Norris Cole (Coronation Street)
Norris Cole is a fictional character from the British soap opera Coronation Street, played by Malcolm Hebden. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 11 March 1994. Hebden had played the role of Carlos, Mavis Riley's Spanish lover, in 1974. Norris appeared on a recurring basis; however two years the character was reintroduced on a regular basis. In January 2018 it was announced that Hebden would not be appearing as Norris for a while after a heart attack and his last appearance was in December 2017, his return was confirmed by Coronation Street in November 2018 and Norris will return in May 2019, however his return was described as being like a cameo, the character will leave again, although the role will be left open for the actor to return. Derek Wilton is surprised, he explains he left his wife and has come to stay. Mavis is put out as he keeps calling Derek "Dirk". Mavis doesn't want to throw Norris out. Derek tells Mavis. Norris develops a reputation as a fusspot and a busybody, but his inquisitive nature sometimes works to advantage, as when he guessed that serial killer Richard Hillman was after Emily Bishop's money and wanted her dead.
Only he and Audrey Roberts realised Richard's true nature, but no one believed them, it was not until that the full story emerged. Rita Sullivan employs Tina McIntyre to work at The Kabin, because Norris has back problems but Norris is unhappy about this; that month, Emily discovers ladies underwear in a bin bag of Norris's. Suspicious and Rita confront Norris and ask if he is a transvestite, he explains that he had won the underwear in a competition and that he has an addiction to competitions. Norris's friend, Mary Taylor, arrives on the Street. Norris resents Mary, as she beats him in competitions, but they become close, Mary offers Norris a ticket she has won for a Cliff Richard concert. Norris' fellow lodger, Jed Stone, enjoys flirting with Mary but she only has eyes for Norris; when Mary and Norris win a motor home, Norris is pleased, but begins to be concerned about how far Mary wants to take their relationship. When Mary's mother dies, she is able to spend more time with Norris, but he remains unsure about their relationship.
She invites him to accompany her on a world cruise, paid for with her inheritance. Norris agrees but is nervous and is shocked by Rita's engagement to Colin Grimshaw, the two share a poignant moment in The Rovers. Genuinely wishing each other well, it is clear that Norris still harbours thoughts of what might have been, he is a great support to Rita when she calls off the engagement after discovering that Colin fathered a child with a fourteen-year-old girl. Norris's half-brother, Ramsay Clegg and hopes to make amends with Norris, who refuses to speak to him. Norris blames Ramsay for their mother's death, stating that the shock of his reappearance in her life caused her demise. Despite Ramsay's best efforts at a reconciliation, Norris refuses to see him as anything other than an illegitimate half-brother and Ramsay returns to Australia. Norris is left reeling at the news; some of Ramsay's possessions are left to Norris and amongst them is a letter written by their mother, who cruelly rejected Ramsay.
Norris is left devastated. After Ramsay's death, Rita decides to sell up The Kabin; when Norris receives £172,000 from Ramsay's will, he buys The Kabin from Rita. When Norris shows signs of tiredness, Mary suggests that she does some work in the Kabin so he can take a break, she enters a competition for them to win a week at a cottage in the countryside and wins, persuading Norris to come with her. Norris realises that Mary is trying to ensure that he cannot escape and hears Mary mention the idea of them getting married, she breaks his glasses, leaving him more or less housebound, as his eyesight is quite poor. He attempts to escape from the cottage but Mary tracks him down, he contacts the police telling them that Mary is holding him captive. No charges are brought against her, Norris subsequently makes up with her. Norris is not pleased when Emily allows her daughter Amy to live with them; when Tracy offers to clean the house for Emily, Norris puts a lock on his bedroom door so that Tracy cannot get into his room.
