Roy was one of the hippies who squatted at 11 Coronation Street in January 1968.
Roy was part of Robert Croft's hippy commune, along with Monica Sutton, Keith and Vanda. They invaded No.11 on New Year's Eve 1967 after leaving their encampment in a house on Union Street. Elsie Tanner had just emigrated to the USA with her husband Steve so Dennis Tanner was living there by himself.
Like his fellow flower children, Roy was quiet and placid, spending most of his time thinking, smoking and staring into space. He sported the John Lennon look, with long hair and dark glasses. Roy was pleased when Lucille Hewitt joined their group, calling her Lucy in the sky, but he was less impressed with the record collection in Dennis's front room. Once Dennis worked out that the hippies meant to stay for a while, he agreed to let them doss as long as they were well behaved. The only time they pushed their luck was when Dennis walked in on Roy meditating naked in the bath, and when he subsequently came down the stairs wearing what Dennis thought was Elsie's old Vera Lynn.
The hippies were thrown out of No.11 when Annie Walker warned Dennis's landlord Alfred Wormold about the "vagrants" being harboured within his property. Annie was reeling from a terrifying experience where she braved No.11 to fetch back Lucille and witnessed the hippies chanting and burning incense; Annie thought they were invoking the Devil. Alfred inspected the house for himself and found the hippies all sleeping during the day, having spent the whole night listening to music. When Wormold ordered the hippies out and Dennis with them, they left to continue their vagabond lifestyle elsewhere.