Coronation Street 1983, and both Pat Phoenix (Elsie Tanner) and Jack Howarth (Albert Tatlock) in 1984. In 1983, antihero Len Fairclough (Peter Adamson), one of the show's central male characters since 1961, was killed off, and in 1984, Stan Ogden (Bernard Youens) died. While the press predicted the end of "Corrie", H. V. Kershaw declared that "There are no stars in "Coronation Street"." Writers drew on the show's many archetypes, with established characters stepping into the roles left by the original cast. Phyllis Pearce (Jill Summers) was hailed as the new Ena Sharples in 1982, the Duckworths moved into No.9 in 1983
Elsie Tanner still holding the hand of her husband, Bill Gregory. Elsie apparently died as she had lived - never doing anything by halves and had been lucky to have 20 happy years living the high life in the Algarve. She was 81. In May 2012, Dennis' gave his fiancee, Rita Sullivan (Barbara Knox) - who had previously been married to Len Fairclough, Elsie's close friend - Elsie's engagement ring. In Dorothy Catherine Anger's book ""Other worlds: society seen through soap opera"" she brands Elsie a "tarty woman" who has the ability to "attract men like bees to honey". In Larry Warren's