Peter Adamson (actor)

Peter George Adamson (16 February 1930 – 17 January 2002) was an English actor, best known for playing Len Fairclough in Coronation Street from January 1961 to May 1983.

Peter George Adamson was born on 16 February 1930 at 54 Hannan Road in Kensington, Liverpool, the youngest of six children.

His father was a manager of a menswear shop.

Adamson was evacuated to Wales with his older brother when World War II broke out.

He left school at the age of 14 and took an office job in a solicitor's firm, before trying for a career as a commercial artist.

After taking part in a community play at the age of 17, Adamson moved to London and attended LAMDA, but left after two months.

He returned to the North West, working for several years in repertory theatre, where he met his wife Jean.

He set up his own rep theatre company, producing and performing in plays and summer shows at Weston-super-Mare.

He appeared in London's West End, and first appeared on television in 1956 in a variety show.

He then gained roles in television dramas such as Granada Television's Skyport and Knight Errant Limited before being cast as Len Fairclough in Granada's fledgling soap opera Coronation Street.

His character first appeared on screen in January 1961.

On 7 November 1966, he was fined £30 and banned from driving for a year after being arrested for drunk driving.

He stopped drinking alcohol in July 1969 after being suspended from the show unpaid, and spent several weeks in Rossendale General Hospital in the Rossendale Valley, drying out.

Adamson was missing from episodes 921 to 935.

After discharge, he attended Alcoholics Anonymous and remained sober for 15 years but started consuming alcohol again after his wife's death.

In September 1970, Adamson took two months away from Coronation Street to play Mr Fenn in the Emlyn Williams play Someone's Waiting.

He was in New Zealand from November to December 1972, playing Gus in Harold Pinter's play The Dumb Waiter.

In 1973, he appeared in the play Nightfall.

In December 1981, he was celebrated in an episode of This Is Your Life, when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in London's Leicester Square.

Off screen, Adamson gained a reputation as a hell-raiser, admitting he had a drink problem and had become involved in pub brawls.

In February 1983, Adamson sold behind-the-scenes stories about his co-stars to The Sun newspaper journalist Dan Slater, calling some Street actors "amateurs".

The articles were branded "Len Let's rip".

He said Anne Kirkbride was "Propping too much time up at the bar" and "I wish she would leave the street, although I would miss her terribly. But for her own good she should go because she's been here for far too long. She's a great actress loaded with talent but plays the part of a dull housewife. I call her a lazy moo".

Adamson said off screen he didn't get on at all with Barbara Knox, who played his screen wife Rita Fairclough.

He was given a warning by Bill Podmore and management at Granada that he would be dismissed for breach of contract if it ever happened again.

Adamson was told he would be suspended from the programme for six weeks without pay in April 1983.

The suspension was going to take place in June and July 1983.

On 24 April 1983, a Sunday newspaper reported Adamson had been arrested the previous day on suspicion of two incidents of indecent assault on two eight-year-old girls at a public swimming pool in Haslingden where he had assisted as a part-time instructor.

One was allegedly assaulted the day before, the other on 16 April.

The police complaint alleged Adamson's hands had strayed while he was giving swimming lessons.

His final appearance as Len Fairclough was broadcast on 11 May, but it had been recorded in late March, before his arrest and suspension.

Adamson asked Granada to write him out of the programme until his court case was over.

His trial began on 18 July 1983 and he was represented by barrister George Carman QC, who had a prominent career defending celebrities.

On 26 July 1983, at Burnley Crown Court, a jury found Adamson not guilty.

The following year, after his wife's death and still suffering financial woes and drinking problems, he was allegedly persuaded by freelance Sun reporter Dan Slater to change his story following several bottles of whisky.

Adamson was alleged to have told Slater "I am totally guilty of everything the police said"...."But what I hope you will print - there was no sexual intent."

As a result, Lincolnshire Police interviewed Adamson who categorically denied the confession.

Slater claimed he had "mislaid" the tapes of the interview and the police took no further action.

After he was charged, Adamson was refused legal aid.

Two weeks before the trial began, he approached Granada to see if they would help with a potentially large legal bill.