Alan Skidmore

Alan Skidmore was a sales manager for Mike Baldwin based in London where he was contracted through his own agency. In September 1980 he visited Weatherfield for several days to see Mike on business and also to see something of the local colour. The first resident of the street that Alan saw upon arrival was Deirdre Langton as she struggled with her belongings outside No 3, in preparation for her move to the corner shop flat with daughter Tracy. He insisted on helping her with her suitcase which comprised the largest and heaviest item of her luggage, perplexing Alf Roberts and Bet Lynch as to where he had materialised from when he walked into the shop itself. Later on Bet tried to chat him up in the Rovers but when Deirdre came in, he made a beeline straight for her, offering further help with her move and saying that if she refused he would be black-balled by the RSPBB ("Royal Society for the Protection of Beautiful Birds"). He pushed her into agreeing to a date on Sunday, suggesting that she should ask Alf to babysit, which he agreed to with some reluctance.

Alan planned to take Deirdre to a nice place outside of Wilmslow but was disappointed to find that Tracy had to join them after all as Alf had council business on. He put on a good show nevertheless and expected to be invited in but Deirdre parried him, saying that Alf might not be pleased. He returned to his shared flat in London, saying he might be back in three weeks but that it was difficult to say in his job however that was the last she saw of him.