Tracy locks Norris in his room as a joke, he is annoyed when Amy spills paint on his shoes and tells Emily that he wants Tracy to move out. Emily agrees after Tracy ruins Ernest Bishop's old dancing shoes, thinking that they belonged to Norris. Norris becomes supportive to Mary after finding out she was raped in her teenage years and conceived a son, whom her mother forced her to give up. Norris and several residents help Mary find her grown up son Jude, who turns up to visit her on Christmas Day 2016. Mary considers moving with Jude to his home in South Africa much to Norris' sadness, but she decides to stay in the end. In 2017, Mary wants to make contact with Jude again, so her and Norris decide to get married and invite Ju
Peter Barlow (Coronation Street)
Peter Barlow is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, Coronation Street, played by Chris Gascoyne since 2000. The character of Peter was born on screen during an episode broadcast on 5 April 1965, he was born along with his twin sister Susan to parents Ken and Valerie Barlow. Gascoyne made his first appearance in the role during the 40th anniversary live episode airing on 8 December 2000. Gascoyne left the role in 2003 and returned in 2007 for a brief stint before returning full-time in 2008. In January 2014 it was confirmed, his final scenes aired on 14 November 2014. In April 2015, it was announced that Gascoyne would reprise the role for two episodes for the funeral of Deirdre Barlow and Peter returned on 15 July 2015 and left once again on 16 July 2015. In July 2016, it was announced that Peter would be returning as a regular character and he returned on 17 October 2016. Peter's storylines have included a number of affairs, alcoholism and a custody battle involving his son Simon Barlow.
Peter became involved in a bigamy storyline when he married Rovers barmaid Shelley Unwin and florist Lucy Richards. Having been discovered, Peter fled Weatherfield, he returned in 2007 when his stepsister Tracy Barlow was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Charlie Stubbs. He returned for good in 2008 with five-year-old Simon. Peter began a relationship with Leanne Battersby and they married during the 50th anniversary episode. Peter went on to marry Carla, had an affair with much younger Tina McIntyre. Peter was framed for Tina's murder by Rob Donovan and upon his release from prison, his marriage to Carla broke down and he left; when he returned in 2016, it was revealed he had began a relationship with Toyah Battersby, which they agreed to keep secret from a pregnant Leanne, in order to not affect her pregnancy. Simon and Leanne's sister Eva Price soon discovered this, followed by Leanne, he and Toyah subsequently purchased The Rovers Return, from Steve McDonald, he and Toyah soon begin family planning, with them beginning surrogacy.
Their baby son was stillborn, Toyah and Eva secretly agreed to pretend that Eva and Aidan's daughter, Susie, is Peter's daughter, as Eva does not want to be a mother, but Toyah tells Peter after Eva has a change of heart, resulting in their split. Afterwards, Peter buys 50% of the Underworld factory from Alya Nazir, partnering with Carla, supports Simon after he gets bullied by former friend Tyler Jefferies, after Simon grasses him up to the police for robbery, leading to Peter being shot with a paint gun. Peter and Carla develop feelings for each other, but Peter sells his share of the factory to Nick Tilsley, as he believes that Carla wants him out of the business, untrue. Peter and his twin sister Susan were born to Valerie Barlow. Ken and Val planned to emigrate to Jamaica with the twins as Ken had been offered a teaching post there. While Val was getting ready for a leaving party in the Rovers Return Inn for them, she was electrocuted and killed by a faulty hairdryer. Ken sent the twins to Glasgow to live with Val's parents.
Peter did not attend Ken's wedding to Deirdre Langton in 1981 as he had joined the navy after leaving school, but he visited when Susan married Mike Baldwin. As Ken refused to go to the wedding, Peter made an emotional appeal, saying that he and Susan had seen their father and that he always assumed Ken would step up if his children needed him and he was able to help. Ken attends the wedding. Peter returned in December 2000 after leaving the Navy and the collapse of his marriage to Jessica Midgeley, who left him for another man, he accidentally let it be known that Susan had Adam Barlow, fathered by Mike. Deirdre told Dev Alahan, who told Mike. Susan, visiting at the time, attempted to flee when Mike threatened legal action and she was killed in a car crash. Peter was devastated, Deirdre for Susan's death, he started dating barmaid, Shelley Unwin, but when Peter's old Navy friend, Ciaran McCarthy, visited, he made a pass at Shelley, causing a temporary rift between the couple. Peter met florist, Lucy Richards, while buying flowers for Shelley.
