Guard (Episode 8114/5)

The railway Guard was on duty at platform 1 of Victoria Station in Manchester in April 2013 when Paul Kershaw took a train for Yorkshire to start a new job in the fire service over the other side of the Pennines. He had suffered depression since the Rovers fire earlier in the year as a result of the death of his colleague Toni Griffiths while his girlfriend Eileen Grimshaw didn't want him to return to work at all as she was always on edge, wondering if he was safe any time that she heard about a fire. This tension eventually caused a split between the two of them.

Realising she didn't want Paul to leave, she and Jason Grimshaw raced to the station but the train was just about to pull out. The guard tried to stop Eileen going on to the platform but she pushed passed him. As the train pulled away, Paul saw her frantically gesturing to him but was unable to do anything. Jason and the guard caught up with her and she was asked to leave the platform as security were called. Eileen demanded to know if the man was happily married and he replied that the following Tuesday was his thirteenth anniversary: lace, though he was puzzled as to what to buy his wife. Eileen took her frustrations out on him and told him that she hoped she'd leave him!

In the event, Paul got off a station down the line and returned back home to Eileen.