| Glenda's brother in real life, Craig
McKay, played her screen brother, Mark Hughes.
He was killed off in the plane crash in 1993. |
 |
the following (in this white box)
is a profile in the book "The
Emmerdale Family Album" (by
Michael Heatly and Published by Boxtree Paperback - 30 June,
1995 ):-
Rachel Hughes
Born two years and two months before her brother in September 1971.
Rachel Hughes was undcrstandablx more mature than Mark in
her reactions to the new situation the family found themselves in.
Yet she was still hopeful that her mother and father would get back
together, especially when David left the services with this in mind.
She did, however, accept Kate's new relationship better than Mark.
but as a vegetarian found life on the farm difficult to adapt to.
At one st:age, she attempted to sabotage Jackic Merrick and Pcte Whiteley's
veal rearing, which she believed to be cruel. She even used to drink
soya milk. but now drinks cows' milk from the Emmcrdale dairy.
As a schoolgirl, Rachel was friendly with Archic. Nick and Elsa Fctdmann.
who was in her year at school. The only boy from school slw was seen
with was a film buff called Andrew - whom she almost kissed in the Emmcrdalc
hayloft during a conversation about D.H. Lawrence.
Her relationship with salesman Pete Whiteley began, almost innocently,
over the summer of 1989 and consisted of little more than illicit meals
and the odd kiss, until Rachel's eighteenth birthday party, when she
lost her virginity to him. Although meant to be the innocent, led on
by a married man, Rachel actually seemed the dominant partner as the
affair developed.
Yet it was the philandering Pete who ended the relationship when he
felt it was getting out of hand, at the village bonfire party - just
before his wife Lynn announced she was pregnant. At that time the affair
was still a secret, but first David, then Kate got to know. Lynn, who
had been suspicious, finally realized what had been happening at Dolly's
New Year party. She later had a showdown with Rachel and the Whiteleys
left the village for Birmingham soon afterwards. Rachel was not bothered,
though she was far from proud of what she'd done.
The affair threatened her 'A' levels, and Joe and Kate were warned that
her chances of reaching university were slim, but Rachel eventually
worked hard on her English, Art and History and passed with flying colours
to secure a place at nearby Leeds University, though she decided to
take a year off before going and worked on a temporary basis for Tate
Haulage.
Rachel took driving lessons from Joe and Sarah, having written off Kathy's
ancient Citro6n Dyane during her one lesson with her in May 1990. She passed her test two months later and
now has an old
Escort which takes her to Leeds and back.
When Pete Whiteley returned in September 1990, Rachel discovered
that she had matured since their last meeting: she was now in control
of
both her emotions and their relationship. Although Pete's death upset
her, she eventually rallied to her mother's cause. There has never
been any love lost between her and Lynn Whitclcy, however.
Rachcl's rivalry with brother Mark reached a head when they transferred
in early 1992 from the farmhouse (which Jack and Sarah were now to
inhabit) to the farm cottage. Her subtle decoration schemes were
countered by
purple walls; horrified, she moved fiance Michael Fcldmann in to maintain
order. When that relationship hit the rocks, she took up with young
doctor Jayesh Parmar, the brother of flatmate Sangecta. Yet a soft
spot for Michael clearly remained, and after visiting him in gaol
was won
over after witnessing an act of heroism when he jumped into a river
to rescue Robert Sugdcn. The pair were absent on holiday when the
1993 plane crash claimed the life of her brother and Michael's mother;
she
took the loss considerably better than he did.
In 1994 she cut her shoulder-length blonde hair into a short
style, suggesting that a new, purposeful Rachel Hughes was coming
into being. She was still only halfway through her university course,
and
despite occasionally helping out behind the Woolpack bar during vacations
and working as a doctor's receptionist as she took time out to consider
her future, Rachel seemed likely to pursue a high-flying fnturc elsewhere.
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