List of Coronation Street characters (1960)

Coronation Street is a British soap opera, initially produced by Granada Television. Created by writer Tony Warren, Coronation Street first broadcast on ITV on 9 December 1960. The following is a list of characters introduced by Warren upon the series' inception, by order of first appearance.

Brief synopsis

These characters included flame-haired siren and series first sex symbol Elsie Tanner (played by Patricia Phoenix), staunch up-tight battleaxe Ena Sharples (Violet Carson), typically middle class town Mayor and publican landlady Annie Walker (Doris Speed), grumpy war veteran Albert Tatlock (Jack Howarth) and university graduate Ken Barlow (William Roache) - all of whom would go on to star in the series for twenty years or more. Also in the original line-up was loveable rogue Dennis Tanner (Philip Lowrie), who is significant for his 43-year gap between appearances. As of July 1, 2015, William Roache is the only original character from 1960 remaining in the cast.

Martha

Martha of Bethany (Aramaic: מַרְתָּא Martâ) is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She was witness to Jesus' resurrection of her brother, Lazarus.

Etymology of the name

The name Martha is a Latin transliteration of the Koine Greek Μάρθα, itself a translation of the Aramaic מַרְתָּא Martâ, "The mistress" or "the lady", from מרה "mistress", feminine of מר "master". The Aramaic form occurs in a Nabatean inscription found at Puteoli, and now in the Naples Museum; it is dated AD. 5 (Corpus Inscr. Semit., 158); also in a Palmyrene inscription, where the Greek translation has the form Marthein.

Biblical references

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus visits the home of two sisters named Mary and Martha. The two sisters are contrasted: Martha was "cumbered about many things" while Jesus was their guest, while Mary had chosen "the better part", that of listening to the master's discourse. The name of their village is not recorded, nor any mention of whether Jesus was near Jerusalem:

Martha, mother of Simeon Stylites the Younger

Saint Martha (died 551) was the mother of Simeon Stylites the Younger. She is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church on July 4.

When her parents betrothed her to a young man, she seriously considered leaving home and withdrawing from the world. However, John the Baptist is said to have appeared to her and advised her to do as her parents had arranged and marry the man to whom they had betrothed her. Simeon Stylites was the child of this marriage.

She is said to have risen at midnight for prayer every night. She regularly helped those in need, visited the poor and orphans, and attended to the sick.

In the year before her death, she is said to have seen a number of angels with candles in their hands and to have learned the time of her upcoming death from them. The vision prompted her to even greater dedication to prayer and good works.

She died in 551 AD, and was buried near her son.

There have been many reports of her appearing to various people since her death, generally to heal the sick and offer instruction to people. The most noted of these was to an abbot of the monastery founded by her son. The abbot placed a votive candle on her grave with the instruction that the light never be allowed to be extinguished. Martha appeared to him saying that when the abbot burned a light on her grave, he was asking her to pray to the Lord for him.

Martha (band)

Martha are a four-piece DIY indie/punk band from Pity Me, a village in County Durham in the North East of England. After singles on their own Discount Horse label and Odd Box Records, their debut album was released on Fortuna Pop! and Salinas Records in 2014.

They describe themselves as vegan, straight edge, and anarchist. Two members of Martha also play in the band ONSIND, and another leads the band No Ditching.

Discography

Albums

Extended Plays

Singles

External Links