Reg Ellis

Reg Ellis was a driver employed by Searle and Ormerod Coach Company of Weatherfield. In October 1969 he was assigned to be the driver for the day for a trip to the Lake District organised by Emily Nugent but he made the mistake - fatal for him - of taking out coach 48 instead of 172, the former having its track rods on the steering fixed and the job not yet having been completed.

The company alerted the police who put out an all-points alert in the region but the planned route had not been kept to at the behest of Ray Langton who wanted a visit to a pub he knew in place of the more educational sights planned by Emily. It was only when the coach was on its return journey back to the M6 that the police caught up with the travellers but it was too late. The steering went and despite Reg's best efforts the vehicle swerved and crashed violently into a tree.

Reg and all of the residents were taken to a local hospital. Of the Coronation Street residents, Ray was in the worst state, with concerns for several months that he might not walk again, but it was Reg who was the only fatality, dying at 6.00am on the morning of 5th November. Betty Turpin was the most upset by his death. The two had been on friendly terms and they had their nicknames for each other: she was "Bluebell" while his was "Ringo" and she also knew his wife who worked at the cleaners on Market Street. With his funeral taking place two days later, Betty organised for someone from the Rovers Return Inn to attend and the next week Annie Walker started a collection for his family, knowing that with the inquest and enquires to come, they wouldn't be having an easy time ahead.


 * The character was uncredited and was probably played by a professional coach driver rather than a trained actor. He was only seen in Episode 923 (29th October 1969), filmed from behind or in distance shots.