Vera Hopkins Vera Hopkins was the mother of Tricia Hopkins and manager of the Corner Shop from 1974 to early 1975 . Vera , her husband Idris and mother - in - law Megan left Coronation Street suddenly after Granny Hopkins tried to blackmail the shop ' s owner Gordon Clegg over his illegitimacy . Biography . Vera married foundry worker Idris Hopkins and had a daughter , Tricia , in 1957 . The Hopkins were a close - knit family , with Vera and Idris keeping a close eye on Tricia and Idris ' s mother Megan , known to the family as " Gran " , keeping an even closer eye on them , so much so that some years before their arrival in Coronation Street , Vera had a nervous breakdown caused by the unreasonable behaviour of her mother - in - law . In September 1973 , Vera found out that Tricia and her friend Lindsay Mather had been drinking underage at the Rovers Return , and marched Tricia over to the establishment in her school uniform to row with Annie Walker for serving her . Annie gave Vera a dressing down for not knowing what her daughter got up to , and barred the Hopkins from the pub . In February 1974 , when a private housing company based in London submitted plans to the council to redevelop a chunk of Weatherfield , including the area where the Hopkins lived and Gran ran a small chip shop , the family faced losing their home . Protesters in Coronation Street formed an action group and a public meeting was held at the Community Centre , which councillor Alf Roberts attended under pressure . Residents of neighbouring streets were invited along and Vera was among those present . Initially silent but becoming increasingly boisterous as the meeting wore on , Vera suggested a petition of no confidence in their local councillor Len Fairclough . Her idea was taken up and the petition reached 100 names in one hour . Ultimately , the redevelopment plan was thrown out by the committee with Len voting against it . Just five weeks later , Vera was part of a committee panel interviewing for a new caretaker at the Centre , along with Alf , Emily and Ernest Bishop , and Mr Rogers . Vera and Mr Rogers was impressed by Hilda and Stan Ogden but , knowing they would be terrible caretakers , Alf and the Bishops swayed them towards Gertie Robson , who got the job . The Hopkins returned to the Street in July to buy the Corner Shop with the intention that Vera and Granny would run it . Neither was impressed with the shop , labelling it poky , but they went after it anyway as Gran hoped that with the owner Maggie Cooke moving to Zaire and leaving it in the hands of her son Gordon , who was based in London , they would want the shop sold quickly and the Hopkins could get it at a knockdown price . However , Gordon held them to £4 , 000 and with Gran refusing to go above £2 , 000 , Vera came up with the solution of having the Hopkins rent the shop for £12 a week with the money coming off the purchase price of £3 , 500 , with £450 for the stock . Gordon agreed and the family then moved into the shop ' s accommodation . Vera and Gran fought for superiority at the shop and after three weeks Vera packed it in to look after her sick mother on the other side of Weatherfield . In September , her mother passed away and Vera returned to the shop . With her inheritance money , Vera put £1 , 000 towards the purchase of the shop , making her the boss over Gran . However , the arguments continued as Gran carried on as though the shop were hers . In November , the Hopkins decided to replace Maggie ' s old furniture with Vera ' s mother ' s as Vera was paying £3 a week for storage . While emptying the Cleggs ' sideboard , Granny found Gordon ' s birth certificate stuck to the back of a drawer . The birth certificate disclosed the fact that Gordon ' s mother wasn ' t Maggie Clegg but her sister Betty Turpin - a fact known only to Betty and Maggie . Vera and Idris assured Betty that her secret was safe with them , but Vera knew that Granny couldn ' t be trusted , especially with Gordon and Maggie visiting for Christmas . When Gran tried to drive down the price of the stock , Vera and Idris out - voted her to accept Maggie ' s offer , much to her anger . Granny waited for an opportunity to use her knowledge to her advantage and in February she wrote to Gordon telling him the truth to spite Betty after she demanded a refund on an off - tin of mincemeat . The Hopkins were shocked when Gordon turned up at the shop brandishing the letter and told them that he ' d known for a while that he was Betty ' s son . When Granny threatened to tell the whole street , Gordon decided not to sign the final contract for the shop , despite pleas from Vera and Idris . The argument left Vera and Idris feeling too ashamed to remain in Coronation Street and the family left in a van that night . They settled in Vera ' s mother ' s house in Firbank Road on the other side of Weatherfield . Personality . Vera was a kindly woman and was generally liked in Coronation Street . Though outspoken herself , in the shadow of Granny Hopkins she appeared reasonable and empathetic . She never shied away from putting Gran in her place although she usually required Idris ' s support for her opposition to have any effect on her . Background information . Vera Hopkins was a recurring role for Kathy Staff beginning with Episode 1325 in September 1973 . Staff had previously appeared in " Coronation Street " as a customer in Frank Barlow ' s DIY shop in 1963 , Mrs Thacker in 1968 and Mrs Helliwell in 1971 . In her first appearance , Vera appeared alongside her daughter Tricia Hopkins , played by Kathy Jones . Vera appeared sans Tricia in three more episodes in the first half of 1974 . When actress Irene Sutcliffe left the programme , writers decided to break with tradition and put a family in the Corner Shop . Vera and Tricia were brought back full - time , accompanied by Vera ' s husband Idris and his domineering mother Megan , known to the family as " Granny " . As Violet Carson had recently left the programme due to ill health , Staff hoped that Vera would become Coronation Street ' s resident harridan however Granny Hopkins filled that role instead . Staff : " Unfortunately , it was Jessie Evans that they got in to play my mother - in - law . And I was in between her and the rest of the people in the Street trying to keep the peace , because she did some rather nasty things . " " ( The Coronation Street Story , Boxtree Ltd , 1995 ) " At the time she signed for " Coronation Street " full - time , Kathy Staff was due to record the new series of the BBC sitcom " Last of the Summer Wine " , in which she played the role of Nora Batty . Vera was written out for two months between July and September to cover her absence . The Hopkins proved unpopular with viewers and , aside from Tricia , they left the programme in February 1975 . Staff : " I think it was because they were Welsh and grandma was always making trouble . It was certainly something different , having people in it who weren ' t Lancashire . Unfortunately it did not work out . " " ( The Coronation Street Story ) " Due to the Hopkins ' brief tenure and Kathy Staff ' s two - month break , Vera has among the fewest appearances of any " Coronation Street " regular , surpassed only by Sue Clayton in 1985 . Quotes . " I ' ll give you ' mum ' . " ( First line , to Tricia Hopkins ) " Don ’ t bother me love , it ' s been a bad day . " ( Last line , also to Tricia )