Francoise Dubois

Francoise Dubois was a French girlfriend of businessman Mel Ryan. He and Ray Langton were under discussions about entering into a deal to sell and install sauna baths across the north of England and decided to meet at the The Carousel club to seal the deal. Ray had noticed that Mel had an eye for the ladies and when he heard about Irma Barlow kidding some lads from the Mark Brittain Warehouse that she was French he offered her a night out with him and Mel if she could convince his erstwhile business partner that she was one of his Gallic cousins.

She accepted the challenge, not knowing that Mel had rung up Francoise and suggested that she join them. Both Irma and Ray were stunned into atypical silence when Mel and Francoise turned up at their table with the French girl greeting Irma in a stream of her own language. Irma recovered her wits to agree quickly with Francoise when she insisted they speak English so as not to be rude and to include the lads in their conversation. She ended up complimenting Irma on her excellent language skills. Francoise questioned Irma as to which part of Paris she came from at which point Ray swept her on to dance floor. When later she insisted on chatting to Irma by herself, she told her that she felt ill and wanted to be taken home but was dragged by Francoise to the toilets instead. Francoise questioned Irma about her father and the work he did upon which Irma told her he had changed jobs more often than he had had "le hot dinners". Ray questioned Mel over his costs and charges and how a quality job could be done at the price he was offering. Mel confirmed that he wasn't interested in quality - just getting the money out of the customers and then scarpering. This raised a niggle of doubt in Ray's mind and he questioned Mel as to why his firm had been chosen. Mel replied honestly that it was because Fairclough and Langton had a reputation for shoddy workmanship. Ray saw red and threw a drink over Mel and a fight broke out. The girls joined in. Irma yelled at Francoise in her broadest northern tones to "shut yer gob before I knock yer rotten teeth in!" and pulled at her long tresses - which came off in Irma's hand. The fight subsequently cost Ray £50 in damages to the club and a lost deal.