William Roache Soul On The Street

Review by Maggie Perkovic 15th Jan '09.
William Roache has the rather dubious accolade of being a founder actor i.e. he was in the first episode of Coronation Street and has remained ever since. He was also accused of being a very boring person, which he took to court and won his case some years ago! His defence was that it would harm his acting profession to be accused of being boring.
His autobiography is interesting as it encompasses his life from birth in 1932 to the present day and far from being boring, he has had an interesting career in the army followed by a career in the acting profession and also an interest in matters which are beyond the ken (joke) of most of us. Esoteric is defined in the dictionary as interest in something which is intelligible only to those with special knowledge. This is William Roache who believes in re-incarnation, spiritualism and a world far beyond our limited vision.
He was born to a very middle class family. Father a doctor as was his grandfather. They hoped he would follow the trend but he was never quite sure of his calling, though his mother was very busy with amateur dramatics.
He seems to be a very introverted and deep young man, who was as he says, very happy and secure with his parents and older sister. Apart from an unusual fear of death he lived a normal life, joining the army for his National Service and becoming an officer. His description of his adventures there are very well written and amusing. When he finally joins in with the Coronation Street gang he tells it as it is both his relationships with other members of the cast and his own struggles to accept his feelings of what lies beyond our limited world.
It is a carefully documented book and most enjoyable, even if his views of the hereafter are a little unusual to most of us.
Boring certainly not!

we followed on from Maggies review of William Roache (Ken Barlow) by reminiscing of the original Street with Ena Sharples, her friend Minnie Caldwell, Elsie Tanner, Jack & Annie of the Rovers & how we remembered Ken Barlow turning up as the angry student, with is college scarf on.
Also that William Roache had suffered the loss of his little daughter but claims that he still sees her as a spirit.