Philip Newton

Brewery Newton & Ridley held a licencee's reunion in November 2003 in Blackpool at which ex-Chairman Cecil Newton made the re-acquaintance of Bet Lynch for the first time in many years. He had always carried a torch for Bet but now, in his latter years, it became much more. His son, Philip Newton was horrified at what he saw as a gold-digger getting her claws into his rightful inheritance and told Bet that his father suffered a bad heart and was showing signs of senility. He also was not assured by Bet's assurance that she was interested in nothing but Cecil's friendship. Afterwards, Bet informed Cecil of Philip's fears, receiving back the frank admission that he didn't like his son, who he saw as only being interested in what the contents of his will would be. He also proposed marriage to Bet…

Philip was furious at this development and openly told his father that he was going to put a stop to his plans. To this end he employed a private detective to follow and photograph Bet in order that he could use any incriminating pictures to dissuade his father from his chosen course.

Unfortunately for Bet, she became embroiled in the affairs of friend Liz McDonald whose husband Jim was on the run from jail, desperate to see her as he suspected that she was having an affair with local pub landlord Laurie Dyson. He had altered the police to a possible hideout where Jim could be found - a caravan owned by Fred Elliott. In getting Jim away from this place, he and Bet had to momentarily pose as a kissing couple on the seafront which is when the detective snapped their passion in progress. Philip gleefully showed the photographs to a shaken Cecil who, in turn, confronted Bet with the "evidence". Luckily for her, Liz and Fred Elliott were able to confirm who the man in the pictures was and the wedding was back on again.

They resolved not to tell Philip on the hastily arranged ceremony but the game was given away when he took a call for his father from Arthur Fallowes, the parish priest, confirming the arrangements. He confronted Cecil and Bet on the doorstep of the church and in the middle of the ensuing row, the older man fell to the ground with a heart attack. He later died in hospital and Philip inherited his money after all. As Fred Elliott said, "He knew the state of Cecil's heart. If he'd decided to kill his father he couldn't have done it any better."

List of appearances

 * Episode 5630 (21st November 2003)
 * Episode 5631 (23rd November 2003)
 * Episode 5632 (24th November 2003)
 * Episode 5633 (24th November 2003)
 * Episode 5634 (26th November 2003)
 * Episode 5635 (28th November 2003)