User:Clements1997/List of Brookside characters introduced in 1982

Brookside is a British television soap opera that broadcast between 2 November 1982 and 4 November 2003. It was produced by Mersey Television for Channel 4 and conceived by Phil Redmond, who also created Grange Hill and Hollyoaks.

The following is a list of characters that were introduced in the programme by order of credited appearance, among them eventual series villain Barry Grant (Paul Usher) and his parents, Bobby (Ricky Tomlinson) and Sheila (Sue Johnston); reluctant residents Paul (Jim Wiggins) and Annabelle Collins (Doreen Sloane); upwardly-mobile Heather Huntington (Amanda Burton); tragedy-stricken Petra Taylor (Alexandra Pigg); and unlucky Terry Sullivan (Brian Regan).

Annabelle Collins

Main article: Annabelle Collins (Brookside)

The first character seen in the first episode, Annabelle emerged as a stoic and amenable woman often acting as the voice of reason among her family and mediating between her husband Paul (Jim Wiggins) and the neighbours. Her storylines often linked to the turbulent lives of Paul, their children Lucy (Katrin Cartlidge/Maggie Saunders) and Gordon (Nigel Crowley/Mark Burgess), and later her mother Mona (Margaret Clifton), but also explored her attempts at restarting a career, first as a caterer before qualifying as a magistrate in 1986. Later storylines include an affair with car salesman Brian Lawrence (Vincent Maguire), which actress Doreen Sloane enjoyed as she felt it made the character "come alive".

Paul Collins

Main article: Paul Collins (Brookside)

Ex-army officer Paul never truly settled into the Close, considering himself superior to his neighbours. He considered his unemployment as a personal failure and this fuelled storylines focussing on his search for a new job; after two stints in managerial positions, he was made redundant again and decided to accept early retirement. Paul's difficulty in relating to his children Lucy (Katrin Cartlidge/Maggie Saunders) and Gordon (Nigel Crowley/Mark Burgess) explored the generation gap between Paul's outdated values and his children's modern-day mindsets; Paul's portrayer Jim Wiggins argued that Paul "mean[t] well - however misguided" his views and actions may be.

Gordon Collins

Main article: Gordon Collins (Brookside)

The younger of Paul (Jim Wiggins) and Annabelle Collins (Doreen Sloane), Gordon is the first of his family to settle down in Brookside Close and was portrayed as the opposite to neighbouring youth Damon Grant (Simon O'Brien); Gordon was studious, polite and got good grades at school. The character later became the first openly homosexual character on a British soap opera, which allowed Brookside to explore the AIDS crisis and homophobia, as well as Gordon's relationship with Christopher Duncan (Stifyn Parri).

Lucy Collins

Lucy Collins
Brookside character
Portrayed by	Katrin Cartlidge (1982–83, 1990) Maggie Saunders (1985–1986)
Duration	1982–1983, 1985–1986, 1990
First appearance	2 November 1982 Episode 1
Last appearance	6 June 1990 Episode 797
Classification	Former; regular
Created by	Phil Redmond
Introduced by	Nicholas Prosser
In-universe information Occupation Secretary Fast food manager Father Paul Collins Mother Annabelle Collins Brothers Gordon Collins Grandfathers Jack Harvey Grandmothers Mona Fallon Uncles Teddy Harvey

Lucy Collins was the daughter and elder child of Paul (Jim Wiggins) and Annabelle Collins (Doreen Sloane), initially portrayed by Katrin Cartlidge.

Bobby Grant

Main article: Bobby Grant (Brookside)

Staunch socialist Bobby was described as one of the most political characters on British television. His relationships with his children - Barry (Paul Usher), Karen (Shelagh O'Hara) and Damon (Simon O'Brien) - were often strained, as his involvement in the trade union and subsequent workplace disputes meant he was often away from home. This in turn created conflict between Bobby and his wife Sheila (Sue Johnston), whose strong Catholic faith was often in contrast to Bobby's viewpoint. Other storylines included a spell of unemployment, a secret vasectomy and the breakdown of his marriage; this, alongside various off-screen issues with producers, culminated in Ricky Tomlinson's departure from the show.

Sheila Grant

Main article: Sheila Grant

The matriarch of the central Grant family, Sheila was a strong-willed and practical woman who endured many hardships, among them being raped by an unknown assailant and the death of youngest son Damon (Simon O'Brien). Two defining features her devout Catholicism, which brought her family-orientated values into conflict with those of her first husband Bobby (Ricky Tomlinson), and her close relationship with eldest child Barry (Paul Usher). Critics have been consistently strong in their praise of Sheila, and of Sue Johnston's portrayal of the character. Later storylines include revealing that Barry is actually the son of Bobby's lifelong friend Matty Nolan (Tony Scoggo) and a second marriage to Billy Corkhill (John McArdle).

