<P> Alec has baggage of his own; a daughter, Sandra Arden (Kathy Jamieson). Sandra and her husband meet the same fate as Martin in 1991, leaving their 15 - year - old daughter Vicky (Chloe Newsome) distraught and orphaned . Vicky moves in with her grandfather at The Rovers, before leaving after a disastrous relationship with bad - boy Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson). In March 1988, Bet finds out she is pregnant, leaving her and Alec astounded . Despite the shock, they start to come around to the idea when Bet suffers a miscarriage a week later . Both she and Alec are devastated, but put on brave faces and carried on . In September 1992, Alec is offered a dream job in Southampton . Newton & Ridley agrees to buy back the licence, and Bet and Alec prepare to move . However, Bet finds herself unable to leave The Rovers as it has been her whole world for the past two decades; as a result Alec leaves alone . The brewery agrees to take Bet back on as the manageress . In October 1995, the brewery once again wants to sell The Rovers; this time they are selling not just the licence but the entire pub . If Bet wants to keep her home and her job, she needs to buy The Rovers outright . Bet knows she cannot come up with the £ 67,000 she needs by herself . First she asks her long - time friend Rita Sullivan (Barbara Knox) to lend her the money and become a business partner . Rita has the money, and is about to agree when she talks with Alf Roberts (Bryan Mosley). She quickly realises that Bet's idea of a partnership is "you buy it, I'll run it" and refuses . However Bet, having heard from Mavis Wilton (Thelma Barlow) that Rita was going to buy, is furious, leading to a blazing row between the two . Name - calling and dredged - up memories are flung between the two, and the fight ends their friendship permanently . Bet then turns to Vicky, who is by now married to Steve . She is also unwilling to invest, considering The Rovers to be a bad investment, and her offer to buy a house for Bet to rent infuriates her . Enraged, she throws Vicky out of The Rovers and, realising that she has nobody else to turn to, throws everyone out of the pub in the middle of a busy afternoon session . Sending the staff home, Bet promptly packs her bags and calls herself a taxi . After a last look at her licensee nameplate and not knowing where she is going, Bet climbs into the taxi and leaves Weatherfield . </P> <P> (Bill Tarmey and Liz Dawn) </P> <P> Newton & Ridley puts The Rovers Return up for sale . Possible owners are Jack (Bill Tarmey) and Vera Duckworth (Liz Dawn) and Jim (Charles Dawson) and Liz McDonald (Beverley Callard). Liz had previously run The Queens pub for the company in 1993 . Though they had lived through financial hardship for much of their lives, Jack came into a large inheritance gained from the deaths of his brother Cliff and sister - in - law Elsie in a car accident . Combined with the money made from selling No. 9, Jack and Vera have the cash ahead of the McDonalds and are allowed to buy The Rovers Return . As Jack has a criminal record, Vera is made the licensee . Vera, who always had elevated ideas of her own status, feels she has finally made something of her life . Her happiness is short - lived; in 1997 they discover they owe £ 17,000 in taxes and are forced to take on Alec, who has returned from Southampton, as a business partner . He allows them to continue living in The Rovers and to stay on as members of staff . When Natalie Horrocks (Denise Welch) takes over the pub a year later, she evicts the Duckworths and they go to run a friend's B&B instead . </P> <P> (Roy Barraclough) </P>

Which couple took on the rover return in 1995