| The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street in 1997, by order of first appearance.
| Coronation Street characters | |||||
| 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | |
| 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | |
| 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | |
| 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | |
| 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | |
| 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | |
| 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | |
| 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | |
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | |
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | |
| 2010 | 2011 | ||||
Contents |
| Natalie Barnes | |||||||||||||
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| Coronation Street character | |||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Denise Welch | ||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Brian Park | ||||||||||||
| Duration | 1997–2000 | ||||||||||||
| First appearance | 26 February 1997 | ||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 31 December 2000 | ||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 12th October 1957 [1] | ||||||||||||
| Home | Cotswolds | ||||||||||||
| Occupation | Barmaid (1997–2000) Pub landlady (1998–2000) |
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Natalie Felicity Barnes (née Brownlow; previously Horrocks) was played by Denise Welch.
Natalie Horrocks first appears on Coronation Street in February 1997 after her son Tony Horrocks, co-owner of MVB Motors suffers a breakdown after running over and killing Joyce Smedley in his car. She takes over the running of the garage, implementing a new billing system computer program and acting as part owner and Manager in her son's absence. There she begins a relationship with Tony's business partner Kevin Webster, despite the fact he is married and a lot younger than her. She seduces him and convinces him that she only wants an affair with no strings attached. Kevin, who is lonely as his wife Sally is in Scarborough, decides to take a chance and he and Natalie embark on an affair.
After a period of time, Natalie decides that she wants Kevin full time as she has fallen in love with him. She convinces him to leave Sally and move in with her, which he does. As a result of this Natalie becomes the most hated woman on the Street and Sally slaps her. Sally demands money for their daughters' upbringing, putting a strain on Natalie and Kevin's relationship. By Christmas 1997, Kevin begins to miss his family. He leaves Natalie and returns to Sally and his children. Natalie is devastated at her loss.
After finding herself unwanted at the garage, and feeling that it does not warrant her time, Natalie gets a job as the Rovers's new barmaid. The regulars are dismayed by this and some refuse to drink there. With time, the regulars soften and Natalie becomes less offensive and people start to like her off-the-cuff manner.
Natalie becomes friendly with Des Barnes while he is dating her colleague, fellow barmaid Samantha Failsworth. When their relationship ends, Natalie is there as a friend for Des. Samantha begins stalking Natalie and is jealous of her friendship with Des. When Samantha kidnaps Natalie's cat, the relationship between Des and Natalie grows. She struggles for months to fight her attraction to him but in the end, they find themselves together. This is the relationship they had both longed for and they consider each other a perfect match.
Tony's return to the Street in the autumn of 1998 trigger events that left Natalie devastated. In early October, Des proposes to Natalie and she accepts. Their wedding is the event of the Street and all the residents attend. The marquee is decorated by Hayley Patterson, the best man is Les Battersby and the champagne flows. It is a union toasted by everybody except the Websters.
Unknown to all except Des, Tony has arrived on the street with serious problems. He is now a drug dealer and in big financial trouble. He needs money and Natalie is quick to give him what he needs, although she never knows what it is for. It is not enough. While at home one night Tony is accosted by three drug dealers, looking for the money that he owes them. Des happens to be there as they attack Tony and while trying to help him, he is hit on the head, sending him crashing on to the coffee table. Des dies in hospital of a heart attack. Bereft and looking for a new start, Natalie seeks comfort from the Rovers. Finding that it is for sale, Natalie buys the pub from Alec Gilroy on 30 December 1998. After shifting the Duckworths from their lodgings upstairs, Natalie moves into the pub and redecorates.
As the Rovers landlady, Natalie has a brief relationship with Ian Bentley, aware that he is engaged but unaware that his fiancee is Rita Sullivan's former foster daughter Sharon Gaskell. Rovers' barmaid Betty Williams sees Natalie and Ian together, and tells Rita - who confronts Natalie. Natalie finishes with Ian and Sharon leaves him at the altar; however, after this, Natalie and Sharon do not get on.
