 On 6 February 1984, Bill first appears when he comes to look at Brian Tilsley's (Christopher Quinten) leaking garage roof.Bill buys No.11 Coronation Street from Linda Cheveski (Anne Cunningham), who is acting on behalf of her mother Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix), and rents Len Fairclough's (Peter Adamson) builder's yard from his wife Rita (Barbara Knox), and they become very friendly.Bill's first wife, Alison, died of cancer in June 1980.