| abstract | - Edith Tatlock (née Brown) was the wife of Alfred Tatlock and mother of Valerie Barlow. She met and married Alfred in 1936, and she gave birth to Valerie, their only child, in 1942. When Valerie married Ken Barlow in August 1962, Edith was unable to attend because she was ill. She came to Coronation Street to help Ken out when Val was in hospital. When she took her twin grandchildren Peter and Susan Barlow, she ended up losing them but they were eventually found again. After Valerie's tragic death in 1971 from an electric shock and house fire, Ken took the twins to Scotland to stay with Edith and Alfred. Edith later returned to Weatherfield with Ken and decided it would be best to sell their house in Scotland so she and Alfred could stay in Coronation Street. However, Ken told Edith that he'd got a nanny/housekeeper who would help look after the twins, and feeling unwanted, Edith left to return to Glasgow. She came back a few months later and decided to take over as she didn't think that Bet Lynch should be looking after the twins as she was "too tarty". When Ken returned home drunk from a night out, Edith decided to try and get custody of the twins. Instead Ken talked it over with Edith and decided it was best that the twins went and lived with her and Alfred in Glasgow. Edith spent most of her years raising the twins, with Ken coming up to visit now and then. However, with his marriage to Janet Reid in 1973, Ken began making plans to relocate the twins back to Weatherfield and made enquiries with local schools. Edith had doubts about Janet's suitability and willingness to be a mother, but she didn't stand in Ken's way. However, at her suggestion, Ken asked Peter and Susan whether they wanted to move back to Weatherfield and was shocked when they told him they didn't. Their wishes put an end to the matter, although their decision didn't sit well with Albert Tatlock, who only believed it when Edith told him. When Peter received bad exams results in 1978 due to not putting in enough effort, Ken brought him back home so he could re-sit them under his supervision. Peter didn't want to stay in Weatherfield and phoned Edith to come and collect him, but Ken made her leave without Peter, asserting that as Peter's father he had the last word. Edith didn't return for Susan's wedding to Mike Baldwin in 1986 as she was too unwell to attend. Edith passed away sometime between 1986 and 2008. Edith was portrayed by Clare Kelly on-off from 1969 to 1978. The actress was intended to return again in 1981 but was unable to due to a heart attack before filming. After Clare's passing in 2001, the fate of the character hasn't been discussed, however in a 2008 episode, Peter Barlow mentioned her death in passing.
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