is a widower, and Ken keeps quiet about his marriage to Deirdre. Ken visits her again several days later, and learns that she is now starring in a local production of A Streetcar Named Desire.
