Norris Cole

Norris Benjamin Cole was born on 5th March 1940. His mother Eunice had put his older half-brother Ramsay up for adoption, but he returned in 1960 after tracking her down. Eunice died the following year, which left a devastated Norris to blame Ramsay, a grudge he held against him for many years.

Norris was a salesman and married Myrtle Hargreaves but later left her and moved in with Derek and Mavis Wilton in the 1990s after picking him up and driving him home when Derek's car broke down. They became rivals and Norris once played a prank on Derek by kidnapping his gnome Arthur and sending ransom notes. When Derek found out after finding Arthur in Norris' cupboard, he drove him to the wrong church on Norris' wedding day to Derek's ex-wife Angela, where Derek was the best man. He attended Derek's funeral in 1997 after he died of a heart attack.

In 1999, Norris reappeared in Coronation Street and having briefly lodged with the Duckworths, he moved in with Emily Bishop and got a job at The Kabin working for Rita Sullivan. Norris became a cowardly gossip and got into scrapes, especially with serial killer Richard Hillman who intended to murder Emily. In 2009, Ramsay came back after fifty years to make amends but Norris wasn't having any of it, and Ramsay died later from a brain tumour when returning to Australia. Norris used the money from Ramsay's will to buy The Kabin as Rita was retiring.

Other information

 * Norris became an unlikely midwife in 2001 when he helped deliver baby Ben Watts.
 * Mary Taylor bought Norris a wig for his 70th birthday in 2010. However, he didn't wear it (only briefly trying it on in the Rovers' toilets).

Background information

 * Norris was introduced in 1994, and appeared on a recurring basis until 1997. This was mainly due to him not living on the Street and not much of a major character and was normally involved in storylines with rival Derek Wilton. The character was axed in 1997 by Brian Park and last appeared at Derek's funeral. However two years on, he was reintroduced in 1999 on a regular basis, working in The Kabin.
 * Norris wasn't Malcolm Hebden's first role in the series. Twenty years before taking the part of Norris, he played the character of Carlos in 1974. There is a touch of irony in this, as the character proposed to Mavis Riley and was close to marrying her. Mavis later married Derek who was Norris' rival and friend, and Norris also ended up working for Rita Sullivan, Mavis' friend, in The Kabin.

Quotes
"Might I be right in thinking this is Mr Wilton's residence?" (First line, to Mavis Wilton).

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"I mean, why do people... blight us with this endless bureaucracy!?" (after being told he was "too hasty" for his parcel by Morris Grieves).

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"You just want a free meal ticket, but guess what? she doesn't want you!" (to Dennis Tanner, about wife Rita).