Top 50 Coronation Street Characters

46. Albert Tatlock

On his debut, Albert Tatlock was already a pensioner, and a grumpy one at that! He was fondly remembered for his flat cap and the times when the Rovers regulars would listen to his war stories. A poignant moment was when his lodger Ken Barlow was given his set of medals after he passed away in 1984. For his tenure of 24 years, Albert was a widower, although he was involved with two women: Alice Pickens and Minnie Caldwell. He was engaged to be married to Alice in 1969 but they called the wedding off when they believed they were jinxed when the vicar’s car broke down. In 1973, he was wooing old friend Minnie and they also became engaged but Minnie grew tired of his habits (like drinking tea from a saucer) and called it off, and they remained friends. Not one to star in dramatic storylines, Mr Tatlock’s life revolved around his allotment and heated discussions with Minnie and her friend Ena Sharples in the snug. By 1983, Albert’s health deteriorated (as did Jack Howarth’s, the actor who played him) and he died off-screen in mid 1984, leaving Ken as the only original character still in the show.

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