Globe columnist Peter Grant pays tribute to two Northern stars that have passed away.

Coronation Street legend Liz Dawn and Till Death Us Do Part’s Tony Booth.

Liz Dawn deserves her place in the Weatherfield Hall of Fame for her portrayal of Vera Duckworth.

And Liverpool-born Tony Booth, who played the ‘Scouse Git’ in Till Death Us Do Part from 1965 -1975, will also be remembered for his off-screen work as a political activist.

Liz, who died at the age of 77, exuded warmth and vitality.

Every time I came across her on visits to Corrie in my role as a Television Editor she was always the same larger-than-life yet humble character and with time for everyone.

She was in Coronation Street for 34 years playing the down-to-earth Vera and she had a gift for playing real life characters.

Before Corrie she had appeared in many small screen series including Z Cars.

But it was her double-act with Bill Tarmey as Jack and Vera Duckworth that made her a household name.

It was as popular as the pairing of Hida Ogden and Stan.

She left the Street in 2008 but returned for a one-off episode in 2010.

The Leeds-born actress was a generous charity worker I once asked her at a fund-raiser what she enjoyed about her job.

The list she came out with was endless but she said the cast was ‘like a family’ and her fans meant everything to her.

"They give me the words and I just say ‘em, kid,’’ she laughed.

Liz told me Vera was based on a lot of people she had known - what she called the "Northern salt of the earth." 

Her off-screen, real life catchphrase was "spread the love, kid." 

I can still recall her now playing herself down but with real self-effacing humour.

A real natural modest star.

Liz was a joy to interview and a real one-off.

Liz deserved her lifetime achievement accolade presented to her by the British Soap Awards in 2008.

Tony Booth was a stage and screen star appearing in many top soaps and the famous Confessions Of... adult films.

But it was Till Death Us Do Part in 1965 that made him famous playing Liverpudlian Mike Rawlins the ‘Randy Scouse Git’ consistently at odds with Warren Mitchell’s cockney bigot Alf Garnett’s son in law.

Tony, who married Pat Phoenix (TV’s Elsie Tanner) in 1986 a week before her death was the father of Cherie Blair and remained a staunch outspoken Labour activist often being a ‘thorn in the side of his own son- in-law – PM Tony Blair.

At the launch of his autobiography What’s Left in 2003 he told me he was proud of his time as president of Equity - the actors union and that a highlight of his career was hearing The Monkees release a song called Randy Scouse Git.

I found that he had a real sensitive side far removed from his on-screen alter ego.

He even signed a copy of his book for me after asking about my life.

He wrote the message in red ink  "you’re from Liverpool, son of a docker, keep the faith. TB... Scouser."