After the break-up of her marriage to Nick Tilsley, Leanne Battersby moves into the Rovers with Natalie. The Rovers is robbed on New Year's Day 2000 after Leanne falls into debt with drug dealer Jez Quigley over her cocaine addiction. The Rovers robbery leaves Leanne hospitalised, and after she confesses to Natalie, Natalie agrees to support her, and seeks help for her with a drug counsellor.
In March 2000, Natalie is devastated to discover that the body recently found on the new development of Victoria Street is her son, Tony. He is found by Natalie's on and off lover, Vinny Sorrell, after he falls through a hole. Vinny had worked with Natalie as barman in the Rovers but when they decided working together was bad for their relationship, he takes a job as a labourer. Natalie suffers a breakdown, confused over her feelings over Tony's death, as she had blamed him for causing Des's death. Des's brother Colin Barnes makes a scene at Tony's funeral, which leads to the police questioning him. To avoid arrest, he tells the police that he was with Natalie on the night Tony died. Natalie is ashamed, especially as it damages her relationship with Vinny, but was determined to find out who had murdered her son, putting up a £10,000 award for information, regarding Tony's death. Steve McDonald tells Natalie that he was threatening him about using the mini-cab firm to supply drugs. When Steve stands up to him, Jez says that he would have to face the fate that had befallen Tony. Natalie goes to the police with this information and Jez is arrested but is found not guilty when Steve's motives as a witness are questioned.
Natalie starts rebuilding her life, and discovers that she was pregnant with Vinnie's baby, but faces another blow on discovering that Vinny is dating her sister, Debs Brownlow. She has recently moved to Weatherfield after working as a hairdresser on cruise ships. Natalie feels she cannot forgive them for this, and rejects both of them and evicts Debs from No.6. They leave Weatherfield tgether, going to Southampton, with Vinny hoping to get a job with Debs on a cruise ship, unaware that Natalie is pregnant. Natalie wants to keep the baby but decides that she doesn't want to bring her child up in a pub and in urban Weatherfield. During Christmas 2000, after inviting Kevin for Christmas dinner, she is accosted by Sally in The Rovers. Sally assumes that she is trying to seduce Kevin again but Natalie retorts by telling her that she has some nerve to accuse her of attempting to seduce Kevin after she slept with Kevin the night before he married Alison Wakefield and Sally leaves the pub, humiliated. Natalie sells the Rovers intending to start a new life in the Cotswolds, but there are protests from the residents when Natalie decides to sell to the Boozy Chain, who intend to call the place The Boozy Newt. After some negotiation, businessmen Duggie Ferguson, Fred Elliott and Mike Baldwin agree to buy the pub and save it from its fate with the Boozy Chain. Natalie bids an emotional farewell to Weatherfield on 31 December 2000.
In February 2001, barmaid Geena Gregory announces in the Rovers that Natalie has given birth to a baby girl named Laura. It is uncertain if Natalie still has shares in Kevin Webster's garage. Natalie is mentioned again in November 2009 when Kevin starts an affair with Molly Dobbs. Molly's husband Tyrone tells Molly about Kevin's past affairs, saying Natalie was the biggest of them all but he and Sally would always end up back together.
| Brad Armstrong | |||||||||||||
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| Coronation Street character | |||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Caleb Flanagan | ||||||||||||
| Duration | 1997–98 | ||||||||||||
| First appearance | 16 February 1997 | ||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 2 May 1997 | ||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; recurring | ||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 14 February 1997 | ||||||||||||
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Bradley "Brad" Armstrong is the son of Terry Duckworth and Tricia Armstrong. He is born on 14 February 1997 and named after Brad Pitt. Three months after his birth, Brad leaves Weatherfield with his mother.
| Chris Collins | |
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| Coronation Street character | |
| Portrayed by | Matthew Marsden |
| Duration | 1997–98 |
| First appearance | 3 March 1997 |
| Last appearance | 29 March 1998 |
Chris Collins is a mechanic played Matthew Marsden. Chris, a former soldier, makes his first appearance in March 1997 when he arrives at Webster's Autos looking for work, and when Chris demonstrates his abilities, Kevin Webster gives him the job.