Barry Grant

Main article: Barry Grant

Initially a well-meaning "Jack-the-Lad" type, Barry evolved into the show's main villain; he was also the only character, and Paul Usher the only actor, to appear in both the first and final episodes of Brookside. His storylines began by focusing on his intensely close relationship with his mother Sheila (Sue Johnston) and the conflict this created with his father Bobby (Ricky Tomlinson), and his ventures into petty crime alongside his best friend Terry Sullivan (Brian Regan). By 1990 the rest of the Grants had gone, and without his family around Barry descended into outright villainy, culminating in the murder of Terry's wife Sue (Annie Miles) and infant son Danny (Kieran Poole). Other storylines include opening a nightclub on Brookside Parade, La Luz, discovering he had fathered a child with Fran Pearson (Julie Peasgood), the final breakdown of his friendship with Terry, and romantic relationships with Tracy Corkhill (Justine Kerrigan) and Lindsey Corkhill (Claire Sweeney). Usher left the soap in as a regular in 1995, returning for stints in 1997 and 2003.

Damon Grant

Main article: Damon Grant

Damon was the third, and originally the youngest, of the Grant children. Initially an irresponsible teenager alongside his two friends, Ducksie Brown (Mark Birch) and Gizzmo Hawkins (Robert T. Cullen), the character evolved into a young adult frustrated with the lack of employment opportunities; he became a painter and decorator on a Youth Training Scheme, but aside from this full-time emoyment continuing to evade him. Damon's relationship with schoolgirl Debbie McGrath (Gillian Kearney) achieved great popularity and developed into a spin-off series, Damon and Debbie, which ended with Damon being stabbed and dying on a bridge in York. The character was killed off at the request of the actor, Simon O'Brien, who tired of the role and wished to pursue other projects.

Heather Huntington

Main article: Heather Haversham

A successful and ever-ambitious accountant, Heather is credited as "introducing the soap viewer to yuppies". Attractive and intelligent, her storylines touched upon the difficulties of being a woman in a traditionally-male career, but are better remembered for her tragic love life. Her first marriage to Roger Huntington (Rob Spendlove) ended in divorce after Roger's affair, and after a failed engagement to business client Tom Curzon (Brian Stephens), Heather met and married council-employed architect Nicholas Black (Alan Rothwell), although the marriage ended within a year after Nick overdosed on heroin. Heather was actress Amanda Burton's first regular television role.

Roger Huntington

Main article: Roger Huntington

Roger, a solicitor's clerk at the beginning of his career, was not popular among his neighbours. His pompous attitude set him apart, and his marriage to Heather (Amanda Burton) involved frequent petty arguments. An affair with widowed client Diane McAllister (Rosy Clayton) spelt the end of his marriage, and he was publicly kicked out of his home. Despite the best attempts of his father Sydney (Bert Gaunt), Roger did not reconcile with Heather and left the Close. Roger's unpopularity stretched even to actor Rob Spendlove, who grew to dislike the character.

Ducksie Brown

Ducksie Brown
Brookside character
Portrayed by	Mark Birch
Duration	1982–1984, 1987
First appearance	2 November 1982 Episode 1
Last appearance	1 December 1987 Episode 532
Classification	Former; recurring
Created by	Phil Redmond
Introduced by	Nicholas Prosser
In-universe information Occupation Chef Brothers Joey Brown

Donald "Ducksie" Brown was a friend of Damon Grant (Simon O'Brien) and Gizzmo Hawkins (Robert T. Cullen).

Of the trio, Ducksie was the largest and the most troublesome. He was usually the cause behind any arguments in the group, as well as the first one to escape, leaving Damon and Gizzmo to face the consequences of their actions. His home life is only mentioned briefly; aside from older brother Joey, he lives with his sister and his mother, and does not know his father. His nickname comes from Donald Duck. The three spent a majority of their time indulging in truancy from school and harassing Damon's neighbours, although they became friendly with Alan Partridge (Dicken Ashworth) and occasionally let Gordon Collins (Nigel Crowley) join in their activities. Damon's parents, Bobby (Ricky Tomlinson) and Sheila (Sue Johnston), believe that both Ducksie and Gizzmo are a bad influence on their son, despite the fact that Damon is usually the ringleader.

After leaving school in 1984, Ducksie began working as a chef in the big Liverpool hotels. The unsociable hours of this job meant he spent less time with Damon and Gizzmo, although he still occasionally visited Damon and the Close. He stopped appearing regularly after October 1984, but returned for Damon's funeral in 1987.