He was attracted to her and a brief affair occurred but Peter chose to marry Shelley. Lucy, unknown to Peter, hired his stepsister, Tracy Barlow, to work for her, covering her maternity leave. Tracy informed Peter that her employer was pregnant and Peter realised that he was the child's father, he offered to marry Lucy while still engaged to Shelley, promising her that his other relationship was over. Lucy gave birth to a son, Simon; when she discovered that Peter was still seeing Shelley, she threw him out and banned him from seeing Simon. Peter was torn between his son and Shelley, but married her, thus committing bigamy; when both women discover Peter's secret, Shelley threw him out and the two women temporarily took over hi
Sarah Platt
Sarah Louise Platt is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. She was born on-screen during the episode broadcast on 2 February 1987, she was played by Leah King in 1987 and by Lynsay King from 1987 until 8 October 1999 when King opted to leave to focus on her education. Tina O'Brien took over the role on 31 October 1999. A number of false rumours about O'Brien returning to the role surfaced during her absence from the serial. In October 2014, it was announced that O'Brien would reprise the role, she returned on screen on 30 March 2015. Sarah is the daughter of Brian Tilsley. Sarah is born prematurely in February 1987 and questions are raised about her paternity, due to Gail's affair with Brian's cousin, Ian Latimer and Brian rejects Sarah, believing she was not his daughter, her birth reunited Gail and Brian after their divorce, Brian dies in February 1989 after being stabbed by a group of thugs. Gail started a relationship with Martin Platt, they had David together on Christmas Day 1990 and married.
Brian's mother, Ivy Tilsley, tried to fight against Martin adopting Nick and Sarah as their names would change from Tilsley to Platt. Despite trying to fight the adoption and Sarah were allowed to be adopted. Gail and Martin's marriage broke up a decade later. Sarah befriends Candice Stowe. After her 13th birthday in February 2000, Sarah discovers, her daughter Bethany Platt is born in June 2000. Bethany's father, Neil Fearns, has no interest in Bethany but when Neil dies in a car crash in September 2003, Sarah takes Bethany to his funeral and makes friends with Neil's mother, Brenda Fearns, this nearly leads to Bethany's death, when Brenda tries to commit suicide with Bethany, fearing that Bethany is being raised in a house of sin. Sarah had become rebellious at the age of 15, splitting from her boyfriend Todd Grimshaw in 2002 and moving on to Aiden Critchley, who takes her joyriding and crashes the car, leaving Sarah with severe head injuries, she dumps Aiden, disgusted that he had left her for dead in the wreckage.
Sarah reconciles with Todd and they move into the flat over the bookies, causing problems between Gail and Sarah when Sarah tells her that she is pregnant, in late 2003. She is unsure about having the baby but Todd convinces her to go ahead and they get engaged, despite their families' disapproval. However, Sarah is unaware that Todd is struggling with his emerging homosexual feelings and begins an affair with Karl Foster; when Sarah finds out in May 2004, she dumps him and suffers a placental abruption shortly afterwards. She has to have an emergency caesarean and her baby son, dies soon after he is born in June 2004. Sarah blames Todd and refuses to allow him to attend their son's funeral but Todd ignores her and goes regardless. Sarah dates Scooter Makuna before embarking on a more serious relationship with Todd's brother, Jason Grimshaw, destroying his relationship with Violet Wilson. Sarah and Jason get engaged. Jason jilts her at the altar. Sarah's relationship with David is strained, when Bethany takes an ecstasy pill that David had hidden in one of her dolls, nearly dies and Sarah forbids David from attending her wedding while Gail kicks him out.
The pair continue to bicker continuously at each other up until Sarah's wedding day in October 2007, when he attempts to "kill himself." The police interrupt the ceremony to inform the Platt family of the attempted suicide. Shortly after, Gail's brother Stephen Reid offers David a job in Milan. Jealous, Sarah sabotages this by planting drugs on him so Stephen withdraws the offer and offers it to Sarah instead, she accepts and she and Bethany leave for the airport to fly to Milan. However, at Manchester Piccadilly, Sarah tells Jason. Disgusted, he walks away, leaving Sarah to fly to Milan alone with Bethany in December 2007. Bethany returns to Weatherfield in March 2015, without Sarah's permission. A furious Sarah soon follows to take her back to Milan but Bethany refuses to leave and after losing her job, Sarah announces that they are moving back to Weatherfield. Sarah begins a relationship with Callum Logan, a drug dealer, in the middle of a custody battle with David over his son and David's stepson Max Turner.
