Ted Bates was an unhappy old age pensioner who turned up in Coronation Street in August 1965, having left the old folks' home where he had been abandoned by his daughter, Mary and her businessman husband who looked down on his father-in-law. They rarely visited Ted and desperately unhappy he sought out his old friend and wartime comrade Albert Tatlock. The street residents at first thought that Ted was a tramp and tried to send him on his way but Albert realised who he was and took in the man who had worked for forty years in the Highways Department at Weatherfield Town Hall, furious at the way in which pensioners were being treated by society at large.
The supervisor of the home, Mr Charlesworth, turned up to try and persuade Ted to go back but Albert sent him on with a flea in his ear. Mary then wrote to Albert telling him to mind his own business but her words were equally dismissed. Ted though was hurt by his daughter’s attitude. Charlesworth made another attempt, telling Albert that Ted would be a financial drain on him but the determined old man refused to listen. In the end, Ted feared that he was leaning on Albert too much and returned to the home of his own accord.
List of appearances[]
1965