Gizzmo Hawkins

Gizzmo Hawkins
Brookside character
Portrayed by	Robert T. Cullen
Duration	1982–1985, 1987
First appearance	2 November 1982 Episode 1
Last appearance	1 December 1987 Episode 532
Classification	Former; recurring
Created by	Phil Redmond
Introduced by	Nicholas Prosser
In-universe information Occupation Painter and decorator Brothers Eric Hawkins

"Gizzmo" Hawkins was a friend of Damon Grant (Simon O'Brien) and Ducksie Brown (Mark Birch).

Gizzmo, recognisable by his long greasy hair and untidy clothes, was considerably quieter than Damon and Ducksie and the most philosophical about life. He went along with their activities more to escape his home, which was described at various times as abusive, and on one occasion he is beaten up in the street by his elder brother Eric (Shaun Hart). He is also shown on occasion hanging aimlessly around the Close, either waiting for Damon to come home or to be let out by his parents. Damon's father Bobby (Ricky Tomlinson) especially wants Damon to drop Gizzmo as a friend, believing that he is a layabout like his father, but Sheila (Sue Johnston) takes more pity on him and occasionally lets him into the house. Gizzmo harbours a crush on Damon's sister, Karen (Shelagh O'Hara), which remains unreciprocated. On one occasion he wrote her a poem in a Valentine's card, and showed a surprising amount of knowledge regarding poetry as a subject; however, it does little to change Karen's view of him.

In 1983, while helping Harry (Bill Dean) and Edna Cross (Betty Alberge) move into No.7, they admire Harry's war medals which are later stolen by Mark Gossage (Captain Mog), a disreputable friend of Gordon Collins (Nigel Crowley). Harry accuses Damon and Gizzmo, who protest their innocence and wind up fighting Mark on the Cross' front garden, at which point he returns the medals. As revenge for accusing them, the two begin to move Harry's garden gnomes around. While attending the International Garden Festival the following year, Gizzmo and Damon meet Yvonne (Lorraine Brunning) and Dawn (Letitia Dean), two girls up from London to visit the festival. Gizzmo and Yvonne fall for each other, and when Yvonne mentions that her father is looking for someone to redecorate his house, the two lads jump at the chance - Damon to pursue the chance of a job, and Gizzmo at the chance to continue pursuing Yvonne. After a month in London decorating Damon returns, and tells his family that Gizzmo has stayed behind in order to stay with Yvonne. The experience persuades Damon to try out a Youth Training Scheme as a painter and decorator.

Gizzmo returns to visit Damon in May 1985, now much cleaner and wearing a suit, much to the Grants' surprise. He reveals that he is still with Yvonne and living with her family, aiming to be trained as a bookkeeper for Yvonne's father's company. He returns again in 1987 for Damon's funeral.

Karen Grant

Main article: Karen Grant

Matty Nolan

Matty Nolan
Brookside character
Portrayed by	Tony Scoggo
Duration	1982–1992
First appearance	3 November 1982 Episode 2
Last appearance	23 November 1992 Episode 1179
Classification	Former; recurring
Created by	Phil Redmond
Introduced by	Nicholas Prosser
In-universe information Occupation Factory worker Unemployed Fast food worker Wife Teresa Nolan (until 1986) Sons Barry Grant Stephen Nolan Joseph Nolan Daughters Maureen Nolan

Matthew Arthur "Matty" Nolan was a friend of the Grant family, particularly his co-worker and lifelong friend Bobby (Ricky Tomlinson).

Matty had been a friend of both Bobby and Sheila (Sue Johnston) since their adolescence and was a frequent guest at the Grant house, 5 Brookside Close. Alongside Bobby and Jonah Jones (Tom Branch), Matty was made redundant from Fairbanks Engineering in 1983, having fought since the beginning of the year to try and save their jobs. While Bobby found a new job after a few months, as an official for the trade union, Matty remained unemployed and this caused him to fall into a depression. Although he came through it, with the support of his wife Teresa (Ann Haydn-Edwards) and the Grants, there remained an underlying resentment at his status, and an occasional rivalry with the employed Bobby. This had been touched upon in 1982 when Bobby refused to use his position as a shop steward to nullify a disciplinary warning against Matty, which led to them falling out for a while before Sheila and Teresa talked them round.

When Sheila starts an non-registered employment agency in 1983, with the aim of giving the redundant Fairbanks workers some temporary income, Matty eagerly signs up but is later caught by the DHSS and charged with benefit fraud. Sheila shuts the agency down, and Matty fined £200 for benefit fraud in July 1984.

