Storylines
In 1964, Emily is set to marry Leonard Swindley (Arthur Lowe), her boss at Gamma Garments, but jilts him at the altar. A very moral woman, Emily prides herself on saving herself for marriage, but her resolve is eventually weakened and she begins a relationship with a Hungarian man called Miklos Zadic (Paul Stassino) in 1968. She later confides in her friend Valerie Barlow (Anne Reid) that she has no regrets about the encounter; Emily is, by that time, 39 years old and assumes it will be now or never.
In 1969, with Miklos out of the picture, Emily falls in love with mild-mannered Ernest Bishop (Stephen Hancock) after meeting him at his mother's funeral. Their courtship is tested many times over and lasts for three years. In August 1971, they are engaged. The next year, Ernest is jailed in Majorca and subsequently freed, and it is at this time that they get married, broadcast across the UK on Easter Monday.
Despite rough patches, Emily and Ernest's marriage is relatively stable and they love each other very much. Emily miscarries in 1972 and starts menopause in 1974, dashing their chances of having a child of their own. This leads to many arguments between them, and they are forced to re-evaluate their marriage after just two years. They turn to short-term fostering to assuage Emily's need to connect with young children.
Ernest—portrayed by actor Stephen Hancock—was killed off when Hancock clashed with the management in Granada Television and the then-producer of Coronation Street, Bill Podmore. Ernest is shot and killed in a botched robbery in January 1978, which leaves Emily devastated. Just as in years past, Emily only starts to heal from heartbreak by playing with a baby, (Deirdre's (Anne Kirkbride) infant daughter Tracy (Christabel Finch)).
To occupy her time, Emily becomes manageress of a café, with Gail Potter (Helen Worth) as her assistant. In 1980, when owners Jim and Alma Sedgewick (Amanda Barrie) make drastic changes to the food and service, Emily walks out, with Alma replacing her as manageress. In many respects, Emily has never let Ernest go, but does marry again, to Arnold Swain (George Waring). He unfortunately turns out to be a bigamist. After she ends their relationship, he shows up at her home and plans a murder-suicide. Emily tells him God would not approve of what he is doing. Arnold insists that she is wrong and goes upstairs to find a Bible. While he is gone, Emily runs outside for help. Arnold is sent to an institution where he dies ten months later. When factory boss Mike Baldwin (Johnny Briggs) needs a new wages clerk, it is to Emily he turns, and so, in May 1982, Emily starts working in the same job held by her husband at the time of his death.
In 1992, Emily has a mental breakdown. She can't remember appointments, becomes confused and her appearance suffers. Lodger Percy Sugden (Bill Waddington), protects her good name, covering up for these very unusual actions. He becomes increasingly concerned about her behaviour and alerts Emily's friends and neighbours. One day, Emily disappears from home without a word. When friends and neighbours ignore Percy's call for assistance, he raises the alarm and goes to the police who find Emily wandering aimlessly, clearly having suffered a medical depressive breakdown. When Emily has recovered enough to come home from hospital, she tells Percy that he is a good friend, and thanks him for all he had done. Percy leaves No.3 in 1997 and moved into Mayfield Court—sheltered accommodation for the elderly.
In recent years, Emily has kept her moral resolve and is the Street's only churchgoer until young Sophie Webster (Brooke Vincent). She falls in love once more, in 1994, with Bernard, a vicar. He breaks off the engagement when he finds out she had suffered a mental breakdown. Due to his past, he cannot not face the possibility of it recurring. Since then, Emily has sworn off love completely, pushing herself into more topical endeavours instead. In 1998, when her nephew Spider (Martin Hancock) arrives on the scene, Emily takes him in and they become fast friends as well as partners in saving the Red Rec from Alf Roberts' (Bryan Mosley) proposed plans for a "Millennium Bowl". Emily spends a night up in a tree standing by her convictions that the Red Rec is the last green space in Weatherfield and it deserves preservation. Emily is also the aunt of Harold Bishop who now lives in Melbourne, Australia.
In January 2003, Richard Hillman (Brian Capron), husband of Gail Platt, attempts to murder Emily for monetary reasons. He breaks in while she is watching television while babysitting for Ashley (Steven Arnold) and Maxine Peacock (Tracy Shaw). Richard knocks her unconscious with a crowbar but is interrupted by Maxine's early return. He attacks her with the same weapon, killing her instantly. Emily makes a full recovery but suffers terrible guilt for surviving when Maxine didn't. In January 2004, she prevents a murder when grief-crazed Brenda Fearns (Julia Deakin) almost jumps off a forty-three foot church tower with youngster Bethany Platt (Amy & Emily Walton).
In early 2006, Emily befriends Ed Jackson (Chris Walker), a new member of the congregation at her church. He soon becomes a regular visitor to her house, doing odd jobs and the like, and they remain friends after he confesses that he has recently been released from prison. However, Emily is devastated when Ed admits why he has been in prison—he was the man who shot and killed Ernest in 1978. He tells her that, after finding God while in prison, he has come looking for her, attempting to atone for his misdemeanours. Enraged, Emily throws him out, and goes on to question her faith. Eventually, on 10 March 2006, Emily forgives Ed as he contemplates suicide.
On 22 August 2008, Norris (Malcolm Hebden) finds an envelope in Emily's drawer while looking to see what her PIN was when she has forgotten it, it reads; "to be opened after my death". Norris tells Rita Sullivan (Barbara Knox) about it and she tells Emily about the situation so Emily agrees to tell Norris. She makes him promise not to tell anyone but it turns out to be plans for her funeral. Norris discovers that this envelope isn't the one he has seen and tries hard to find out what really is in the envelope. It is revealed to be old photos of Rita from her singing days.
In November 2008, Emily encounters Jed Stone (Kenneth Cope), a former resident of Coronation Street, when she is working at the canteen at Weatherfield General Hospital. She is amazed as it has been 40 years since she had last seen him. Taking pity on him as he has no home to go to, Emily invites him to come and lodge with her and Norris at Number 3. When Jed goes missing in December of that year Emily is very worried as he has left his cap behind. When Maria Connor (Samia Smith) returns from holiday she is surprised to learn that Jed has disappeared as they both had believed Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) was a killer. After Maria accuses Tony of killing Jed both Maria and Emily are relieved when Jed turns up "unharmed" but Jed is really hiding marks on his neck from when Tony had strangled him. Emily is later upset to hear that Jed has suffered a second heart attack after he receives a visit from Tony's henchman.
In early 2009, Emily's storylines include her lodger Norris' girlfriend Mary Taylor (Patti Clare) calling around and cooking them international meals and parking her caravan outside their house, much to the annoyance of their neighbours. Later the same year, Norris's half-brother Ramsay Clegg (Andrew Sachs) arrives after their not seeing each other for 40 years. Emily tries to get Norris to forgive Ramsay before his return to Australia, and in doing so begins to fall for the man. She is very upset when he departs the Street in August 2009, and is later shocked when he dies suddenly on his flight. She condemns Norris for treating Ramsay in the cold manner that he did. Emily later forgives Norris for his treatment of Ramsay. In late 2009, Emily attends Sophie Webster's baptism and subsequently becomes quite close with the girl.
Emily discovers a letter dating back from the 1960s to Ken Barlow (who at the time lived at number 3). It turns out to be from his ex-lover Susan, it also revealed that she had a child 9 months after he left her which turns out to be Ken's estranged son Lawrence Cunningham.
In 2012, she took in Tracy Barlow and Amy Barlow as lodgers in her front parlour, after they were made homeless by Steve McDonald. However she kicks them out after Tracy deliberately ruins Ernest's pair of shoes believing them to be Norris'.
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