Ena Sharples
Encyclopedia
Ena Sharples is one of the original characters
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...

 from the British soap opera Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...

, and was played by Violet Carson
Violet Carson
Violet Helen Carson OBE was an English actress, best known for playing Ena Sharples, one of the original characters in the British soap opera Coronation Street.-Early life and career:...

.

Development

Ena (Violet Carson
Violet Carson
Violet Helen Carson OBE was an English actress, best known for playing Ena Sharples, one of the original characters in the British soap opera Coronation Street.-Early life and career:...

), who appeared in the series for 20 years between 1960 and 1980, was the caretaker of the mission hall, and spent much of her time criticising the activities of the street's other inhabitants. She was one of the main characters during the 1960s, she was featured less regularly in the 1970s due to the declining health of actress Violet Carson, and was written out in 1980. Almost always wearing a double-breasted coat and hairnet
Hairnet
A hairnet, or sometimes simply a net or caul, is a small, often elasticised, fine net worn over long hair to hold it in place. It is often worn by food service workers to prevent hair from contaminating the food...

, she spent much of her free time in the series' early years with her two cronies, Martha Longhurst and Minnie Caldwell, in the snug bar of the Rovers Return Inn
Rovers Return Inn
The Rovers Return Inn is a fictional public house on the long-running British soap opera Coronation Street. The Rovers Return occupies the corner of Coronation Street and Rosamund Street. Since the first episode it has been the principal setting in the show and many of its most memorable moments...

, drinking milk stout.

When the final episode featuring Ena was screened on 2 April 1980, it attracted little media or public attention as the producers intended her to continue in the series - the character was merely leaving her house in the street and moving to care for an ill friend, Henry Foster. Unfortunately, all subsequent storylines involving Ena had to be scrapped owing to Carson's ill health.

Violet Carson died on Boxing Day 1983 at the age of 85.

Backstory

Ena Schofield was born in Weatherfield on 14 November 1899. She had a brother and a sister, Alice Schofield and Tom Schofield. In her schooling days, Ena met Martha Hartley and Minnie Carlton, establishing lifelong friendships. An attentive student with a strong Christian upbringing, Ena became devoted to her religion and developed a firm belief in the importance of rules and morals. She also quickly learned to be self-sufficient, taking on factory work when she was only 11.

1960-1970

In 1960, Ena battled the Mission's new lay preacher Leonard Swindley, who objected to her frequenting the Rovers. Ena collapsed due to the stress, but walked out of the hospital to return to her post so that Martha, who had taken on her responsibilities while she recovered, could not steal her job. In 1961 Ena was sacked for spreading a rumor that Coronation Street was being demolished, when it turned out to be untrue, but Swindley was forced to re-hire her when a suitable replacement could not be found (Ena had bribed the other candidates to turn the job down). Still unhappy with the working conditions, however, Ena walked out of the job later in the year and moved in with Minnie, with Albert Tatlock briefly taking on the caretaker position. She was eventually offered her job back.

Ena had a health scare in 1962 when she suffered a minor stroke, brought on by hypostatic pneumonia. She quickly regained her speech and mobility but the following year was diagnosed with arterioschlerosis. Despite her willingness to gossip, Ena was very guarded about her private life and resented Martha for discussing her health problems with Ena's daughter, Vera Lomax.

Later that year, Ena's great nephew Tom Schofield visited her and invited her to her brother's home in the USA for an extended stay. Ena jumped at the chance to go abroad for the first time and meet the family she never knew she had. Upon her return, Ena was horrified to see the Mission converted into a Community Centre, with social worker Ruth Winter employed there full-time. She quit upon hearing the news and moved in with Minnie at No.5. Despite being out of work, Ena was soon caught up with other problems as Vera came to stay having separated from her husband Bob Lomax. Vera had debts to pay but not the money to pay them, so Ena gave her the money, even though it was all her savings. A disoriented Ena was later caught accidentally stealing from a supermarket. In court, Ena pleaded not guilty, but refused to give her age when questioned, saying only that she was over 21. She was fined 40 shillings. To offset her money problems, Ena took on the job of live-in housekeeper at No.9 for Len Fairclough, although when the Community Centre at the Mission closed down, Ena moved back into the vestry.

Vera came to stay again later in 1966, claiming to be ill. Ena did not believe her until she spoke to Vera's doctor, who said that Vera had a brain tumour and had a month to live, but Vera had not yet been told her condition was terminal. Ena watched her daughter wind down over several weeks until she died in Ena's bed in January 1967.

The Mission was closed for good a year later, when it was demolished along with the factory to make way for a block of two-storey maisonettes. Ena was offered a place at an old folk's home but unsurprisingly she declined, choosing to lodge with old friend Henry Foster at St. Anne's after briefly living with Minnie, although when the maisonettes were built Ena moved into No.6, a purpose-built OAP ground floor flat. Ena was pleased as it occupied the exact spot where the vestry had been.

In 1969, Ena got bored with the maisonette and moved into a flat above Ernest Bishop's camera shop. With Glad Tidings gone, the closest place of worship was the Victoria Street Mission, and Ena kept close tabs on the comings and goings there. She was delighted in 1970 to meet young Tony Parsons, who shared her passion for the harmonium. Recognising his talent, Ena made him her protégé and gave him lessons, while seeing about getting him a scholarship.

1971-1980

When the maisonettes were demolished in 1971, one of the buildings which replaced them was a community centre. Despite her age, Ena was determined to secure the position of caretaker, and scared off her competitor Hetty Thorpe by warning her about the violence in the area. With no one else to take the job, Ena was selected as caretaker, and she moved into a flat adjacent to the Centre. Ena's age and ability to do the work was a constant concern to the Council. A co-caretaker, Albert Tatlock, was foisted on her, though she insisted on being called Senior Caretaker. In 1973, Ena suffered two heart attacks, but refused to move away as she wanted to die in the street. When she disappeared with the Centre keys at Christmas, preventing the children from getting any presents, Ena assumed she'd be sacked and left to stay with Henry Foster at St. Anne's, although she was allowed to keep her job.

Later in the 1970s, Ena flitted between Weatherfield and St. Anne's. Her friends gradually left her life - Martha had died in 1964, and Minnie left in 1976 to live at Whaley Bridge with their old friend Handel Gartside. In 1977, Councillor Tattersall tried to fire Ena so that his niece could take her job, but Alf Roberts fought on Ena's behalf. The Lomaxs offered to house Ena but she refused. In 1980, Ena dumped herself on Elsie, and later Albert, while the flat was being re-decorated. Grumbling about the situation, she left to stay at St. Anne's. On this occasion, she never returned to Coronation Street.

In a 1989 episode, when commenting on recent events, Deirdre Barlow stated that Ena was "probably turning in her grave" thus confirming that she had died.

Reception

In a book written about Women and soap opera, Ena was described to be "brusque and uncompromising, refusing to adjust to the changing times." Ena has also been described as "a Coronation Street prototype, a strong, bossy woman."

Actor Michael Melia
Michael Melia
Michael Melia is an established British actor best known for his work on television.Melia was born in Berkshire and attended St. Mary's College, Twickenham, the oldest Roman Catholic college in England. Before taking up acting he was a teacher. At one stage he ran a bar in Spain and thought about...

has claimed in an interview that he thought the character of Ena was "the most forbidding face on the street. A harridan in a hair-net with a surly expression that could stop a grown-man in his tracks."
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