Rovers Return Inn Billy first appears in Coronation Street in January 1961, but takes over The Rovers Return in 1984 after his mother Annie retires and signs the pub over to him. It doesn't last long, though, and he leaves for good in 1984, after a series of run-ins with police due to the lock-ins held after hours. Arguably the most famous barmaid on "Coronation Street", Bet Lynch was in charge of The Rovers Return for a little over 10 years. In late 1984, the brewery, Newton & Ridley, unhappy with the way the pub was being run into the ground by Billy,
Hadley Brewery purchased the brewery in 1887, and was successful enough to rebuild the whole in 1911, creating the structure that existed into living memory. Shortly before James Harris died the works became a private limited company (Harris Browne Ltd). During the 1930s the brewery owned the Star Tavern (High Barnet), the Victoria (Highgate), and the Bridge House (Potters Bar). Brookman’s Park Hotel was planned in 1936 but was not built until after the takeover of the brewery by Fremlin's. The brewery was supplied by its own artesian well, and by 1937 they were brewing approximately 1500 barrels of beer at a