Coronation Street without Vera Duckworth (aka Liz Dawn) is just never going to be the same again. Vera has now been dismissed to the Street in the sky by the scriptwriters, and it’s no exaggeration to say it’s going to leave an Ena Sharples sized hole in Britain’s favourite soap

I’ve always thought Jack Duckworth should have been made an honorary member of Combat Stress.He’s had 34 years of Vera, he’s increased it from two nights to three, and sometimes twice a night. I think he’s very brave. Among Jack’s terms of endearment he calls Vera “my little swan duck”. Well a swan can break your arm with a flap of its wings and there have been some very flighty moments in 34 years of Vera.

However Vera is written out of the Street it will be a sad and poignant day for the lady who has fed her powder and shot for all those years, actress Liz Dawn. She has had a personal battle with the lung disease emphysema for some years now and decided this year, that much as she would have liked to do guest returns, it was time to go.

A tireless worker for charity herself, it has been sad for viewers to see her fall victim to an illness and play an increasingly less part in the series as her mobility became impaired.

Her screen husband, William Tarmey, will carry on as the long-suffering Jack but, eck, I bet he’ll miss “Our Vee”.

Over the years we have lost many favourites from the Street and Liz will be one of the longest standing. She first came along in 1974 as a machinist in the local factory, a role not unfamiliar to Liz who, after leaving school at 16 worked in a local tailoring factory, as a cinema usherette and a light bulb seller in Woolworths!

Born Sylvia Butterfield in Leeds in 1939 Liz began her career by singing in the clubs and memorably posed for a publicity picture with a guitar. Unfortunately when bookings came in for a guitarist she had to claim she had hurt her finger and told jokes instead because she couldn’t play the guitar!

Her break came when she auditioned for a Cadbury’s cookie commercial and she was soon inundated with offers. She appeared in a James Herriot film Who’d Be a Vet? and played the neighbour to Larry Grayson in a long-running sit com before getting a role in Colin Welland’s play Leeds United.

Her studio debut came as Bedelia Conroy in the “Crown Court” programme and soon afterwards she was offered the role of machinist Vera Duckworth in Coronation Street. It was the beginning of a piece of soap history which has seen more twists and turns than a roller coaster.

Vera and Jack would never make marriage guidance counsellors, although they could provide most of the pitfalls on the way to someone who was! Quite how they have stayed together on The Street is a mystery known only to the scriptwriters.

Vera’s early days at the factory of course saw her as a great friend of Ivy Tilsley, the late actress Lynn Perrie. They were the best of friends and relied on each other. Vera and Jack moved into number 9 Coronation Street in September 1983. They were loud, obnoxious, brought down the housing prices, in fact they had everything which endeared them to the British viewing public.

Amazingly they only separated once which was in March 1975 when Vera left Jack and their obnoxious son Terry to live with a carpet fitter in a flat over a chip shop. Life has never been glamorous for our Vera!

The affair ended and Vee then dated a succession of men including Rovers cellarman Fred Gee before going back to Jack, but both continued to have their moments.

When Jack began to take regular baths Vera became suspicious and the object of his affections turned out to be the Rovers vamp Bet Lynch!

Her son Terry was, of course, a complete toe rag and would show up like a bad penny, only when he wanted money or he was out on bail. He gave Vera and Jack a lifetime of problems. In 1992 he brought his pregnant girlfriend Lisa Horton home with him.

They married, although Terry was in handcuffs at the time! The along came the baby, Tommy, and Vera took a liking to the gentle Lisa until once again fate took a hand and Lisa was killed by a car outside the Rovers.

The delightful Terry came out of prison and was to “sell” his infant son to Lisa’s parents claiming that Vera was too old to raise a child. He was to repeat the procedure and Vera eventually threw him out of her life.

Jack once even sued Vera after he crashed the car and broke his nose when she tried to kiss him! It could only happen in Coronation Street.

When Vera finally met her father he showed her a photograph of Kind Edward VII saying it was his great-grandfather. Vera quickly deduced that she must have blue blood in her and Joss claimed he was the illegitimate son of royalty. Vera claimed she had always “felt royal”. Jack was not convinced.

The roller coaster ride saw Jack and Vera buy the Rovers, lose it again and end up back in their respective positions of cellarman and cleaner. They have been a much loved couple by soap stalwarts and time will tell how Jack will muddle through without Vera, there again he has always had to muddle through with her!

Privately Liz Dawn has been a tireless worker for charity and holds an MBE. In 2002 she became Lady Mayoress of her home city of Leeds along with the Lord Mayor, Coun Bernard Atha. She holds an honorary doctorate at Leeds Metropolitan University for her voluntary work and raised £700,000 to fund a specialist cancer unit at the city’s St James Hospital.

Vera Duckworth has been kind to Liz Dawn and Liz has repaid the kindness many times by her unstinting work for others. Leeds is proud of Liz Dawn and as Jack might say of his little swan duck: “Aye Vee, tha’s done all reet lass.”