In 1986, to try and improve his chances at gaining employment, Matty signed up for an evening class on the history of Liverpool and convinced Sheila to sign up with him. While both enjoyed the course, it caused problems for them both: Sheila found herself rejecting the attentions of lecturer Alun Jones (Norman Eshley), and Matty embarked on an affair with merry divorcée Mo Francis (Stephanie Fayerman). Although they tried to keep it a secret, Sheila became suspicious and confronted Matty, who confessed to the affair and to his plans to leave Teresa for Mo and move to London, where he had an offer of full-time employment. He quickly became angry when Sheila tried to convince him to end the affair and return to Teresa, and called her out as a hypocrite for not rejecting Alun's advances outright. Things escalated when Sheila, acting on the values of her Catholicism, told Teresa about Matty and Mo's affair. When Mo found out that Teresa knew and broke things off in Sefton Park, Matty was enraged and blamed Sheila for the breakdown of his marriage, his relationship and his future; he felt unable to turn to Teresa and his home, and without Mo he could not afford to move to London and take up the job offer, and took to making anonymous phone calls to Sheila as a way of frightening her and getting revenge. As a result, he became a suspect when Sheila was raped on her way home from The Swan, and was arrested and held for questioning after cab driver Arthur Dutton (James Culshaw) told police that Sheila and Matty had both left his taxi within a hundred yards of each other; however, Dutton is later caught attacking another woman while Matty is in custody. He confesses to raping Sheila and Matty is released.

Feeling contemplative upon his release, and with encouragement from Bobby, Matty heads home to reconcile with Teresa. However, Teresa hears on the radio that a man has confessed to Sheila's rape and, believing it to be Matty, commits suicide by jumping off the Mersey Ferry before he can come home; she had not dealt well with his desertion, and suffered a near-complete nervous breakdown. Matty is deeply upset, especially when his children, especially eldest son Stephen (Ian Puleston-Davies), blame him for Teresa's death and refuse to see him at the funeral, although the event does act as a catalyst for his reconciliation with Sheila.

Following Teresa's death, Matty sets about rebuilding his life, and eventually re-establishes contact with his children. When Stephen gets arrested for fighting in 1987, he asks Sheila to get advice from recently-appointed magistrate Annabelle Collins (Doreen Sloane) on what he should do, although this backfires when Annabelle assumes that Sheila's son Damon (Simon O'Brien) has been arrested and her husband Paul (Jim Wiggins) spreads the rumour about the Close. Later that year, Sheila hires him to babysit her daughter Claire (Amy Lynch) when she takes a part-time job working at The Swan.

In 1988, it emerges that Matty, not Bobby, is the biological father of Sheila's son Barry Grant (Paul Usher), following a brief affair with Sheila before her wedding. Upon the completion of Brookside Parade, Matty is hired by Terry Sullivan (Brian Regan) to work at Pizza Parade. When he learns that Barry is responsible for murdering Terry's wife Sue (Annie Miles) and son Danny (Kieran Poole), he quits his job at Pizza Parade and refuses Barry's offer of a catch-up, disowning him entirely. Following this, Matty is not seen again.

Victor Scott

Victor Scott
Brookside character
Portrayed by	Robbie Dee
Duration	1982–1985
First appearance	10 November 1982 Episode 4
Last appearance	7 May 1985 Episode 264
Classification	Former; recurring
Created by	Phil Redmond
Introduced by	Nicholas Prosser
In-universe information Occupation Hardware shopkeeper Criminal

Victor Scott was an ominous acquaintance of Barry Grant (Paul Usher) who appeared sporadically, usually under the instructions of gangster Tommy McArdle (Malcolm Tierney). The character was portrayed by Robbie Dee.

Victor first appeared as the owner of a hardware shop, hiring Barry to get the shop decorated ahead of its grand open. The work starts off well, but when Barry is stabbed by his sister Karen's (Shelagh O'Hara) ex-boyfriend Duane (Ian Mercer), as a retaliation for Barry beating him after he falsely claimed to have bedded Karen, Victor is unsympathetic and demands that Barry finish the shop as quickly as possible in order to open, having already pushed back the date of his grand opening once. Barry sees the job through, albeit in great pain from having returned to work sooner than medically advised. He reappeared at Christmas, giving Barry and Terry Sullivan (Brian Regan) some perfume to sell for easy money.

In 1984 Victor encounters George Jackson (Cliff Howells) in The Swan after a warehouse fire, and Victor manipulates George into drawing a diagram of the warehouse and the surrounding roads. Victor then uses this diagram to help McArdle burgle thousands of pounds worth of alcohol and cigarettes from the warehouse, and then frame George for the robbery by handing the diagram in as evidence and forcing Barry and Terry to provide a false alibi. Victor receives a minor custodial sentence, but George is sentenced to eighteen months in prison.

