Edwin Birtles was a member of the literary circle and distant cousin of Sheila Birtles. In 1962, Edwin and fellow enthusiast Emily Nugent made up a Winter programme for the group. Their friendship blossomed in the coming weeks, with Emily hero-worshipping Edwin in much the same way she previously had her Gamma Garments superior Leonard Swindley. Secretly jealous of their relationship, Swindley tried to find out more about Edwin from Sheila, who said that Edwin was stinking rich and a mixture of Cary Grant, Clark Gable and Cheyenne Bodie, before admitting to Doreen Lostock that he was actually about seven foot tall, had big feet and a little head and played the French horn.
In October of that year, the literary circle decided to put on Lady Lawson Loses, an Edwardian melodrama, at the Glad Tidings Mission Hall, with Edwin playing the lead. However, the play was then changed and moved to St. Joseph's Church, meaning that the Over 60's Club would no longer be a beneficiary. This resulted in the Coronation Street contingent, including Emily, forming the Mission Hall Players and mounting a rival production at the Mission. Nevertheless, Emily continued to meet with Edwin and follow his advice regarding the play, much to the consternation of Swindley who was producing the Glad Tidings production.