Edward Pollard

Mr M.J. Pollard was the short-term personnel manager seconded to the Weatherfield Mark Brittain Warehouse in the weeks before its opening with the specific task of recruiting a workforce ready for its opening.

Among the people taken on was Elsie Howard who was offered the position of supervisor in the checking department on the grand salary of £30 per week. Elsie handed over references and received her letter of confirmation, making husband Alan happy as the money would alleviate their precarious financial position. Elsie was therefore dumbstruck when she was summoned to Mr Pollard's office with a request that she obtain a reference from her former employer Miami Modes. Elsie guessed correctly that someone had told Pollard about her court case for theft in November 1969 and her subsequent resignation from the store, even though she wasn't found guilty at the trial. When she confirmed these events to Pollard, he rescinded the job offer. Elsie subsequently found out that Hilda Ogden had been the one who had told half a story to Pollard in spite for Elsie's refusal to get her a job at the warehouse. When Alan found out what had happened, he went to see Pollard but the latter's brusque manner annoyed Alan who told him that he was incompetent. Pollard had done his homework though and told Alan that he wasn't going to be lectured to by a bankrupt and told his secretary Susie Proctor to escort Alan from his office.

Maggie Clegg and Annie Walker, annoyed at Hilda's actions went back later to the warehouse to plead Elsie's case. Pollard had returned to the London office and his successor, Dennis Maxwell, proved far more amenable and Elsie got her job back.


 * The character was credited on screen as "Mr Pollard" and referred to as such in dialogue. He was credited as "M.J. Pollard" in "TV Times".