Len Sheldon

Len Sheldon was a customer of the Rovers who asked Michelle Connor to organise a birthday party for him one night in November 2014. As a Country and Western fan, he wanted it to be on the theme of a hoedown and cowboy hats and inflatable cactus plants were duly supplied while Michelle tried to find some bales of hay for the guests to sit on.

Under the lugubrious thought that this might be his last birthday ever and he wanted it to be perfect, he called at the pub with a few more requirements. There he was very taken with Liz McDonald and handed her his playlist and his latest idea - a mechanical bull. Liz warned him of the danger of such a device but he assured her he was still very supple with all his juices flowing and even offered to show her how he could still wrap his legs round his neck. She didn't take him up on his kind offer.

Back in the bar, he found Tammy Wynette's Stand by Your Man on the jukebox and asked Michelle if she could find a cardboard cut-out of Conway Twitty, citing his many record-selling accomplishments. His final request was for Liz to jump out a cake dressed as a cowgirl, saying he would then be able to die happy. Liz wished him a tactful goodbye rather than refuse outright.
 * Len was a cameo role for the acclaimed theatre actor Ronald Pickup.