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.

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