Doris Speed

Doris Speed was one of Britain's best-loved soap actresses, fondly remembered for her portrayal of Annie Walker, the snooty landlady of the Rovers Return pub in ITV's Coronation Street (1960). She played the role for 23 years and was dubbed by the press as 'The Queen Mother of Soap.' Born in Manchester, her father George was a singer and her mother Ada a repertory actress. She toured with both her parents as a child. She later left the stage to work as a clerk in the giant Guinness brewery in Manchester and remained with the company for several years. 'Coronation Street' creator Tony Warren became a close friend of Speed and wrote the part of Annie Walker specifically for her. She joined the series when it was first aired in 1960 and appeared in 1,746 episodes. Hugely popular with viewers she received more fan mail than any other member of the cast. Offstage she was a shy and retiring person but a keen theatre-goer. She once said "I would love to have done more theatre work because