Joe Makinson was a plumber who lived in Weatherfield in the 1960s. He had an on-off relationship with Christine Hardman which began in 1961 when he paid a plumbing bill in sympathy as the money was owed to his boss at Shorrock's by Christine's mother May, who had just died. Joe asked Christine out and was keen to see more of her despite being warned off by Christine's protective uncle Edwin.
The relationship continued until Joe unexpectedly proposed to Christine, and she finished with him instead, telling him they wouldn't work out together and he was too much of a penny-pincher. Joe had just turned down a well-paid job in Newcastle to stay in Weatherfield with Christine, and he took the break-up badly, even going so far as to write to Christine begging her to take him back.
Christine dated Joe again in 1963 when she was on the rebound from Frank Barlow. They were spotted together by Elsie Tanner, and word about it soon reached Frank. Joe also butted heads with Coronation Street's resident builder Len Fairclough over business matters during his brief return. Although Christine was thinking of dumping Joe, he ended things first.
Joe showed up in Coronation Street again in 1970 to settle a debt with Alan Howard, who owed him money. In the interim, he had set up his own business which had failed and for a period he had to work on the bins, including those of the man who made him bankrupt. The experience embittered Joe and made him harder, more confident but unsympathetic to people's problems.
List of appearances[]
1961[]
- Fri 13th Jan
- Wed 18th Jan
- Fri 20th Jan
- Mon 25th Jan
- Mon 15th Feb
- Wed 17th Feb
- Mon 22nd Feb
- Fri 3rd Mar
- Wed 22nd Mar
- Mon 27th Mar
- Wed 29th Mar
- Mon 10th Apr
- Wed 12th Apr
- Wed 19th Apr