Victor last appears in 1985, now free from prison, and sent to pressure Harry Cross (Bill Dean) into dropping a campaign against a betting shop, owned by McArdle, that refused to pay out the £10,000 winnings of a six-horse accumulator to Harry's wife Edna (Betty Alberge). While Victor was unsuccessful, McArdle himself later solved the issue by offering £4,000, which Harry accepted immediately.

Gregory "Jonah" Jones

Gregory "Jonah" Jones
Brookside character
Portrayed by	Tom Branch
Duration	1982–1983
First appearance	17 November 1982 Episode 6
Last appearance	1 November 1983 Episode 105
Classification	Former; recurring
Created by	Phil Redmond
Introduced by	Nicholas Prosser
In-universe information Occupation Factory worker Trade unionist Wife Barbara Jones (divorced) Sons Jason Jones

Gregory Botswana "Jonah" Jones was portrayed by Tom Branch. Jonah was a colleague of Bobby Grant (Ricky Tomlinson) and Matty Nolan (Tony Scoggo) at Fairbanks Engineering, and a politically-aggressive member of the trade union.

Terry Sullivan

Main article: Terry Sullivan (Brookside)

Terry was introduced as a recurring character, a friend of Barry Grant (Paul Usher), and was promoted to a regular character in 1983. He remained continuously until 1997, at which point Brian Regan as Brookside's longest-serving cast member. Terry regularly suffered tragic storylines, his most notable being the murder of his wife Sue (Annie Miles) and infant son Danny (Kieran Poole) at Barry's hands, and joining a cult led by religious maniac Simon Howe (Lee Hartney); minor stoylines include his failed engagements with Michelle Jones (Tracy Jay) and Anna Wolska (Kazia Pelka), being reluctantly drawn into criminal activities by Barry and Tommy McArdle (Malcolm Tierney), having surgery to amend a low sperm count, and discovering that his father Jack (William Maxwell) had lied about the death of his mother, Mary (Sally Treble).

Gavin Taylor

Gavin Sullivan
Brookside character
Portrayed by	Danny Webb
Duration	1982–1983
First appearance	23 November 1982 Episode 7
Last appearance	2 February 1983 Episode 28
Classification	Former; regular
Created by	Phil Redmond
Introduced by	Nicholas Prosser
In-universe information Occupation Entrepreneur Wife Petra Jones (until 1983)

Gavin Taylor, portrayed by Danny Webb, was the husband of Petra Taylor (Alexandra Pigg) and one of the first residents of Number 10, Brookside Close.

Gavin and Petra arrived a day after Gavin's second-hand cookers, which he sold for a living and kept stored in his front garden. This upset his neighbours, who were more upset when the couple arrived with their furniture in the back of a refrigerated van, which was itself followed by a lorry with even more cookers and the Taylors' white BMW, with "Gav + Pet" stuck to the windscreen. Soon after the Taylors moved in, all houses in the Close were burgled, but - to Gavin's joy - none of the cookers were taken. Gavin quickly found an enemy in next-door neighbour Roger Huntington (Rob Spendlove), who voiced his frustration with the cookers on the lawn and was quickly rebuffed by Gavin asking Roger about his sex life with his wife Heather (Amanda Burton). Roger responded by attempting to rally the rest of the residents against Gavin's enterprise and wrote a latter to the planning officer, who gave Gavin a week to move the cookers or face further action. Gavin gleefully responded by erecting a shed in his back garden made of discarded, multi-coloured doors. Despite Roger's outrage at having his view befouled, there was nothing he could do as Gavin had technically complied with the letter.

Gavin's marriage to Petra was under a strain, largely due to Petra's desire to have children. Gavin was less bothered, preferring to spend his free time ogling Heather and drinking with friend Frank Blackburn (Peter Christian). Gavin's reluctance to start a family included trying to avoid sexual intercourse, which caused more friction between the couple. They also attended appointments with GP Dr. Metcalfe (Stuart Richman) to monitor their progress, which Gavin did not enjoy. It was at one of these appointments that Gavin discovered he had a low sperm count, and that the chances of Petra conceiving were lower than previously thought. Shortly after this appointment, after Gavin goes out for a "business drink" with Frank and ruins Petra's planned dinner, the couple have an argument about Gavin not wanting children, which culminates with Gavin walking out and Petra throwing a vase through the glass door in the living room. The next morning Petra has trouble waking Gavin up for work, but after shaking him she finds he has died in his sleep. Roger pronounces him dead, and Petra is comforted by Roger, Heather and Barry Grant (Paul Usher) until Petra's brother-in-law George Jackson (Cliff Howells) arrives to take her away. A post-mortem later reveals Gavin suffered a brain haemorrhage.

Gavin's death came about when Webb declined an eight-month extension to his initial three-month contract; Phil Redmond admitted that Gavin's death became an event designed to unite the other characters.

