Coronation Street Wiki
Register
Advertisement

Marion Yeats (née Willis) was an assistant at Maggie Dunlop's flower shop who married Eddie Yeats in 1983.

After lodging with Elsie Tanner at 11 Coronation Street for most of her time in the street, Marion married Eddie in 1983 and they moved to Bury to be close to Marion's ill mother, Winifred. They started a family there, with their daughter Dawn being born in 1984.

Biography[]

Marion Willis was born on 18th December 1950. She was the only child of Winifred Willis, who by 1983 was a widow and living in Bury. Marion lived in lodgings in Weatherfield and worked as an assistant at Maggie Dunlop's florist.

In 1982, Marion was in a serious relationship with Phil Moss, her landlady's son. She didn't see much of Phil as he was a soldier in Ireland, and this affected her view of the relationship. In January of that year, using the handle "Stardust Lil", Marion started chatting with Eddie Yeats on CB radio and they quickly arranged to meet. Marion had doubts about Eddie; while she liked him personally, she was put off as he claimed to be a businessman and lived in an expensive flat. She was relieved when he admitted he was actually a bin man and was using Mike Baldwin's flat to meet as he was worried about Marion would go off him if she knew his real profession and didn't have a home he could call his own.

When Marion realised she and Eddie could have a future together, she decided she had to move out of her lodgings. As she hadn't yet told Eddie about Phil, she claimed that she had been forced to move out because of a rent increase. Elsie Tanner took her in as a lodger at 11 Coronation Street, next door to Eddie who lived at No.13 with Stan and Hilda Ogden (although she told Elsie the real reason for moving). Shortly after moving in, Marion was stood up by Eddie on a date but it turned out to be down to Stan not passing on a message. Eddie apologised to Marion and admitted to her that he had been in prison. When Marion said she was okay with it as it was years ago, Eddie proposed and Marion accepted but asked to wait a while before marrying.

In August, Phil turned up in Coronation Street and begged Marion to return to him. Marion wasn't sure who to choose but Eddie made up her mind for her by breaking the engagement. Marion went to live with Phil but returned soon afterwards telling Eddie that he was the man for her, and so the engagement was back on.

More troubles followed in November. When Marion found out that Eddie had withdrawn £1,000 from their building society account and invested it in Elsie's boyfriend Geoff Siddall's car business without even consulting her, she was furious. It transpired that Geoff had conned Eddie and run off with the money, robbing Eddie and Marion of their savings. This was too much for Marion and she broke it off with Eddie, demanding that he leave her alone. Eddie couldn't handle the loss of the love of his life and ran away to his native Liverpool, and when she decided to forgive him, Marion went there to track him down. Her search was fruitless as Eddie had already moved on from his digs there but when he came to the rescue when a man tried it on with Marion after mistaking her for a prostitute, they were reconciled again.

Eddie marion 1983

1983: Eddie and Marion decide on their future when Winifred falls ill

In 1983, Elsie took in another lodger, Suzie Birchall, and Marion agreed to share a room with her in exchange for a drop in rent. Marion and Suzie immediately clashed; lazy Suzie never pulled her weight with the housework and let the room turn into a tip. Marion decided to move into the parlour and turn it into a love nest for her and Eddie.

Later that year, Marion fell pregnant and the couple moved the date of the wedding forward. Winifred, who so far hadn't played any part in Marion and Eddie's relationship, appeared on the scene to help with wedding preparations and tried to get the couple to marry in a church instead of a registry office. The wedding took place on Halloween at All Saints Church.

The Yeats returned from their honeymoon in Benidorm to the news that Winifred had had a stroke and needed looking after. Marion thought that as this coincided with them looking for a house, then they should move to Bury to be close to Winifred. Eddie didn't like the idea but was eventually talked round and the couple left Weatherfield in December to start their new lives. Their daughter Dawn was born in 1984.

As of 1987, when Eddie made a brief visit to Weatherfield, he and Marion were still happily married and living in Bury with their young daughter, Dawn.

Personality[]

Duckworths 1983
"If you've owt to say, spit it out before it flamin' well chokes yer"
This article or section is unfinished.
Please edit this article to fill in the missing parts and remove this message when done.

Background information[]

Marion was introduced as a long-term love interest for Eddie Yeats. She was played by Veronica Doran, who had appeared in the programme eleven years previously as Carol Benton in Episode 1085 (9th June 1971). On how to play Marion, Doran later recalled that Jean Alexander gave her advice: "Jean encouraged me to play Marion as I saw her and the writers would pick up on that, which is what I did".

When Geoffrey Hughes (Eddie) quit the programme in 1983, it was decided to write Marion and Eddie out together. They last appeared in Episode 2367 (7th December 1983), although Eddie (sans Marion) made a brief return in 1987.

First and last lines[]

"Brake asking for a copy, you've got Stardust Lil here, come back." (First line, to Eddie Yeats)

---

"Better for a bit of fresh air." (Final line, also to Eddie)

Appendices[]

Duckworths 1983
"If you've owt to say, spit it out before it flamin' well chokes yer"
This article or section is unfinished.
Please edit this article to fill in the missing parts and remove this message when done.

See also[]

Advertisement