Susan Barlow
Encyclopedia
Susan Ida Barlow is a fictional character
in the British
soap opera Coronation Street
. She has been portrayed by four actresses. Wendy Jane Walker
played her from 1970 to 1971 and Suzy Patterson
from 1979 to 1981. Walker returned in 1985 until 1987 and then Joanna Foster
played the character in 2001.
. She was born on April 15, 1965 after Len Fairclough drove Val to the hospital in the back of his van. Most of Susan's early storylines were alongside her twin brother Peter.
Valerie's life changed completely as all her time went towards looking after the twins. She still had to pander to Ken's ego - he didn't have to change his lifestyle after becoming a father. The Barlows had many friends in the Street, and could easily find babysitters, allowing Valerie to attend evening classes in Sociology. In November 1965, while Val was at a class, Ken was looking after the twins, but when he stepped out to the Rovers Return for a few minutes, a piece of coal fell from the fire, filling the house with smoke. Val returned home before Ken had put the fire out, but was outraged that he had left the babies alone while he went out to buy cigarettes. Val told Ken she would leave him if he ever smoked again.
In 1966, Ken had a fling with reporter Jackie Marsh. Val briefly left him and returned to Glasgow with the twins, but returned when he phoned her and convinced her to return, intending to be a more devoted husband and father from then on.
In 1968, the Mission of Glad Tidings and Elliston's Raincoat Factory across the Street were torn down to make way for a block of maisonettes. As they were being demolished, Ken and Val realised the twins were missing. They were found in the factory just before the wrecking ball hit.
In late 1969, Susan's maternal grandmother Edith stayed with the Barlows. When Edith took the twins out to the fair, she lost them, but they were found by an elderly woman who had taken them in and not contacted the family.
In 1979, Susan returned to Coronation Street, where she lived with her father. She started helping out in the Kabin with Rita and Mavis. She finished school and started working at the Rovers. Stepmother Deirdre later moved in with her and Ken after they married in 1981. In late 1981, Susan went back to Scotland.
In 1985 Susan returned again now working as a market researcher. She began an affair with her father's sworn enemy Mike Baldwin and they got engaged but Ken refused to attend as he hated Mike and could not come to terms with the fact he was marrying his little girl. But after a lot of thinking and talking to Susan, Peter and Deirdre he walked Susan down the aisle on 6 May 1986. The marriage failed, because Susan's career ambitions did not fit in with Mike's plans for the future. When she got pregnant, Mike wanted her to abandon her business; Susan decided to have an abortion. Mike calling her a killer and a murdering bitch she moved to Newcastle after just a year of marriage in November 1987.
By December 2000, Peter was living with Ken and Deirdre. While arguing with Ken, Peter let slip that Susan had a son. Ken insisted Peter explain, which he did, telling Ken that Susan had lied about the abortion and gave birth to her son, Adam in May 1988. Susan had only told Peter this. Ken went to Scotland the following month to visit Susan and she made him swear not to tell Mike. Ken told Deirdre and she told her ex-lover Dev Alahan
. He told Mike who called Susan and demanded access. Susan, who was visiting her father and brother, refused. Mike threatened her with legal action. Susan tried to flee again with Adam, but on 11 February 2001, while driving on the M7
, she lost control of her car and ran off the motorway and struck a tree. Susan was killed instantly but Adam suffered only minor injuries. Susan was buried next to her mother, Valerie.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soap opera Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
. She has been portrayed by four actresses. Wendy Jane Walker
Wendy Jane Walker
Wendy Jane Walker is an actress who became well known during the 1980s for playing Susan Barlow in the ITV Soap Opera, Coronation Street....
played her from 1970 to 1971 and Suzy Patterson
Suzy Patterson
Suzy Paterson is an actress best known for playing Susan Barlow in Coronation Street from 1979 to 1981.-Early life:She was born in June 1961 and started acting lessons at the age of ten...
from 1979 to 1981. Walker returned in 1985 until 1987 and then Joanna Foster
Joanna Foster
Joanna Foster is a British actress. She is the daughter of the late actor Barry Foster and the sister of the actress Miranda Foster.She was the third actress to portray the role of Susan Barlow in Coronation Street, after Wendy Jane Walker and Suzy Patterson. She played the character for five...
played the character in 2001.
