Yate the Entertainer. Eating places in the centre include McDonald's, Boswells and Wetherspoons. During the 1980s and into the mid-1990s, the shopping centre hosted Yate’s annual festival. On opening day a celebrity launched the festival by releasing balloons and stayed to sign autographs. Celebrities have included Carole Lee Scott, in character as Grotbags (from Rod Hull and Emu's enemy), Timmy Mallett, Keith Chegwin, Ross Kemp ("EastEnders"<nowiki>'</nowiki> Grant Mitchell), Ken Morley ("Coronation Street"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Reg Holdsworth), David Neilson ("Coronation Street"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Roy Cropper), Beverley Callard ("Coronation Street"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Liz McDonald), Bob Carolgees and Spit the Dog, and the Milky Bar Kid. The festival also brought
Annie Walker (Coronation Street) over the running of the Rovers after her death. Annie Walker (Coronation Street) Annie Walker (also Beaumont) was a long-standing fictional character in the ITV soap opera "Coronation Street". She was played by actress Doris Speed from the series' first episode in 1960 until Speed retired from the role 23 years and 1,737 episodes later in 1983. The character of Annie has been noted as "snobbish" and "snooty" due to her condescending attitude and delusions of grandeur. Despite this, Annie proved to be one of the show's most popular characters and Speed received more fan mail than any other cast