Norris Cole

1. Mrytle
2. Angela Hawthorne 29 December 1995; divorced 1999

Children:

Played by: Malcolm Hebden
Appeared: 1994 - 14 April 1997; 1 December 1999 -


Norris Cole gave Derek Wilton a lift when Derek got stranded on his way back from a coach trip to London. Later, Norris needed a place to stay and turned up at the Wiltons. Derek was obliged to ask him to stay, which he did, making the place home, much to Mavis' disgust. Norris always pronounces Derek, Dirk and calls Mavis Mave.

Derek saw Norris as a bit of a dupe. He lapped up all of Derek's sales theory, calling him old man and flattering him, which Derek lapped up in turn. At this time, Derek was involved in Envirosphere - pyramid-selling environmental products like humidifiers. He was doing really badly. Derek persuaded Norris to start selling too, but he did extremely well. Norris said that he owed it all to Derek's training as a master salesman.

Norris eventually moved out

Getting short of cash, Derek got a job at Hawthorne's Stationery, owned by his ex-wife Angela. Norris met Angela at one of the Wiltons little soirees. He was very taken by her and asked Derek for some advice on how to handle her. Derek said you had to be firm, "Like Humphrey Bogart". Angela clearly did like this, as she married Norris.

Norris now works at Hawthorne's as Derek's boss and is a Square Dealer. In fact, Norris is Derek's nemesis. He's all the things Derek wants to be and is constantly doing better than him.

Norris marriage to Angela took a serious turn when they had a fight during a golf game. Norris moved back in with the Wiltons, took to drink, and buried Angela's golf clubs in their allotment. Angela went away for a few days and Derek jumped to the conclusion that Norris had murdered her and buried her in the allotment. Norris bought a new set of clubs and made up with Angela.

Norris returned to the Street as a stationary salesman in 1999, somewhat down on his luck and newly divorced from Angela. Rita took pity on him and hired him as a full time shop assistant. For awhile he lived at the Bed and Breakfast that Jack and Vera ran but is now lodging with Emily Bishop. Aside from a brief sojourn with Les and Kirk at Number 5 when his interfering made Emily ask him to leave, he's there to this day.

In 2003, he witnessed Richard Hillman speed away out his garage and kidnap the kids. He tipped off the police, but they didn't do any work due to the fact that 'Tricky Dicky Hillman' died in a car crash minutes afterwards.

In 2005, Norris was rumbled by the murder of Tommy Harris, and encouraged himself to set up a Neighbourhood Watch association. He also got some leaflets for ideas of security, but one item alone cost £4000.

Norris had always been a big, BIG Mel Hutchwright fan. Mel (or a man who was apparently Mel) suddenly turned up at the book club on May 1st. For three weeks, Mel stayed at the home of Emily Bishop and Norris - but in the end, 'Mel' turned out to be Lionel Hipkiss, a con artist who'd pulled off the same scam before. Mel/Lionel left, leaving Norris feeling both stupid and upset.

Note: Mel/Lionel was portrayed by Sir Ian McKellen.

Norris got addicted to entering magazine and radio competitions and through these, he met another top competition winner, spinster Mary Taylor who proceeded to take quite a shine to Norris. Together, they won a motor home and Mary wanted to travel with Norris in it around the world. Norris, feeling himself pushed out of the Kabin because Rita had become close to Colin Grimshaw, decided he might as well. But when Colin Grimshaw was disgraced and then died, Norris used this as an excuse not to leave town because he felt Rita needed him. Mary left on her own,

In the summer of 2009, We discovered that Norris had a half brother, Ramsay Clegg whom Norris blamed for the death of their mother. Never mind that she died over a year after Ramsay had looked her up when he was a young man. Norris claimed she never got over the shock. Norris wanted nothing to do with Ramsay no matter how hard Ramsay strived to get to know Norris. Unknown to Norris, Ramsay had a brain tumour and knew his time was limited. Ramsay finally left Weatherfield at the end of August, thinking that Norris would never accept him but it seems that Norris might have been softening his attitude. Too little, too late, because Ramsay died on the journey back to Australia where he had always lived and Norris was left with a box of memorabilia, letters and regrets.

Mary won a competition for a weekend away in Bronte country and coerced him into going with her. Mary turns a bit stalkerish and makes it difficult for him to leave, pretending the motorhome wouldn't start and the phones were down with no mobile reception either. She manages to break his glasses and later, when he twisted his ankle trying to leave, he overheard her talking to someone who turned out to be her mother, whom she'd said had died. He finally is able to contact the police but Mary was able to explain everything away. Eventually they made friends again.

2012: Norris found himself in a competition against Sylvia Goodwin who plays the ukelele. He bragged that he could play the piano better though in reality, could barely play at all. He ended up rigging the keyboard to fail on the night of the play-off.

2013: Emily had a tumble and sprained an ankle. Norris became jealous when Spider and Freda both sent gifts. He claimed one and pretended he bought it for her but he was found out. He was worried about becoming homeless if something happens to her. Emily decided to sign the house over to Norris as long as she could live there until she dies. It also means he's responsible for the taxes and upkeep!

Back to Characters index		Back to Profiles index	Back to corrie.net