Petra Taylor

Main article: Petra Taylor

Petra was only on-screen for ten months, arriving alongside her husband Gavin (Danny Webb) and the several second-hand cookers that he sold from their front garden. The couple's attempts to concieve a child ended when Gavin died suddenly in the night; her grief was compounded by discovering she had naturally concieved shortly after Gavin's death. She moved on into a relationship with Barry Grant (Paul Usher), which included a trip to the Isle of Man TT, during which Petra miscarried Gavin's child. Things grew too much for Petra and she disappeared, evading her sister Marie's (Anna Keaveney) attempts to find her, eventually committing suicide in January 1984 at the hotel in Llandudno where she had been staying. The character's death came as a relief to Alexandra Pigg, who played Petra, as she felt that the depressing characterisation went against Petra's initial personality and became stressful and uncomfortable to portray.

George Williams

George Williams
Brookside character
Portrayed by	Doc O'Brien
Duration	1982–1988
First appearance	8 December 1982 Episode 12
Last appearance	23 May 1988 Episode 581
Classification	Former; recurring
Created by	Phil Redmond
Introduced by	Nicholas Prosser
In-universe information Occupation Trade unionist

George Williams was a trade unionist acquaintance, and later colleague, of Bobby Grant (Ricky Tomlinson). The character was portrayed by Doc O'Brien on a recurring basis for six years.

Derek Hobbs

Derek Hobbs
Brookside character
Portrayed by	Norman Gregory
Duration	1982–1984
First appearance	21 December 1982 Episode 15
Last appearance	9 May 1984 Episode 160
Classification	Former; recurring
Created by	Phil Redmond
Introduced by	Nicholas Prosser
In-universe information Occupation Solicitor Wife Angela Hobbs

Derek Hobbs was Roger Huntington's (Rob Spendlove) philandering boss, who took advantage of Roger's dedication to his job in order to pursue Roger's wife Heather (Amanda Burton). The character was portrayed by Norman Gregory.

Derek first appeared at the Law Society Dinner with his wife Angela (Lizzie Mickery) and spent most of the night trying to chat up Heather, who deflected his repeated advances. He later sends Heather roses, and although Heather voices her disapproval with this Roger encourages her to play up to Derek, believing that fostering a good relationship with Derek will help him further his career. When Derek invites the Huntingtons over for a meal, Heather does not want to go, especially when she learns that there is a chance Angela will be away. She eventually agrees to go to appease Roger. Although Angela is away, she relaxes in the company of Derek's other guests Andrew (Granville Sexton) and Pauline Hoskins (Eileen O'Brien), but the night turns sour when Derek corners her and tries to kiss her. When she rebuffs him again, Derek makes it clear that Roger's success in the company depends on how receptive Heather is to his advances.

For a while Derek strings Roger along by mentioning the offer of a partnership in the firm, although this offer dissolves in 1983 when another, more desirable candidate comes up. Derek says that the offer is postponed because of his slow progress on a case, and asks if it is because the client, Diane McAllister (Rosy Clayton), is an attractive woman. Roger denies it, but Derek is unconvinced. Months later, Heather bumps into Derek in the street, and he asks how Roger is enjoying his week off; this comes as a surprise to Heather, who was told by Roger that he would be on a two-week business trip to Birmingham. Derek is equally surprised to hear this and explains that as far as he knew, Roger was supposed to have one week in Birmingham on business and then have a week's holiday afterwards. In reality, Roger had lied to both Derek and Heather in order to spend time with Diane.

In May 1984, Heather meets Derek in a pub to discuss her legal separation from Roger, particularly the sale of the house. Between negotiations he once again tries, and fails, to chat Heather up. The conversation ends badly and Derek leaves, having gotten nothing in the negotiations and telling Heather that she could end up a lonely woman.