During his time on the Street and unbeknownst to his boss Kevin, Chris has a passionate affair with Kevin's wife Sally in revenge for Kevin's affair with Natalie Horrocks. He ends his relationship with Sally after she and Kevin get back together. Chris then has a fling with barmaid Samantha Failsworth. When he decides to leave Weatherfield, Samantha intends on coming with him and packs a bag for herself, but in the end Chris does not call round for her and leaves on his own without telling anyone. Chris's current whereabouts are unknown.
| Zoe Tattersall | |||||
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| Coronation Street character | |||||
| Portrayed by | Joanne Froggatt | ||||
| Duration | 1997-98 | ||||
| First appearance | 19 May 1997 | ||||
| Last appearance | 16 December 1998 | ||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||
| Profile | |||||
| Date of birth | 13 September 1981 | ||||
| Home | America | ||||
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Zoe Tattersall was played by Joanne Froggatt.[2]
Zoe is a troubled teenage tearaway . She has enough of childrens' care homes and runs away, living on the streets with her boyfriend Liam Shepherd. The character first appears in an amusement arcade where Judy Mallett works. Liam causes trouble and one day when Judy's husband Gary is there, he throws the teenager out but then he decides to blackmail the Malletts for a substantial amount of money, threatening to go to the police. The real reason for wanting the money is because Zoe is pregnant with his baby.
Judy, struggling with her own fertility issues, offers Zoe £2,000 for her baby. Zoe is overwhelmed and though Gary objects to the plan, Zoe accepts the offer. The neighbours assume that Gary is the baby's father and Judy allows them to think that, deciding it would help matters if anyone asked why they had the baby. Zoe soon makes friends with new neighbour Leanne Battersby and confesses the real story, including the payment.
The baby arrives and Judy is anxious to get rid of Zoe, who is showing signs of bonding with little Katy Joyce. Gary fraudulently signs the birth certificate as the father and Judy settles in to new motherhood with Zoe resentfully looking on in the background. After the health visitor’s first visit, Zoe is persuaded to leave but its not long before Leanne tells Nick Tilsley the truth and the gossips speculate wildly. The Mallets claim Zoe stole the money and ran off. Leanne finds Zoe and persuades her to come back and clear her name.
Meanwhile, Ashley Peacock, working in the corner shop, develops feelings for Zoe. Finally, after the christening, Gary and Judy are so worried about Zoe’s presence that they plan to leave Weatherfield but Zoe snatches her baby with Ashley’s help, renaming her Shannon. Zoe and Shannon move in with Ashley, Leanne and Nick and live together for a while until Shannon is rushed to hospital with meningitis and dies. Zoe is devastated and has a breakdown, lashing out at her friends and neighbours, which results in her being sectioned for a period of time. During this time, Ashley realizes that though he loves Zoe, he cannot give her what she needs. He can’t bring himself to finish with her, however, and when she is released from hospital, she comes back to live with him.
Zoe meets a couple while out clubbing, Ben and Ruth. Ruth becomes her new best friend very quickly, making Ashley suspicious. They get Zoe a job at their “Foundation” and convince her to sell new age crystals on the street and door to door, all the while telling her about their beliefs and working on her grief for her baby. She is soon convinced that theirs is the road to salvation and becomes deeply involved in the Cult of Nirab. Despite his efforts, Ashley realises that Zoe has to make her own decisions. She needs a new start, wants to have a baby for the Foundation and leaves with Ben and Ruth in December 1998 and is never seen again. Years later Ashley refers to Zoe in conversation with wife, Claire Peacock, mentioning that she now lives in America.
| Jez Quigley | |||||||
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| Coronation Street character | |||||||
| Portrayed by | Lee Boardman | ||||||
| Duration | 1997, 1999-2000 | ||||||
| First appearance | 6 June 1997 | ||||||
| Last appearance | 15 September 2000 | ||||||
| Profile | |||||||
| Date of birth | 1972 | ||||||
| Date of death | 15 September 2000 | ||||||
| Occupation | Nightclub owner/Drug Dealer | ||||||
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Gerald Francis "Jez" Quigley was played by Lee Boardman. He made his first appearance in 1997, returning to the show in 1999 and remaining until being killed off in September 2000.
