Bob Atkinson was a customer at the Builder's Yard in November 1980. He was the owner of Atkinson Transport who put in a tender for a garage extension and followed up on it after a holiday of several months in Madeira, now wanting the job done quickly.
Len and Rita Fairclough were in the middle of a marital dispute as to who contributed most to the household income as well as who worked harder and had swapped jobs to prove their respective points. As a result Rita was in the office when Bob called and he was taken with her. He suggested that they discuss the matter over lunch at the Black Bull the next day and a flattered Rita was not unimpressed. Rita boasted to Len that he could get her a big job but he sneered at the prospect. Bob called back first thing next morning to make sure that she would be coming and told her that he would see her about 1.00pm. Rita went to the hairdressers prior to their appointment which Len found out about through apprentice Martin Cheveski. The lunch appointment went well and Bob told Rita that the contract was theirs. He also pointed out that if the builders were busy with the work, she would have time to go out again with him and they agreed to meet again at the lorry depot the next day to discuss the job further. Len was grudgingly pleased to have the contract but not pleased that Atkinson was showing such interest in Rita. He was further annoyed when Bet Lynch and Mavis Riley made comments to the effect that Atkinson was showing more than a business interest in his wife.
Len told Rita that he felt he should step in now in order that technical questions about the job could be answered and he also called off their feud over their businesses. Rita returned to The Kabin and it was Len who Bob found himself dealing with in the yard. He made a mistake though when he asked Len if he could use a phone to book a motel for him and Rita, not realising that she was Len's wife. Len threatened to re-arrange his features and threw him out of the yard. Rita was not pleased that the contract was lost, nor that Len hadn't trusted her with Atkinson.
List of appearances
1980