Sarah breaks up with Callum when she learns of his true colours following a gun being found in Max's bedroom. She tells the police about the gun but he isn't charged. Callum tells David and his wife and Max's mother Kylie Platt that in exchange for £20,000 he will be out of their lives forever. Callum turns u
ITV (TV network)
ITV is a British free-to-air television network with its headquarters in London, it was launched in 1955 as Independent Television under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to BBC Television, established in 1932. ITV is the oldest commercial network in the UK. Since the passing of the Broadcasting Act 1990, its legal name has been Channel 3, to distinguish it from the other analogue channels at the time, namely BBC 1, BBC 2 and Channel 4. In part, the number 3 was assigned because television sets would be tuned so that the regional ITV station would be on the third button, with the other stations being allocated to the number within their name. ITV is a network of television channels that operate regional television services as well as sharing programmes between each other to be displayed on the entire network. In recent years, several of these companies have merged, so the fifteen franchises are in the hands of two companies; the ITV network is to be distinguished from ITV plc, the company that resulted from the merger of Granada plc and Carlton Communications in 2004 and which holds the Channel 3 broadcasting licences in England, southern Scotland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and Northern Ireland.
With the exception of Northern Ireland, the ITV brand is the brand used by ITV plc for the Channel 3 service in these areas. In Northern Ireland, ITV plc uses the brand name UTV. STV Group plc uses the STV brand for its two franchises of northern Scotland; the origins of ITV lie in the passing of the Television Act 1954, designed to break the monopoly on television held by the BBC Television Service. The act created the Independent Television Authority to regulate the industry and to award franchises; the first six franchises were awarded in 1954 for London, the Midlands and the North of England, with separate franchises for Weekdays and Weekends. The first ITV network to launch was London's Associated-Rediffusion on 22 September 1955, with the Midlands and North services launching in February 1956 and May 1956 respectively. Following these launches, the ITA awarded more franchises until the whole country was covered by fourteen regional stations, all launched by 1962; the network has been modified several times through franchise reviews that have taken place in 1963, 1967, 1974, 1980 and 1991, during which broadcast regions have changed and service operators have been replaced.
Only one service operator has been declared bankrupt, WWN in 1963, with all other operators leaving the network as a result of a franchise review. Separate weekend franchises were removed in 1968 and over the years more services were added; the Broadcasting Act 1990 changed the nature of ITV. This criticised part of the review saw four operators replaced, the operators facing different annual payments to the Treasury: Central Television, for example, paid only £2000—despite holding a lucrative and large region—because it was unopposed, while Yorkshire Television paid £37.7 million for a region of the same size and status, owing to heavy competition. Following the 1993 changes, ITV as a network began to consolidate with several companies doing so to save money by ceasing the duplication of services present when they were all separate companies. By 2004, ITV was owned by five companies, of which two and Granada had become major players by owning between them all the franchises in England, the Scottish borders and the Isle of Man.
That same year, the two merged to form ITV plc with the only subsequent acquisitions being the takeover of Channel Television, the Channel Islands franchise, in 2011. and UTV, the franchise for Northern Ireland, in 2015. The ITV network is not owned or operated by one company, but by a number of licensees, which provide regional services while broadcasting programmes across the network. Since 2016, the fifteen licences are held by two companies, with the majority held by ITV Broadcasting Limited, part of ITV plc; the network is regulated by the media regulator Ofcom, responsible for awarding the broadcast licences. The last major review of the Channel 3 franchises was in 1991, with all operators' licences having been renewed between 1999 and 2002 and again from 2014 without a further contest. While this has been the longest period that the ITV Network has gone without a major review of its licence holders, Ofcom announced that it would split the Wales and West licence from 1 January 2014, creating a national licence for Wales and joining the newly separated West region to Westcountry Television, to form a new licence for the enlarged South West of England region.
All companies holding a licence were part of the non-profit body ITV Network Limited, which commissioned and scheduled network programming, with compliance handled by ITV plc and Channel Television. However, due to amalgamation of several of these companies since the creation of ITV Network Limited, it has been replaced by an affiliation system. Approved by Ofcom, this results in ITV plc commissioning and funding the network schedule, with STV and UTV paying a fee to broadcast it. All licensees have the right to opt out of network programming (except fo
Nick Tilsley
Nick Tilsley is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. He was born off-screen during an episode broadcast on 31 December 1980, but made his first appearance on 5 January 1981, he was played by Warren Jackson from 1981 until 6 September 1996. Adam Rickett took over the role on 15 October 1997 until 21 April 1999 but returned for three separate stints between 2002 and 2004 and made his final appearance as Nick on 11 July 2004. Ben Price took over the role on 21 December 2009. Price announced his intentions to leave the serial on 26 January 2017, before making his on-screen departure on 2 June 2017. However, on 23 April 2018, it was announced that Price would reprise his role as Nick, returned on 12 October 2018. Nick is the first-born child of Gail Tilsley, he is the older brother of Sarah and older half brother of David Platt as well as the uncle of Bethany, Lily Platt and the grandson of Audrey Roberts and Ivy Tilsley. Nick's storylines have included his adolescent problems and his role in the fraught relationship between his parents, his teenage marriage to Leanne Battersby and their divorce, his engagement to Maria Connor.