Jez was a gangster, a drug dealer and murderer. He kills Tony Horrocks and supplies cocaine to Leanne Battersby, who quickly becomes an addict. Steve McDonald unsuccessfully turns to Jez for a job, and later testifies against Jez at his trial for Tony's murder. Despite Steve's testimony, Jez is found not guilty. A bully, Jez has Steve trapped in an underground car park and beaten by a gang of thugs, causing him serious injuries. Steve's father Jim takes revenge by attacking Jez in his own home. Jez later dies in hospital of his injuries, after collapsing on top of Steve whilst making a second attempt to kill him. Jim surrenders to the police and is later found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to eight years in prison.
| Toyah Battersby | |||||||||
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| Coronation Street character | |||||||||
| Portrayed by | Georgia Taylor | ||||||||
| Duration | 1997–2003 | ||||||||
| First appearance | 4 July 1997 | ||||||||
| Last appearance | 5 February 2003 | ||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||
| Date of birth | 28 May 1982 | ||||||||
| Home | London | ||||||||
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Toyah Laverne Battersby (née Lee) was played by Georgia Taylor.
Toyah first appears, along with mother Janice, stepfather Les, and stepsister Leanne, in 1997. Toyah is a fairly typical schoolgirl who is struggling with the normal ups and downs of teenage life. She soon develops a crush on her neighbour, Spider, who introduces her to environmentalism, as well as the occasional joint. It is Spider who helps Toyah save Theresa the turkey from the Battersby's dinner table at Christmas. Toyah becomes very enthusiastic about the "eco-warrior" lifestyle; so much so that she pours anti-freeze all over the freezers in a grocery store while protesting the sale of prawns in Freshco's Supermarket.
Toyah and Spider eventually become a couple after spending the night together on the Red Rec while watching the lunar eclipse (amongst other activities). They live together at Emily's house for a short while, but she puts them out after they disobey the rules regarding sex in the house. They pitch a tent on the Red Rec to live in but unsurprisingly, this does not last long. They wind up living in Hayley's old bedsit, and for a while Spider pays the rent with the money he is earning at the benefits office. When Spider leaves his job on principle, he decides to take a trip to India. Toyah can't face going that far away and Spider leaves without her.
The night before Easter Sunday in 2001, Toyah is having a night out with mechanic Sam Kingston. While on her way home alone, Toyah is raped and left for dead in the ginnel, only to be discovered the next morning by Jason Grimshaw, out for an early morning run. Toyah is forced to tell her mother what had happened and relive the event while relating her story to the police. Matters are complicated because Toyah was only semi-conscious at the time of the attack, and therefore does not know who her attacker was. After much finger-pointing at various male residents of Coronation Street, it is discovered on 30 April 2001, that Toyah's rapist is Phil Simmonds, a man she had befriended after meeting through Spider. Phil had come over to her house to comfort her after the ordeal but when he called her name while she was in the kitchen, Toyah has a flashback and realises that her attacker is sitting in her living room. Toyah tries to pretend that everything is alright, but Phil realises that she has remembered what he has done to her and grabs her around the throat. Toyah is saved when Peter Barlow (who had himself been accused of the crime, but was ruled out by DNA evidence) hears her screams and breaks down the door. Phil is eventually sent to prison, but Toyah is traumatised by everything that has happened to her.
