Template:18 July

18th July 1983: The early 1980s were not a good time for Bert Tilsley. He was made redundant from Foster's Foundry in December 1980 and spent a year out of work. He then gained a job at Longshaw's Foundry but later broke his arm and suffered a mini-stroke. In July 1983 he was reduced to helping his son Brian out at his garage but an error with a tyre gas pump resulted in an explosion. Bert was rushed to hospital with head and chest injuries and fell into a coma while wife Ivy fretted and prayed by his bedside. Although he seemingly recovered, he disappeared without warning from his home several weeks later and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital where he died the following January.
 * For more information see Episode 2326 (18th July 1983).