Michael Galloway was the manager of the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool. Roy and Hayley Cropper were in the resort on a trip there in October 2013. Hayley had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and the trip to the resort was one planned with supposed meticulous precision by Roy. One of Hayley’s ambitions was to go to the Tower Ballroom however Roy’s planning went askew and the attraction was closed for two days for maintenance.
Disappointed, the two were walking along the seafront when they saw a poster for tarot card reader Mary-Ann Galloway. Hayley wanted Roy’s future read as a bit of fun and under protest he went along.
During the initial chat, it slipped out that the Tower Ballroom was shut and during the reading, Mary-Ann commenced the reading of the cards in front of a highly critical Roy and she saw a new phase in the lives of the two, though she quickly turned back down the next card she picked up: Death.
Instead, she returned to the subject of Hayley’s wish to dance at the Tower Ballroom and told her that the cards were telling her that she should follow her dreams and go back there today to find her destiny. They did so, only to find that the Ballroom had been specially opened for the two of them for one hour by the manager, Mary-Ann’s son - Michael. The Wurlitzer organ emerged from the stage playing Hayley’s special song, Close to You, astounding the couple though they realised what was going on when they saw Mary-Ann looking down at them from the balcony. Michael told Roy and Hayley to enjoy themselves and that the organist would play any tune they chose.