After the ordeal, Toyah returns to college and moves in with Fiz Brown and Maria Sutherland in the flat above the hairdresser's and tries to move on with her life. After a brief fling with Andy McDonald, she starts dating one of her former professors, John Arnley, in 2002, but leaves him after discovering that her best friend Maria has had a one-night stand with John in January 2003, which results in her falling pregnant by him. Despite the fact that Maria has an abortion, Toyah can't handle John's infidelity and leaves for a new life in Sheffield, before reconciling with her ex-boyfriend Spider and moving to London with him, as he has started his own juice company there.
Toyah is frequently mentioned by her family members after her departure, most notably in August 2010, Janice pays a visit to Toyah as mentioned by Sally Webster. She is mentioned again in February 2011 when Leanne receives a phonecall from her and later plans to move to London to live with her following the breakdown of her marriage. In July 2011, Toyah is meant to attend Leannne's 30th birthday party but is unable to attend after missing her train.
| Shannon Tattersall | |||||||
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| Coronation Street character | |||||||
| Portrayed by | Lucy Whipday | ||||||
| Duration | 1997-98 | ||||||
| First appearance | 28 August 1997 | ||||||
| Last appearance | 17 April 1998 | ||||||
| Classification | Former; recurring | ||||||
| Profile | |||||||
| Date of birth | 28 August 1997 | ||||||
| Date of death | 17 April 1998 | ||||||
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Shannon Jade Tattersall (previously Katie Joyce Mallett) is the daughter of wayward teenager Zoe Tattersall (Joanne Froggatt). Zoe fell pregnant fresh out of a care home by her ex-boyfriend Liam Shepherd. Zoe doesnt want to be a mother this young so when Judy Mallett (Gaynor Faye) - who is unable to have children - offers her £2,000 for her baby, she takes the offer. She gives birth to her baby in August 1997, and Judy and husband Gary are keen to get Zoe out of the picture when she shows signs of bonding with little Katie Joyce. Both Judy and Zoe agree that Gary must say hes the father, so they dont raise suspiscion with the residents.
Zoe admits to new friend Leanne Battersby about selling her baby, and the mouthy teen confronts the Malletts, who accuse Zoe of running away with the money. The young mother is left devastated when after baby Katie's christening, they consider moving away from the street to keep the baby away from Zoe. Meanwhile Ashley Peacock develops feelings for Zoe and helps her snatch her baby back, renaming her Shannon Jade. Zoe and Shannon move in with Ashley, Leanne and Nick Tilsley when Zoe has nowhere else to live.
In April 1998, little Shannon is being babysat by Leanne and Nick when she begins breathing funny and Leanne rushes to fetch the Malletts. Zoe is left devastated when her baby daughter tragically dies of meningitis aged just eight months. After Shannon's death, Zoe hits out at the people closest to her, eventually leading to her being sectioned. She was later thought to have moved to America.
| Lorraine Brownlow | |||||||
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| Coronation Street character | |||||||
| Portrayed by | Holly Newman | ||||||
| Duration | 1997, 1998–99 | ||||||
| First appearance | 3 November 1997 | ||||||
| Last appearance | 12 March 1999 | ||||||
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Lorraine Brownlow is the niece of Natalie Barnes, played by actress Holly Newman between 1997 and 1999. Upon returning to Weatherfield in July 1998, Natalie hires Lorraine as a barmaid in the Rovers Return.
| Spider Nugent | |||||||||||
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| Coronation Street character | |||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Martin Hancock | ||||||||||
| Duration | 1997-98, 1999, 2000-01, 2003 | ||||||||||
| First appearance | 15 December 1997 | ||||||||||
| Last appearance | 5 February 2003 | ||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||
| Date of birth | 22 January 1972 | ||||||||||
| Home | London | ||||||||||
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Geoffrey David "Spider" Nugent is the Street's first "eco-warrior", vegan and didgeridoo owner. Spider is interested in the environment and green issues. Whilst on the street he has a relationship with Toyah Battersby. He appears in the show on and off between 1997 and 2003, making his most recent appearance in February 2003 when he visits his aunt Emily Bishop when she is recovering at home from injuries suffered in an attack by Richard Hillman.
