Christopher Cullen

Christopher Cullen was a sixteen-year-old boy who worked at The Kabin for one day in January 1974.

When Mavis Riley returned to Grange-over-Sands with her parents, Rita Littlewood advertised for a new assistant and Christopher was the only applicant. Rita was taken aback when the lad came into the newsagent offering to start immediately. She hadn't considered hiring a man, but his charm and keenness won her over. The next nut to crack was Len Fairclough, who met Chris when he came into the Kabin looking for Rita. Somewhat surprisingly, Len gave Chris the nod of approval, as he could help with the papers in the morning if the regular lad didn't turn up.

What followed was one of the most uncomfortable shifts of Rita's career. The day started out well enough but as the hours went by, Chris made his attraction to Rita more overt by invading her personal space and asking her personal questions, such as whether she dyed her hair. His behaviour was never objectionable but it was enough for Rita to send Chris away to the wholesalers to get a break from him. Later on, Rita offered to let Chris leave early if he wanted, but the lad failed to take the hint and elected to remain until closing time. He then made made a move on her, telling Rita how much he liked her. Rita politely turned him down, and to her relief Chris understood and backed down. He did not trouble her any further, leaving the shop straight away without even collecting his wages.