ATV Icon: Violet Carson

The next star name inducted into ATV Icons Hall of Fame is Violet Carson…

In the smoky backstreets of post-war Manchester, a legend was born—not with a bang, but with the quiet strength of a woman who would become the face of a nation’s favourite street… Violet Carson. Musician. Actress. Icon.

Born September 1, 1898, in the heart of working-class England, in Ancoats, Manchester, she first made her mark not on the screen—but at the piano, her fingers dancing across the keys in silent movie houses, bringing stories to life before the age of sound.

Golden age of The Street: Margot Bryant as Minnie, Violet as Ena and Lynne Carol as Martha / Granada TV

A gifted musician from a young age, she trained as a classical pianist and began her career as a concert performer and music teacher. She also worked as a cinema pianist during the silent film era, accompanying movies with live music.

Her talent extended to singing as well—she became a well-known contralto and performed on BBC radio in the 1930s and 1940s. She was also involved in children’s programming and light entertainment during this time.

Ena in a festive mood / Granada TV

Carson became a national icon when she was cast as Ena Sharples in the groundbreaking twice a week serial Coronation Street (it didn’t become a soap until many years later, and long after Ena had hung up her hairnet), which debuted in 1960. Ena, the stern, sharp-tongued caretaker of the Mission Hall and a moral watchdog of Weatherfield, quickly became one of the show’s most recognizable characters. Her original on-screen scenes with Minnie (Margot Bryant) and Martha (Lynne Carol) as the three women sitting in the Rovers Return snug putting the world to rights became legendary, and still fondly remembered by viewers who watched in those early black and white days.

With her tightly permed hairnet, no-nonsense demeanour, and deep scowls, Ena Sharples embodied the archetypal Northern matriarch. Carson’s performance made her a household name across the UK, earning her both acclaim and a somewhat intimidating public image —stone-faced, hairnet-clad, with a glare sharp enough to stop a tram in its tracks. As the moral guardian of Coronation Street, Carson didn’t just play Ena… she embodied her. Tough, unyielding, yet unmistakably human.

Violet makes an appearance as ‘Ena’ on Sunday Night at the London Palladium. Pictured with host Norman Vaughan / ATV

Behind the scenes, Violet was a different woman—witty, kind, and fiercely private. Yet on screen, she stood as a towering figure, a symbol of a generation shaped by war, resilience, and unspoken strength. As part of the Coronation Street publicity over the years she went on tours with co-stars to other countries to promote the show, appeared on Sunday Night at the London Palladium (ATV) as Ena, and along with other cast made an appearance on The Royal Variety Performance (ATV) in a Corrie sketch.

She portrayed Ena Sharples for 20 years, from 1960 until 1980, when ill health led her to gradually step back from the show. Her final appearance aired with the character moving away, and the character of Ena Sharples was not officially written out until after Carson’s death.

By Royal appointment: Violet and stars from The Street appear on The Royal Variety Performance / ATV

Violet Carson passed away in 1983. But Ena’s footsteps still echo down the cobbles, a reminder of the quiet power of one unforgettable woman. In a homage to the serial, she was portrayed by Victoria Wood in a sketch, in her As See On TV series, she was also performed by Ronnie Barker in The Two Ronnies and in the drama, The Road To Coronation Street, on how creator Tony Warren devised the format, Violet was portrayed by Lynda Baron.

She has also been, along with several other faces, in the 1980s turned into a Corrie themed illumination in Blackpool during their annual seafront light season. Violet flicked the switch many years prior in 1961.

It was her beloved Blackpool where Violet passed away on December 26, 1983.

The hairnet became a ‘trademark’ feature of Coronation Street / Granada TV

Tributes: Victoria Wood and Ronnie Barker both performed as ‘Ena’ in homages to the character / BBC

Tough but fair: Ena Sharples was a presence in Weatherfield from 1960 to 1980 / Granada TV

Lynda Barron as Ena Sharples, bottom left, in The Road to Coronation Street / BBC Four / ITV STUDIOS