Spider turns up on Emily's doorstep in December 1997. The scruffy, ragged-trousered, Big-Issue reading, Holsten-Pils drinking, vegetarian, eco-warrier brings a wry smile to Emily's face when she asked him why he has turned up unannounced. "My dad said you were a bit of a go-er so I thought you'd be cool with it. I won't sponge off you for long", he states, "I've got the world to save and all that". Local resident Toyah Battersby immediately develops a crush on Spider, and the pair of them are instrumental in saving Theresa the turkey from being dish of the day at the Battersby Christmas dinner. They liberate Theresa and take her to a children's farm, from where she promptly escapes. The turkey make her way back to the Street, only to meet her untimely death under the wheels of Les Battersby's car.
Spider and Toyah then start the PLO (Prawn Liberation Organisation) to save the Norwegian prawn. The pair of them, with Emily joining in, play whale music in Firman's Freezers and strut around with placards. Spider is delighted with Toyah's involvement when she pours anti-freeze over the prawns in Firman's, little realising the seriousness of their actions.
In March 1998, Spider upsets Emily and Toyah when he decides to leave Weatherfield, this time with another eco warrior Log Thwaite. However, Spider discovers Log's true colours after a bacon sandwich goes missing in the cafe and the only likely suspect is her. Emily sets a trap for Log by laying out bacon and sausages for her Sunday lunch and when Spider returns to the house to find Log tucking into a full English breakfast, he tells her he can't leave with someone as unprincipled as she. Before leaving, Log turns to Spider to tell him they no longer have anything in common anyway because he'd "gone all cuddly".
In June 1998, Spider stands for council on environmental issues, hoping to win Weatherfield's 'green vote', threatening butcher Fred Elliott that the campaign will make Weatherfield a meat-free zone. Audrey Roberts, appalled that Spider is going to stand for council is enraged enough to announce that she too will stand for council. The tension mounts as both Spider and Audrey fight to gain control of Weatherfield Council. Both of them need ten people to sign in support of their stand for council, and while Spider has no problem getting his ten good men (and women) true, Audrey is less popular, it seems. However, it's revealed that Gail Platt signed for Spider but only after Toyah tells her she needs her signature for a sponsored walk. Audrey reckons Spider won't be able to stand for council as he won't be on the electoral register, but Emily surprises everyone by saying that she registered Spider when he first moved in with her. Spider tells Emily that even if he is elected, he won't actually take the position because it is against his anarchist principles. When election day dawns, Fred is worried that Spider might steal Audrey's seat. He receives confirmation from a man at the council that anyone having spent time in prison wasn't eligible to take up office. That would rule out Spider as he had spent time in prison in the past, or so Fred thought - but he isn't quite correct. As Spider had only spent 14 days in prison (for sticking to his principles and refusing to pay a fine) he can still hold office if he wins the election. Sadly though, while Spider gets 842 votes, Audrey wins the election with 849 votes, beating Spider by a mere 7 votes.
In March 1999, Spider helps his friend Curly Watts get his house back from the clutches of Jackie Dobbs. Curly takes legal advice to evict his squatter, to no avail, so he and Spider end up creeping into the house to steal the TV while Jackie's son Tyrone is sleeping on the sofa.
In April 1999, Spider develops a crush on shopkeeper Nita Desai when she invites him to her flat above the corner shop for dinner, but she is only interested in his friendship. He doesn't realise this though, and starts getting all misty-eyed about meeting the right girl to settle down with and have children.
