Michael Courtenay was a voluble Irishman and a founder member of Weatherfield's Over 60's Club along with Albert Tatlock. Michael was viewed as a newcomer by Albert as he had only moved into 17 Rosamund Street some three years before but he was chosen to be the club's acting treasurer as he used to work in the public assistance office. Leonard Swindley was an enthusiastic supporter of the enterprise and offered the facilities of the Glad Tidings Mission Hall for their activities with the first event being a formal meeting set for 28th June to elect the officers.
Widower Michael was viewed as a catch by many of the elderly ladies of the area and he basked in the attention that they lavished on him, making many opportunities to use his Irish charms on them. Minnie Caldwell and her friend Maud used Ena Sharples' temporary absence on holiday in Bridlington to invite him to join them in the Rovers Return Inn's snug. Their happy conversation ended abruptly when Ena returned early and found Michael sat in her chair which he quickly vacated. He soon realised how to get round Ena, flattering her by saying she was too young to join a club for the over-sixties and offering her a drink on him. Despite that, Ena declared him to be "brazen" and when she was ready to leave, made sure that Minnie left with her to ensure that she didn't shame herself!
On the night of the club's first meeting, Swindley made Michael sit on the platform with him and Albert where he was confirmed in his role of treasurer by a vote, along with Albert as chairman. The Bottle Lane Congregational Youth Club had donated a piano to the club but they realised that they had no one to play it at a proposed musical evening, aside from Ena, who was boycotting the club in her usual fit of pique. Michael felt that kind words would convince her but Albert had understandable doubts. He sent Michael into the vestry first where he again flattered her by saying she was ineligible to join the club on account of her young age but she was eventually tempted by the thought of playing the newly-donated piano.
To raise funds for the club's activities, they organised a jumble sale at the mission, with Albert and Michael asking the Walkers asked to both put up a poster advertising the event and storing the collected items on their premises. They went on to procure them from the residents of the area although Albert started to get annoyed with Michael's slowness and his constant attempts to sweet-talk the women they encountered.
One person Michael enjoyed talking to was fellow Irish citizen Concepta Riley and he stepped in when she was harangued by bullying Rovers' relief manager Vince Plummer. He had accused her of giving Michael a dirty glass for his whiskey and insisted she washed it up "properly" and avoid any "paddy tricks" with him. Michael refused to let him take the glass and made it quite clear that he objected to Vince's bigotry.
When the day of the sale dawned on 28th August, Michael set up the refreshments' stall in the mission, lamenting the fact that they had not been able to obtain a licence for anything stronger than lemonade. Albert was mightily amused that Ena had specifically requested that Michael help her man the stall, but she insisted that the suffering man reposition the table to her liking. The attendees seemed to avoid the table and its forthright "helper" who detected the smell of several drinks on Michael's breath. In the event, the sale proved a success and raised a satisfactory sum for the club's activities.
List of appearances[]
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1961 |