Kathy Jones - Coronation Street's Tricia Hopkins - New Website

Kathy Jones sings, 1976.

Via Flaming Nora at the very excellent Coronation Street Blog, comes news that Kathy Jones, the Street's Tricia Hopkins in the 1970s, has started her own website.

This is a welcome development. Tricia was a favourite character of mine when I was a kid "back in the day", and I was sorry to see her departure from the show in 1976.

As well as having a family that ran the Corner Shop for a time (remember her brilliantly monstrous granny?!), Tricia was a great pal to Gail Potter (Helen Worth).

When they weren't arguing, that is!

Picture it, Weatherfield, 1976:

Tricia Hopkins (Kathy Jones) and Gail Potter (Helen Worth) are working together in the Corner Shop. Ena Sharples (Violet Carson) has just come into the shop to make a purchase, and the recently-returned Elsie Howard (Pat Phoenix) is the subject of conversation.

Tricia thinks that Gail is jealous of Elsie's glamorous appearance. Gail is outraged.

Gail: "Jealous?! What, of somebody 'er age?!!"

Tricia: "I'd like to see you when you're 'er age. You're grotty enough now!"

Gail: "Have you seen yourself lately?!"

Ena (annoyed): "Look, I don't like to break up a first class row, but would somebody give me a packet of tea?"

Tricia: "I've 'ad a sickener round 'ere just lately - no money, no job..."

Tricia left the Street in 1976 - the character was a victim of the grim unemployment situation of the time. Although she only moved to the other side of Weatherfield, back home to her parents' house, she was never seen in The Rovers again - which was a shame - I thought she was a very natural character, and she balanced beautifully with Gail. Whilst Tricia was down-to-earth and enjoyed a good moan about life, Gail tended to be far more dreamy, her head a bit in the clouds.

I remember Tricia fondly, and I also remember Kathy in the children's show A Handful Of Songs, which my two little sisters always enjoyed.

Good luck to Kathy with her new website.

You can see it here.