Bev Callard's No Show

[RitaLittlewood]

From the Sun:

Fears as Bev fails to show at Corrie

By GUY PATRICK

Published: Today

FRIENDS fear for Coronation Street star Bev Callard after she dramatically took time off.

Sources close to the normally bubbly actress said they were worried after discovering she has not been at the TV studios for over a week.

One said last night: “We have no idea when she’ll be back. She is talking to very few people at the moment and we’re obviously desperate to know she is OK.”

Bev, 51, who plays Rovers landlady Liz McDonald, suffered severe money troubles after her dream of running a real-life pub turned into a nightmare.

She and her partner Jon McEwan poured hundreds of thousands into the venture but still ended up having to close after facing the threat of bankruptcy.

Stress

The couple worked long hours to make the pub a success — yet Liz was still having to get up at 5am to be on Corrie’s set by 7am.

The source added: “It has taken its toll. We knew she had terrible financial problems, which must have been a stress.

“It is awful to see her like this because she is such a bubbly, warm woman. But I am sure she will be OK because she is a fighter.”

Bev told two months ago how she was left devastated after The Gallery in Hale Barns, Cheshire, collapsed.

The final straw came when a brewery representative turned up with a demand for £59,000 in unpaid rent.

Bev was forced to lay off former on-screen son Nick Cochrane — Andy — who she hired to run the restaurant.

She and Jon had put £200,000 into the pub and spent £50,000 on renovations plus tens of thousands more to keep it afloat.

Bev said recently: “The pub was a black hole which took all our cash and all our time. We couldn’t cope any more.”

[sootycat]

I feel sorry for her, but this sort of thing is happening to a large number of the population.
At least she has a well paid job !!
and when you do, you don't suddenly decide to take time off.

It puts it more into perspective when you read about Bill Roache returning to work

[RitaLittlewood]

Agreed. Whereas your son-in-law has an uncertain future. I'm sick of rich people being all 'Woe is me' when there's people far worse off.

Patsy

[sallywebster]

I agree. Some people dont know when they are well off.

I was issued with an "at risk of redundancy" notice 4 weeks ago, my contract was at an end on 31/3/09 but thanfully today I have been told that my contract has been extended. Lots of people arent so lucky. We had to go through an application and interview process tho , it was tough and extremely stressful and unpleasant for all concerned.

[RitaLittlewood]

It's like Anthea sodding Turner. Tough shit they have to sell their mansion. Ordinary people who still like her are probably struggling to feed their kids. So Bev Callard's pubs failed. Big deal. Not as if that was her entire livelihood and she's now penniless owing thousands she can't pay back. Bill Roache lost his wife. Kym Marsh lost her baby. David Cameron today lost his little boy. Bev Callard should stop wallowing is self-pity when there's people worse off.

Glad you got an extension, Jezziekins.

Patsy

[CG Wendy]

Y`know something? if the government hadn`t banned smoking in pubs, then Bev`s businesses would have been on the up and up. But what with cheap supermarket and corner shop booze and the smoking bans more and more pubs are closing everyday. The British way of live is dwindling everyday and it sickens me.
I`m so glad to hear your good news Jez...I`m sure it`s a huge weight off your shoulders.

[RitaLittlewood]

I read somewhere some country is reversing the smoking ban because of the loss of jobs.

Patsy

[sallywebster]

It is a huge relief Corrie Girl - its been hanging over a lot of us for 5 weeks now and even as far back as last summer it was a worry.

[Deborah]

Congratulations Jez!

I don't understand why Bev took on the second pub. She already had one and must have known what to expect. I know when I went into the White Horse in 2007, I wasn't overly impressed.

[RitaLittlewood]

What was it like, Deborah?

Patsy

[CG Wendy]

I remember you mentioned about that pub a few months ago De.

Has Bev Callard been seen yet?

[sallywebster]

Cheers Deb

[Alice]

I heard about this from my sister in law, who owns two pubs, and ironically is experiencing similar problems to what Bev Callard is facing. I think the main problem Wendy has uncovered is the simple fact that booze is so readily available, and cheap, from other sources beyond the pub it makes things tricky for landlords/ladys. Why would you go to the pub when you can have a few cans at home, for less money?

I don't think the smoking ban made any difference initially, personally I don't mind when people smoke round me, nor does being in the company of smokers phase me. To many who don't smoke or can't tolerate smoke, going into a pub which does not smell like an ashtray is a good thing. Also, if you smoke and go to a pub, its hard to be considerate to the non-smokers in the pub, especially when there is no smokers section. Thus I do support the public ban. Many smokers are not considerate of others who have chosen to not smoke and just light up anyway (usually saying, if they don't like it the non-smokers can leave the room), therefore those people have to be forced to be considerate. mini rant there!

Overall I believe that the problem lies with cheap options in the supermarket and corner shops, also given some places are open 24/7 you can get your hands on the sauce whenever you want pretty much. Boozing is becoming a big problem in this country, and some pubs just go under from things relating to booze, its as simple as that. However, Bev's entire livelyhood does not rely solely on the success of her pub, she has her position in corrie and the wages from that are not to be sniffed at! Its not as though she is on the verge of losing everything, so she really needs to get herself sorted.

Again see, like others mention, what about Bill! His partner has died, and he is still showing up to work. I don't think Bev has much to fuss about, while I am sorry for her and she has lost money, its not going to ruin her financially. Not even close.