Since his return in 2009 his storylines have featured him remarrying and once again divorcing Leanne, his one-night stand with David's wife Kylie Platt, suffering brain damage after being involved in a lorry crash, caused by David, his business partnership with and one-day marriage to Carla Connor. In late May 2017, after a trip to the seaside with his enemies Peter Barlow and Steve McDonald, he became trapped in quicksand. Since his return in 2018 his storylines have includes stealing £80,000 from Audrey, reuniting with Leanne, going into business with Carla and opening a barber shop with David. Nicky was born on New Year's Eve 1980. After Brian's murder in February 1989, Nicky began misbehaving but Martin Platt proved a calming influence. In 1991, now married to Gail, adopted Nick and changed his name. Brian's mother Ivy Tilsley was furious and was devastated when she discovered this, igniting her feud with Gail and Martin. In order to not have a Platt name, Ivy first changed her will to say Nicky would inherit her house if he kept the name Tilsley.
She persuaded him to become an altar-boy at St. Luke's in exchange for a place on the football team. Ivy reported Gail to social services as an unfit mother. Nicky's relationship with Ivy caused friction with Martin. Nicky begun to rebel, taking up smoking and demanding to be called "Nick"; when Ivy died in 1995, she stipulated in her will that Nicky would only inherit from her estate if he change his surname back to Tilsley, which would come back to haunt Martin and Gail years later. He did so and arguments sprang up about the house occupied by Ivy's widow Don Brennan. In July 1996, Nick stayed at home while the rest of the family went away on holiday but, tired of his maternal grandmother Audrey Roberts' fussing, he ran away and was reported missing. Upon his return, he claimed to have been working in a cafe. Nick's stories cause Jamie Armstrong to want to run away to London. Gail allowed Nick to go and live with her half-brother, Stephen Reid, in Canada, in hope that it would improve his behaviour and his education.
Nick returned to Weatherfield in 1997 to study Physical Education at Tech. Gail did not approve of his relationship with troublesome sixteen-year-old Leanne Battersby, but Nick and Leanne eloped and rented a room from Ashley Peacock. Whilst Nick was at college, his class was visited by Darren Whateley, during a lecture on Criminology; when Darren described the details of the crime he had been imprisoned for, Nick realised that Darren was the man who killed his father. Wanting revenge, he wrote to Darren under Leanne's name. Darren agreed, when released on parole, he visited Leanne; when Nick told Darren who he was, Darren threatened him. Nick reported him to the police and he was arrested and returned to prison for violating his parole conditions. In December 1998, Nick was short of money, started modelling for his art teacher. Leanne confronted him as he posed in front of the art teacher. On New Year's Eve 1998, Leanne refused to attend his eighteenth birthday party and Nick was shocked to discover that she was pregnant.
In April 1999, the art teacher suggested Leanne have an abortion and Nick demanded that she do so. Leanne reluctantly was upset to learn that he was telling people that she miscarried. Nick returned to Canada alone. Nick reappeared for Gail's wedding to third husband Richard Hillman in July 2002, soon began dating Maria Sutherland, she learns from Audrey that he has a girlfriend. Heartbroken, she decides not to go. Having been reassured, she accompanies Nick to Canada, but soon returns, saying that Nick was not spending enough time with her. Nick became friends with Sarah's boyfriend, Todd Grimshaw. After a night of conversation and bonding, st
Tyrone Dobbs
Tyrone Sylvester Dobbs is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by Alan Halsall, the character first appeared on screen during the episode airing on 30 November 1998 and is still a cast member 20 years later. Tyrone's storylines have been focused on his relationships with Maria Sutherland and Fiz Brown as well as his doomed marriage to Molly Compton and suffering domestic violence at the hands of his fiancée Kirsty Soames. In 2018, following the death of his mother Jackie, Tyrone discovers that Jackie was not his biological mother, while searching for his birth parents, meets his maternal grandmother, Evelyn Plummer. Upon his arrival, it becomes clear, he is employed by Curly Watts collecting trolleys at a supermarket but loses his job when he accidentally pushes a trolley into the area manager's new car. Following this, Tyrone trains as an apprentice mechanic at the local garage, Webster's Auto Centre, owned by Kevin Webster. After his mother abandons him, Tyrone moves into Jack and Vera Duckworth's bed and breakfast establishment and adopts a greyhound, Monica.