During August 1999, Spider and Toyah spend a night under canvas on the Red Rec, hoping to catch a glimpse of the eclipse. Instead, something much more earthly happened. Back at Aunty Em's, she asked them both how the evening had gone. "Er.. cosmic", said Toyah . But Spider wasn't so sure and spent most of the week afterwards trying to avoid her. Leanne Battersby told Spider if he didn't do the decent thing with Toyah she would threaten him with Les Battersby but Spider really did seem confused, poor soul. Finally though, Toyah got her man after she stormed round to see him at Aunty Em's and demanded to know what was going on. After a couple of snogs the pair of them seemed a lot happier, so there you go. True love or what? Spider had a way with words when wooing Toyah in the café: "You have a beautiful body but your mind is equally as wonderful". We women like that sort of stuff, believe me. When Les found out who Toyah's new boyfriend was, he was less than pleased: "You mean that dozy crusty's sleeping wi' our Toyah?" he yelled before storming round to the café, intending to pull the legs off Spider before flushing him down the toilet, no doubt. Fortunately for Spider, all the shouting in the café brought Hayley Cropper downstairs and she sorted out the lot of them. Spider managed to sweet talk Aunty Em into letting Toyah stay there for a while after the fall-out with Les Aunty Em agreed, on the understanding that no hanky panky went on under her roof. They both agreed, well, at least they tried to, but hormones being hormones and all, well Aunty Em was not best pleased when she found out what was going on and threw Toyah out. Curly let the young lovers use his spare room, while worried about incurring the wrath of Les next door.
In October 1999, Spider and Toyah set up home in a tent on the Red Rec but the sanitary arrangements left a lot to be desired, with no toilet or fresh water. After eating yams one more time, Toyah wasn't happy, especially when Spider's mate, a tramp called Tufty, turned up on the door step, or rather, at the tent-flap, begging for food. When Audrey found out that "Mr Hippy, the armchair anarchist" had set up home in one of the parks she had control over in her role of councillor, she wasn't best pleased. Aunty Em went off on holiday with Maud Grimes and while she was away, Spider and Toyah moved in to her house. While the two of them were upstairs playing battleships in the bath tub, a candle set fire to Aunty Em's curtains and the living room ended up with serious smoke damage. Spider enlisted Hayley to help out redecorating Aunty Em's front room after the fire, and while she got cracking making new curtains, Spider and Toyah did the wall-papering and the place looked ok again.
Hayley happened to mention that her old bedsit was free - at last, Spider and Toyah could have a home to call their own. Only one slight problem, they couldn't afford it, so Spider decided it was time he got himself a job (about bloody time, too!). Off he went to the jobcentre and tried to get a job as park keeper but the job had already gone. However, Earnest in the jobcentre tried to find something suitable for him. He offered slaughterhouse work (no - he's vegetarian), pest control (no - he couldn't kill creepy crawlies), car park attendant (no - we all know the damage they do to the environment), baker (no - too many animal fats and GM foods) and canal dredger (no - he couldn't work with Toyah's dad). "Principles don't put bread on the table", Gail told him, so there was only one thing for it - he went for an interview with the establishment - the Benefits Agency itself. A bit nervous before the interview, he started talking to a guy who worked there, only to find it was fellow crusty, Ganga Tim. "There's something I should tell yer" said Spider, "I'm an anarchist". "So am I" replied Ganga Tim. It was a done deal, he got the job and planned to make the system work to help claimants with their benefits rather than becoming one of the establishment himself.
In November 1999 while working at the Benefits Agency, Spider uncovered evidence that showed Les Battersby working while claiming benefits. He and Toyah decided to get rid of the incriminating evidence but he was caught by his boss, Miss Finch and had some explaining to do.
Spider settled into a more responsible lifestyle, wearing a suit and tie for work each day, looked after Toyah and the pair of them entertained friends with vegetarian dinner parties in their bedsit. However, working at the Benefit Agency became too much for Spider when he had to refuse a single mother her benefits - and he walked out.
He headed home to sit around a candle and went 'um' in an unconvincing Buddhist way and tells Toyah he's booked them both on a spiritual journey. "Were not going to the Millennium Dome, are we?" she asked. No, Toyah, you're going to India. Well, Spider would have liked you to have gone to India with him, he'd bought two tickets after all, but it was too much for Toyah to take in, too sudden. She felt she couldn't just up and leave. In the end, finally, and tearfully she decided her own destiny, remaining in Weatherfield without him. And so he went, just like that. He said goodbye to Aunty Em (more tears), paid a month's rent in advance and left £100 in the bank for Toyah.