Percy Sugden was caretaker at the Community Centre from 1983 to 1988. He later lodged with Emily Bishop until 1997.
Percy was married to Mary, who died in 1978. They had no children together. He carried with him fond memories of World War II, within which he served as an NCO in the Royal Army Catering Corps, driving a mobile canteen across the Western Desert.
In Coronation Street, he was generally seen as opinionated and nosy; many sympathised with Emily for putting up with him for so long. While Percy was undeniably overbearing at times, he was very loyal to Emily and was a great help to her when she had a nervous breakdown in 1992. He left the Street in 1997 to get away from noisy neighbours the Battersbys, preferring the quiet of Mayfield Court old folk's home.
Percy's friends in the Street were Maud Grimes, who he was briefly engaged to, Phyllis Pearce, to whom Percy was the man of her dreams, and Randy, his faithful budgie.
Biography
Percy Sugden arrived in the Street in 1983 as the new caretaker at the Community Centre. Old soldier Percy had been a cook in the Army and his proudest boast was: "When you've made gravy under shell fire, you can do anything!"
In 1983, Percy suggested to Mavis Riley that his pet budgie, Randy, should mate with her pet budgie, Harriet. However, Mavis was not happy with the idea.
Percy was well-meaning, but bossy and interfering. He had little family, but was close to his niece,Elaine Prior, who married Bill Webster in 1985.
In 1987, Percy formed the Percy Sugden Formation Dancers, containing such local notables as Hilda Ogden and Phyllis Pearce. He groomed them to an enter a local dance contest. Fed up with his bossiness, the dancers finally ousted Percy and elected a new chairman. Percy reacted by cancelling the group's entry in the dance contest, and informing them that new entries were no longer being accepted!
Also in 1987, Percy decided to be a good neighbour, making regular visits to Alf Roberts, who was recovering from a heart attack. Alf was horrified when insensitive Percy told him stories of other heart attack victims who had not been so lucky to survive!
Upon reaching retirement age in 1988, Percy was forced to leave his flat at the Community Centre and move out of the Street. Miserable at being away from the neighbourhood, he slumped into lethargy until Emily Bishop took pity on him and moved him in as her lodger at No 3.
Percy was delighted, but Mavis Riley, an old friend of Emily's, initially reacted with some jealousy.
When Mavis married Derek Wilton later in 1988, Percy was thrilled to act as best man (although nobody had actually asked him!) and took it upon himself to see that Derek made it to the wedding this time.
Like Albert Tatlock and Ena Sharples before him, Percy was disappointed by many of the "doings" of the younger generation. When Brian Tilsley was stabbed and killed outside a nightclub in 1989, Percy blamed it on "Acid Drops" (Acid House), stating that in his day people attending George Formby concerts hadn't come dashing out stabbing folk!
Percy had unwanted female attention thanks to Phyllis Pearce and Maud Grimes. Phyllis pursued him for most of the 1980s and into the 1990s, and sought to make him jealous by being seen around with other local pensioners, including Sam Tindall and Arnold Swift. But Percy was quite unmoved.
In 1997, Percy's happy life in the Street was shattered when the Battersbys moved in next-door. Percy couldn't stand his boisterous new neighbours, so he decided to move into a retirement complex at Mayfield Court.
By 1998, Percy was still living in Mayfield Court with Phyllis Pearce and had recently been joined by Maud Grimes
Personality
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Background information
- Percy Sugden was axed in 1997 by producer Brian Park as part of a shakeup for the show when he took over.
First and last lines
"Morning. Just called to introduce meself, Percy Sugden, new caretaker at t'Community Centre, you'll be Mrs Roberts?" (First line)
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"Alright, you do. Bye now. Right, Kenneth." (Final lines)