While seeking a partner for Monica, Tyrone meets and begins dating Maria Sutherland, a kennelmaid, they get engaged in 2002. Fiz Brown, tries to come between them, she succeeds and has a brief relationship with Tyrone but he ends it and realises he is better suited to kennel maid, Molly Compton. They live with Jack and Vera at number 9 and plan to buy somewhere of their own but buy Jack and Vera out when they decide to move to Blackpool. Vera, dies in January 2008. Jack stays with Tyrone and Molly at Number 9 and the family atmosphere is soon enhanced with the arrival of Molly's aunt, Pam Hobsworth. Jack, attempting to encourage Tyrone to propose to Molly, gives him Vera's engagement ring. Tyrone books a table at a fancy restaurant but is upstaged by a much flashier proposal before he can. Several days Pam suggests that Tyrone put a ring in a decorative egg with a voice recorder; when Tyrone opens the egg at the Rovers, Kirk Sutherland is heard. Tyrone runs out, embarrassed. Jack and Kirk follow and Jack tells him that the moments that do not go as planned are happier than the moments that do.
Tyrone tries again and returns to find a burger van decorated in Christmas lights, with a table in front. When Tyrone opens the egg to propose, Molly opens an egg herself, with a recording of her saying, "Of course, you great nana." The following month and Molly visit his mother and discover that she is £1,000 in debt and owes his father's friend money. Tyrone and Molly decide to help, despite their plans to use it for Molly's wedding dress. On discovering that Jackie has scammed them, Tyrone tells Jackie that she is not welcome at the wedding. Jack introduces Tyrone to Connie. Tyrone, angry that Jack would consider replacing Vera, is hostile and decides that she's a gold-digger who only wants Jack's money. Connie proves him wrong on this by inviting them to her house, proving by the size and facilities that Connie needs companionship, not more money. Needing space from Tyrone and Molly start go running together and decide to train for a fun run. Kevin develops feelings for Molly and feeling flattered, they begin an affair.
At one point, Tyrone gets worried about how Molly has changed but Kevin insists that she would never cheat on him. Trying to cover her tracks, Molly accuses Tyrone of cheating on her with Minnie Chandra. In January 2010, after just a year of marriage, Molly leaves Tyrone and moves into the flat over the corner shop, leaving him confused and inconsolable. Thinking Molly is having an affair with Dev Alahan, he attacks him. However, in March, Molly learns that she is four months pregnant. Convinced that Molly has not slept with Dev, Tyrone assumes that he is the father and persuades Molly to come home. Feeling lonely and rejected by Kevin, Molly agrees and in April they learn that they are expecting a boy. Kevin and Sally support Molly when she names him Jack. Tyrone and Jack settle into family life, unaware that Tyrone may not be Jack's father. Tyrone's joy at his new life is dashed when a month Jack reveals that he has an incurable form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, has only weeks to live. Tyrone is devastated and gives a moving eulogy at Jack's funeral and scatters his ashes.
On 6 December 2010, Molly admits to Tyrone that he is not Jack's father. Tyrone turns to Sally Webster for help, he is concerned when Jack are trapped in the Corner Shop after a tram crashes into it. Jack is rescued first and Tyrone goes with him to the hospital but Kevin stays with him and sends Tyrone to check on Molly and is devastated by news of Molly's death. Back at the hospital with Jack, Tyrone tells Kevin. At Molly's funeral, Tyrone breaks down during the eulogy and Sophie prompts Kevin to take over but Sally walks out, angered by his hypocrisy, puzzling Tyrone. After overhearing them argue, he realises that Kevin is Jack's father and attacks him at the graveside, knocking him into Molly's grave; when Tyrone gets home, Sally returns baby Jack, persuading him that he is the only father Jack knows and that he should raise him regardless. He agrees and takes Jack but realizes that his feelings for Jack have changed. All he sees gives him to Kevin. On
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas, 10 miles south-west of Bolton, 12 miles north of Warrington and 17 miles west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre; the town has a population of 103,608, whilst the wider borough has a population of 318,100. In Lancashire, Wigan during classical antiquity was in the territory of the Brigantes, an ancient Celtic tribe that ruled much of what is now northern England; the Brigantes were subjugated in the Roman conquest of Britain during the 1st century, it is asserted that the Roman settlement of Coccium was established where Wigan lies. Wigan is believed to have been incorporated as a borough in 1246 following the issue of a charter by King Henry III of England. At the end of the Middle Ages, it was one of four boroughs in Lancashire established by Royal charter. During the Industrial Revolution Wigan experienced dramatic economic expansion and a rapid rise in population.