1965-1968
Susan was the daughter of Ken and Valerie Barlow and twin sister of Peter BarlowPeter Barlow (Coronation Street)
Peter Francis Barlow is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera Coronation Street. The character first appeared onscreen during the episode aired on 15 April 1965...
. She was born on April 15, 1965 after Len Fairclough drove Val to the hospital in the back of his van. Most of Susan's early storylines were alongside her twin brother Peter.
Valerie's life changed completely as all her time went towards looking after the twins. She still had to pander to Ken's ego - he didn't have to change his lifestyle after becoming a father. The Barlows had many friends in the Street, and could easily find babysitters, allowing Valerie to attend evening classes in Sociology. In November 1965, while Val was at a class, Ken was looking after the twins, but when he stepped out to the Rovers Return for a few minutes, a piece of coal fell from the fire, filling the house with smoke. Val returned home before Ken had put the fire out, but was outraged that he had left the babies alone while he went out to buy cigarettes. Val told Ken she would leave him if he ever smoked again.
In 1966, Ken had a fling with reporter Jackie Marsh. Val briefly left him and returned to Glasgow with the twins, but returned when he phoned her and convinced her to return, intending to be a more devoted husband and father from then on.
In 1968, the Mission of Glad Tidings and Elliston's Raincoat Factory across the Street were torn down to make way for a block of maisonettes. As they were being demolished, Ken and Val realised the twins were missing. They were found in the factory just before the wrecking ball hit.
In late 1969, Susan's maternal grandmother Edith stayed with the Barlows. When Edith took the twins out to the fair, she lost them, but they were found by an elderly woman who had taken them in and not contacted the family.
1971–2001
In the new year of 1971, Ken was offered a teaching position in Jamaica and Val agreed to emigrate with the twins. However Val died when she was electrocuted by a faulty hairdryer. In late 1971 Peter and Susan were sent to live in Scotland with their maternal grandparents.In 1979, Susan returned to Coronation Street, where she lived with her father. She started helping out in the Kabin with Rita and Mavis. She finished school and started working at the Rovers. Stepmother Deirdre later moved in with her and Ken after they married in 1981. In late 1981, Susan went back to Scotland.
In 1985 Susan returned again now working as a market researcher. She began an affair with her father's sworn enemy Mike Baldwin and they got engaged but Ken refused to attend as he hated Mike and could not come to terms with the fact he was marrying his little girl. But after a lot of thinking and talking to Susan, Peter and Deirdre he walked Susan down the aisle on 6 May 1986. The marriage failed, because Susan's career ambitions did not fit in with Mike's plans for the future. When she got pregnant, Mike wanted her to abandon her business; Susan decided to have an abortion. Mike calling her a killer and a murdering bitch she moved to Newcastle after just a year of marriage in November 1987.
By December 2000, Peter was living with Ken and Deirdre. While arguing with Ken, Peter let slip that Susan had a son. Ken insisted Peter explain, which he did, telling Ken that Susan had lied about the abortion and gave birth to her son, Adam in May 1988. Susan had only told Peter this. Ken went to Scotland the following month to visit Susan and she made him swear not to tell Mike. Ken told Deirdre and she told her ex-lover Dev Alahan
Dev Alahan
Devendra 'Dev' Alahan is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Jimmi Harkishin, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 10 November 1999.-Character development:...
. He told Mike who called Susan and demanded access. Susan, who was visiting her father and brother, refused. Mike threatened her with legal action. Susan tried to flee again with Adam, but on 11 February 2001, while driving on the M7
M7 motorway (Republic of Ireland)
The M7 motorway is a motorway in Ireland. The motorway runs continuously from the outskirts of Naas in County Kildare to Rossbrien on the outskirts of Limerick City. The M7 forms part of the Dublin to Limerick N7 national primary road. The section of the motorway bypassing Naas, an 8 km...
, she lost control of her car and ran off the motorway and struck a tree. Susan was killed instantly but Adam suffered only minor injuries. Susan was buried next to her mother, Valerie.