Monday 17 January 2011

Helene Palmer

Helene Palmer as Ida Clough in 1985.

I was saddened to hear of the recent death of Helene Palmer, Baldwin's factory machinist Ida Clough from 1978 to 1988, and for a brief stint in the 1990s. Ida was a great favourite of mine - she said things like "pound to a pig puddin'" and was very believable. Below, I've reposted a Back On The Street article about Ida from last year.

My sympathy to all Helene Palmer's family and friends.

From Back On The Street, 3/10/2010

Ida Clough - Unsung Heroine Of The Street

Looking through my newspaper collection this morning, I was very happy to find the above photograph of Helene Palmer - the Street's Ida Clough from 1978 to 1988 - and for several years in the mid-to-late 1990s.

Ida was one of my favourite Street characters "back in the day". She didn't follow the route of her two colleagues at Baldwin's sweat shop, Ivy Tilsley (Lynne Perrie) and Vera Duckworth (Liz Dawn) by eventually moving into the Street, which I thought was a shame, but nevertheless Ida was excellent.

And so real. I could just imagine her in the queue at my local pork butcher's, or popping into my local to meet her pals before going on to bingo.

Ida was the mother of Bernard (Jeffrey Longmore) - something of a gormless puddin' - and the beautifully cartoonish Muriel (Angela Catherall), I'm sure the Cloughs would have made their mark as Street residents.

Ida/Helene newspaper and magazine articles are few and far between, so I was especially pleased to find the one featured here, in the Sunday People, September 4, 1983.

Helene Palmer had been successfully dieting, and so the People decided to give her a glam makeover to celebrate.

"Even Mike Baldwin wouldn't recognise me now!" said Helene.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's so sad.I hadn't heard that she'd passed away,but she just came to mind as one of those memorable characters that had me thinking ''I really must look up and see what became of...''

^^ so that lead me your blog.It's a nice tribute,and lovely to see her glam side in the newspaper clipping.

I only watch Corrie on and off through the years,but she was one of my favourites.She was always very natural,and I'd have liked her to have been on screen in the '00s too.

R.I.P

Anonymous said...

Ida was great! So sorry to hear of Helene's passing. What a shame we didn't see more of her when she returned to the cobbles. She was very much in the mould of Blanche Hunt with her withering put-downs.

R.I P.

Unknown said...

I think helena was a character actress that was very special. She made acting look easy.
I wish i could say the same of the current cast.