Other characters

Character	Original episode date(s)	Actor	Circumstances
Milkman	2 November– 4 November 2003 (8 episodes)	John Whitehall	A milkman who serves the Close for several years. During his round in 2003, he discovered the lynched body of Jack Michaelson (Paul Duckworth) hanging out his bedroom window.
Priest	3 November; 7 December	Peter Holmes	A priest at the Grant family's church.
Yvonne	3 November	Ann Hegarty	A friend of Karen Grant (Shelagh O'Hara) who shares Karen's antipathy towards religion and the service they had just attended.
John Garner	9 November	Edward Arthur
Marie McGovern	9 November– 11 January 1984 (8 episodes)	Deanna Brown	A schoolgirl who bullies Lucy Collins (Katrin Cartlidge) at Brookside Comprehensive, where Lucy is struggling to fit in. Lucy responds by attacking Marie with a hockey stick, after which the bullying stops. Later on, Marie appears on a secretarial Youth Training Scheme working for Paul Collins (Jim Wiggins) and seemingly unaware that she was working for her former victim's father.
Annie Cross	10 November– 9 March 1983 (4 episodes)	Georgina Smith	An co-worker of Sheila Grant's (Sue Johnston) at the corner shop, who borrows £20 from Sheila to cover debts run up by her family on hire purchase. However, Annie is slow to pay the money back and this causes problems when Sheila has to account for the money to her family. Before Annie can return the full sum, the shop she and Sheila work at closes down and the two women don't see each other again. The character was named as Annie Cross in dialogue, but credited as "Annie Harrison".
Building Site Boss	10 November	Don Navaro
Plumber		Jeff Hawkes
"Demon" Duane	16 November– 12 January 1983 (5 episodes)	Ian Mercer	A boyfriend of Karen Grant (Shelagh O'Hara). Karen's parents Bobby (Ricky Tomlinson) and Sheila (Sue Johnston) disapprove of him, largely due to the fact Duane owns a motorbike that they consider dangerous. The relationship quickly sours when Duane tries to pressure Karen into having sex with him; when she refuses, he locks her in his house and threatens to rape her, although he backs out at the last minute and lets her go home. Regardless, he boasted at school that he had managed to bed Karen, which upset her enough for her to confide in her brother Barry (Paul Usher), who goes to Duane's house and gets revenge by assaulting him. Duane retaliates a few weeks later by stabbing Barry as he finishes work.
Laxo	16 November; 24 November	Karl Lornie	A friend of Duane (Ian Mercer) who is present when Barry Grant (Paul Usher) visits and beats him up in retaliation for saying that Duane had had sex with Barry's sister, Karen (Shelagh O'Hara).
Bongo	17 November	Charles Galtrey
Mr. P. Todd	17 November– 19 October 1983 (3 episodes)	John McArdle	An Economics teacher at Damon Grant's (Simon O'Brien) school who punishes him for misbehaving on several occasions.
Frank Blackburn	17 November– 2 March 1983 (6 episodes)	Peter Christian	A friend of Gavin Taylor (Danny Webb) who joins in on Gavin's questionable business schemes, including transporting the gas cookers that Gavin keeps on his front lawn. Despite the occasional hostility of Gavin's wife Petra (Alexandra Pigg), Frank is often at the Taylors' house, usually avoiding his wife Irene. When Gavin dies suddenly of a brain haemorrhage, Frank attends the funeral.
Bobby Kinsella	17 November– 3 April 1984 (5 episodes)	Anton Brookes	An employee at Fairbanks Engineering and member of Bobby Grant's (Ricky Tomlinson) union. He has a reputation as a troublemaking militant which polarises him from Bobby and most of the workforce, calling for strike action instead of negotiation. He also had a place on the factory football team alongside Barry Grant (Paul Usher) and Terry Sullivan (Brian Regan), where he had a similar reputation as an aggressive player.
Susi McSharry	17 November– 1 April 1986 (15 episodes)	Helen Martin	A friend of Karen Grant (Shelagh O'Hara), more in line with Karen's beliefs and counter-culture style than their third friend Pauline (Jeanette Dobson). One of a large family on a council estate, Susi was more adventurous and less pessimistic than Karen, even at one point considering a dalliance with Damon (Simon O'Brien) while Karen was away, although the idea was abandoned when Susi got frustrated by Damon's childish behaviour. Upon finishing their O-levels, Susi and Karen went into business as dressmakers but the work was not frequent enough and they soon gave it in. Susi stayed in touch with Karen when she began at Liverpool University and attended a couple of parties with her.
Pauline	17 November– 28 September 1983 (11 episodes)	Jeanette Dobson	A friend of Karen Grant (Shelagh O'Hara) and Susi McSharry (Helen Martin). Pauline was the quietest of the trio and the most studious, usually nodding along with the conversation and often accompanied by several textbooks.
Railway Official	17 November 1982	Johnny Mallon
Sozza		Neil Flynn
Ted		Ken Black
