Henry Wakefield was a former worker at Addison's Foundry who responded to Hilda Ogden's advert for a lodger in January 1985. Hilda took him in with the understanding that he was a railway ticket inspector but Curly Watts recognised him from Manchester Central Library where he'd seen him during the day when he should have been at work. When Hilda asked Henry about this, he admitted he was unemployed and couldn't get work as he was known by the unions as a strike breaker. He added that his mother had recently died and she was ashamed of him for crossing the picket line.
Hilda felt sorry for Henry and Mike Baldwin agreed to take him on at Baldwin's Casuals as a driver, but the machinists refused to work with a strike breaker and threatened to walk out if Mike didn't sack him. Mike ignored their threats but Henry got sick of the girls' snide remarks and handed in his notice. Later, at the Community Centre Valentine dance, he snatched the microphone and told the dancers they were a rotten lot and walked off, leaving his key at No.13. Hilda was heartbroken and sent out search parties for Henry. She found him at the library where he apologised for letting her down and agreed to see her again. Hilda was hoping he'd stay as she enjoyed having him in the house but he only returned to tell her he was moving away to start afresh.