[RitaLittlewood]

I've found as a smoker and non-smoker there are actually more nons tolerant of it than opposed. I've seen on cruises more nons sitting in smoky halves of public rooms than smokers. I've also seen a few nons who as soon as they found out one corner of the Mauretania restaurant on QE2 was smoking behaved like it was diseased even though no one was smoking. Where would they sit instead? Right on the edge of it. Smokers having a puff outside at sailaway still have many nons beside them who aren't friends or family.

And of course at the other end of the scale, many smokers stopped going to the pub when the ban came in and their friends stopped too. The smoking ban has hurt everywhere it was introduced before us. A few years ago Hawaii wanted it overturned because it was a much stricter ban than we have about public places due to the downturn in visitors. Supermarkets have a lot to answer for in many cases but we need to look at who was in power when this started. Some Labour bloke on the Daily Politics said when he started drinking in the late 70s, the difference between shop and pub booze was a few pennies. Now this government has a 9% tax on pub beer while you can get cider in the supermarket for less than a bottle of water. So who's also to blame?

Patsy

[Alice]

It always comes down to politicians and what they want they tend to get, often at the expense of the ordinary people.

Sian said that initially when the smoking ban came in that her income from the two pubs she owns, dipped but began to gradually climb up again over the coming months and returned to their usual averages again. I think a lot of people did stop going to the pub when the ban was implemented but they decided to start going to the pub again. One of the fundamental problems any pub owner faces is the alternative supply of cheap booze which is up for grabs, most supermarkets and even some ordinary small shops are open 24/7 now so its just a case of walking in and getting served.

I often think that in places where you eat the smoking ban is appropriate. I've always had the mind as far as pubs go, if its possible for the owners to have a seperate room for the smokers sealed off from the non-smokers, then let the smokers smoke indoors as in a case like that then both sides are happy. Though if its not possible to separate then ban. Similar case for nightclubs, if possible to keep them apart, then do it. Some places do just defy the ban anyway and don't get reported, my eldest daughter before she stopped this new year, found a cafe in town and the waitress there told her she could smoke inside if she wanted, needless to say Penny jumped at the chance.

Damn, after writing all that, I sort of fancy a cigarette myself now! ;D

Though returning to the main point, as I said before Bev needs to be thankful she has her job in corrrie and is not just reliant on her pub to generate income like some are.

[Nick]

I am and always have been a non smoker..but i don't mind people smoking in pubs etc... instead of spending all them oney on making laws,red tape etc about banning smoking why not spend it on a nationwide revamp of pubs,clubs and restaurants air conditioning making it tip top so it wouldnt matter if people smoked

[RitaLittlewood]

I live near a refinery and the pollution from there is far worse than cigarette smoke yet they anti nuts are more than happy to breathe that and countless other things in. They're hypocrites as are the government, taxing smokers to high heaven then treating them like lepers while forcing them to give up.

I'm with you both about separate rooms and ventilation. That's what they wanted and the government wouldn't budge. How many bar staff smoke? How many bar staff who don't give a toss? Well if they did they wouldn't be there.

Indeed she does, Alice. Bloody prima donna! She's only a 5th rate soap 'star' after all.

Patsy

[Alice]

Yes they tax the smoker to the hilt and "encourage" them to give up, though if lots of people stopped smoking then the government has to find that tax shortfall elsewhere. They make too much off smokers to simply just let that income go.

[RitaLittlewood]

Meanwhile alcoholism is on the increase, especially among kids and what are they doing? Bugger all.

Patsy

[CG Wendy]

It`s a double edged sword innit Pats.
Cheap booze attracts some teens like a moth to a flame. They then hang around parks in gangs as they`re too young to go to a pub. The booze give them courage to inflict a little GBH to some poor person whose only crime is to be sober and walk past them while they`re drunk and/or bored. The papers used to be full of stories like these, but they`re all too commmon now that they don`t even get reported.
Jack Tweed is a perfect example

[RitaLittlewood]

When we were young we had controlled drinking. I was often given a small glass of sherry (ick) at Christmas but that was all. Now so many parents don't give a toss.

Patsy

[CG Wendy]

Your parents and mine came from the same good stock Pats. When I was about 14 my Aunty gave me a Snowball at a family party which was mostly lemonade, but I can remember feeling so sophisticated

[CG Wendy]

I often think that in places where you eat the smoking ban is appropriate. I've always had the mind as far as pubs go, if its possible for the owners to have a seperate room for the smokers sealed off from the non-smokers, then let the smokers smoke indoors as in a case like that then both sides are happy.

I agree with you Alice. My local pub in South Wales got a seperate building for smokers. I would have preferred to have the bar to smke in and the lounge smoke free though. The wooden building is more upscale compared the Rovers shanty shelter though lol


In that pic the lounge is on the left and the bar on the right hand side.
My Dad was the first person served in the Oakfield pub the day it opened in the early 60`s. He pushed in line even before the mayor (who opened the pub) got a drink. In fact my Dad had the Mayors pint lol
;D

[RitaLittlewood]

Definitely. There's a photo of me and my friend Julia each with a glass of sherry. I must have been 9 or 10 and she was a year younger. People will always be alcoholics like my late uncle but because it was more controlled back then there wasn't the problem there is now. This government has upped underage boozing and pregnacies! Wouldn't be surprised if the two go hand in hand in many cases.

Patsy

[CG Wendy]

It saddens me to say so Pats. But if that pic of you and your friend at 10 y/o with a glass of sherry was shown today, both your parents would be hauled off to Family Services and charged with child abuse. The same thing would happen here too.
Its a sad twisted world we live in today