Although porcelain manufacture and clock making had been major industries, Wigan became known as a major mill town and coal mining district. A coal mine was recorded in 1450 and at its peak, there were 1,000 pit shafts within 5 miles of the town centre. Mining was so extensive that a town councillor remarked that "a coal mine in the backyard was not uncommon in Wigan". Coal mining ceased during the latter part of the 20th century. Wigan Pier, a wharf on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, was made famous by the writer George Orwell. In his book, The Road to Wigan Pier, Orwell highlighted the poor working and living conditions of the inhabitants during the 1930s. Following the decline of heavy industry in the region, Wigan Pier's warehouses and wharves became a local heritage centre and cultural quarter; the DW Stadium is home to Wigan Athletic Football Club and Wigan Warriors Rugby League Football Club. The name Wigan has been dated to at least the 7th century and originally meant a "village" or "settlement".
It has been suggested that the name is Celtic, named after a person called Wigan, a name corresponding to Gaulish Vicanus, Old Welsh Uuicant or Old Breton Uuicon. This may have been linked with Tre to give an original name of Trewigan. Derivation from Brittonic *wig,'dwelling', plus the nominal suffix -an has been suggested; the name of the town has been recorded variously as Wigan in 1199, Wygayn in 1240, Wygan in numerous historical documents. There is little evidence of prehistoric activity in the area pre-Iron Age; the first people believed to have settled in the Wigan area were the Brigantes, a Celtic tribe who controlled most of northern Britain. In the 1st century, the area was conquered by the Romans; the late 2nd-century Antonine Itinerary mentions a Roman settlement called Coccium 17 miles from the Roman fort at Manchester and 20 miles from the fort at Ribchester. Although the distances are out, it has been assumed that Coccium is Roman Wigan. Possible derivations of Coccium include from the Latin coccum, meaning "scarlet in colour, scarlet cloth", or from cocus, meaning "cook".
Over the years chance finds provided clear indications that a Roman settlement existed at Wigan, although its size and status remained unknown. In 2005 investigations ahead of the Grand Arcade development, in 2008 at the Joint Service Centre development, have proven that Wigan was a significant Roman site in the late first and second centuries AD; the excavated remains of ditches at Ship Yard off Millgate were consistent with use by the Roman military and formed part of the defences for a fort or a temporary camp. More remains were excavated to the south, in the area of McEwen's Yard, where foundations of a large and important building were discovered, together with many other Roman features; the building is 36 by 18 metres in size with a tiled roof. It contained around ten rooms including three with hypocausts, it had a colonnaded portico on the northern side, which formed the main entrance. The structure's ground-plan and the presence of the hypocausts show. A timber building excavated at the Joint Service Centre has been interpreted as a barrack block.
This suggests a Roman fort occupied the crest of the hill, taking advantage of the strategic position overlooking the River Douglas. The evidence gained from these excavations shows that Wigan was an important Roman settlement, was certainly the place referred to as Coccium in the Antonine Itinerary. In the Anglo-Saxon period, the area was under the control of the Northumbrians and the Mercians. In the early 10th century there was an influx of Scandinavians expelled from Ireland; this can be seen in place names such as Scholes—now a part of Wigan—which derives from the Scandinavian skali meaning "hut". Further evidence comes from some street names in Wigan. Although Wigan is not mentioned in the Domesday Book because it was included in the Neweton barony, it is thought that the mention of a church in the manor of Neweton is Wigan Parish Church; the rectors of the parish church were lords of the manor of Wigan, a sub-manor of Neweton, until the 19th century. Wigan was incorporated as a borough in 1246 following the issue of a charter by King Henry III to John Maunsell, the local church rector and lord of th