Arthur Clarke	23 November	Peter Kerrigan	A board member at Fairbanks Engineering who rejected proposals put forward by Bobby Grant (Ricky Tomlinson) and his union, which led to the workers going on strike. Arthur was in negotiations to end the strike in December but missed a meeting to negotiate, which Bobby later found out was due to Arthur suffering a fatal heart attack.
John		Philip Thompson
Bill Hargreaves	Brian Southwood	23 November; 12 July 1983 2 episodes	A board member at Fairbanks Engineering.
Alan Torenson	23 November– 1 November 1983 (8 episodes)	David Williams
Jack Turner	23 November– 1 November 1983 (11 episodes)	Tony Newbury
Vera Turner	23 November; 5 January 1983	Gladys Ambrose
Janet Carver	24 November– 19 April 1983 (4 episodes)	Asia Dualeh	An associate of Marie McGovern (Deanna Brown) who bullied Lucy Collins (Katrin Cartlidge) when she started at Brookside Comprehensive.
Golly	24 November	Anthony Hood
Headmaster		Anthony Wingate	Headmaster of Brookside Comprehensive, who spoke with Lucy Collins (Katrin Cartlidge) when she had trouble adjusting to the school and was being bullied.
Policeman	30 November	David Lloyd	A policeman who attends when the Close is burgled.
Schoolgirl		Nicki Mayers
History teacher	30 November; 21 December	Norma Leon
Jeff Rawlings		Paul Green	A teacher at Brookside Comprehensive who has Lucy Collins (Katrin Cartlidge) among his pupils. He tries to help her settle into life at the new school but found her unwilling to take his advice. He later intervened when Lucy was nearly forced under some mistletoe by a group of boys at Christmas.
Customer	1 December	Les Johnson
Insurance man		Christopher Quinn
Bert	7 December	Syd Newman
Housewife		Valerie Griffiths
Policeman		David Elmsfield
Reporter		Ian Alexander
Jeff Bacon	7 December– 9 February 1983 (4 episodes)	Christopher Wild	A brief boyfriend of Karen Grant (Shelagh O'Hara). Naturally timid and shy, both he and Karen were mocked with various puns related to his surname, mainly by her father Bobby (Ricky Tomlinson) and brother Damon (Simon O'Brien).
Clare Lomax	7 December; 8 December	Barbara Waddingham
Dr. Metcalfe	7 December– 2 February 1983 (3 episodes)	Stuart Richman	Gavin (Danny Webb) and Petra Taylor's (Alexandra Pigg) GP, who they consult while trying to conceive a child. He discovers that Gavin has a low sperm count and breaks the news to him, and then later attends to Gavin's body when Petra discovers him dead in bed.
Jimmy Harrison	7 December– 16 March 1983 (4 episodes)	John Carr
Dromgoole	8 December	Arthur Kelly	A short-tempered workman that fitted a burglar alarm for Roger Huntington (Rob Spendlove), whose efforts were hampered by Roger's fussing over placement of the alarm.
Telecom man		Jim Coleman	A man from British Telecom who arrived to connect Roger Huntington's (Rob Spendlove) telephone, who arrived at the same time that Roger's burglar alarm was being fitted.
Joey	14 December; 21 December	Jeffrey Hoosen	Classmates of Lucy Collins (Katrin Cartlidge) at Brookside Comprehensive who try to force her under some mistletoe, having done the same to other girls in the class.
Tim		Ian Donnelly
Tony		Christopher Lord
CID man	15 December	Andrew Blake	A policeman who deals with Roger Huntington (Rob Spendlove) after his Christmas shopping is stolen from his car.
Angela Hobbs	21 December	Lizzie Mickery	The pregnant wife of Derek Hobbs (Norman Gregory), who attends the Law Society Dinner with Roger (Rob Spendlove) and Heather Huntington (Amanda Burton). Aware of Derek's roving eye, she tolerates him in company and tries to subtly suggest to Roger that he should leave when she catches Heather trying to escape Derek's company.
George		Dean Williams	A classmate of Lucy Collins (Katrin Cartlidge) and Marie McGovern (Deanna Brown), who kisses Marie under mistletoe.
Radio DJ		Norman Thomas
Stan Broadbent	22 December; 22 February 1983	David Miller	Friends of Paul (Jim Wiggins) and Annabelle Collins (Doreen Sloane) from their former life on The Wirral who visit on Christmas Day. Unfortunately for them, they arrive in the middle of an argument between the couple and spend an uncomfortable afternoon at the house.
Julia Broadbent	22 December	Beti Lloyd-Jones
Jonathan		Paul Elsam
Management rep		Ronald Leak
Sammy	28 December	Charlie Lea
Eric Harrison	28 December– 3 April 1984 (5 episodes)	Chris Darwin	The coach and manager of the Fairbanks Engineering football team that Barry Grant (Paul Usher) and Terry Sullivan (Brian Regan) play for. He employs Barry to undertake a renovation on his kitchen, although this sends Barry into the clutches of his wife Irene (Hilary Crane), with whom Barry has a brief affair. He ends up calling this off out of both boredom and fear that Eric may take him off the team, although Eric later takes more offence at Barry rejecting his wife than in the affair itself.
Shopkeeper	29 December	Gerry Fogarty	A shopkeeper who sells alcohol to Damon Grant (Simon O'Brien) for the Grant family's New Year's Eve party.

External links

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